Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four: First Foes #1, an MCU tie-in prequel set in the First Steps' Earth-828 universe, revealed an alternate look at Marvel's First Family, with a new leader not named Reed Richards. While The Fantastic Four: First Steps served as the MCU debut of the titular team of heroes, Marvel Comics pulled back the curtain more on the group's origin story in Fantastic Four: First Foes, a one-shot tie-in to the 2025 Marvel Studios movie set between the incident that gave them their powers and their rise as Earth-828's heroes. The comics dropped a huge bombshell about their space incursion aboard the Excelsior: an unexpected villain took part in the mission on Earth.
As it turned out, Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards handpicked his friend and former professor, the Mad Thinker (aka Professor René Rodin), as ground control. Rodin, together with HERBIE, helped with the calculations to save the crew and safely land the Excelsior from space to Earth. Years later, though, Rodin grew jealous of the Fantastic Four's acclaim, and he even imagined himself as the leader of the team at one point in Fantastic Four: First Foes # 1, replacing Reed Richards.
Rodin envisioned himself receiving powers if he had been aboard the ship, noting that he would have "achieved more than Reed Richards could imagine." Instead of the classic blue-and-white aesthetic the MCU's Fantastic Four is known for, The Mad Thinker made the team's suits green, with HERBIE also receiving a redesign to fit his sinister view.
HERBIE, the team's robotic assistant, had the usual barrel-like torso and hexagonal head. However, instead of the prominent blue panels, Rodin designed the robot with green accents, sans the Fantastic Four logo.
Sue Storm's super suit in Rodin's alternate reality had an all-green color palette. What made this even more disturbing was that Rodin may be imagining Sue as his wife, given that he was replacing Reed Richards in his twisted vision.
Ben Grimm's suit also matched Rodin and Sue Storm's full green aesthetic, though he appears slightly more shocked to be a part of the action.
The Fantastic Four: First Foes established Rodin as a hero who saved the Fantastic Four's lives, but his arrogance laid the groundwork for his downfall and eventual turn to villainy.
The First Foes then showed The Mad Thinker's reign of terror in Earth-828 New York, hijacking the city's intelligent systems to turn it against the heroes and civilians, even deploying his Super-Adaptive Android to torment everyone. However, the Fantastic Four managed to outsmart Rodin, allowing them to defeat him and hand him over to Riker's.
The Fantastic Four: First Foes is written by Marvel Comics veteran Dan Slott (Fantastic Four, Spider-Boy, Amazing Spider-Man) with art from Fantastic Four interior artist Mark Buckingham.
Why The MCU's Mad Thinker Should Return in Future Fantastic Four Sequels
The Fantastic Four: First Foes elevated the Mad Thinker as a formidable MCU villain, and it's quite unfortunate that he wasn't given the spotlight in 2025's The Fantastic Four: First Steps. René Rodin was only mentioned as a past foe and never appeared on-screen.
It would've been compelling if First Steps had included the conflict between Reed Richards and Rodin in the movie, given their odd mentor-mentee dynamic that could've made him a formidable side villain for the team to contend with.
The Mad Thinker's connection to the Fantastic Four's origins and his personal grudge against Reed would make him an ideal recurring antagonist in sequels. His genius-level intellect and precise calculations would serve as an easy way out for him inside Riker's. Perhaps he would form an alliance with other villains who had problems with the Fantastic Four.
Given that the MCU is heading toward a rumored reboot following Avengers: Secret Wars, the Multiversal shakeup could open the door for the Mad Thinker's comeback as a mid-tier threat to disrupt the Fantastic Four's heroic momentum.
