Marvel’s Fin Fang Foom: Comic Origins & Power Explained

The dragon Fin Fang Foom has a long history in Marvel Comics, evolving from a goofy one-off character into a surprisingly developed one. Foom has been a thorn in the side of several Marvel heroes, including Iron Man, Thor, and the Agents of Wakanda. The Mandarin, Iron Man’s sometime nemesis, even traces his power back to Foom.

Foom has appeared in numerous Marvel media projects outside of comics, and there are rumors he is on his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But who is Fin Fang Foom? What exactly are his powers? And how has he remained relevant when so many other Marvel monster characters have slipped into oblivion? Read on to find out!

The Origins of Fin Fang Foom

Fin Fang Foom first appeared in Strange Tales #89, dated October 1961, created by the team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. At this point in the company’s history, Marvel was not publishing super hero comics; instead, they focused on science fiction and horror comics, all of which featured an endless stream of monsters with colorful names, and Foom was one of many. It is worth noting that a few other monster characters from this time made the jump into the regular Marvel Universe, such as Xemnu the Titan and, most notably, Groot.

Fin Fang Foom is an extraterrestrial from the planet Kakaranathara. His race is peaceful, but Foom and others were renegades, and left seeking new worlds to conquer. The aliens took residence in ancient China, with Foom hibernating as a kind of secret weapon. The Mandarin found the Ten Rings, the source of his power, aboard Foom’s ship, but ultimately aided Iron Man in defeating Foom and his people, realizing the aliens intended to use him as a pawn.

As time progressed, Foom began to soften, eventually embracing Buddhism. Foom also shrank down to the size of a normal human and gave up his powers. In Fin Fang Four#1, Foom is head chef at a Chinese restaurant inside the Baxter building, though he returned as a threat in the recent Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda #7, when an attempt to rid himself of his worst qualities created three giant dragons who embodied Foom at his worst.

What Power Does Fin Fang Foom Actually Wield?

While Foom may have resembled the monsters populating Marvel at the time, with his giant wings and towering figure, his powers and abilities set him apart from the pack. A shapeshifter so advanced that he can split his body into separate forms, Foom is also – by Earth standards – a genius inventor and tactician possessing telepathy and acidic/fiery breath. Despite this, Foom tends to favor his immense size in combat, and Marvel’s heroes tend to have to find creative ways to fend him off rather than defeating him outright.

How Fin Fang Foom Turned From Marvel Monster to Marvel Legend

So how did Fin Fang Foom manage to escape oblivion when so many of his contemporaries fell by the wayside? Mostly, because of his unique look and immense storytelling potential. Foom’s intelligence and varied powers allowed him to be a cunning alien mastermind in one issue and a giant Godzilla stand-in in the next – a monster, dragon, alien, and mastermind all rolled into one large, medium, or small package. His versatility explains why Drax might meet him out in space or why Thor could fight him in Asgard – in short, Foom is a villain for all seasons, and he came with a Jack Kirby design that could be funny, threatening, or uncanny depending on the mood of the piece. Fin Fang Foom is an iconic Marvel villain because Lee and Kirby really were as good as their reputations imply, crafting a pulp character who can bend and shift to suit the huge variety of stories found in the Marvel Universe while still remaining iconic.

About The Author

Shaun Corley
(1377 Articles Published)

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Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he’s turned his attention to writing about comic books–his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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