Fin Fang Foom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fin Fang Foom | |
 Fin Fang Foom's first appearance in Strange Tales #89 (Oct. 1961) Art by Jack Kirby. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Strange Tales #89 (October 1961) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Jack Kirby |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Fin Fang Foom |
| Species | Makluan/Axonn-Karr |
| Team affiliations | Dragon Lords of Kakaranathara Fin Fang Four Beyond Reason Spiritual Fellowship |
| Notable aliases | He Whose Limbs Shatter Mountains and Whose Back Scrapes the Sun, The Sleeping Dragon |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength and durability Acid mist breath Shape-shifting Telepathy Flight Greatly prolonged lifespan Master martial artist |
Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Strange Tales #89 (Oct. 1961), and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
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[edit] Publication history
Stan Lee's inspiration for Foom's name was apparently the title of the film Chu Chin Chow. [1]
The character is an alien being from the world of Kakaranathara (also known as Maklu IV) in the Maklu system of the Greater Magellanic Cloud. The alien and several other members of his race originally depart from their peaceful homeworld with the intention of conquering other planets. The alien, as a member of the starship's crew, serves as the navigator. The alien dragons land on Earth in ancient China, and the crew used their natural shapeshifting powers to mimic human form, intent on entering and studying human society before beginning their conquest. The alien navigator was the exception and, acting as reserve, was placed in a tomb and given a herb that places him in a catatonic state. [2]
Foom sleeps until the modern age, when he is deliberately awakened by teenager Chan Liuchow, whose homeland is under threat from invading forces of Communist China. Liuchow taunts Foom with the threat of the herb, and goads the dragon into chasing him straight into the Communist camp, which Foom decimates. Liuchow subsequently leads him back into his tomb, where the herb returns Foom to his sleep. [3] Fin Fang Foom is captured by the Elder of the Universe known as the Collector, and imprisoned in his subterranean collection of monsters. When Fantastic Four villain the Mole Man attacks the facility, Foom and the other monsters escape [4] and are later captured by the recently-formed Fantastic Four and deposited on Monster Isle. [5] The character, however, has no desire to serve the Mole Man (who uses the island as a base) and returns to China and hibernation.
The scientist Doctor Vault manages to mentally control the dragon and attack Vault's foe, It the Living Colossus. After a brief battle, Foom resists the control and aids the Colossus against an alien invasion (intent on preserving the planet for the dragon's own race to conquer at a later date) before returning to hibernation yet again.[6] Fin Fang Foom is again roused from his slumber when his body is possessed by the demon Aan Taanu. Combating a group of occult adventurers (including an older Chan Liuchow, now a Professor) known as The Legion of Night in New York, Taanu is exorcised from Foom's body, and the character once again returns to hibernation. [7]
The Makluan vessel is eventually found by a man who steals ten sophisticated rings from it, and becomes the supervillain the Mandarin.[8] The Mandarin is directed to the Valley of the Sleeping Dragon by a man called Chen Hsu, who is also an alien dragon and the captain of the vessel. The Mandarin finds and wakes Fin Fang Foom, using the dragon to threaten the Chinese government. Foom helps the Mandarin take control of one third of China, and is then revealed as an alien of Kakaranathara. With "Chen Hsu", whose true form is also revealed, the pair begin to summon their fellows, who had been disguised as humans for centuries. Realizing he has been tricked, the Mandarin joins forces with heroes Iron Man and War Machine to defeat the dragons, the battle ending with their apparent annihilation. [9]
Although Fin Fang Foom's body is destroyed, the character's spirit survives and bonds itself to a small dragon statue, which was stolen from a curio shop by teenager Billy Yuan at Foom's mental urging. Using Yuan's body as a conduit for his power, Foom summons thousands of lizards from the sewers beneath New York, merging them with Yuan's body to recreate his own form. Iron Man, however, defeats Foom with assistance from the last remnants of Yuan's mind. Due to several legal complications the defeated dragon is sent to Monster Isle again, [10] where with several other monsters briefly battle the dimensionally-displaced Justice League of America.[11]
With the other members of the Makluan crew dead, Foom decides to reform and becomes a follower of Buddhism. The character enters into a rehabilitation program, and with three other monsters - the robot Elektro; the giant ape Gorgilla, and the alien Googam - is shrunk down to human size, hypnotically stripped of their powers, and allowed to enter human society. Taking a job as head chef in a Chinese restaurant within the Baxter Building, Foom and the other monsters team together as the Fin Fang Four to defeat the size-changing warlord Tim Boo Ba.[12] Fin Fang Foom also begrudgingly aids Wong - the servant of Doctor Strange - in defeating a force of HYDRA agents. [13]
There have also been two imitations of the character. On the first occasion the Midgard Serpent imitated Foom to attempt to trick the Thunder god Thor, [14] while the second involved the villain Nightmare morphing a creature called a Mindless One into a copy of Foom to battle the Hulk. [15] Thor also claims at one point to have killed the true Fin Fang Foom in battle, and uses the dragon's bones to build a tomb in the realm of Asgard. [16] The character Howard the Duck also has dreams of playing cards with characters Thing; Man-Thing; Bigfoot; Frankenstein's Monster and Foom.[17]
The character also appears briefly in a Sentry limited series[18]; two special marvel publications[19] and has another adventure with the Fin Fang Four.[20]
In 2009, Fing Fang Foom was ranked as IGN's 99th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time. [21]
[edit] Powers and abilities
The character possesses super strength, the ability to fly via his wings at supersonic speeds, and can spew combustible acid mist from his mouth. Foom is also extremely durable and can regenerate at a rapid rate. By entering into long periods of hibernation, Foom has managed to survive for centuries. The character possesses a gifted intellect, can communicate telepathically, and has access to advanced alien technology.
[edit] Other versions
[edit] Earth-2992
Fin Fang Foom is shown fighting the League of Losers.[22]
[edit] Nextwave
Foom appears as a pawn of the Beyond Corporation©, and while having reverted back to original size, lacks any real intelligence. Foom is eventually defeated by Aaron Stack, who allows himself to be swallowed by the dragon and then eviscerates the character internally. [23]
[edit] Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas
Fin Fang Foom battles Iron Man for the first time in Las Vegas.[24]
[edit] Other media
[edit] Television
[edit] Video games
- Fin Fang Foom appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by James Sie.
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Bullpen Bulletins" (Jun. 2000 Marvel comics): "Stan's Soapbox" (column), by Stan Lee. Lee states this in the audio interview in Amazing Marvel Universe by Roy Thomas and Stan Lee.
- ^ Seen in flashback in Iron Man #274 (Nov. 1991)
- ^ Strange Tales #89 (Oct. 1961)
- ^ Marvel Monsters: Monsters On The Prowl #1 (Dec. 2005)
- ^ Fin Fang Four #1 (Dec. 2005)
- ^ Astonishing Tales #23 (Apr. 1974) - 24 (June 1974)
- ^ Legion of Night #1 - 2 (Oct. 1991)
- ^ Recounted in Tales of Suspense #50 (Feb. 1964)
- ^ Iron Man #261 - 264 (Oct. 1900 - Jan. 1992); 267 (Apr. 1991) & 270 - 275 (July - Dec. 1992)
- ^ Iron Man vol. 2, #15 - 18 (Apr. - July 1999)
- ^ JLA/Avengers #1 (Sep. 2003)
- ^ Fin Fang Four #1 (Dec. 2005)
- ^ Marvel Holiday Special 2006 (Jan. 2007)
- ^ Thor #379 (May 1987)
- ^ Hulk vol. 3, #79 (May 2005)
- ^ Thor vol. 2, #80 (Aug. 2004)
- ^ Howard the Duck vol. 3, #1 (Nov. 2007)
- ^ Age of the Sentry #3 (Nov. 2008). Issues #1 - 6 (Sep. 2008 - May 2009)
- ^ Hulk Monster-Size Special #1 (Dec. 2008); Dark Reign Files #1 (Apr. 2009)
- ^ Fin Fang Four Return! (July 2009)
- ^ Fing Fang Foom is number 99 , IGN.
- ^ Marvel Team-Up vol. 3, #17 (Apr. 2006)
- ^ Nextwave #2 (Apr. 2006)
- ^ Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas #1 - 4 (May - Aug. 2008)
[edit] External links
- Fin Fang Foom at the Marvel Database
- Fin Fang Foom at the Internet Movie Database
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