Mole Man

Mole Man
Mole Man. Art by Frank Cho.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961)
Created by	Stan Lee Jack Kirby
In-story information
Alter ego	Harvey Rupert Elder
Team affiliations	Subterranea Outcasts
Partnerships	Thing Hulk Kala Red Ghost
Notable aliases	Dr. Wrong
Abilities	Genius-level intellect Highly developed "radar senses" to help his weak normal vision Has developed a fighting style resembling the Japanese martial art of bōjutsu

The Mole Man is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Created by artist/co-writer Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, the character first appeared in The Fantastic Four No. 1 (Nov. 1961). The character's name was at the time spelled "Moleman" in one word. The spelling "Mole Man" came in The Fantastic Four No. 22 (Jan. 1964).

The Mole Man was originally Harvey Rupert Elder, an American nuclear engineer and explorer. Elder was socially shunned due to a combination of his abrasive personality and his homely, dwarfish appearance. Furthermore, his fellow explorers ridiculed him for his eccentric, crackpot theories regarding a Hollow Earth. In 1956, while following the group of explorers called the Monster Hunters, he stumbled upon Monster Island, which was at the time a base of the Deviant Warlord Kro.

When Elder fell into a massive cave leading deep into the underground realm of Subterranea, he decided his theories had finally been vindicated. However, he suffered permanent damage to his eyes when he gazed directly upon a highly reflective deposit of diamonds. Partially blind and apparently secluded from the surface world forever, Elder dubbed himself the Mole Man and began exploring his new home. He eventually became the ruler of the branch of Subterraneans now known as the Moloids, and the ruler of much of Subterranea and the caverns of Monster Isle. He used the Deviant-derived creatures and technology that he found in Subterranea to strike back at the outer world in numerous attempts to rule or humble the world that had rejected him.

The Mole Man conducted attacks on the surface world by destroying power plants until he was opposed by the Fantastic Four in their first adventure on Monster Isle. He captured Mister Fantastic and the Human Torch and told them his plans. When he released a horde of monsters the Human Torch sealed his realm's entrance. The Mole Man appeared to have destroyed Monster Isle in an atomic blast. The Mole Man's Deviant-bred monstrous mutates, collectively known as the "Mole Man's Monsters", include the three-headed Tricephalous, the horned Megataur, and the flying bird-insect creature known only as "Skreeal". The Mole Man also has a group of superhuman allies called the Outcasts.