The Fantastic Four frequently fought examples of a time-tested theme in superhero comics — the mirror-image antagonist.
As early as their second issue, the FF faced the Skrulls, extraterrestrial enemies who could disguise themselves as the heroes and imitate their powers through alien technology. In the sixth issue, they were pitted against an alliterative superhuman team mirroring their own (Dr. Doom and the Sub-Mariner, the “Diabolical Duo”). In issue 12, they fought a monster man who mirrored the Thing, namely the Incredible Hulk. In the following issue, the FF flew to the moon to battle a mirror-image communist super-quartet (the Red Ghost and his Super Apes).
And in the 18th issue (Sept. 1963), the Skrulls returned with a twist — they’d given one of their number actual superpowers identical to the FF’s, the “All-Powerful Super-Skrull.”
The issue displays both the power and the wit of Jack Kirby’s art. The Super-Skrull impresses the reader by lifting a tremendous weight in one of those three-panel progressions Kirby used so effectively. And we’re treated to an amusing sequence in which the FF must use their powers to escape from an adoring mob in a department store.
“In addition to the powers mirroring those of the Fantastic Four, the Super-Skrull has one extra ability: that of hypnotism,” noted comics historian Don Alsafi.
“Now, what the long-time reader may catch onto here is that hypnotism is precisely what Reed used to defeat the Skrulls at the end of their first encounter … but, strangely, this is never referenced or even hinted at in the dialogue itself. This kind of subtlety isn’t exactly something Stan was known for — and recall the age range to which he was primarily writing — but, once realized, the parallel is unavoidable. Was this perhaps an explicit and intentional part of the plot, which Kirby then drew, but which during the dialoguing stage was simply forgotten? Or was this just another case of Stan’s unconscious motivations being sometimes more inspired than his deliberate ones?”
In any case, one ability could not be duplicated by the Super-Skrull, and that of course was the one that did him in — Reed Richards’ phenomenal and resourceful intelligence.
“Listen, all of you!” Mr. Fantastic says. “It isn’t possible for anyone to be as powerful as the Super Skrull — not without some additional power source.”
Richards was able to create a jammer to cut off the Super-Skrull from the power rays beamed at him from his home planet and plant it on the Skrull champion with the aid of the Invisible Girl.
All drama involves conflict, and three kinds of conflict are possible. A protagonist can be in conflict with nature, with other persons, or with himself. All three are seen in superhero comics, but the third is often symbolically externalized as a mirror-image enemy.
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