MBTI and Jack Kirby's Fourth World, Part II: Doctor Bedlam to Virmin Vunderbar

Jack Kirby would have turned 100 this year. Given that the Fourth World / New Gods books were considered to be his magnum opus, I'm presenting the second and final part of my Fourth World MBTI series to mark his centennial; the first part you can find here. If you want some insight into the methods I use to type comic book superheroes, see here.

Typing Kirby's creations has for me proven to be a straightforward job, as he - and his partners Joe Simon and Stan Lee - possessed the talent of quick and easy characterisation. Kirby and his collaborators had the ability to convey a character's personality type through a few lines of dialogue and pencil, and this feat was aided by Kirby's art style, which - unlike, say, Neal Adams' - rejected realism and relied upon caricature. Looking at it today, we associate it with cartoons of the animated variety, not only in its kinetic story-telling, but in its exaggerated, often grotesque face and figure drawing. No wonder, then, that Kirby went on to work for the Hanna-Barbera and Ruby Spears animation studios after leaving comics in the late seventies: he and Alex Toth were the two artists who, in effect, invented the superhero TV cartoon.

Kirby's Fourth World went on to influence George Lucas' Star Wars, and its characters still are being used by DC today, turning up again and again (Steppenwolf has appeared in the new Justice League movie). But the Fourth World was marked by a chequered publication history. Within a few years of Kirby's joining DC, Mister Miracle, Forever People, and The New Gods were all cancelled, allegedly because of falling sales, and Kirby was taken off Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen. DC brought back New Gods in the late seventies, but the series failed to catch on (despite artwork by the great Don Newton).

Kirby returned to DC to do some work in the mid-eighties. He revived the Fourth World  in the much-maligned Super Powers limited series (a Superfriends derivative used to promote a line of action figures), and pencilled the Fourth World character profiles of Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe. In 1985, Kirby attempted to wrap up the saga in his Hunger Dogs graphic novel, a poorly written and edited affair. Kirby's biographer, Mark Evanier, makes clear that Kirby had by then lost interest in the Fourth World, and Hunger Dogs lacks the excitement of his seventies work. Subsequent iterations of the Fourth World - some of them drawn by star artists such as Walt Simonson, John Byrne and Frank Miller - have delivered mixed results. Few have managed to capture the spirit and essence of Kirby.

Here I will be typing all the Fourth World characters left over from the first part. These have been selected using this criterion: the character must appear in the New Gods entry or elsewhere in the Who's Who. (One exception does exist, however, and I will leave it up to you to work out who it is). That means I will not be typing lesser villains such as Steel Hand, Victor Volcanum, and Professor Egg, or supporting characters such as Sonny Sumo, Shiloh Norman and Terrible Turpin.

DOCTOR BEDLAM - INTJ

Bedlam exists in disembodied form, and inhabits the bodies of his blank-faced androids, called 'animates'. 'Bedlam is a scientist whose specialty is the manipulation of terror', reads his Who's Who entry; 'One of his most infamous methods is use of the "paranoid pill" , which releases a gas that can drive everyone within a large office building temporarily insane with hatred'. This makes him sound like the archetypal INTJ villain who, more often than not, takes  a sadistic delight in controlling, and inducing fear, in his victims. See Taylor's profile of Smaug from The Hobbit here, and his profile of Scarecrow from Batman here.

BLACK RACER - ISTJ

A cosmic character who flies through space on a set of skis (just as the Silver Surfer flies on his cosmic surfboard) and wears a knight's helmet, only Kirby could have made this idea work. The Black Racer serves as a kind of a Valkyrie who takes the souls of dead New Gods to the afterlife. Definitely an Introvert, one would - at first sight - type him as an Intuitive as well, given that most spooky cosmic characters tend to be Intuitives. But I argue that the Black Racer, like that other undead DC cosmic character, the Spectre, is an ISTJ.

Darth Vader from Star Wars, Cyclops from the X-Men and Judge Dredd from 2000 AD are all
ISTJs and all wear helmets or visors, just like the Black Racer, and like him, they tend to be bland functionaries who do their duty and have no qualms - moral, practical, or otherwise - about it; they take the attitude, 'I'm just doing my job, ma'am'.

DESAAD - ENTP

The Who's Who entry reads:

Desaad was an inventor who specialised in the creation of weapons and devices for torturing and killing, usually in a protracted, painful manner. In fact, Desaad took a perverse, perhaps addictive pleasure in using Apokolips technology to experience the emotions of his victims as he made them suffer. Desaad designed weapons for the young Darkseid, who came to appreciate Desaad's macabre sense of humour at the expense of their victims. 

Desaad is a Thinker, not a Feeler, an Intuitive, not a Sensor, and he enjoys inflicting pain and causing fear - should he be typed as an INTJ villain? The answer is no: INTJ characters tend to be brooding types who live in darkness - this description does not match Desaad, who is an extravagant, manic and talkative character (much like the Riddler and the Joker) and who is, like them, a skilled inventor. Taylor types the Riddler and the Joker from Batman as ENTPs.

ENTP villains enjoy violating taboos. They do not believe in absolutes and universal laws, which are perceived by Introverted Intuition Ni. In Socionics' Model A, Ni sits in the Ignoring function slot in the ENTP's function stack, which means that Ni is a function that the ENTP disdains and that he believes he can do without. 

A typical ENTP villain, Desaad likes inverting the normal order of things. The Who's Who entry notes, 'Perhaps his most spectacular achievement was "Happyland", an amusement park that, behind the scenes, actually served as a prison for his victims. The prisoners were anguished over the seeming indifference of the park's customers to their plight, unaware the Desaad's technology caused the visitors to see them as something other than what they were'.

Only an ENTP could have created Happyland...

 DUBBILEX - INFJ

Dubbilex is a clone created by super-scientists at the DNA Project - a secret genetic-engineering facility near Superman's home town of Metropolis - and was designed by them to look like an alien; they call him a 'DNAlien'.

He wields telepathic and telekinetic powers, and is a sensitive, quiet, empathic and caring individual; in other words, he is very much like Professor X of the X-Men, another INFJ - an Intuitive, an Introvert and a Feeler.

But why INFJ? Why not INFP? INFJs are extraverted Feelers, and Extraverted Feeling Fe always takes the emotions of one's environment into consideration; Introverted Feelers, on the other hand, are removed from that environment, and so can come across (at their worst) as selfish and somewhat infantile. That does not sound like Dubbilex, who, like Yoda from Star Wars, the Vision from The Avengers and Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, is selfless and a counsellor to others.

MORGAN EDGE - ESTJ

Ruthless capitalist and president of Galaxy Communications - which owns the WGBS TV station and the Daily Planet - Morgan Edge accords with Jung's description of the Extraverted Thinker type. He secretly works for Darkseid, but this was retconned by DC after Kirby left: the real Edge was kidnapped by an evil clone who impersonated him throughout the Fourth World arc.

Why ESTJ? Why not ENTJ? Edge is shown as being subordinate to Darkseid, an ENTJ, and in the hierarchy comic book characters, ESTJs occupy the rung below ENTJs: they lack the ENTJ's visionary, Intuitive qualities. Often they make good drill sergeant types who like to whip other characters into line. That describes Edge.

ESAK - ENTP

Esak first appears as a child and in the company of Metron, and is either Metron's son or his student or both. In Hunger Dogs, we learn that after Metron disappears, Esak grows up, and, not having the benefit of Metron's guidance, conducts dangerous experiments - one of which literally blows up in his face. Badly disfigured by the explosion, Esak becomes bitter and twisted, and ends up working for Darkseid, designing the 'Micro-Mark' technology which revolutionises Apokolips and gives it the edge in the war against New Genesis.

ENTP villains often display a Luciferian aspect - like Lucifer, they challenge God and are cast out from the heavens. The Esak before the explosion and disfigurement does look angelic, and in the Fourth World saga he plays the part of a fallen angel.

FASTBAK - ESFP

A juvenile delinquent on New Genesis, Fastbak flies at breathtaking speed, breaking the speed limit on New Genesis traffic and getting himself into trouble. He recalls, to me, the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four, who is an ESFP and who likes racing.

Fastbak sings excellently. ESFP characters often show artistic ability; Keirsey calls the ESFP type 'The Performer'.

FEMALE FURIES - various

Darkseid's elite female fighting troops, they are sent to Earth to capture Big Barda, but end up defecting, and they join Mister Miracle and Big Barda's act.

I covered Lashina (an ISTP) in part one. What of the remainder of the Furies? The dour and scowling Bernadeth (who is the sister of Desaad) I type as an ISTJ. The placid, inexpressive and bovine Stompa - is another Introverted Sensor: an ISFJ. Finally, we have Mad Harriet, an agile character whose fist-mounted power spikes can, in the words of Who's Who, 'cut through anything'. Shades of Wolverine's adamantium claws there, but I type her as an ESFP. I consider her to be the Harley Quinn of the Fourth World (Harley Quinn, from Batman, is an ESFP).

FUNKY FLASHMAN AND HOUSEROY - ENTP AND ISFJ

Funky Flashman, a fast-talking show business promoter (and conman) lives in a decaying Southern mansion with his loyal and humble manservant, Houseroy, and supports himself through money doled out of a statue of the mansion's deceased owner, Colonel Mockingbird. When the funds from the ATM made of stone are exhausted, Flashman latches on to Mr Miracle and offers to work as his tour manager.

Kirby modelled the toupee-wearing and bearded Flashman on Stan Lee, the tousled and bespectacled Houseroy on Lee's acolyte Roy Thomas.

Flashman, a garrulous and self-aggrandising hustler, recalls Breaking Bad's Saul Goodman, an ENTP. Flashman shows all the characteristics of a dominant Extraverted Intuition type whose maniacal Ne primary function is combined with a calculating Ti secondary function. The long-suffering, put down-upon Houseroy seems a typical ISFJ.

The peculiar thing about the pair is that their two personality types - ENTP and ISFJ - relate to one another as (what Socionics calls) Duals.

GOLDEN GUARDIAN - ISFJ

Simon and Kirby conceived the original Guardian (Jim Harper) in 1942 with the aim of replicating their most popular creation, Captain America; the Guardian wears a similar costume to Cap and like Cap, carries a shield.

An ESFJ 'Father Knows Best' type, Harper served as a mentor to the Newsboy Legion, a gang of youths who lived in Suicide Slum (which Kirby later made part of Superman's city, Metropolis). After his return to DC, Kirby did some retconning: we learn that the Guardian been shot dead by a criminal a few years before. The new Guardian is a clone created by the DNA Project, and goes by the name of the Golden Guardian. He seems more quiet and introverted than the original, and is less of a take-charge type and more docile. He  bears a resemblance to that other super-strong ISFJ, the X-Men's Colossus.

HIMON - ENTP

Himon, one of the New Gods who lives on New Genesis, is a super-scientist (he invented the Mother Box) and master escape-artist. He leads a resistance cell on Apokolips, and helps Scott Free (Mr Miracle) escape Granny Goodness' orphanage by opening up a boom tube to Earth.

Why ENTP? Why not INTP? Taylor explains the differences between the two types here. The difference to me is illustrated by the contrast between Himon and his friend Metron.
The latter, whose dominant function is introverted, always appears to be dour, reserved, sullen, solitary; Himon, whose dominant function is extraverted, is always outgoing, sociable. (On top of that, Metron wears dark clothing; Himon, bright colours).

Like Doc Brown in Back to the Future (1985), Himon doubles as both mentor and crazy scientist. Taylor types Doc Brown as an ENTP, and also types that other outgoing scientist, Tony Stark / Iron Man, as an ENTP. Himon should be seen as the Tony Stark of New Genesis.

INFINITY MAN - INFJ

The Infinity Man, a cosmic being of great power, lives in another dimension; he is summoned to this one by the Forever People, who, when in danger, touch their Mother Box and recite the magic word 'Taaruu'; they then vanish into Infinity Man's dimension and have their place taken by the Infinity Man.

Again, we can detect the Infinity Man's introversion in his choice of clothing: the helmet, goggles, and dark colours are worn, more often than not, by introverted characters.

Strange, brooding, cosmic characters nearly always have Introverted Intuition as a dominant or secondary function: given that Infinity Man is an Introvert, he must be Ni-dominant - either an INTJ or INFJ.

I type him as an INFJ, just like that other cosmic INFJ Kirby creation, the Silver Surfer, displays an Fe concern for the well-being of others. Were he an Extraverted Thinker, and an INTJ, he would probably behave in a more ruthless and calculated manner.

IZAYA THE HIGHFATHER - INFJ

Another cosmic character, and another Ni type, Izaya rules New Genesis and performs priestly rites. He also acts as a counsellor and teacher, and in his first appearance he sits down and has a heart to heart chat with Superman.

An Ni dominant character experiences inner visions which are perceptions of the future and insights into the absolute essences of things. What does he do with that knowledge? The job of the secondary function in an INTJ or INFJ is to act as a bridge, bringing the cognitions of Ni to the external world. If the character is an INFJ, his secondary function is Extraverted Feeling, meaning he will want to share his revelations; Extraverted Feeling is founded upon shared values, shared ethics, shared judgements. This explains why the INFJ will often play the part of counsellor, mentor and teacher: he needs to impart his wisdom to others.

Other INFJs-as-mentors: Yoda, Professor X and Gandalf (who, like Izaya, is bearded and carries a staff).

KALIBAK - ESTP

Kalibak is the son of Darkseid and the half-brother of Orion. I type Kalibak as an Extraverted Sensing dominant. Se as a dominant function in a character will make him - especially if he's a villain - forceful, aggressive, territorial and hierarchical. It also encourages aestheticism and a care for one's appearance, which tallies with what we know of Kalibak, who is vain regarding his looks.

The secondary function of Introverted Thinking in an ESTP works as a conduit, or funnel, for the main function, Se, and is always subordinated and put to work by Se.

Introverted Thinking enables one to perceive the inner workings of things and people. In a aggressive ESTP character such as Kalibak, Se as a dominant function will use Ti as a means of perceiving the weaknesses of his opponents and getting the upper hand. After being imprisoned and bound in heavy chains in the Metropolis police station, Kalibak displays the rat-like cunning and con-man capability of the stock ESTP villain: he tricks the gullible Metropolis PD into letting him go.

The combination of the brute force of Se and the cunning of Ti can make an ESTP character a deadly foe. See Taylor's profile of ESTP Marv from Sin City here.

KANTO - ESFP

A flamboyant denizen of Apokolips who styles himself after the men of the Renaissance, Kanto is a theatrical character who, on capturing Mister Miracle, attempts to kill him in an extravagant and melodramatic fashion.

As noted in the previous profile, Extraverted Sensing can give a type an appreciation of fine food, wine, clothes, art, music; it can make him an Epicurean. Se forms Kanto's main function, but what of his second? I believe it is Feeling, not Thinking. Why?

Kanto, unlike a Thinking type, does not seem to be very rational and calculating, despite his professed love of strategy and intrigue. ESFPs aspire to be efficient, organised Extraverted Thinking types; they are lacking in strong Te and want to make up for it. This is because Te occupies what Socionics calls the 'Hidden Agenda' slot in the ESFP's function stack. In Socionics, all types harbour a secret wish to develop the Hidden Agenda function, which is neglected.

One could object to my typing of Kanto as an ESFP on the grounds that Kanto, unlike typical ESFPs the Hulk, the Human Torch and Breaking Bad's Jesse Pinkman, is not emotionally volatile. But not all ESFPs are hotheads, and the secondary function of Introverted Feeling can in fact work to stabilise an ESFP's moods. Kanto should be seen as what Socionics calls an Fi-dominant subtype.

Here is some of the Socionics profile of the Fi-dominant ESFP subtype. The description sounds a lot like Kanto:

 The active, mobile person. Willingly moves to establish useful social connections. Able to give compliments by speaking to others, in detail, about the opportunities and/or abilities that they’ve perceive; value their ability to make impressions. Intimate intonations in their voice, coupled with the confidential manner of dialogue, charmingly allow them to win the favour of the interlocutor quickly. Often have convex eyes; gestures are smooth and confident. They’re inclined to dress unusually, brightly and extravagantly, however, their tendency to corpulence may limit their liberty to dress as they please. Gait is elastic and proud.

LONAR - ISFJ

A long-haired New God who wears a Viking helmet, Lonar spends his time exploring the ruins of the Old Gods' civilisation on the surface of New Genesis; there he finds, with the aid of his Mother Box, a magical horse called Thunderer.

His solitariness (his name is a give away) and his vocation point to his being an introverted type: but which is it? Is Introverted Sensing, Thinking, Feeling or Intuition his dominant function? I say he's a Si dominant. This type concerns himself primarily with comfort, homeliness, stability, domesticity, physical well-being, and he reveres the past and does not want to move on from it. In a word, Si can be summed up as: stasis.

Extraverted Feeling as a secondary function in a type means that he prizes shared values, shared ethics and shared emotions. When we put together the main function, nostalgic Si, with the secondary function, generous Fe, we capture the essence of Lonar's character: Lonar lives in the past and finds a meaning in it that he wants to share.

THE NEWSBOY LEGION - various

Simon and Kirby created their first team, the Newsboy Legion, in April 1942. After the first Newsboy series came to an end in 1947, the Legion went on hiatus until Kirby's return to DC.

The seventies version of the Legion are the sons of the Legion of the forties. But, while they fly around in a new Kirby vehicle (the Whiz Wagon), and boast a new member -
an Afro-American boy (called Flipper) who wears a diving suit at all times - the personality types of the new Gabby, Big Words, Scrapper and Tommy match those of their fathers.

I type Big Words - a bespectacled, Bruce Banner-lookalike - as an INTP, the feisty brawler Scrapper as an ESTP. Gabby, a loquacious, zany, unpredictable and friendly character, is an ENFP. Tommy, who is the straight man of the group, and who is sullen and withdrawn, and somewhat bland, strikes me as an ISTJ, as the ISTJ personality type tends to live a quiet life and lurk in the background; he often goes about his business without being noticed.

And Flipper? I'm unable to type him.

OBERON - ISFJ

The assistant of the original Mister Miracle, Thaddeus Brown (who seems to me to be an ENFJ type), Oberon goes on to work for the new Mister Miracle, Scott Free, after Brown is murdered. He lives with Scott and Barda and serves them as faithfully as he did Thaddeus.

The devoted and loyal Oberon gives us another instance of the ISFJ assistant / butler character: think of Alfred Pennyworth in Batman and Sherlock Holmes' friend Watson. As stated before, Introverted Sensing means comfort, and being Extraverted Feelers, ISFJs like to share that comfort around.

JIMMY OLSEN - ENFP

It's hard to believe, but Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen, who has been around since at least 1938 and who has appeared in hundreds of stories, has never been typed.

I initially found it difficult to work out Jimmy's personality type. Then the answer - which had been staring me in the face all along - came to me in a flash.

Jimmy goes through multiple transformations in his career, so much so that DC published an anthology, Superman: The Amazing Transformations of Jimmy Olsen (2007), which collects them. During Kirby's brief run, Jimmy, as usual, takes up new identities: first as a leader of motor cycle gang, then a member of the youth counter-culture, then as a de facto government agent working for the DNA project, then as a two-fisted action hero. Simyan and Makkari, agents of Darkseid, use the science of Apokolips to change him temporarily into a Neanderthal. Jimmy clones appear (one of them a giant with kryptonite skin) as well; these are altered Jimmys.

Generally speaking, Extraverted Intuition occupies the primary or secondary function slot in a character who possesses shape-shifting abilities, or the ability to transmute or teleport matter: think of Nightcrawler and the Scarlet Witch, both of whom are INFPs.

So we can deduce that Jimmy is an Extraverted Intuitive. But how do we know he is an ENFP?

The dominant function of the ENFP, Extraverted Intuition, is devoted to the exploration of new possibilities and opportunities; the secondary function, Introverted Feeling, allows the ENFP to sympathise with others, and build rapport, to a strong degree. Being the secondary function, Introverted Feeling is subordinated to the first, Extraverted Intuition, and the result of the combination is that the ENFP character will attempt to explore relationships and connect with as many different people as possible. He will adapt himself to his environment and take on its colouring, which explains why chameleonic and shape-shifting characters tend to be ENFPs. (Significantly, the title of the story in the first issue of Jimmy's own series, Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen, is 'The Boy of a 100 Faces'; the cover shows Jimmy trying out multiple disguises).

All in all, Jimmy as shape-shifter and chameleon recalls the Fantastic Four's Impossible Man, who is, I argue, another ENFP (but one who is far more annoying than Jimmy).

ORION - ISTJ

The son of Darkseid and Tigra, he is raised by the Highfather as part of a peace deal between Apokolips and New Genesis. Orion becomes the main hero of the New Gods title, but the apple does not fall far from the tree: when under great stress, Orion will explode into rage and his handsome face will become disfigured and Darkseid-like, and only Orion's Mother Box can return it to normal.

Like the ISTJs Darth Vader and Judge Dredd, Orion wears a bucket-helmet, and like the Punisher, another ISTJ, Orion is vengeful. Why do ISTJ characters tend to gravitate towards the pursuit of revenge? As noted before, Introverted Sensing, the ISTJ's primary function, aims at stasis, comfort, sameness and continuity with the past, and the ISTJ's secondary function, Extraverted Thinking, works to ensure that Introverted Sensing flows on uninterrupted and that the outer world is organised in a efficient, orderly and regulated manner. Bad consequences follow if anyone disturbs this equilibrium. The ISTJ does not want to be pulled out of his state of inner harmony, as he likes the world as it is, thank you very much; he does not want it changed. To him, the world as it is embodies justice; any alterations of it are unjust and will merit a response. The ISTJ attempts to correct any breaks in the natural order and right any wrongs, and if he is a superhero, he will wreak vengeance upon the malefactors who disturbed his peace.

GOODY RICKLES - ENFP

Goody Rickles, a virtual clone (or astral twin) of one of Kirby's favourite comedians, Don Rickles, works in the research department of the Daily Planet. The owner of the Planet, the villainous Morgan Edge, is so annoyed by the irritating and overbearing Goody that he wants to murder him - literally ('The solution is obvious! This man must be killed!'). Hilarity ensues as Edge's and Darkseid's thugs try to do just that (and not to worry, Superman, Jimmy Olsen and the Golden Guardian save Goody's bacon). In this arc, we are blessed with the appearance of the real Don Rickles, who turns up at the Planet's offices.

Most Kirby fans regard Goody as an embarrassment; they think he mars a good story. Kirby should never have included him, they say, but I disagree. When it comes to Kirby, one must take the bitter with the sweet. Besides which, the present-day versions of the Fourth World lack the Kirby spirit. Is this because the writers and artists on these books do not, like Kirby, make idiosyncratic mistakes?

Goody shows a great deal of Extraverted Intuition, and it becomes clear early on that this is his dominant function. I type him as an ENFP and not an ENTP because an
ENTP character tends to be more focused than the ENFP, who is scatty at the best of times.

An interesting question is: why is Goody Rickles, like so many ENFP characters, tiresome? Extraverted Intuition in an Ne-dominant type can throw others off-balance, and it can seem quirky, zany and discontinuous. Extraverted Intuition sees the underlying connections between all things and forms them into a harmony whereas others may only see discord and chaos. When x transforms itself into y, apparently at random, the Ne-dominant type can understand the logic behind it, as mentally he lives in a web of phenomena which are interrelated. But other types may not be able perceive any underlying interconnectedness, and so find the leaps, stops and starts of the Ne-dominant jarring - as harsh on the nerves as the sound of fingernails scratching a blackboard.

Taylor here gives an excellent description of the John Candy character, the ENFP
Del Griffith, from Trains, Planes and Automobiles (1987). Griffith is perhaps the archetypal annoying ENFP.

STEPPENWOLF - ESTP

Steppenwolf, the uncle of Darkseid, lands on New Genesis covertly for a hunting trip; he and his party (which includes Darkseid) come across Izaya and his wife Avia in a forest clearing. Steppenwolf is tricked by Darkseid into killing Avia, and as Darkseid anticipates, the incident ignites a war between Apokolips and New Genesis.

During the war, Izaya confronts Steppenwolf on the battlefield and kills him. That should have been the end of Steppenwolf, but the character turns up alive in Kirby's Super Powers, something which is never explained. (It could be that the revived Steppenwolf is the clone created by Darkseid in the Hunger Dogs arc, but the writer of Super Powers, Paul Kupperberg, ignores this point of continuity). Steppenwolf has put in multiple appearances in the DC Universe since, and writers and editors seem to love the character.

An Extravert and an Se dominant, Steppenwolf dresses and eats well, possesses a droll sense of humour, is cunning, and is skilled at using melee weapons (that is, weapons such as swords, staves, axes, and whips). I associate him with what I call the 'Evil Prince' archetype. Game of Thrones' Jaime Lannister, who Taylor types as an ESTP, provides us with the most famous example of the Evil Prince. This archetype is dashing, well-dressed and a fine swordsman. He usually sports neatly-trimmed facial hair (in Steppenwolf's case, a goatee), a trait which signifies wickedness.

TIGRA - ESTP

No, not Marvel's Tigra: this one is the mother of Orion and the estranged second wife of Darkseid. He keeps her imprisoned, and when she is allowed out of her cell for exercise, she must conceal her identity beneath a burka; others are forbidden to speak or even look at her. 

The fiery, tenacious, spirited Tigra - who can be quite cat-like - recalls to my mind the vivacious heroines Catwoman of Batman and Lois Lane of Superman. Taylor types these two as ESTPs.

In the ESTP, Extraverted Sensing, the primary function, subordinates Introverted Thinking, the secondary function: Ti serves the purposes of Se. What does Introverted Thinking do for the ESTP? It lends the type a certain obstinacy and rigidity, a persistence and endurance. Ti has him cling, obdurately, to certain fixed ideas and theories, which he will not relinquish; it matters not if these are unpopular, out of touch and generally regarded as eccentric. He holds, steadfast, to his convictions.

The combination of the two, Se and Ti, explains in large part why Tigra remains so stubborn and unruly even after years of imprisonment and isolation.

VIRMIN VUNDERBAR - ISTJ

Another villain from Apokolips, Virmin Vundarbar emulates the Prussians of the late 19th century: he practices a German version of Steampunk. Like Kanto, he admires a certain period of Earth's history and reconstructs it at his hideout on Apokolips, and like Kanto, he uses technologically advanced weapons and traps. Being short, and non-superpowered, his minions do most of the fighting for him.

The ISTJ's main function, Si, accounts for Virmin's love of the past, and the ISTJ's secondary function, Te, Virmin's love of order and efficiency. A quiet man who, like many an ISTJ character, prefers to lurk in the background, he has no ambitions to rule, and he reveres Granny Goodness, who raised him in her orphanage.

Mark Hootsen, Signing Off.

MBTI: Daredevil in the 1960s

I just finished my copy of Marvel Essential Daredevil volume one and thought I'd do a quick type of each of the major characters (in order of their appearance) while the book was fresh in my memory. As we can expect from a sixties-era Marvel book - which covers the years from 1964 to 1967 - many of the characters can be typed as xNTJs - either INTJ or ENTJ. Other than that, we can find one or two surprises.

I usually find reading Silver Age books a chore, and was surprised that I enjoyed this volume as much as I did. What makes it stand out is the great artwork by Wally Wood, John Romita Sr and Gene Colan, who do the pencils for most of the stories here.

Daredevil / Matt Murdock: ISTP

Taylor has typed Daredevil here. Without question, Daredevil belongs to the Sensor category, the Introvert category and the Thinking category. But why should Daredevil be considered a Introverted Thinking Ti-dominant type? The answer is that throughout the early stories he is shown continually calculating, and attempting to understand the inner processes of things and people (that is, how they work, how they function), and this is what a typical Ti-dominant comic character does.

Besides which, Matt Murdock fits the profile of the Introverted Thinker in Jung's Psychological Types (1921): both are individualistic, both distance themselves from other people and the outer world (the 'object', as Jung calls it) and both are given to fixed ideas. Jung's profile of the Introverted Thinker describes a type, a character, temperament, and Matt Murdock matches that temperament.

Foggy Nelson and Karen Page: ISFJ and ESFJ

Faithful, loyal, considerate and somewhat ignored and overlooked by others, Foggy strikes us as a typical ISFJ stock type. Si Introverted Sensing types tend to convey comfort and homeliness, and that sums up Foggy to a tee. On the negative side, Foggy, like so many ISFJ characters, is often ignored, overlooked, put down upon, taken for granted - and is regarded as weak and (to use a Yiddish slang word) schlub by others, even by his closest friends. Unscrupulous adventuresses take advantage of him.

ESFJ characters, especially female ones, always appear maternal, and from the outset Karen is very maternal - she wants to scoop up her employer Matt Murdock in her arms and mother him.

ESFJ characters show a controlling streak, too. In story after story, Karen nags Matt Murdock incessantly, trying to get him to submit an eye operation by a specialist she knows. He doesn't want the operation, of course, because he'd lose his superpowers; but he can't tell her that. Even though he's madly in love with Karen - from a distance - he begins to think that she's smothering him (which she is). Karen, on the other hand, thinks she's doing him a good turn by not only helping him fix his vision but also by hauling him out of his natural ISTP isolation. Here we see a clash of Extraverted Feeling Fe and Introverted Thinking Ti.

The Owl: INTJ

Manipulative financier and crimelord the Owl reminds me a lot of Walter White, the INTJ's INTJ. You can tell the Owl is an introvert from his choice of hideout, the Aerie, which is a dark, scary and strange place in an isolated location. The Owl's Introverted Intuition Ni - his dominant function - shows itself through his constant planning and preparation, which is the mark of all INTJ superheroes and villains; Ni allows you to see into the future and plan accordingly, and, when you're a supervillain, helps you anticipate your opponents' moves.

Purple Man: INTJ

The purple-skinned Killgrave has the power to control others' minds and make them do whatever he wants. Taylor has written extensively on the manipulative nature of INTJ characters, particularly INTJ villains, and Killgrave seems typical of the INTJs in this regard. What's more, he emanates a creepiness and unpleasantness which is the mark of a true INTJ villain; he lacks the nobility and regal bearing of an ENTJ character.

The Matador: ESTP

The most-maligned and mocked of all of Daredevil's foes - mocked and maligned by the fans, that is - flamboyant bullfighter Manuel Eloganto turns to a life of crime after a humiliation in the ring, and using his athletic prowess, his sword and his bullfighter's blanket nearly bests Daredevil (and becomes a hero to Manhattan's children). Definitely a Sensor, and an Extraverted Sensor at that, his Introverted Thinking - his secondary function - lends him a sort of low cunning, and also toughness and rigidity. He also exhibits one of the qualities most commonly associated with ESTP characters: aesthetic style. It can't be denied that the image-conscious Matador dresses flashily and carries himself with real panache.

Mr Fear and his Fellowship of Fear

Like Batman's foe the Scarecrow, Mr Fear uses chemicals to induce terror in his foes and control them, and like the Scarecrow, Fear is a typical INTJ villain. His underlings - the sullen, dim-witted Ox and the slippery, cunning Eel - present a study in contrasts: the Ox is a Sensor, the Eel an Intuitive, the Ox a Feeler, the Eel a Thinker. In fact, both bear to the other what Socionics calls a Dual relationship: the Ox is an ISFJ, the Eel an ENTP.

Introverted Sensing Si characters usually tend to be super-strong and super-resilient, and the Ox is no exception. Because of his introversion - as evidenced by his incommunicativeness - I would place his Si as his dominant function. This, in combination with his being more of a Feeler than a Thinker, makes him an ISFJ (and as we shall see from a story later in the volume, he's easily exploited and manipulated - a typical trait in an ISFJ hero or villain).

The weaselly, talkative Eel exhibits a rat-like con-man's cunning, which makes him a typical Introverted Thinking villain, and unlike the Ox, he's no brawler, meaning he's an Intuitive. In fact, I put him in the same category as the Joker, the Riddler and other Intuitive supervillains.

We can deduce all that about the Eel even though he gets minimal screen time in this story, and that's a testament to the abilities of Stan Lee and Wally Wood, both of whom had the ability to convey much about a character in only a few panels.

Stiltman: ISFJ?

Another much-maligned, much mocked-character, the Stiltman wears a suit of armour with stilts which make him massively tall. Marvel fans thinks that this makes Stiltman a rather lame character. But visually - and comic books are a visual medium - the Stiltman looks impressive and has given us some great covers over the years.

Stiltman, from the moment he first appears, seems a megalomaniacal, Te-dominant type - maybe an ESTJ or ENTJ. At first we are led to believe that he may be the bullying businessman and inventor Carl Kaxton, but SPOILER ALERT! he's really the meek,  unassuming, downtrodden Wilbur Day, who like many ISFJ characters is bullied and exploited and treated like a doormat.

As the story unfolds, we find out that Day's persona is an imposture. The question is - and we can only know this from further appearances - is Day an ISFJ, an ENTJ, what?

Klaus Kruger: ENTJ

Kruger only appears once in the Daredevil series (and also in one issue of What If?) and isn't a character of great significance in the Marvel universe, but I thought I'd write about him anyway. The ruler of the tiny Latveria-like Principality of Lichtenbad, he dresses in medieval garb - a knight's armour - and like the ruler of Latveria, Doctor Doom, he runs the country with an iron fist and with the aid of a vast army of killer robots. He aims at kidnapping the best minds of the world and using them to build an even larger army of robots, with which he shall conquer the world. Definitely an Extravert, and an Extraverted Thinker: 'None can defeat Klaus Kruger! I was born to rule... Destined to command! Today I am monarch of Lichtenbad! Tomorrow... The unsuspecting world shall fall to my arms, and my robot legions!'. I would classify him as an ENTJ, not an ESTJ, as the ENTJ's Introverted Thinking Ni lends itself to forward planning - and grandiose visions.

The Organizer: ENTJ

A mysterious hooded gangster who assembles a bunch of criminals called the Ani-Men and embarks upon a scheme to have a candidate from the Reform Party (no relation to Ross Perot's Reform Party) elected through trickery. A control freak and an Extraverted Thinking Te-dominant type for certain. Given that his peculiar talents don't lend themselves to brawling, I would type him as an ENTJ, not an ESTJ.

The Ani-Man turn up again and again in the Marvel universe, and should be typed, but I must confess that typing the four of them - Frog-Man, Cat-Man, Ape-Man and Bird-Man - is beyond my powers.

Ka-Zar: ESFP

Yes, Ka-Zar first appears in the X-Men, but I thought I'd type him here. An aggressive and temperamental character who usually fights superheroes when he first meets them, and an Extravert who beats his chest like Tarzan and proclaims himself to be king of the jungle, Ka-Zar reminds me a lot of the Hulk. In his early appearances in the X-Men, Daredevil and other books, Ka-Zar talks like the Hulk as well. It should be noted that Socionics defines Extraverted Sensing as aggression, hierarchy and territoriality. Ka-Zar  emanates all the qualities we associate with Se. He also possesses a strong moral code, which tends to go with Fi (Introverted Feeling).

The Plunderer:   ENTJ

When we first meet him, the Plunderer commands a pirate ship which looks like an 18th-century vessel but which is powered by modern technology and can turn into a submarine; in turn, his Introverted Intuition Ni powers his grandiose, convoluted schemes. The Plunderer exhibits the megalomania typical of the ENTJ character: on donning a new costume, he declares that it is 'A fitting costume!! A costume suitable for the one who is about to become monarch of mankind! A costume for... The Plunderer!'. According to Comics Vine, after his first appearance in Daredevil, the Plunderer goes on to appear in over 70 issues, and why not? You can't find a more generic ENTJ Marvel villain.

Masked Marauder: INTJ

The Masked Marauder turns up in quite a few Daredevil and Spiderman stories. A criminal mastermind who dwells in darkness, plans his crimes meticulously, manipulates those around him and who can emit blasts which induce blindness - damaging the optic nerves - from a strange visor, the Marauder gives another example of the stock INTJ bad guy.

Which raises the question, what is it that distinguishes the INTJs from the ENTJs? Part of the answer lies in the difference extraversion and introversion. ENTJ characters want to be known and try and get as much attention as possible; INTJs, on the other hand, do want to rule the world, like the INTJs, but instinctually prefer to conceal themselves - behind masks and in dark, enclosed spaces. (Yes, the Organizer, an ENTJ, wears a hood and covers up his identity, but we need to keep in mind that his persona was conceived as a front for the politician behind the hood, who was an Extravert). Moreover, the INTJ character is often disliked and would much prefer to be feared than loved; the ENTJ character can, on the other hand, command the respect of his underlings and can even be admired by them.

The Masked Marauder fits this pattern. In many ways, the Masked Marauder reminds me of Walter White. Both are regarded by their underlings as brilliant scientists but both are neither liked nor admired.

Gladiator: ISTJ

Melvin Potter, who owns a 'strange, East Side costume shop' - and it is strange, and creepy - strikes us a unpleasant and anti-social person in the opening pages of his first appearance (which makes him an Introvert); he's also extremely strong and resilient, and a skilled hand to hand combatant (which makes him a Sensor). One of the notable things about him is that he is motivated by a deep sense of injustice: 'Costumed super-heroes! I hate them all! They're nothing overrated, conceited, swaggering braggarts! All their glamor... All their appeal... Lies within their colorful costumes! But take away those costumes, and they're no better than I am!'. ISTJ comic book characters, even the supervillain ones, almost always see themselves as righters of wrongs, men who have been entrusted with a mission of meting out justice. Potter, being a typical ISTJ, comes across as embittered and resentful all throughout the Daredevil series and someone who wants to cut down the bigshots - whether they be Daredevil or the Masked Marauder - down to size. And cut he does, using the buzz-saws strapped to his forearms.

Leap-Frog: ENTP

Another much-disdained character (perhaps he, the Stilt Man and the Matador could form a League of Third-Rate Supervillains), the Leap-Frog first appears at an airport, bouncing up and around using springs on the soles of his shoes, attracting attention and causing chaos. Policeman 1: 'Somebody stop that guy! He's been leaping all over the place! None of the planes have been able to take off!'. Policeman 2: 'Holy Cow! Look at that jump! He's practically a human frog!'. If that doesn't scream Extraverted Intuition Ne, I don't know what does. We learn later that the Leap-Frog possesses some real mechanical ability: 'All my life, I've invented items for toy companies! But finally I decided to invent something for myself - something to make me invincible - like my super-springs!'. So he makes himself a zany costume - a frog costume - and then embarks on a burglary spree. Wackiness (Ne) mixed with an undertone of menace - and technical skill (Ti) - gives us another ENTP villain of the Joker or Riddler type.

Matt Murdock's alter ego, 'twin brother' Mike Murdock

ENFP.

Mark Hootsen, signing off.

MBTI: Lee and Kirby's Fantastic Four Part One: 1961-1965

Here I'll be typing characters from the Fantastic Four who haven't been typed (to my knowledge) but should have been. I'll be doing it in order of their appearance. Some characters have been typed by Taylor, so I won't be repeating his work here.

My methodology for typing superheroes uses visual cues of a character, among other things, to determine a character's introversion or extraversion, and a character's powers and abilities to determine if he is a Sensor or Intuitive. See here.

It's interesting to note that, when surveying all the character types of the Jack Kirby and Stan Lee period (1961-1970), most of them come from what Socionics calls the Gamma Quadra (that is, ENTJs, INTJs, ESFPs, ISFPs). Members of a Quadra share the same valued functions - that is, functions that a type likes and prefers to use. In MBTI, these functions are known as Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Inferior functions. In the case of the Gamma Quadra, the valued functions are identified as: Te (extraverted Thinking), Ni (introverted Intuition), Se (extraverted Sensing) and Fi (introverted Feeling). Gamma Quadra characters who favour these functions - especially Te and Ni, which are the primary and secondary functions of the xNTJs (INTJs and ENTJs) - appear the most in Kirby and Lee. Taylor makes a similar point regarding xNTJs in popular culture in general: 'NTJs Are Always Villains'.

All of the characters below reappeared in future Marvel stories - even the four Skrulls in Fantastic Four #2, who showed up again in the Avengers' famous Kree-Skrull War arc.

1961

Mole Man - INTJ

The first villain the FF encounters, the misanthropic Mole Man dwells in the darkness (literally) and plots revenge against humanity. No argument here: a typical INTJ. Introverted Intuition Ni, the Mole Man's dominant function, gives him the gift of forecasting and planning, whereas his secondary function Te allows him to command his vast underground empire of Subterraneans and others monsters. A sort of comic book version of Walter White (Breaking Bad) or Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars) but even more misanthropic than either of those two, if that's possible.

1962

Skrulls - ISFJ

Here I am not referring to the entire Skrull race but to the four Skrulls who appeared in the legendary Fantastic Four #2. I found these a hard bunch to type. At first sight, one would think that they are Intuitives - shape-shifting as a superpower belongs on the Intuitive side of the ledger. But here we are presented with an example of a superpower not relating to a supervillain's personality type. We only get to know and understand the Skrulls in the last page of the story. The goblin-like Skrulls look cringing and obsequious when Mr Fantastic implies that he'll get rid of the Skrulls by killing them. They promise to mend their ways and live amongst humans in peace for the rest of their days; one of them declares, 'We hate being Skrulls! We'd rather be anything else!'. Mr Fantastic offers to hypnotise them to make them forget their identities. One Skrull asks, 'Will we have a peaceful existence?', another, 'Promise we'll be contented!'. In the last panel, we see that the Skrulls have been hypnotised into thinking that they are cows: Stan Lee narrates, 'And so it comes to pass that the three captive Skrulls become the most contented creatures on Earth - as they grazed peacefully out in the pasture...'. Fictional ISFJs often cringe and prostrate themselves before authority, and ISFJs in real life can (and I know this from experience) display a streak of self-hatred. In addition, being introverted Sensing (Si) dominant, they prize harmony, comfort and contentment above all and see these as essential to true fulfilment.

Miracle Man - ENTP

A showman (Extravert), an illusionist and hypnotist (Intuitive), a cunning, calculating, rational type (Thinker): this gives us the letters ENTx. Is Miracle Man an ENTP or ENTJ? Obviously an ENTP: the ENTJ villain more often than not wants to rule the world, whereas the ENTP wants to shock it. Miracle Man sees defeating the Fantastic Four as a game of one-upmanship, and the transgressiveness of it - besting a well-loved bunch of heroes - appeals to him as it does to all ENTP villains.

Namor the Sub-Mariner - ENTJ

Another Extravert, and this time a ruler of men - definitely a Thinker, and an extraverted Thinker (Te) at that. The Sub-Mariner, who in his first appearance in the FF appears to be a skinny and gangly fellow, doesn't seem to be a Sensor at first sight (although he does possess super-strength). His abilities seem to lie in the Intuitive area: charisma and leadership, and also long-range planning and forecasting (introverted Intuition Ni). This combined with his impulsiveness and temperamental character makes him an ENTJ: this type, in my experience, tends to leap into action and throw themselves into it without holding anything back and without debating the rights or wrongs of it. That describes Namor...

Doctor Doom - INTJ

See here.

Kurrgo, Master of Planet X - ENTJ

Another scrawny character, Kurrgo displays strong planning and forecasting from the outset (Ni Intuitive) and rules an entire world (Extraverted Thinker Te), Kurrgo kidnaps the Fantastic Four so as to force them to save his planet from being destroyed by a collision with a runaway asteroid. The Fantastic Four save the planet, but Kurrgo's lust for power proves to be his undoing. (He does survive and appear in future stories, however).

Puppet Master - INTJ

Not a strongman or brawler, the Puppet Master can control others through the puppets he makes (which are sculpted out of radioactive clay from Wundagore Mountain). The creepy and withdrawn Puppet Master loves to manipulate others, and supervillain INTJs are distinguished by their quasi-sadistic desire to control - see Taylor here. I regard the Puppet Master as the INTJ's INTJ (the evil INTJ's INTJ, that is).

Alicia Masters - ISFJ

The gentle, idealistic blind sculptress Alicia Masters seems a tactile character - she can 'read' a person by running her hands over their faces. This makes her a Sensor... She definitely marks herself out as a Feeler and a Feeler who is concerned with the welfare of others around her - particularly her uncle, the Puppet Master. She believes, at first, that the Puppet Master is a good guy. ISFJ characters tend to believe the best of people close to them, and put them on a pedestal until (as in the case with Alicia) events cruelly disabuse them of their idealistic notions.

1963

Impossible Man - ENFP

Another scrawny character (Intuitive) who can shapeshift into anything he can imagine (and he has a wild imagination - extraverted Intuition Ne), a manic attention-seeker and narcissist (Extravert), a petulant, somewhat childish character (introverted Feeling Fi) - I type the Impossible Man as an ENFP. I think of ENFPs as chameleons: they tend to take on the colours of their environment and become whoever they are talking to at the time - hence their ability to get along with seemingly everybody they meet. In creating the Impossible Man, Kirby Lee use that chameleonic quality of the ENFP  and turn it into a superpower. They also make him extremely high-energy - manic, in fact - and somewhat annoying; ENFPs can be like this. The Impossible Man reminds me of a superpowered Jerry Lewis.

Hate-Monger - ENFJ

Another instance of a supervillian created for the purposes of political propaganda, Stan Lee deployed the Hate-Monger so as to sound off against bigotry, intolerance, etc., in true sixties-liberal style. (Given the current climate in America - and the fact that the comic book industry is at present highly politicised - we may see a revival of the Hate-Monger in the future). Evidently an Intuitive - no super-strong brawler is he - the Hate-Monger has the ability to whip up crowds into frenzies and turn them into destructive mobs; he does this through persuasive rhetoric and his 'hate ray' super-weapon which changes peoples' emotional state. The Hate-Monger sounds like a manipulative INTJ, but INTJs are Introverts (and Thinkers), shie away from crowds and don't get carried away by their feelings much. Hate-Monger presents himself as both an Extravert and a Feeler, and I would argue that he is an Fe (extraverted Feeling) dominant. Fe dominant characters, especially supervillain ones, live in a super-charged emotional atmosphere which can lead to the disappearance of all restraint: in other words, they are Dionysian. Just like his real-life historical counterpart, Hate-Monger should be typed as an ENFJ.

Red Ghost - ESTJ

A balding, long-haired villain who can make himself intangible - the Red Ghost resembles the DC villain The Mist. At first, he seems like an Intuitive, not a Sensor. But in order to work out the Red Ghost's type, we need to look at the characteristics he displayed before he got his powers (which, like the Fantastic Four's, came from cosmic radiation). He seems like a hard-nosed, calculating extraverted Thinking (Te) type who doesn't have any of the traits of an Intuitive - Sensors tend to live in the here and now, not in the past or future. What's more, he bullies his superpowered apes and seems like a drill sergeant. I type him as an ESTJ.

The Watcher - INFJ

The cosmic-powered alien Uatu the Watcher lives in the blue area of the moon and is sworn never to interfere in the lives of other races. He observes, but does not act. For a time, he narrated the Marvel imaginary-story series What If?, which depicted alternate realities in the Marvel universe and paths not taken. Despite his detachment - and obvious introversion - the Watcher does interfere, and quite often, in human affairs, and helps save the planet from cosmically-powered supervillains Galactus, the Molecule Man and others. Introverted Intuition Ni gives the INFJ the ability to perceive alternate possibilities in the future which flow, naturally from happenings in the past; extraverted Feeling Fe makes the INFJ pay attention to the collective well-being and the harmony of the group.

The Mad Thinker and his Awesome Android - INTJ and ISTJ

The Mad Thinker (or the Thinker, as he prefers to be known) designs killer super-androids but is more renowned for his ability to predict the future. Like all INTJ supervillains, he plots, plans, forecasts before acting and always uses dark, enclosed spaces for hideouts which always seem to be located somewhere underground in New York city. In addition, like a true INTJ bad guy, he wants to rule the world (extraverted Thinking Te showing here). The Mad Thinker's creation the Awesome Android - a mute, obedient servitor - seems to be a loyal, subservient and utterly relentless ISTJ, like most of Mad Thinker's robots.

Super-Skrull - ESTJ

The Super-Skrull first appears as a sort of Skrull version of Captain America. The Skrull Empire's ruler, through genetic engineering, gives the Super-Skrull the powers of the Fantastic Four. Like the Red Ghost, he aspires to be a loyal servant of his nation-state, and, in one of his first acts on Earth, he claims the planet for the Skrulls and plants the Skrull flag in the Manhattan sidewalk. After delivering a speech to the astonished onlookers, he orders them to 'return to your everyday tasks'. Pure Te (extraverted Thinking) here. The enormous physically powerful Super-Skrull comes across more as a Sensor than an Intuitive (although he wields at least one power used by Intuitives - super-hypnotism). That and his lack of Ni (introverted Intuition) makes him more of an ESTJ than an ENTJ.

Rama Tut - ENTJ

An time-travelling adventurer bored with life in the prosperous, stable and dull year 3000 travels back in time to ancient Egypt and uses his super-technology to dominate the natives and crown himself Pharaoh. Clearly a Te (extraverted Thinking) dominant, his reliance on his wits, his charisma and his super-technology shows him to be an Intuitive, not a Sensor.

Molecule Man - ENTJ

A frustrated and misanthropic non-entity who works in a nuclear plant, a freak accident gives the Molecule Man the power to control all matter. While this character became a nebbish, shy and retiring type in the 1980s (during the Secret Wars years), in his first appearance he is portrayed as extraverted and dominating. At one point he levitates the Baxter Building and threatens to drop it on the crowd below unless they obey his orders, and he also holds Manhattan hostage by creating a giant, impenetrable force-field around it. Another Te (extraverted Feeling) dominant type and an Intuitive.

1964

Infant Terrible - INFP

One of the stranger characters in the series, the childlike Infant Terrible comes from another planet and wields vast, cosmic-level power (at the end of the story, he nearly uses his mental powers to move the Sun and thus destroy all the planets in the solar system). But all he wants to do is to be left alone so he can eat candy and play with toys. An Introvert, his face resembles a mask or a helmet, and I argue that he is an introverted Feeler. Fi (introverted Feeling) types experience strong emotional reactions which are not shared feelings and value-judgements, i.e., the feelings and value-judgements of others. At their worst, they can come across as petulant and childlike. Most INFP characters have parents who are missing from their lives and who play a big role in the INFP's backstory: think of Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Scarlet Witch (Avengers), Nightcrawler (X-Men), Scott Free (Mr Miracle)... At the end of the Infant Terrible's first appearance, his parents show up in time to take him back to his home planet before he causes any further destruction.

Diablo - ENTP

The moustachioed and nattily-dressed conman Diablo seems Mephistophelean, and I argue that the figure of Lucifer, the rebellious fallen angel, is an ENTP. Diablo uses potions and chemical formulas which have amazing effects. After being revived from suspended animation by the Thing, Diablo rewards him by plying him with a potion that turns the Thing human - or at least semi-human. The grateful Thing, in exchange, leaves the Fantastic Four to work for Diablo as a manservant and bodyguard. But, as it turns out, the quack Diablo peddles formulas and cures which are only temporary - or destructive. Like ESTPs, ENTPs use introverted Thinking Ti, and like ESTP conmen, ENTP conmen  use it to divine peoples' weakness and manipulate them. And like the Miracle Man, another ENTP, Diablo doesn't want to rule the world so much as impress it.

Attuma - ESTJ

A sword-wielding, super-strong barbarian who believes that, in fulfilment of an ancient prophecy, he will be the ruler of Atlantis, Attuma assembles a vast army and goes to war against the Sub-Mariner, putting the underwater city of Atlantis to a medieval siege. Attuma sounds like a Robert E. Howard character (Conan, perhaps), but unlike Conan, he is an extraverted Thinker, a brute and a bully. Extraverted Thinking Te dominates in both Namor and Attuma, but the former is an Intuitive, the latter a Sensor. We see in the eternal conflict of the two characters the difference between the ENTJ and the ESTJ.

1965

Gregory Gideon - ENTJ

Gregory Gideon should be considered to be the Platonic Ideal of the ENTJ villain - in the same way that the Puppet Master is the Platonic Ideal of the INTJ. A ruthless capitalist baron who is the wealthiest man in the world, Gideon undertakes the challenge of defeating the Fantastic Four after coming to a realisation that his attainment of great wealth and power has left him with no worlds left to conquer. A remarkably bullying and obnoxious Te-dominant - we don't know why his wife and son haven't left him - he avails himself of the forward planning of Ni to construct brilliant plan to destroy the Fantastic Four. He has a change of heart and becomes redeemed after nearly sending his son (and the Thing) thousands of years into the past, by accident, using a replica of Doctor Doom's time machine. He and his family's story doesn't end happily there, unfortunately; they end up flying a plane into a mushroom cloud during an atomic bomb test. But that's another tale for another time...

Dragon Man - ESFP

Can a character who is mute and an animal be typed? I argue yes. An android created by a scientist at Empire State University, he is brought to life by one of Diablo's potions and wreaks havoc. I type him as a Sensor, not as an Intuitive, an extraverted Sensor. Characters who are Se (extraverted Sensing) dominant display great physical strength, aggression, territoriality - just as Dragon Man does. At the same time, Dragon Man possesses a simple, childlike demeanour and is attracted, and feels protective of, women with bright and shiny beautiful hair (women such as Invisible Girl and Medusa). While he can't speak, he does make vocal noises - in one story he is said to 'whimper like a child'. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, he hardly comes across as a rational and calculating type - in other words, he is a Feeler, not a Thinker - and is easily manipulated and controlled by supervillain characters. In his character and temperament, he bears a strong resemblance to the Hulk, another ESFP.

Wizard - INTP

A former Human Torch foe (in the Torch's solo series in Strange Tales), the Wizard (or 'Wingless Wizard') founds the Frightful Four as a supervillain counterpart to the Fantastic Four and recruits other Human Torch villains Paste-Pot Pete (later known as the Trapster) and the Sandman (the Spiderman foe who put in a guest appearance in the Torch's title). A brilliant inventor who obviously serves as an evil analogue of Mr Fantastic, the Wizard specialises in anti-gravity technology. Mad scientist characters are more often than not inclined to be extraverted Intuitives - Ne gives the character a kind of zany creativity and artistic bent. As a Ti dominant, the Wizard excels in systems analysis - which enables him to design such incredible invention and his extraordinary ultra-modernist mansion (where we see him in his first appearance in Strange Tales) - but also comes across as aloof, solitary and emotionally distant (despite his surrounding himself with people). The combination of Ti and Ne lends him a nerdy, geeky and somehow unmasculine and prepossessing appearance; the INTP is the archetypal geek or nerd.

Madame Medusa - ESTJ

See here.

Sandman - ESFJ

The Sandman, as a member of the Frightful Four, appears as nearly as much in Fantastic Four as he does in Amazing Spiderman - in fact, probably more often. I regard the Sandman as a Feeler, to be sure, and a Sensor - and an Extravert - but why do I type Sandman as an ESFJ? Firstly, because he speaks, and looks a lot like, the Thing, who is an ESFJ. Gruff and outspoken, both the Thing and the Sandman bring a boisterous emotional atmosphere along with them wherever they go (extraverted Feeling Fe) and live in the here and the now, in the world of the senses (introverted Sensing Si). Where he an ESFP, he would be more showy and theatrical. What's more, introverted Feeling Fi - the secondary function of ESFPs - tends to withdraw itself from the world; extraverted Feeling Fe embraces it. The Sandman represents a dark and evil version of the ESFJ. The Thing has shown this dark side of the ESFJ - including a tendency to brutality and bullying - on occasion, usually when he is enraged or has been turned evil by one of the Wizard's brainwashing machines. He doesn't always come across as the most pleasant character. The Sandman presents us with an alternate-reality version of Ben Grimm and illuminates the path the Thing would have taken had his early life circumstances been different...

Trapster - ISTP

Another inventor, like the Wizard, and like the Wizard, the Trapster specialises - in super-adhesives which he fires from a glue-gun. The Trapster's main weapon resembles Spiderman's web-shooters, and like the Wizard, Spiderman and Mr Fantastic, the Trapster is skilled at invention. But, being terse, down to earth, and somewhat argumentative and aggressive, he seems much more of a Sensor than an Intuitive. In fact, he reminds us of Keirsey's portrait of the ISTP - the Mechanic, or Crafter - and in his downtime he is always shown fixing one of his weapons (usually his glue-gun). He lacks the zany creativity of the INTP type, and functions more as a mechanic or engineer than an inventor and a creator - he doesn't have the artistic sense of the Intuitive.

Inhumans - various

See here.

Mark Hootsen signing off.