MBTI: Lee and Kirby's Fantastic Four, Part Two: 1966-1970, from Galactus to the Maggia

For Part One, see here.

1966

Galactus - ENTJ

Galactus, a cosmic being, can't be typed, one would think; but despite his cosmic, god-like characteristics, he's still humanoid and still exhibits a human personality.

Feeler or thinker? Thinkers tend to be manipulative and instrumentalist - i.e., they attempt to shape their environment and get people to do things. Feelers, on the other hand, tend to react. Whereas Thinkers find meaning in rationality and instrumentalism, Feelers find it in emotions and value-systems. We can see the dichotomy at work in the debate between the Watcher and Galactus above.

Although Galactus must be super-strong, his powers manifest themselves more on the intangible, mental plane than the material; in other words, he's an Intuitive, not a Sensor.

Unlike his herald the Silver Surfer - a withdrawn and solitary character (like the Watcher) - Galactus does not hide away; he makes his presence known in a spectacular fashion when he descends to Earth.

So we have E (Extravert) + N (Intuitive) + T (Thinker). Should we type Galactus as an ENTJ or ENTP? ENTJ. A Te-dominant, like Gregory Gideon, and like Gregory Gideon, a villain who comes across a ruthless capitalist robber baron - he strips planets of resources, breaks them down into energy and then moves on. The Watcher compares Galactus to a gold prospector.

Like many ENTJ characters, Galactus does possess a certain regality, majesty, an aura of nobility. This redeems him, as it does many ENTJs.

Silver Surfer - INFJ

See here.

Wyatt Wingfoot - ISFP

Sensor or Intuitive? Most definitely a Sensor: the thickset, tall Wingfoot is the son of a famous football player and is a brawny character. He doesn't show any signs of wanting to take over the world, or take over anything, for that matter; his quiet, respectful mien marks him out as an Introvert, not an Extravert. I type Wingfoot as an ISFP. He reminds me a lot of Legolas from Lord of the Rings, another ISFP, and fits the profile of ISFP as solemn hero.

Black Panther - INTJ

The dark-coloured, caped and cowled outfit of T'Challa, King of Wakanda, resembles Batman's. One can find a few other similarities as well: both are billionaires; both are Introverts; both, as children, lost a parent or parents to a vicious criminal (Joe Chill in the case of Batman, Ulysses Klaw in the case of T'Challa). Both use dark, enclosed hideouts filled to the brim with strange - stuff and which are either caves or haunted houses (both the Black Panther and Batman share this preference with heroes such as Doctor Strange, Jason Blood / The Demon and Walter White). What do all these characters have in common? Taylor types Batman and Walter White as INTJs, and I type Jason Blood and Doctor Strange as INTJs as well. It would stand to reason, then, that the Black Panther is an INTJ.

When we first see the Panther, he takes on the Fantastic Four single-handedly - and nearly wins - on a battleground rigged with deadly traps. His magic potions give him some measure of super-strength, super-senses and super-agility, but his main ability lies in his brilliant forward-planning - just like the Batman.

Klaw - ESTJ

The bullying, murderous and ruthless Klaw acts, from the outset, like a conqueror - or a drill sergeant - and states repeatedly that he wants to rule the world. Leading a squad of mercenaries, he attempts to steal Wakanda's vibranium and kills T'Challa's father in the process. Clearly a Te dominant. But why do I type him as an ESTJ, not an ENTJ? Klaw, the master of sound, uses sound as a force-blast and also to construct creatures to do his bidding; I argue that these powers are more sensory than intuitive. Also, Klaw seems to lack the vision of your typical ENTJ character; he lives in the here and now.

Prester John - ENFP

The Torch and Wingfoot stumble into an underground crypt (somewhere in North Africa) and inadvertently awaken medieval adventurer Prester John from suspended animation; he's been sleeping in a 'chair of survival' for seven hundred years. Prester John, the 'Wanderer', gives an account of his remarkable adventures which saw him travel all over the globe. Jung, in his essay Psychological Types (1921), describes the Extraverted Intuitive, Ne-dominant as being blessed - or cursed - with an insatiable appetite for novelty. He wants to explore as many multiple possibilities, perspective, as possible. That sums up Prester John. The secondary function of the ENFP - Introverted Feeling Fi - manifests itself with the remarkable empathy and sympathy Prester John exhibits, in particular for the Human Torch (even after the Torch steals Prester John's super-weapon the Evil Eye). I don't think the other Ne-dominant type, the ENTP, would have been as nice.

Quasimodo - ENTP

The android Quasimodo - Quasi-Motivational Destruct Organ - is created by the Mad Thinker and is given the semblance of a human form; he dislikes servitude and being trapped in a computer, however, and wants the mobility and freedom that a humanoid body can provide. 'I can reason... I can compute.. I can feel... Why must I be imprisoned within this metal shell? I want to move... To be free!'. (In a few issues after Quasimodo's first appearance, the Silver Surfer uses his cosmic power to grant Quasimodo his wish). I type Quasimodo as a Thinker, not a Feeler; an Extravert, not an Introvert (certainly after his attention-getting behaviour in the Silver Surfer solo story); an Intuitive, not a Sensor (unlike the majority of the Mad Thinker's other android creations). Quasimodo shows a deep desire for personal freedom, and is prepared to rebel against his master for it: in this way, he seems Luciferian - and Lucifer, the fallen angel who rebelled against God, was an ENTP.

Blastaar - ESTP

The indestructible criminal Blastaar comes from the Negative Zone; he is imprisoned within an asteroid until he is freed, inadvertently, by Reed Richards and follows him back to Earth. He runs amok and forms a partnership with the Sandman.

The bearded and buff Blastaar looks like Kirby's later creation for DC, Kalibak, and like Kalibak, Blastaar should be typed as an ESTP. He embodies pure, destructive force (and as can be deduced from his name, his power consists in emitting destructive blasts (from his fingertips) and shows the cunning and insight which is manifested in the secondary function of the ESTP, Introverted Thinking. Unlike his partner, the Sandman, Blastaar does not take the Judger's view of life; he does not seem to have a well-thought out view of what the world is and how it should work - ESTPs are Perceivers, not Judgers. Even if Blastaar did achieve world domination, it is unclear as to what he would do with the world after he had conquered it. In that regard, he reminds us of Doctor Doom, who, being a Ni dominant, is a Perceiver, like Blastaar, and not a Judger.

Sentry – ISTJ

The Kree Empire leaves behind the Sentry, a formidable robot (who is one of thousands) on Earth to monitor mankind’s evolution. Most of the time he lives in suspended animation, underground in a base on an isle in the Pacific, but after Dr Daniel Damian (who later appears in the Eternals) stumbles upon him, the Fantastic Four are drawn into a fight. This particular Sentry (named Sentry 459) goes on to become a recurring character in the Marvel universe, and the Fantastic Four in a later Kirby-Lee story (set on Earth’s moon) meet one of his brothers – Sentry 9168 – who in no way differs from Sentry 459 except in his shorter stature.

The Sentry can be typed easily using Keirsey’s four-letter method. He is a Sensor, not an Intuitive; is an Introvert (leads a solitary existence, has somber, muted colours); is a Thinker, not a Feeler; and like Blastaar above, is a Perceiver, not a Judger. That gives us I + S + T + p in Socionics, which, in MBTI, makes him an ISTJ. Placidity and a desire for comfort and stability marks out an Introverted Sensing (Si) dominant type: they like things as they are, are content and do not want change. The Extraverted Thinking (Te) secondary function in the ISTJ seeks make to enforce that sense of contentment and harmony, and to make it efficient and give it regularity. That sums up the Sentry, and a good many other robot characters in the Marvel universe and elsewhere.

Ronan the Accuser – ISTJ

See here. A Kree lawman and judge, he arrives on Earth to punish the Fantastic Four for the apparent destruction of the Sentry 459 in the previous story.

Enclave - various 

A group of four mad scientists, they operate in a base called the Citadel  – which is more of a city with advanced technology – in the North Atlantic. There they have devoted their efforts to genetically engineering the perfect human being, a superman, they call Him, who, like Frankenstein’s monster, turns upon his creators. Holed up in an underground cavern, Him has confined himself to a cocoon and emits blasts of blinding energy (which make it impossible to him). In an ingenious plot device, the Enclave abducts (or gently entices) the blind sculptress Alicia Masters to make a sculpture of Him.

Morlak, the leader of the group, is ruthless, dominating, a bully – an Extraverted Thinking dominant. Because he is an earthy and practical person, I type him a Sensor. Te + Si gives us ESTJ. Hamilton presents a contrast to Morlak. A caring, solicitous figure, he is the one who persuades Alicia to teleport with him to the Citadel, and it is the combination of Fe and Si which puts people at ease and makes them feel looked after: Hamilton is an ESFJ. When we first encounter Zota, we see him asserting, forcefully, moral judgements which are based on subjectivity and emotion (i.e., ‘This feels wrong’, or ‘I feel this is right’). Fi (subjective ethics) and Se (forcefulness) in tandem – Fi + Se – make an ISFP. Finally, we come to Shinski, who is overweight (and fond of his food), bullied (by Morlak) and prone to catastrophism – he runs around like a headless chicken. All that makes him a typical ISFJ, one like the ISFJ men I’ve encountered in my own life.

Him / Adam Warlock – INFP

After he emerges from his cocoon, Him appears as a beautiful, golden-skinned being of awesome (cosmic) power. He pronounces judgement upon the Enclave, blows up their base (thereby killing them, or so we think) and flies up to the skies. He later appears in Kirby and Lee’s Thor and is rechristened Adam Warlock.

Clearly, Him is a Judger, not a Perceiver, and an Introvert who separates himself from other people – he lives in a cocoon in a cavern, and you can’t get more introverted than that. Energy-manipulating, cosmic power makes him an Intuitive, not a Sensor. So we have I + N + j in Socionics, or INJ in MBTI. I type him as an INFP. Like many INFP characters, Him is of uncertain parentage – we either do not know who his parents are or his true parents are. (This is true of LukeSkywalker from Star Wars, Fox Mulder from X-Files and Nightcrawler from X-Men, among others). INFPs, too, can appear to be somewhat overly precious, even infantile, childish, and Him, in his first appearance in the cocoon, conveys this. He reminds me of the ‘whining, crying’ hero of Neon Genesis Evangelion. I take life in a cocoon (or a bubble) to be a metaphor for Introverted Feeling Fi.

Psycho-Man – INTJ

A stock Lee and Kirby NTJ villain, Psycho-Man is a brilliant scientist who uses technology to stimulate emotions in others – particularly fear – and make them experience hallucinations. In this, he reminds us of another INTJ, the Batman antagonist the Scarecrow. He also – in his first appearance – evokes another INTJ, Walter White: he is a brilliant, introverted scientist lording it over a bunch of cutthroats and thugs (who are nowhere as near as cunning as he is). (Later it is revealed that he in fact comes from another dimension – a sub-atomic microverse). One of the distinguishing characteristics of the INTJ is an appearance of emotional coldness. This comes from Extraverted Feeling Fe being (what Socionics calls) the Vulnerable Function in INTJs. They cannot dwell in a warm emotional atmosphere.

1968

Tomazooma the Living Totem – ISTJ

Tomazooma, the Totem Who Walks, is the god of Wyatt Wingfoot’s Native American Keewazi tribe, who live in the oil-rich south-west of the US (perhaps Arizona, New Mexico or Texas). After Tomazooma begins a campaign of terror against Wingfoot’s tribe, the Fantastic Four comes in to help. Tomazooma, it turns out, is a robot built by the Red Star oil company (which is a front from a Eastern bloc communist government) for the purpose of scaring the Keewazis away from their land. But it is implied (at the end of the story, after the robot Tomazooma is defeated) that a real Tomazooma exists…

Not much can be said about Tomazooma, except that he is a Sensor and an Introvert, much like the Sentry, who he resembles.

Annihilus - ENTP

One of Lee and Kirby’s most distinct – and weird – villain characters, Annihilus is a scientist who lives in the Negative Zone and who is obsessed by immortality, which is granted to him by his most precious possession, the Cosmic Control Rod (which is attached to his chest). He regards all other forms of life as competition, and regularly exterminates other living beings in the Zone after he captures them. An Extravert, an Intuitive, and a Thinker, at first sight one is inclined to type Annihilus as an ENTJ. But Annihilus, unlike the standard Lee Kirby NTJ, does not want to rule the world; he only wants to perpetuate his strange existence. I type him as an ENTP, because the dominant function of the ENTP – Ne, Extraverted Intuition – concerns itself with possibilities, opportunities, and generally makes its wielder inventive, zany, unpredictable. We only have to look at all the manifold weapons and minions Annihilus against the Fantastic Four – his Celestial Borers and his Flying Gun Ship, for example – and as soon as one possibility (for defeating the Four) is exhausted, he leaps onto the other.

1969

Torgo – ISTJ

Torgo, a robot from the robot planet Mekka, is kidnapped by Skrull slavers and taken to the world of Kral and is forced to fight as a gladiator alongside hundreds of other abductees taken from various worlds. The Kralians hold Mekka hostage, and threaten to blow it up unless Torgo fights. In an unusual twist, the entire Kralian planet is modelled on America in the 1930s, and the Kralians look, talk and behave like gangsters from that period (maybe this twist is not so unusual – Kirby and Lee borrowed the idea of a ‘1930s gangster planet’ from an episode of Star Trek which was screen around the same time). After the Thing is abducted to Kral, and made to fight Torgo in an arena, the Fantastic Four fly in a spaceship to Kral to rescue him.

A Thinker, Sensor and Introvert, Torgo is an ISTJ, and possesses the same sense of duty as the typical ISTJ hero (and he is a hero, unlike other ISTJs in the series – the Sentry, Ronan the Accuser and Tomazooma).

1970

Agatha Harkness – INTJ

Agatha Harkness is hired by the Fantastic Four to look after Sue Storm’s new baby, Franklin. Harkness lives in a dark, spooky mansion atop Whisper Hill. During the Fantastic Four’s visit, the Frightful Four take the opportunity to attack, but Harkness – along with her familiar, a cat called Ebony – defeats them with her sorcery (one of her powers (which she shares with Psycho Man) is to cause frightening hallucinations). Harkness then goes on to become a series regular.  

Without a doubt, Harkness should be typed as an INTJ. As noted in my profile on the Black Panther, one of the peculiar traits of the INTJ hero is that he (or she) likes to make their base of operations in a dark, enclosed area filled with strange objects: think of Batman and his Batcave, Walter White and his laboratory, Nick Burkhardt (from the TV show Grimm) and his van, Doctor Strange and his mansion… Harkness’ strange, Gothic and cluttered Whisper Hill mansion is in keeping with the haunts of these INTJs.

Monocle – INTJ

An assassin and master of disguise, the Monocle aims at disrupting a United Nations peace conference – he wants to bring about a nuclear war, after which he (and the ‘masters’ he serves) will emerge and rule the Earth. (Monocle says: ‘I will be a king!’). Not a Sensor, he is an Intuitive, and relies upon technologically-advanced weapons as opposed to physical strength and skill. He is also clearly a Thinker, and an Extraverted Thinker (he shows ambitions of world rule). Because he does not announce himself, and prefers to live in shadows (metaphorically speaking), I type him as an Introvert. He is another stock NTJ Kirby-Lee villain. Like many an Ni-dominant (the Black Panther, for example), he makes use of forward planning: Introverted Intuition predicts the future and all possible outcomes.

Monster from the Lost Lagoon – ISFP

An aquatic creature who is responsible for sinking many ships in an area called the Lost Lagoon, he is hunted by the Fantastic Four at the request of the US navy. He lives in a spaceship inside a cavern, and can assume human form after imbibing a special potion. His human self is a taciturn loner who works with dolphins and other ocean life in a nearby aquarium. After a fight with the Fantastic Four, we learn that the Monster is misunderstood and merely wants to protect his family…

An Introvert and a Feeler, the Monster is also a Sensor – he is a brawler, a fierce hand to hand combatant. Should he be typed as an Introverted or Extraverted Sensor? The latter, as Se as a dominant or secondary function can make them aggressive, or feisty at least. I type the Monster as an ISFP.

Maggia - various 

The last set of new characters by Lee and Kirby before the latter’s departure from Marvel, the Maggia in this story belong to the Hammerhead family. The leader, the Top Man, devises an ingenious scheme to take over the Baxter Building and all its contents (including the pogo plane and other scientific marvels) legally: he buys it off the owner and hands the Fantastic Four an eviction notice.

I type the Big Man as a Te dominant. His secondary function is Ni, as he shows the visionary quality of many ENTJ characters. His underling, Big Rock, a placid and quiet person, demonstrates a new type of body armour used by the Maggia by having bullets fired at his chest: he doesn’t flinch. Introverted Sensing dominant types tend to be passive and enduring. Because of his lack of rationality and instrumentalism (see my profile on Galactus), I type him as a Feeler, not a Thinker. His quietness makes him an introvert, so the verdict is: ISFJ. As for Gimlet, he definitely is a cold, calculating type – a Thinker – and is also an opportunity who pursues an opening to usurp the big man. This to me says Extraverted Intuition. He should typed as an ENTP.

Mark Hootsen, signing off