Fin Fang Foom

Fin Fang Foom
Alias	The Invincible
Other names	Dragon Lord of Kakaranthara (by Drax)
Profile information
Species	Dragon
Origin	Kakaranthara
Gender	Male
Eye color	Blue
Affiliation	Lady Hellbender's menagerie
Real-life information
Appears in	Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Debut	Strange Tales #89 (1961)
See Fin Fang Foom at Marvel Database.

Fin Fang Foom is a supporting character in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. He is a legendary and mighty dragon, known across many worlds, whose lair is said to be located on Maklu IV.

Background

Much of Fin Fang Foom's past is shrouded in myth and legend, such as being born without fear in the cold heart of a dying star. Many believe he is from a place called Kakaranthara, believed to be one and the same as Maklu IV by xeno-archaeologists. Whether or not this is true, Foom established his domain in the deep-frozen planet, becoming its apex predator. Over the centuries, his travels off-world inspired many tales throughout the galaxy, including the rumour that he wore purple shorts.

Personality

Fin Fang Foom displays little in the way of an overt personality given his apparent primite nature. However, the mighty dragon is known for his wanderlust, often leaving Maklu IV to hunt on multiple worlds, and his ferocity. Foom is also shown as loyal once tamed, allowing Lady Hellbender to ride him into battle and staying with her after the defeat of Raker. Many legends surrounding the dragon hint that he was once far more intelligent, even wearing clothing.

Gameplay

Fin Fang Foom appears as boss during Chapter 13: Against All Odds, as the Guardians hunt him down to win Lady Hellbender's favour. Defeating Foom earns the player the achievement "Foom's Doom".

Records

FIN FANG FOOM

Fin Fang Foom, the terrible dragon from Kakaranthara, has managed to work his way into legends across multiple worlds, giving credence to the tales of his longevity and wanderlust. However, it is impossible to distinguish fact from fantasy since most details come from drunken monster hunters and religious sects. The Kakarantharas were certainly real, but did one survive? And where was Kakaranthara?

Xeno-archaeologists believe Kakaranathara and Maklu IV are one and the same. High in its largest mountain range, they excavated ancient hieroglyphs with dragons walking upright, dressed in holy garb and equipped with technological wonders. One figure shows up in many of the carvings, another dragon always portrayed as walking on four legs. Is it an evolutionary chart? Perhaps a devolution, as some scholars propose. Or just maybe the Kararanatharans were haunted by their own Fin Fang Foom legends.

Despite all of the questions, one thing is clear—Fin Fang Foom will continue to inspire epic stories as those hunting for him on Maklu IV continue to disappear.

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First appeared in Strange Tales #89 (1961)
Writers: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber
Artists: Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Paul Reinmann, Dick Ayers, Stan Goldberg
Cover Artists: Jack Kirby, Artie Simek, Dick Ayers, Stan Goldberg
Editor: Stan Lee

Gallery

Concept by Nicolas Francoeur.

Final concept by Bruno Gauthier-Leblanc.

In-engine render by Genci Buxheli.

Defeated in Chapter 13.

Foom, Lady Hellbender and the Guardians during Chapter 15.

Trivia

• According to Jean-François Dugas, when brainstorming which characters or creatures from the Marvel universe would be cool to fight, Foom's lore and popularity made him must-have. Drax's mention at the beginning of the game was positioned so that fans would assume it's just a fun reference or a joke, so that actually facing him on Maklu IV came out as a surprise.
• As was the process with all characters—identifying their key features and use them as a starting point for their own designs—, Bruno Gauthier-Leblanc knew they had to capture Foom's color scheme and that he's a dragon, from there they had free range. He was actually one of the few designs that Marvel pushed back on, as they didn't think he was menacing enough, so the team made him even bigger and more aggressive looking. Gauthier-Leblanc also thought about putting the iconic purple pants on him at some point.