Sue Storm’s Malice Costume Only Scratches the Surface of Marvel’s Underrated Run

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Marvel Rivals’ new “Malice” skin forInvisible Woman is more than just an evocative costume – it highlights one of the darker, yet more memorable moments in the Fantastic Four hero’s history. Sue’s time operating under the alies of Malice embodied some of her darkest qualities but also, simultaneously, served to highlight her strongest powers.

Susan Storm is one of the most recognizable heroes in the Marvel Universe; even the most casual fans know the Invisible Woman. Sue’s ability to shield herself and the objects around her from view, as well as her mind-bogglingly versatile forcefields, have always been the highlight of her ever-expanding powerset.

Alongside the rest of the Fantastic Four, she often acts as a voice of reason. During her time as Malice, that changed entirely. Under the influence of Hate-Monger, Sue gave into her deepest-seated feelings of rage, becoming a corrupted, angry version of herself who didn’t hold back.

Malice Forced The Invisible Woman to Stop Holding Back & Give Into Her Rage

First Appearance: Fantastic Four #280 – Written By John Byrne; Art By Jerry Ordway

The appearance of Malice in Marvel Rivals is a deep-cut nod to one of Sue Storm’s most drastic redesigns in character history, which came about as the result of an attack perpetrated by Psycho-Man and Hate-Monger. The duo focused on causing others to experience uncontrollable rage and claimed Sue as a victim. Her anger toward Reed Richards, in particular, began to fuel her, and Malice tapped into a well of power that the Invisible Woman had previously not dared to use.

Her presence in Sue’s mind, which continued to plague the hero even after she pushed Malice back, pushed the Invisible Woman beyond the boundaries she’d put herself behind. The Invisible Woman is the strongest member of the Fantastic Four. She contained the power of the Cosmic Cube with her forcefields, shattered a Celestial’s armor, squared off with a Hulk, and can even trigger an extinction event with her ability to control the spectrum of light – making this design a dynamic variant of Invisible Woman, perfect for inclusion in Marvel Rivals.

A Turning Point For Sue Storm

Under normal circumstances, Sue did not always have access – or, to put it more accurately, allow herself access – to the full breadth of her powers. However, and the rage she felt as Malice was one of the first times she took off the metaphorical gloves and embraced her abilities. Malice was undeniably evil, but she’s still an important part of Sue’s history. The redesign proved to be a defining moment in the character’s trajectory, shedding light on who she was up to that point, and helping shape who she would become.

Given that the original intention of Malice was to add more depth to Sue Storm, she was radically successful. In the years following the Malice personality, Susan continued to grow in complexity until eventually reaching the point where the Fantastic Four stands today – with the Invisible Woman as its most inspiring member. By introducing the Malice skin into Marvel Rivals, the game brings in an important part of Sue’s history. The edgy costume is a bonus, but it was always about more than a cool look. By using Sue’s dark side against the Fantastic Four, Malice revealed how powerful the Invisible Woman really is.

“}]] Malice is more than just an eye-catching costume.  Read More