If you’ve spent any time looking at the roster for Marvel Rivals lately, you’ve probably seen a version of Sue Storm that looks less like a friendly neighborhood mom and more like a high-fashion goth nightmare. Black leather, metal studs, and a spiked choker? Yeah, that’s not your average Invisible Woman. That is Malice, a version of Sue Storm that basically represents every ounce of repressed rage she’s ever carried.
A lot of people think she's just a "dark variant" or a cool skin. Honestly? The truth is way darker. It’s a story about trauma, a creepy villain named Psycho-Man, and a moment in comic history where the "Invisible Girl" finally died so the "Invisible Woman" could be born.
The Tragic Origin of Malice Sue Storm
Most casual fans remember the Fantastic Four as a happy, bickering family. But back in 1985, writer and artist John Byrne decided to take Sue Storm to a place she could never truly return from.
Before the spikes and the leather, Sue was going through it. She had just suffered a devastating miscarriage. She was grieving, feeling vulnerable, and—let’s be real—probably a bit tired of being the "emotional glue" for three guys who constantly put their lives at risk. That’s when Psycho-Man stepped in.
He didn't just hypnotize her. He used a device to amplify her negative emotions—fear, doubt, and especially hate. He turned her grief into a weapon. The result was Malice, the Mistress of Hate.
What really happened in Fantastic Four #280
In her first appearance, Malice didn't just act mean; she went on a full-blown rampage. She absolutely wrecked She-Hulk (who was filling in for the Thing at the time) and turned on her own family. She wasn't just using force fields to block bullets anymore. She was using them to create explosions, deadly spikes, and invisible daggers.
Reed Richards eventually realized that the only way to "break" the spell was to make Sue even angrier. He basically had to provoke her into a genuine, organic rage to override the artificial hate Psycho-Man had pumped into her brain. It worked, but the aftermath was brutal. Sue was so shaken by what she had become that she officially dropped the name "Invisible Girl" and demanded to be called the Invisible Woman. She realized she wasn't a girl anymore; she was a woman who had seen the bottom of the abyss.
Why the Malice Persona Still Matters Today
You might think a 40-year-old storyline would be buried by now. Nope. Malice is having a massive resurgence in 2026, and it's not just because of the video games.
Marvel recently introduced a character called the Invincible Woman in the pages of Fantastic Four #6 (written by Ryan North). This new version looks almost exactly like Malice, but there’s a twist: she’s an alternate-universe Sue Storm who actually lost everything and stayed in that dark place. It’s a "what if" scenario that shows just how dangerous an unchained Susan Storm really is.
The Powers of a "Malicious" Sue Storm
When Sue is Malice, she stops holding back. We’re talking about a character who can:
- Create microscopic force fields inside someone’s brain. (Yeah, she can literally cause a stroke if she wants to).
- Generate "Force Objects" like battering rams that can knock back the Hulk.
- Block out the entire sun. In recent runs, she’s shown the ability to make the sun "invisible" or opaque, effectively plunging a region into total darkness.
- Invisibility Manipulation. It’s not just about her. She can turn the air around her into a vacuum or render someone’s optic nerves useless, making them permanently blind.
Basically, Malice is what happens when the most powerful member of the Fantastic Four stops being nice.
Clearning Up the Confusion: Malice vs. Malice
Here is where things get kinda confusing for new readers. There is another character in Marvel called Malice who is a mutant and a member of the Marauders (the X-Men villains).
- Sue Storm Malice: A psychic manifestation of Sue’s own repressed rage, triggered by Psycho-Man.
- X-Men Malice: A disembodied psychic entity that possesses people (most famously Polaris) and is usually wearing a specific choker.
They aren't the same person. They aren't even related. But since they both have a thing for possession and leather-heavy outfits, people mix them up all the time. Just remember: if she’s throwing invisible spikes and yelling about Reed Richards, it’s Sue.
How to Experience Malice Right Now
If you're curious about this side of Sue, you don't have to go digging through 1980s back issues (though Fantastic Four #280-284 is a classic read).
- Marvel Rivals: The Malice skin is one of the most popular in the game. It’s a direct tribute to the John Byrne era.
- Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025/2026): Vanessa Kirby, who plays Sue in the MCU, has explicitly mentioned in interviews that she looked into the Malice storyline to find the "darker tones" for her performance. Don't be surprised if we see a version of this on the big screen soon.
- Modern Comics: Pick up the current Fantastic Four run by Ryan North. The "Invincible Woman" arc is a direct response to the legacy of Malice and explores what happens when Sue's power goes unchecked.
What This Means for Sue's Future
Honestly, Malice is the best thing that ever happened to Sue Storm’s character development. It took her from being the "damsel" of the 60s and turned her into the team’s heavy hitter. It proved that her greatest strength isn't just her force fields—it’s her willpower.
If you want to understand the modern Invisible Woman, you have to understand the shadow she’s been running from for decades. Malice isn't just a costume; she's the reminder that Sue Storm is the most dangerous person in the room.
To get the full story, start by reading the "Trial of Galactus" trade paperback or the John Byrne Visionaries collections, which house the original transformation. If you're a gamer, keep an eye out for the "Malice Will Rule" in-game events in Marvel Rivals, as they often drop lore snippets that tie back to these specific comic issues.