Behold! The Underminer!
If you grew up in the early 2000s, those five words probably triggered a very specific core memory of a short, stout man bursting out of the asphalt in a giant drill. Most people call him the "mole man" from The Incredibles, but his official title is way more dramatic. He’s the guy who showed up in the final seconds of the 2004 Pixar classic, effectively ending the movie on the ultimate cliffhanger.
For thirteen years, fans wondered what happened next. We saw the Parr family pull those iconic yellow masks over their eyes, ready for battle, and then... nothing but credits and Michael Giacchino’s jazzy score.
Honestly, the mole man The Incredibles fans remember isn’t just a random throwaway character. He is actually one of the few villains in cinematic history—let alone the Pixar universe—who essentially won. He didn’t just show up to be a punching bag; he fundamentally shifted the lives of the Parr family and, quite literally, got away with the loot.
Who Exactly is the Mole Man in The Incredibles?
Let’s get the basics down first. His real name (at least according to the Official Handbook for Young Supers) is Doug Talpid. You’ve gotta love the puns Pixar sneaks in there; "Talpidae" is the biological family name for moles.
Voice-wise, he’s played by John Ratzenberger. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s basically Pixar's lucky charm. He’s voiced someone in almost every single one of their movies, from Hamm the piggy bank in Toy Story to Mack the truck in Cars. For the Underminer, Ratzenberger ditched the friendly neighbor vibe for a raspy, megalomaniacal bark that perfectly suits a guy who spends his life in a subterranean drill.
The character design is pretty straightforward but effective. He’s got that rodent-like snout, thick goggles, and a massive drill vehicle that looks like it was ripped straight out of a 1950s pulp comic. He’s a clear homage to Marvel’s Mole Man (Harvey Elder), the first villain the Fantastic Four ever fought. But where Harvey Elder was often portrayed as a tragic, lonely figure, the Underminer is just... loud.
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He declares war on "peace and happiness." It’s a bold mission statement. Most villains want to rule the world or get revenge. This guy just wants to ruin everyone's day because he feels "beneath" them.
The Villain Who Actually Won
Think about the ending of the first movie and the beginning of Incredibles 2.
When the mole man The Incredibles antagonist first emerges, he interrupts a moment of hard-earned peace. The Parrs just saved the world from Syndrome. They’re finally acting like a family again. Then, this guy shows up and ruins the vibe.
In the sequel, we see the actual fight. It’s chaotic. It’s messy. And here’s the kicker: while the Incredibles are busy trying to stop his massive Tunneler from leveling City Hall, the Underminer is busy emptying the bank vaults. He isn't there for a monologue. He’s there for the cash.
The Aftermath of the Attack
- He successfully robs the bank.
- He escapes in a mini-drill pod.
- The supers get blamed for the massive property damage.
- The Superhero Relocation Program gets shut down because of the mess.
Essentially, the Underminer is the catalyst for the entire plot of the second movie. Because he escaped and caused so much destruction, the Parrs end up broke and living in a motel. If he hadn't shown up, Helen might never have taken the job with DevTech, and the whole Screenslaver saga might never have happened.
While Syndrome ended up as plane-engine kibble, the Underminer is presumably sitting on a beach somewhere—or more likely, in a very expensive cave—counting his stolen millions. He’s one of the only Disney villains to ever pull off a successful heist and just walk away.
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Why People Get Him Confused With Marvel’s Mole Man
It’s an easy mistake to make. If you search for "mole man the incredibles," you’re going to see a lot of comparisons to Harvey Elder from Marvel Comics.
Brad Bird, the director of The Incredibles, has always been a massive fan of the Silver Age of comics. The Parr family is very clearly a riff on the Fantastic Four (the strong dad, the stretchy mom, the invisible girl, and the hot-headed younger brother). It only makes sense that their "first" official team villain would be a nod to the FF’s first villain.
But there’s a key difference in the "vibe." Marvel's Mole Man is often a sympathetic outcast who rules over a kingdom of monsters called Moloids. The Underminer, on the other hand, seems to be a solo act (or at least he was until the video games introduced his robot army). He doesn't want a kingdom; he wants to "undermine" the surface world because he’s petty.
The "Rise of the Underminer" Video Game
If you were a kid in 2005 and couldn't wait thirteen years for a sequel, you probably played The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer on PlayStation 2 or GameCube.
In this game, the story picks up right where the first movie ends. Interestingly, it ignores the "he escapes" plot of the second movie entirely. In the game, Mr. Incredible and Frozone team up to go underground and destroy his robot factory. It’s not exactly "canon" anymore since Incredibles 2 rewrote that timeline, but it gave us a lot more lore about his technology.
He wasn't just a guy with one drill; he had a whole infrastructure. He had "Magnomizers" and "Gilgenbots." The guy was a legitimate industrial threat, even if the movies treat him more like a recurring nuisance.
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What's Next for the Underminer?
With Incredibles 3 officially in development, fans are theorizing whether we’ll finally see the "mole man" return for a third round.
There’s a brief "brick joke" during the credits of the second film where you see his drill move across the screen. It’s a subtle hint that he’s still out there. Honestly, it would be a missed opportunity not to bring him back. He’s the only villain who has survived both movies.
If Pixar wants to bring the series full circle, having the Underminer be the one who finally forces the supers to change their tactics—or perhaps even becoming an unlikely ally against a bigger threat—would be a great narrative move.
Real-World Takeaways from the Underminer's Success
You can actually learn a bit about persistence from this weird little guy.
First, know your niche. The Underminer knew the supers were focused on "saving people," so he focused on the money. He used their heroism as a distraction. It’s a classic tactical maneuver.
Second, have an exit plan. Most villains fail because they stay to fight. The Underminer fought just long enough to get what he wanted, then he bailed. He didn't let his ego get in the way of his profit.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the lore of mole man The Incredibles, your best bet is to:
- Re-watch the first 10 minutes of Incredibles 2 to see the sheer scale of his drill—it’s actually terrifying when you see it next to a skyscraper.
- Look up the concept art from the Rise of the Underminer game to see the scrapped designs for his subterranean city.
- Keep an eye out for John Ratzenberger's cameo in future Pixar projects, as it’s often the only way we get "updates" on his recurring presence in that universe.
The Underminer might be "beneath" everyone else, but in the ranking of Pixar villains, he's surprisingly near the top. He’s the guy who stayed true to his brand, got the bag, and left the heroes arguing in a parking lot. Not bad for a guy who looks like a giant rodent.