Doctor Strange’s First 10 Villains in Marvel History, in Order (#1 Confirms His Surprise Enemy)

Doctor Strange debut in 1963 Strange Tales #110 was, by Marvel’s own admission, quiet, especially when compared to other character launches. However, from this modest beginning grew the entire magical corner of the Marvel Universe.

Doctor Strange’s first adventures were unlike anything Marvel published at the time. Under the direction of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Doctor Strange battles some of the most powerful and frightening villains in the Marvel Universe. Here are the first ten villains Doctor Strange fought, in chronological order.

10

Nightmare

Doctor Strange’s First Villain Is Still His Most Terrifying

Doctor Strange’s first story was just five pages long, but Stan and Steve wasted no time in introducing one of his most powerful enemies: Nightmare.. In the story, a troubled man seeks Strange’s help to get rid of nightmares. As Strange enters the realm of dreams, he encounters the source of his troubles: a mysterious, cloaked figure who seeks to punish the man for his transgressions. Strange also comes into conflict with Nightmare. He pushes Doctor Strange to the limit, forcing him to seek the Ancient One’s help to turn the tide of battle.

Doctor Strange calls Nightmare his “ancient enemy” in the story, implying a deep history between the two. In a simple line of dialogue, Stan and Steve establish an intense rivalry between Strange and Nightmare, which continues to the present. The story establishes Nightmare’s considerable power, to the point where he nearly defeats Strange. It’s also worth noting that this was early in Doctor Strange’s career, and he hadn’t yet become the Sorcerer Supreme, which may explain why he was so vulnerable to Nightmare. Whatever the case, the magical corner of the Marvel Universe was now up and running.

9

Baron Mordo

Baron Mordo almost took Doctor Strange’s place

Introduced in Doctor Strange’s second appearance, Baron Mordo became one of his greatest enemies. Deep within his Eastern European lair, Mordo prepares to defeat the Ancient One for good. With the Ancient One out of the way, Doctor Strange will be an easy choice for Mordo. Of course, Doctor Strange learns of Mordo’s plot and saves his master’s life, and thus his own. Mordo and Strange fight the first of many epic battles in this five-page story, setting the tone for their tense relationship.

Just like Nightmare’s debut, Mordo’s first appearance also alludes to Doctor Strange’s history, but at this point fans aren’t aware of that. Starting Strange’s story essentially in media res it was unusual for Marvel at the time, which generally gave the hero’s origin in his first appearance. Doctor Strange, on the other hand, had to wait a few issues before his story was explored. Strange’s origin in Strange Tales #115 also showed exactly why Mordo hated him so much: jealousy. Both Strange and Mordo were students of the Ancient One, but Mordo turned evil and was disowned.

8

The possessors

This Alien Race Gave Doctor Strange a Sci-Fi-Style Enemy

In Doctor Strange’s next outings, he would train again with Nightmare and Mordo so the arrival of the Possessor was a welcome breath of fresh air. In a nondescript European village, strange things are happening as the town’s population appears to be under the control of dark forces. Investigating, Doctor Strange discovers that the culprits are an alien race from another dimension, called the Possessors. The Possessors try a number of strategies against Strange, including sending innocent people to fight him. However, Doctor Strange proved to be a worthy foe, and the Possessors have not been seen since.

By the time of Possessor’s debut, Marvel had largely abandoned the science fiction stories that were the basis of publications like Strange Tales. Still, the Possessors, who would feel at home in these stories, showed that Stan and Steve weren’t ready to abandon the format. Although the Possessors were quite powerful, they failed to make an impact like Mordo and Nightmare, perhaps because they were more sci-fi oriented than Doctor Strange’s usual villains. The Possessors were out of place in Doctor Strange’s world.

7

Agamon

It seems like Aggamon should have been bigger than it was

Aggamon, the fourth villain Doctor Strange fought, had all the makings of a great opponent, but that didn’t come to fruition. The ruler of the Purple Dimension, Doctor Strange, might never have fought Aggamon if it weren’t for two inept thieves. Breaking into the Sanctum Sanctorum, they steal a jewel that transports them to the Purple Dimension and Aggamon’s clutches. Strange offered his life to Aggamon in exchange for the criminals’ lives. Aggamon freed them, but Strange attacked him. Strange and Aggamon dueled, but Stephen managed to gain the upper hand.

With Aggamon’s debut, it seemed like Stan and Steve were trying to give Doctor Strange another great enemy, in the same league as Mordo and Nightmare, but that never happened. Aggamon’s backstory wasn’t as convincing as Mordo’s, nor were his appearance and tricks as frightening as Nightmare’s. Aggamon was quickly forgotten, but would return in 2021 Death of Doctor Strange, where he lent his power to Kaecilius, Strange’s assassin. It is later revealed that General Strange, the Doctor’s evil half, killed Aggamon off-panel, ending the villain’s reign once and for all.

6

The House of Shadows

Doctor Strange’s strangest enemy finally met a cool fate

The House of Shadows was Doctor Strange’s strangest enemy of the first ten he fought. An extradimensional presence in the shape of a house, the House of Shadows, would be the subject of a documentary. Doctor Strange watches the crew film the documentary and it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to the house than previously thought. Strange negotiates with the Chamber, offering himself to it in exchange for the life of a reporter trapped inside. The Chamber accepts the deal, but Strange takes advantage of it and banishes him back to his home dimension.

Like Aggamon before, this could have been the end of the road for the House of Shadows, but Jed MacKay, who has just finished a definitive run in Doctor Strangebrought back – in the pages of Moon Knight. The House returns to Earth, posing as the top floor of an apartment building. When Moon Knight went to investigate disappearances in the building, he realized that the House simply wanted someone to live in it, so the Fist of Khonshu made a deal with him. The House moved to Midnight Mission and became Moon Knight’s new headquarters – a fate no one could have imagined.

5

Loki

The Trickster was at the center of Doctor Strange’s first Marvel crossover

For the first few years of his career, Doctor Strange existed independently of the rest of the Marvel Universe, but that changed when Loki appeared to him.trying to trick the magician into helping him defeat Thor. Doctor Strange quickly smells a rat, but moves on anyway in an attempt to learn more about Loki. Loki and Strange fight each other, with neither of them having the advantage. Strange manages to score a victory only because Loki panics, thinking Thor is coming towards him. Later, Strange reflects that Loki was his most powerful opponent to date.

Doctor Strange’s introduction to the Marvel Universe was as discreet as his debut. During the story, Thor’s hammer was stolen from him, but it quickly returned thanks to Doctor Strange. Thor, however, did not realize what had happened and continued on his way. The story also established Loki as a formidable magic user in his own right, as he comes closer to defeating Doctor Strange than Mordo or Nightmare ever did. Loki and Doctor Strange would meet more often, and the trickster even did a stint as Sorcerer Supreme.

4

Zota

Zota could have been a magical version of Kang the Conqueror

Doctor Strange’s early years established some of his greatest enemies, like Nightmare or Mordo, but were also filled with forgettable characters – like Aggamon and Zota. A sorceress from Ancient Egypt, Zota cast an enchantment on Cleopatra, who somehow reached the present day, where she meets Doctor Strange. The Ancient One sends Doctor Strange back in time to fight Zota, and he is almost abandoned in the distant past. However, Strange managed to defeat Zota and return Cleopatra to her point in the timeline.

With his ability to traverse time and space, Zota could easily have been a magical version of another time-traveling despot: Kang the Conqueror. Zota’s potential was wasted in his only outing and his motives were poorly defined. Although Zota has fallen into obscurity, there’s a chance he could one day return, with a creative team that can realize his potential and make him one of Doctor Strange’s greatest foes. Zota’s connection to Ancient Egypt would also make him a good foil for Moon Knight.

3

Dormammu

Dormammu earned his title

Dormammu is a classic example of how to build a villain before his formal debut. Dormammu’s name was invoked in several of Doctor Strange’s early appearances, but he wouldn’t make his actual appearance until much later. The Ancient One summons Doctor Strange to his lair, where he is surrounded by dark forces. Strange takes the fight to Dormammu and quickly learns of the villain’s absolute power. The fight between the two was so big that it took two issues to tell it, giving Doctor Strange his first multi-part story.

Dormammu’s first appearance marked the beginning of a great era in Doctor Strange’s history. As previously noted, Dormammu has been mentioned in whispers on several occasions, but has never been seen. These offhand references never mentioned Dormammu in a positive light, which only added to the sense of dread on the horizon. Dormammu quickly established himself as Strange’s most powerful enemy, who continues to threaten him to this day. Dormammu’s first appearance also introduced another key character to Doctor Strange’s story: Clea, the love of his life.

2

The stupid ones

Forget the Juggernaut – nothing can stop the stupid

The Mindless Ones made their debut as Doctor Strange battled Dormammu. During the confrontation between Strange and Dormammu. It turned out that the Lord of the Dark Dimension was waging an eternal battle against the Mindless. Dormammu sets up a barrier to keep them away, so they don’t destroy the Dark Dimension. As the name implies, the Mindless Ones have no intelligence and live only to fight and destroy. Strange turned Dormammu’s hatred of the Mindless Ones against him in a brilliant move, ensuring that the villain was now in his debt.

Much like the Possessors, the Mindless Ones were an alien race. However, the Mindless Ones proved to be much more long-lasting and continue to appear to this day. The Mindless Ones are terrible enemies and are virtually immortal. Impervious to most attacks, Mindless Ones lead lives of violence and brutality. There is also no reasoning with the Mindless Ones, which forces Doctor Strange to consider new types of strategies when fighting them.

1

Demonic

The Demon’s Disciple Was Forgettable

The tenth enemy that Doctor Strange fought only called himself “the Demon’s Disciple”, but later took on the name Demonicus. One of Demonicus’ former students begs Doctor Strange to help him, leading to a confrontation between the two. Like Mordo before him, Demonicus attempts to trick Doctor Strange, but to no avail. In a brilliant move, Doctor Strange forces Demonicus to forget he was ever involved in the mystical arts. When Strange says goodbye to the villain, Demonicus becomes catatonic.

Again, It seemed like Stan and Steve were trying to create a villain for Doctor Strange in the league of Mordo and Nightmare, but Demonicus failed to connect with fans. He would later regain his memories and ally with Baron Mordo. Not even that could make Demonicus a top-tier villain, and he would fade into obscurity.

Doctor Strange’s first ten Marvel villains were all immensely powerful, even if, in some cases, they were forgettable. Because of his power, Doctor Strange couldn’t simply overpower them with magic. Instead, he was forced to come up with “out of the box” strategies to defeat them, whether it was outmaneuvering Mordo or using hand-to-hand combat to defeat Dormammu. Over time, Doctor Strange would acquire a reputation as one of the most brilliant strategists in the Marvel Universe. Doctor Strange The first villains also set the dangerous tone that would characterize Marvel’s magical side.