Doctor Strange’s top 10 villains in Marvel history, in order

Doctor Strange’s Debut in 1963s Funny tales #110 was, even by Marvel’s own admission, a quiet one, especially when compared to other character launches. Yet from this modest beginning has grown the entire magical corner of the Marvel Universe.

Doctor Strange’s earliest adventures were unlike anything else Marvel was publishing at the time. Under the direction of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Doctor Strange fights some of the most powerful and scary 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 only five pages long, but Stan and Steve wasted no time in introducing one of his most powerful nemeses: Nightmare.. In the story, a troubled man comes to seek Strange’s help in cleansing himself of bad dreams. When Strange enters the dream realm, he encounters the source of his troubles: a mysterious, shrouded figure who seeks to punish man for his transgressions. Funny also runs away from nightmare. He takes Doctor Strange down to the wire, forcing him to seek the help of the Ancient One to turn the tide of the battle.

Doctor Strange calls Nightmare his “old enemy” in the story, implying a deep history between the two. In one simple line of dialogue, Stan and Steve establish a deep rivalry between Strange and Nightmare, one that continues into the present. The story establishes Nightmare’s considerable power, to the point that he is almost the best Stranger. It’s also worth noting that this was early in Doctor Strange’s career, and he hadn’t yet become Sorcerer Supreme, which might explain why he was so vulnerable to nightmares. Whatever the case, the magical corner of the Marvel Universe is 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. From deep in 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 pickings for Mordo. Of course, Doctor Strange learns about Mordu’s plot, and saves his master’s life, and thus his own. Mordo and Strange have the first of many epic battles in this five-page story, setting the tone for their tense relationship.

Much like Nightmare’s debut, Mordo’s first outing also alludes to the history of Doctor Strange, but at this point, fans are not interested in it. Starting Strange’s story essentially In Media Res was uncharacteristic for Marvel at the time, which usually gave the hero’s origin in their first appearance. Doctor Strange, on the other hand, had to wait a few issues before his backstory was explored. Strange’s beginning in Funny tales #115 also showed exactly why Mordow hated him so much: jealousy. Both Strange and Mordo were students of the Ancient One, but Mordo was angry and disaffected.

8

The bells

This alien race gave Doctor Strange an enemy in sci-fi style

For Doctor Strange’s next few outings, he would spar again with Nightmare and Mordo, So the owner’s arrival was a welcome breath of fresh air. In a non-descript European village, strange things are happening, as the townspeople seem to be under the control of dark forces. Investigating, Doctor Strange learns 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 The Possessor’s debut, Marvel had largely abandoned the science fiction stories that had been a staple of publications such as Funny tales. But the owners, who would have been right at home in these stories, showed that Stan and Steve were not ready to let the format go. While the possessors are quite powerful, they failed to make an impact, like Mordo and Nightmare, perhaps because they are more science-fiction oriented than the usual Doctor Strange villains. The owners were out of place in the world of Doctor Strange.

7

Aggammon

It feels like Aggammon should have been bigger than he was

Agamon, the fourth villain Doctor Strange fought, had all the makings of a great adversary, but it didn’t materialize. The ruler of the Purple Dimension, Doctor Strange, could never have fought Agamon, if it weren’t for two inconsequential burglars. Breaking into the Sanctum Sanctorum, they steal a gem that transports them to the Purple Dimension, and into Aggammon’s clutches. Strange offered his life to Aggammon in exchange for those of the criminals. Agaman freed them, but Strange then attacked him. Odd and Agmaon have a duel, but Stefan is able to get the upper hand.

With Aggamon’s debut, it seemed as if Stan and Steve were trying to give Doctor Strange another major enemy, in the same league as Mordo and Nightmare, but it never happened. Agamon’s backstory wasn’t as compelling as Mordo’s, and his appearance and gimmick wasn’t as terrifying as Nightmare’s. Aggammon was quickly forgotten, but would return in 2021 Death of Doctor Strange, Where he lent his power to Caecilius, String’s murderer. Later, it is revealed that General Strange, the Doctor’s evil half, killed Aggammon off panel, ending the villain’s reign once and for all.

6

The House of Shadows

Doctor Strange’s strange enemy finally has a cool future

The House of Shadows was Doctor Strange’s worst enemy of the first ten he fought. An extradimensional presence that took the form of a house, the House of Shadows, was to be the subject of a documentary. Doctor Strange watches as the crew films the documentary, and it quickly becomes clear that there is more to the house than first thought. Strange exchange with the house, sacrificing himself to it in exchange for the life of a reporter trapped inside. The house accepts the bargain, but Strange turns it to his advantage and banishes it back to his home dimension.

Like Aggammon before it, this could have been the end of the road for the House of Shadows, but Jed MacKay, who just finished a definitive run on Doctor StrangeBrought it back-in the pages of moon night. The house returns to earth, posing as the top floor of an apartment building. When Moon Knight went to investigate the disappearance in the building, he realized that the house just wanted someone to live in it, so the fist of Honshu made a deal with him. The house relocated to the Midnight Mission, and became Moon Knight’s new headquarters – a future no one could have seen coming.

5

Loki

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

In the early years of his career, Doctor Strange existed independently of the rest of the Marvel Universe, but that changed when Loki appeared to him.Seek to bamboozle the sorcerer in helping him defeat Thor. Doctor Strange quickly smells a rat, but plays along regardless, in a bid to learn more about Loki. Loki and Strange fight each other, and they don’t get the upper hand. Strange manages to squeak out a victory only because Loki panics, thinking that Thor is coming his way. Later, Strange reflects that Loki was his most powerful opponent to date.

Doctor Strange’s introduction to the larger Marvel Universe was as inconspicuous as his debut. During the story, Thor’s hammer was stolen from him, but quickly returned thanks to Doctor Strange. Thor, however, was none the wiser about what had happened, and went on his way. The story also established Loki as a formidable magic user in his own right, as he is closer to defeating Doctor Strange than Mordo or Nightmare ever were. Loki and Doctor Strange would meet each other more times, and the Trickster even had a stint as the Sorcerer Supreme.

4

Zota

Zota could have been a magical version of Kang the Conqueror

The first years of Doctor Strange established some of ​​his greatest enemies, such as Nightmare or Mordo, but it was also full of forgettable characters, such as Aggamon and Zota. Zota, a wizard in ancient Egypt, placed a gift on Cleopatra, who somehow found it to the present day, where she runs into Doctor Strange. The Ancient One sends Doctor Strange back in time to fight Zota, and he is nearly mortified in the distant past. However, Strange was successful in beating Zota and returning Cleopatra to her point in the timeline.

With his ability to reach through time and space, Zota could be a magic-powered version of ​​another time-traveling despot: Kong the Conqueror. Zota’s potential was squandered in his only outing and his motives are ill-defined. While Zota has fallen by the wayside, there’s a chance he could one day return, with a creative team that can fulfill his potential and make him one of Doctor Strange’s greatest enemies. 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 some of Doctor Strange’s earliest appearances, but he would not make his actual appearance until much later. The Ancient One calls Doctor Strange to his lair, where he is under siege by dark forces. Strange takes the fight all the way to Dormammu, and he quickly learns about the villain’s sheer power. The fight between the two was so great that it took two issues to tell it, giving Doctor Strange his first multipart story.

Dormammu’s first appearance signaled the beginning of a great era in Doctor Strange’s history. As previously noted, Dormammu was mentioned in whispers on several occasions, but never seen. The dependent references never mentioned Dormammu in a good light, which only heightened the sense of dread on the horizon. Dormammu quickly established himself as Strange’s most powerful enemy, one that continues to threaten him to this day. The first appearance of Dormammu also introduced another key character in Doctor Strange’s story: Clea, the love of his life.

2

The mindless ones

Forget the juggernaut – nothing can stop the mindless ones

The Mindless Ones made their debut while Doctor Strange was fighting Dormammu. During Strange and Dormammu’s confrontation. It came to light that the Lord of the Dark Dimension was fighting an eternal battle against the Mindless Ones. Dormammu erects a barrier to keep them out, lest they destroy the Dark Dimension. As the name implies, the mindless ones possess 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 the villain is now in his debt.

Much like the Possessors, the Mindless Ones were an alien race. However, the mindless ones proved much more enduring, and continue to make appearances to this day. The Mindless Ones are terrifying enemies, and are virtually immortal. Impervious to most attacks, the Mindless Ones live 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

Demonicus

The demon’s pupil was forgotten

The tenth enemy Doctor Strange fought only called himself “The Demon’s Disciple,” but later took the name Demonicus. One of Demonicus’ former students asks Doctor Strange to help him, leading to a confrontation between the two. Like Mordo before him, Demonicus tries to avoid Doctor Strange, but to no avail. In a brilliant move, Doctor Strange forces Demonicus to forget that he was ever involved in the mystic arts. When Strange takes off from the villain, Demonicus is catatonic.

one more time, It seemed as if 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 later regained his memories, and connected with Baron Mordo. Even that doesn’t make Demonicus a first-rate villain, and he would slide into obscurity.

Doctor Strange’s first ten Marvel villains are all immensely powerful, even if, in some instances, they are forgettable. Because of their power, Doctor Strange cannot simply overpower them with magic. Instead, he was forced to come up with “out of the box” strategies to defeat them, be it by outthinking Mordo or using hand-to-hand combat to beat Dormammu. Over time, Doctor Strange would acquire a reputation as one of the Marvel Universe’s most brilliant tacticians. Doctor Strange’s First villains also set the dangerous tone that would characterize the magical side of Marvel.