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

Doctor Strange’s debut in 1963’s Strange Tales #110 was, even by Marvel’s admission, a quiet one, especially when compared to other character launches. Yet from this modest beginning grew 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 a mere five pages, 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 purging himself of bad dreams. As Strange enters the dream realm, he encounters the source of his troubles: a mysterious, shrouded figure seeking to punish the man for his transgressions. Strange also runs afoul of Nightmare. He takes Doctor Strange down to the wire, forcing him to seek the Ancient One’s help to turn the tide of the battle.

Doctor Strange calls Nightmare his “ancient foe” in the story, implying a deep history between the two. In one simple line of dialogue, Stan and Steve establish an intense rivalry between Strange and Nightmare, one that continues into the present. The story establishes Nightmare’s considerable power, to the point he nearly bests Strange. It is also worth noting this was early in Doctor Strange’s career, and he has not yet become 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 Spot

Introduced in Doctor Strange’s second appearance, Baron Mordo has gone on to become one of his biggest foes. 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 picking for Mordo. Of course, Doctor Strange learns of Mordo’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.

Baron Mordo was played in the MCU by British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor

Much like Nightmare’s debut, Mordo’s first outing also alludes to the history of Doctor Strange, but at this point, fans are not privy to it. Starting Strange’s story essentially in media res was uncharacteristic for Marvel at the time, who 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 origin in Strange Tales #115 also showed exactly why Mordo hated him so much: jealousy. Both Strange and Mordo had been 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 Foe

For Doctor Strange’s next several outings, he would spar again with Nightmare and Mordo, so the Possessor’s arrival was a welcome breath of fresh air. In a nondescript European village, weird things are afoot, as the town folk 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 Strange Tales. Yet the Possessors, who would have been right at home in those stories, showed that Stan and Steve were not ready to let the format go. While the Possessors were quite powerful, they failed to make an impact, like Mordo and Nightmare, perhaps because they were more science-fiction oriented than the usual Doctor Strange villains. The Possessors were out of place in the world of Doctor Strange.

7 Aggamon

It Feels Like Aggamon Should Have Been Bigger Than He Was

Aggamon, the fourth villain Doctor Strange fought, had all the makings of a great opponent, but that failed to materialize. The ruler of the Purple Dimension, Doctor Strange may have never fought Aggamon had it not been for two inept burglars. Breaking into the Sanctum Sanctorum, they steal a gem that transports them to the Purple Dimension, and into Aggamon’s clutches. Strange offered his life to Aggamon in exchange for those of the criminals. Aggamon freed them, but Strange then attacked him. Strange and Aggamon dueled, but Stephen was able to get the upper hand.

Aggamon’s backstory was not as compelling as Mordo’s, nor was his appearance and gimmick as frightful as Nightmare’s.

With Aggamon’s debut, it seemed as if Stan and Steve were trying to give Doctor Strange another major foe, in the same league as Mordo and Nightmare, but it never happened. Aggamon’s backstory was not as compelling as Mordo’s, nor was his appearance and gimmick as frightful as Nightmare’s. Aggamon was quickly forgotten, but would return in 2021’s Death of Doctor Strange, where he lent his power to Kaecilius, Strange’s murderer. Later, it is 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 Weirdest Foe Ultimately Had a Cool Destiny

The House of Shadows was Doctor Strange’s weirdest foe 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 the crew film the documentary, and it quickly becomes apparent there is more to the house than first thought. Strange barters with the House, offering 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 its home dimension.

Like Aggamon 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 Strange
, brought it back–in the pages of
Moon Knight
.

Like Aggamon 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 Strange, brought it 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 the House simply wanted someone to live in it, so the Fist of Khonshu struck a deal with it. The House relocated to the Midnight Mission, and became Moon Knight’s new headquarters–a destiny no one could have seen coming.

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, seeking to bamboozle the magician into helping him defeat Thor. Doctor Strange quickly smells a rat, but played along regardless, in a bid to learn more about Loki. Loki and Strange fight each other, with neither getting the upper hand. Strange manages to squeak out a victory only because Loki panics, thinking 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 over what had happened, and went on his way. The story also established Loki as a formidable magic user in his own right, as he gets closer to defeating Doctor Strange than Mordo or Nightmare ever did. Loki and Doctor Strange would encounter each other more times, and the trickster even did a stint as the Sorcerer Supreme.

4 Zota

Zota Could Have Been a Magical Version of Kang the Conqueror

Doctor Strange’s first years established some of his greatest enemies, like Nightmare or Mordo, but it was also chock-full of forgettable characters as well–such as Aggamon and Zota. A wizard in Ancient Egypt, Zota placed an enchantment on Cleopatra, who somehow made it to the present day, where she runs across Doctor Strange. The Ancient One sends Doctor Strange back in time to fight Zota, and he is nearly marooned 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 across time and space, Zota easily could have been a magic-driven version of another time-traveling despot: Kang the Conqueror. Zota’s potential was squandered in his sole outing and his motives were ill-defined. While Zota fell by the wayside, there is 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 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 ahead of his formal debut. Dormammu’s name had been invoked in several of Doctor Strange’s earliest appearances, but he would not make his actual appearance until much later. The Ancient One summons 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 it took two issues to tell it, giving Doctor Strange his first multipart story.

Dormammu’s first appearance signaled the beginning of a grand era in Doctor Strange’s history. As noted earlier, Dormammu had been mentioned in whispers on several occasions, but never seen. These off-handed 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 foe, one that continues to menace him to this day. Dormammu’s first appearance also introduced another key character in Doctor Strange’s history: 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 had been 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 was now in his debt.

Much like the Possessors, the Mindless Ones were an alien race. However, the Mindless Ones proved far more enduring, and continue to make appearances to this day. The Mindless Ones are terrifying foes, and are virtually immortal. Impervious to most attacks, the Mindless Ones have lives of violence and brutality. There is no reasoning with the Mindless Ones either, which forces Doctor Strange to consider new types of strategies when fighting them.

1 Demonicus

The Demon’s Disciple Was Forgettable

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

Once again, 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 would later get his memories back, and ally himself with Baron Mordo. Not even this could make Demonicus a first-rate villain, and he would slip into obscurity.

Doctor Strange’s first ten Marvel villains were all immensely powerful, even if, in some instances, they were forgettable. Because of their power, Doctor Strange could not simply overpower them with magic. Instead, he was forced to concoct “out of the box” strategies to defeat them, be it by outthinking Mordo or using hand-to-hand combat to beat Dormammu. In 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 come to characterize Marvel’s magical side.