10 Strongest Doctor Strange Villains
Thank’s to the MCU, Doctor Strange has slowly but steadily entered the mainstream level of Marvel’s comic books. He has always had a cult status among Marvel’s fans and the Sorcerer Supreme has certainly been a powerful and important presence in the Multiverse, but his popularity soared when he finally appeared in the MCU. Now, to commemorate that, we have decided to dedicate today’s article to him and his lore.
This article is going to be a list of the 10 strongest (and, at the same time, best) Doctor Strange enemies, as they have appeared in the comics. They are going to be ranked from 10th to 1st, thus giving you an overview of Doctor Strange’s lore. You’re going to find out a bit about these characters and why we have ordered them as we have. Enjoy!
10 strongest Doctor Strange villains
10. Satannish
Debut: Doctor Strange #174 (November 1968)
Created by: Roy Thomas, Gene Colan
Satannish is a supervillain from the Marvel Universe, actually an ancient demon that is one of the lesser-known foes of Doctor Strange. The character debuted in Doctor Strange #174, in November 1968. The character was created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan.
Today, Satannish is presumably dead, but knowing the very nature of demonic beings, he will probably come back to life later. Satannish was a demon of the highest possible order. He rules his own hellish dimension, where cursed souls creep in captivity forever. Many of these souls have made some kind of agreement with Satannish and received power or strength in return for their own soul. It was originally thought that Satannish was born when Demiurge destroyed the evil Old Gods and pieces of these remained hovering on the levels of existence.
9. Loki
Debut: Venus #6 (August 1949) / Journey into Mystery #85 (October 1962)
Created by: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby
Loki is a deity and a supervillain living in the Marvel Universe, appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, and artist Jack Kirby, the fictional character first appeared in the Journey into Mystery #85 comic book in October 1962. The character is inspired by his counterpart from Norse mythology.
The first adaptation of Loki, different from that of the current character, appeared in Venus #6, published by Timely Comics in August 1949. The character takes the role of the worst enemy of his half-brother Thor, although he has also recurrently fought Doctor Strange. He is the Asgardian God of Mischief, specializing in lies, tricks, and the likes.
Basically a supervillain, the character is sometimes portrayed as an antihero.
8. Doctor Doom
Debut: The Fantastic Four #5 (July 1962)
Created by: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Doctor Doom is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the fictional character first appeared in The Fantastic Four #5 comic book in July 1962.
While Victor Von Doom was still a young child, his father, the gypsy healer Werner Von Doom, and his mother, the witch Cynthia Von Doom, were being hunted down by the local authorities of King Vladimir (also known as Baron) and by the ruling class of the state of Latveria, a small country in Central Europe, like all other Gypsies.
The main enemy of the Fantastic Four, Doom eventually evolved to become a megalomaniac scientific genius and one of the most important supervillains in the Marvel Universe; he has moreover tried on several occasions to conquer the world and had to face the greatest powers of this universe.
7. Mephisto
Debut: The Silver Surfer #3 (December 1968)
Created by: Stan Lee, John Buscema
Mephisto is a supervillain and a demonic entity appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, the fictional character first appeared in The Silver Surfer #3 comic book in December 1968.
Debuting way back in the Silver Age of comics, the character has appeared in more than four decades of the Marvel continuity. He has also appeared in animated television series, movies, toys, trading cards, and video games, being considered as one of Marvel’s most powerful and devious villains.
Loosely inspired by Mephistopheles, the incarnation of the Devil in the legend of Faust, Mephisto is the main enemy of the Ghost Rider, although he has clashed with various other characters. Ghost Rider made a deal with Mephisto, selling him his soul to save his adoptive father. Mephisto also regularly fought Thor and Doctor Strange, and he is especially fixated on the Silver Surfer, over who he even clashed with Galactus.
6. Shuma-Gorath
Debut: Marvel Premiere #10 (September 1973)
Created by: Steve Englehart, Frank Brunner
Shuma-Gorath is a demonic creature appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Frank Brunner, the fictional character has his first full appearance in Marvel Premiere #10 and later became a well-known opponent of Doctor Strange. The character’s name is inspired by a creation by the American novelist Robert E. Howard.
Shuma-Gorath is a native demon from an extra-dimensional realm. He is one of the Old Gods who appeared on Earth millions of years ago. He reigned on earth over a region called Cimmeria. His worship required human sacrifices. Over 21,000 years ago, a young god named Crom helped a young shaman imprison the demon on Mount Crom.
Around 10,000 BC. AD, a couple of wizards, Kulan Gath and Vammatar, sought to free Shuma-Gorath to enslave him. But they failed the first time by betraying each other. The second time around, Conan manages to banish the entity.
5. Nightmare
Debut: Strange Tales #110 (July 1963)
Created by: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Nightmare is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Strange Tales #110 and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The character is most commonly depicted as one of the main enemies of Doctor Strange and Ghost Rider.
Nightmare is the ruler of a dimension of the dream and is one of the Lords of Fear. He is also part of the group called The Six-Fingered Hand. He also has the ability to draw power from the psychic energies of the subconscious minds of dreaming beings. He is the evil ruler of a “dream dimension” where tormented humans are carried away during sleep.
He roams this realm on his demonic black horned horse called the Dreamcatcher. He appears as a chalk-white man with green tousled hair, a green suit, and a ragged cape. He was the first enemy known to Strange, when a man who was having troubling dreams turned to Strange for help, even though it was revealed that this is because he committed murder.
4. Kaluu
Debut: Strange Tales #147 (August 1966)
Created by: Stan Lee, Denny O’Neill, Bill Everett
Kaluu is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kaluu was born more than five hundred years ago in the mystical city of Kamar-Taj, a town in the Himalayan mountains. He and the Ancient One became fellow students of the mystical arts.
Varnae, the greatest of true vampires, met with Kaluu and passed on knowledge of the primal compendium of black magic known as the Darkhold. Subsequently, Kaluu set out to become the ruler of Kamar-Taj. As the Ancient One continued his studies, Kaluu used his sorcery to influence the minds of the people of Kamar-Taj.
Eventually, Kaluu and the Ancient One, together, cast a spell that removed disease, poverty, and suffering from Kamar-Taj and granted his people immortality. Soon after, the people of Kamar-Taj, responding to Kaluu’s magical influence on their minds, crowned him their king.
3. Umar
Debut: Strange Tales #150 (November 1966)
Created by: Roy Thomas, Bill Everett
Umar is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, a representative of the mysterious Faltine species and the twin sister of the Dark Lord Dormammu. Umar is a powerful sorceress with extensive knowledge of black magic. Most often, she appears as an opponent of the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, Doctor Strange, as well as the mother of his wife Clea.
Umar and her twin brother Dormammu were spawned by the powerful cosmic entity Sinifer. They were Faltine – beings made of pure energy. Unlike Sinifer, the twins wished for a physical shell. When Sinifer tried to stop them, Umar and Dormammu converted his energy into matter, essentially killing him. For this, they were expelled from the Faltine world.
2. Baron Mordo
Debut: Strange Tales #111 (Aug. 1963)
Created by: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Baron Karl Amadeus Mordo (known as Baron Mordo) is a fictional supervillain who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is commonly depicted as an adversary of Doctor Strange.
Baron Mordo is a talented magician, especially skilled in the black arts of magic, which includes summoning demons. Karl Mordo studied the magical arts under the Ancient One in Tibet when Dr. Stephen Strange came to study there. Strange has foiled Baron Mordo’s plot to kill the Ancient One, leading to Baron Mordo being expelled and Dr. Strange eventually becoming the “Sorcerer Supreme”. Mordo would clash with Dr. Strange on a multitude of occasions, sometimes with the backing of the demon Dormammu, even going as far as posing as Dr. Strange for a short period.
1. Dormammu
Debut: Strange Tales #126 (November 1964)
Created by: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Dormammu is a comic book character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, appearing in stories published by Marvel Comics. He is also known as the The Dread One, Lord of Chaos; and The Great Enigma. His first appearance occurs in Strange Tales #126 (1964).
He is the lord of the Dark Dimension and is a supervillain in the Marvel universe; he is a mystical entity and a sorcerer, best-known as Doctor Strange’s number one enemy. Dormammu also has a niece, Clea, a disciple of Doctor Strange.
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Who is Doctor Strange’s archenemy?
Now that you have seen this list, you must be wondering which one of these – if any – is considered to be Doctor Strange’s archenemy? Well, if you are, we have the answer for you. Although a lot of you might think it is Dormammu, Strange’s archenemy is actually Baron Mordo, who is also very high on our list of his enemies.
