There are plenty of strange characters in Marvel Comics, from Morbius and N'Kantu, a living vampire and mummy, to Man-Thing, a mystical swamp creature with incredible power, and even Ghost Rider, the Spirit of Vengeance who wields hellfire. With the release of Marvel Premiere #28 in 1976, the creators at the Marvel offices decided to bring them all together.

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The Legion of Monsters was an obscure team of strange characters. While The Avengers protect the planet as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes," later incarnations of the Legion oversee Monster Metropolis, a haven for monsters that sits beneath New York City. The Legion roster is small, but some pretty popular Marvel characters have joined its ranks.

10 The Legion Of Monsters Helped Red Hulk

Marvel Comics' Red Hulk painted by Alex Ross

The Incredible Hulk, a.k.a. Bruce Banner, has a long list of powerful enemies from Abomination to the Leader, but his greatest adversary may just be a regular human. General Ross has hunted the Hulk since he was created, and thanks to the Super Soldier program, Ross transformed into a version of the Hulk himself.

In Hulk vol. 2 #51 by Bruce Jones and Mike Deodato Jr., Ross, now the Red Hulk, battled the Forgiven, a group of vampires. The subsequent issue features a team-up between Red Hulk and the Legion of Monsters. Though not an official member of the Legion, Red Hulk proved to be a powerful ally and certainly qualifies for membership.

9 N'Kantu Protected The Monster Metropolis

N'Kantu The Living Mummy

3,000 years after he was born, N'Kantu emerged from his tomb as The Living Mummy, perpetually wrapped in bandages. Being a "living mummy" certainly comes with its fair share of benefits. N'Kantu is basically immortal while possessing super strength and an affinity for mystical arts and magic.

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While N'Kantu was not a member of the original Legion of Monsters, he was instrumental in protecting the haven known as Monster Metropolis. On several occasions, including when the Hunter of Monster Special Forces invaded, and when the Red Hulk was being haunted, N'Kantu defended the monster haven and allowed Doctor Strange to enchant his body, making him even more useful in battle.

8 FrankenCastle Was A Reconstructed Version Of The Punisher

Punisher FrankenCastle

Like Morbius, the Punisher made his comic book debut in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man. He was a dedicated, ruthless assassin who quickly gained popularity among comic readers as one of Marvel's best anti-heroes. Following the events of the Dark Reign storyline, Frank Castle was dismembered by Wolverine's son.

Thankfully, Castle's body was reconstructed by Morbius in Monster Metropolis. Now dubbed "FrankenCastle," Punisher aided the Legion of Monsters in defending the Metropolis from the Hunter of Monster Special Forces, a group of dangerous scientists who lived up to their name.

7 Ghost Rider Helped Form The Original Legion Of Monsters

An image of Johnny Blaze turning into Ghost Rider

After selling his soul to Mephisto, Johnny Blaze joins with the demon known as Zarathos, becoming Ghost Rider, the Spirit of Vengeance. Wielding hellfire, as well as riding one of the coolest motorcycles in comics, Ghost Rider is one of the most powerful Marvel heroes. He was one of the founding members of the original Legion of Monsters in Marvel Premiere #28 by Bill Mantlo and Frank Robbins.

When several of Marvel's monsters converged, Ghost Rider was one of the few that tried to act rationally. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding with Man-Thing led to a confrontation with all monsters involved. While Ghost Rider helped create the original team, he didn't return when a new team formed in 2010.

6 Satana Hellstrom Is Half Human/Half Demon

Satana Hellstrom envisions demons and hellfire in Marvel Comics

Created by Roy Thomas and John Romita Sr., Satana Hellstrom made her comic debut in Vampire Tales #2 by Don McGregor and Rich Buckler in 1973. As a half-human/half-demon succubus, Satana possesses a wide range of mystical and psychic powers, and she can even manipulate hellfire, the hellish energy that fuels Ghost Rider.

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While mostly human in appearance, Satana is indeed a monster and has acquired membership in the Thunderbolts, Avengers of the Supernatural, and Legion of Monsters. She starred in the Legion of Monsters: Satana one-shot comic by Robin Furth and Kalman Andrasofszky in 2007 that featured Satana making the trek to Hell to retrieve a soul.

5 Manphibian Premiered In The Original Legion Of Monsters Comic

manphibian in the Legion of Monsters

While the official Legion of Monster team formed in Marvel Premiere #28 in 1976, a Legion of Monsters one-shot comic released one year prior. Legion of Monsters Vol. 1 #1 by Doug Moench and Val Mayerik featured classic monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein, as well as Manphibian, a newly created monster that closely resembled the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

The one-shot featured a series of short stories, but the monsters never actually teamed up. When a new team formed in 2010, Manphibian was added to the roster. Manphibian is certainly one of Marvel's strangest heroes, being an alien who uses super strength and claws to defend his fellow monsters.

4 Man-Thing Was One Of The Sensible Founding Members

Man-Thing lurks in a Florida swamp in Marvel Comics

The Man-Thing is a humanoid monster that usually resides in the Florida Everglades. Man-Thing was originally a scientist named Ted Sallis who tried to recreate the Super Soldier serum. A combination of the serum and mystical forces in a Florida swamp birthed the monster.

In Marvel Premiere #28, the formation of the original Legion of Monsters was not a smooth process at all. After a godlike being called Starseed returned to Earth, Morbius, Werewolf by Night, Ghost Rider, and Man-Thing disagreed on whether to treat it as friend or foe. Despite being the most terrifying creature in the Legion, Man-Thing was one of the few members who wanted to help Starseed.

3 Elsa Bloodstone Was Originally A Monster Hunter Who Joined The Team

Elsa Bloodstone aims a sawed-off shotgun at the reader while resting a rifle on her shoulder

Elsa Bloodstone made her comic book debut in Bloodstone #1 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Michael Lopez in 2001. Elsa is a prolific monster hunter, hunting some of Marvel's strongest monsters. Using her enhanced strength, speed, and immunity to vampire bites, Elsa has joined various Marvel teams including the Midnight Suns, the Fearless Defenders, and even the second incarnation of the Legion of Monsters.

After being captured by Morbius for killing a monster, Elsa soon joined the team after monsters around the world became corrupted. The alliance was shaky, but Elsa proved to be a powerful ally in the four-part Legion of Monsters Vol. 2 miniseries by Dennis Hallum and Juan Doe from 2011.

2 Werewolf By Night Formed Both Versions Of The Legion

legion of monsters werewolf by night header

Werewolf by Night is a popular supernatural character in Marvel Comics, appearing as a member of the Midnight Suns and Night Shift teams, and frequently appearing in Morbius comics. He also starred in his own solo series in the 1970s. Werewolf was one of the monsters that converged on Starseed in Marvel Premiere #28.

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Though he and Morbius battled each other in that issue, the pair would later establish the Monster Metropolis haven and form the second version of the Legion of Monsters. When the Hunter of Monster Special Forces invaded the haven, Werewolf was one of the key members in protecting the city.

1 Morbius Constructed FrankenCastle & Helped Protect Monster Metropolis

Morbius attacks Spider-Man

Debuting in Amazing Spider-Man #101 by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, Morbius, the Living Vampire was originally a villain who battled the Web-Head many times in the Silver Age. After experimenting with bat DNA to cure his rare disease, Dr. Michael Morbius transformed himself into a vampire, qualifying him for membership in the Legion of Monsters.

While Morbius lost control of his bloodlust during the original Legion's formation, he would play an instrumental role in the second team that formed in 2010. Morbius used his scientific expertise to keep the creatures of Monster Metropolis safe, and even reconstructed the Punisher into FrankenCastle, adding a powerful ally to the team's roster.

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