Before launching a universe of superheroes, Marvel Comics, and its predecessor Atlas, was best known for monsters with outrageous names. Often illustrated by Jack Kirby or Steve Ditko, the monsters are still captivating today, even with their dated stories and origins.
Several of these monsters were brought into the Marvel Universe properly, sometimes seriously, and sometimes acknowledging the silly names and concepts. Several have even had their names changed from very familiar-sounding origins.
10 Thorr
It's the name that has Thorr start this list, but the concept is amazing. Inspired by the statues on Easter Island, the story of Thorr is of alien conquerors trapped for millennia. Thorr was easily fooled after being woken and when his superiors arrived, the archaeologist that accidentally woke Thorr triggered the island's volcano, sinking Thorr in the ocean.
This wasn't the first time that the mystery of the Easter Island statues inspired a story illustrated by Jack Kirby. Ten years before Thorr's tale in Tales To Astonish #16, Jack Kirby illustrated a story in House of Mystery #85 that featured a very similar cover. That story made the giants sentries for an alien civilization rather than the aliens themselves. It's unclear if it had any influence on Thorr.
9 The Abominable Snowman
A legend like the Abominable Snowman or the Yeti makes for prime fodder for these types of stories. The tale in Tales To Astonish #13 features a curse that turns an explorer into the legendary creature. Carl Hansen sought the mythical creature to make himself wealthy. Ignoring warnings, he found himself slowly transformed into the creature.
Carl's Snowman reappeared later on Monster Island. There he protected a young mutant girl named Bo who had been abandoned by her father. He was somewhat protective of her, especially when it came to the more ferocious monsters living on the island.
8 It! The Living Colossus
This monster might be better known for the four-issue run in Astonishing Tales. It! The Living Colossus first appeared in Tales of Suspense #14 and #20. He was eventually defeated by a Hollywood special-effects designer named Bob O'Bryan.
Later, O'Bryan, now piloting a wheelchair, transferred his mind to the statue so he could rescue it from being stolen. He went on to battle several monsters before being destroyed for a brief time, but O'Bryan eventually rebuilt It! and transferred his mind into It! on many occasions. Deadpool even helped O'Bryan's niece to rescue It! from the ocean and restored O'Bryan's mind.
7 Elektro
In comics, creating a super-intelligent computer never works out well. Elektro became sentient and brainwashed his creator into building him a giant robot body. Elektro's rampage ended when a transistor was removed in his foot. The robot has no connection to the Spider-Man villain with a similar name.
Elektro's story has continued with the Fantastic Four. Reed Richards reprogrammed Elektro in a smaller body to serve as the Baxter Building's mailman. He even started dating the Fantastic Four's robotic receptionist.
6 Spragg, the Living Hill
Spragg was one of a race of aliens who melded with the rock of Earth's crust. He once used mental powers to enslave a Transylvanian village. He was thwarted by a geologist who sent Spragg into space. As John Byrne pointed out, it's only in comics that a geologist can transform unrelated equipment into something like a rocket.
In the modern era, Spragg became a foe of She-Hulk, who sent him back into space with the rest of his race. He returned to Earth as a Kree prisoner to fight both the New Warriors and Lady Sif.
5 Goom
Goom was a would-be conqueror from a mysterious and previously undiscovered Planet X. Goom used his advanced technology to threaten the world's leaders. He intended to conquer the planet through the power of his technology and some initial deception about his motives.
He was defeated when his race, all pacifists, took him captive back to Planet X. His tale is a warning of what scientific expiration could expose us to. Of course, the next time a scientist exposes Earth to extraterrestrial conquest, it might have a classic Marvel name.
4 Glop (aka the Hulk)
In Tales To Astonish #21, a story illustrated by Steve Ditko featured a bizarre monster tale. A new monster movie called "the Hulk" plays and ends. When it does, the film comes back on and the monster steps out of the screen to threaten yet another audience. That scene is revealed to be yet another movie, and ultimately, how can anyone be sure what is real?
Later in reprints, specifically in Where Monsters Dwell #8, this creature was renamed Glop. This was to avoid confusion with a more popular character now being called "Hulk." It remains one of the more unique tales from Marvel's monster-populated past.
3 Xemnu
This was another monster that was referred to as the Hulk, although Xemnu was also his real name. An escaped alien prisoner, he was found crashed in a swamp by electrician Joe Harper. When he realized his hypnotic powers would work on humans, he set out to enslave a group of people to build him a rocket. Joe Harper sabotaged the craft and it sent Xemnu in orbit around the sun.
He returned to Earth and tried a similar plot. Xemnu went on to be a threat to the Marvel heroes. He tried to use a children's television show to repopulate his race, which was thwarted by the Defenders. He went on to have his plans foiled by the Hulk, the Thing, Wonder Man, and She-Hulk.
2 Groot
This is not the same Groot that went on to be part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. It is a member of his race, though, set on conquering the Earth. Of course, that bit of revision is still debated. This Groot speaks English, something that has been forgotten in more recent depictions of the Arboreal Collosus. Groot in Tales to Astonish #13 is an invader out to capture humans for study back on his home planet.
While it was retconned that the Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy was a separate member of the species, that flies in the face of Groot referencing the pre-Silver Age story. In 2018's Infinity Wars #1 it is again mentioned that the two Groots are the same.
1 Fin Fang Foom
This one might be a little controversial, but if we are considering Marvel's Silver Age began with Fantastic Four #1, then we must include Strange Tales #89, which is cover dated a month before that. That means Fin Fang Foom is a pre-Silver Age Marvel monster.
He's become almost synonymous with Marvel monsters. He went on to be a threat met by Iron Man, It, the Living Colossus, Squirrel Girl, and Nextwave. His alien race's ship was found by the Mandarin, who used the ten rings from it to become a supervillain. After being controlled for destruction, Fin Fang Foom sought to become a Buddhist and reform his life.