Ancient myths and legends are often more influential than people realize, with many modern stories and characters being based on figures from mythology in various cultures. Comics are no exception, and many aspects of both DC and Marvel take inspiration from myths. Most notably, Marvel's Thor and Loki are based on the gods of the same name found in Norse mythology.
The gods might be the most recognizable mythical figures included in the comics, but there are multiple monsters from real-life myths that are included as well. Mythical monsters naturally make formidable foes, and some of them have unsurprisingly gone head-to-head against popular Marvel heroes.
10 Multiple Kraken Have Appeared On Occasion
The Kraken is most often depicted as a gigantic octopus-like creature and can be found in both Greek and Norse mythology. Not to be confused with Hydra's Commander Kraken, in the Marvel universe, more than one Kraken have appeared over the years and are most often connected to Atlantis.
With the Atlanteans involved, it is no surprise that the Kraken has previously fought Namor. In modern times, Kraken are rarely seen and are usually dormant deep in the ocean. However, they can still be summoned with the Horn of Proteus, an Atlantean relic that can control sea creatures.
9 Vampires Have Been A Major Part Of Marvel Comics
Vampires may technically be more legend than ancient myth, but they do have a strong connection to the Strigoi found in Romanian mythology. Most comic fans may think of Blade the vampire hunter or Morbius the Living Vampire. However, vampires have a deep history in the Marvel universe and a connection to heroes outside the ones that typically deal with vampires.
In Marvel comics, Vlad Dracula is not the subject of a novel or monster movie, but the supervillain leader of a vampiric cult instead. There are other prominent vampires as well, such as Baron Blood, and the X-Men member Jubilee was even a vampire for a while before being cured.
8 There Are A Few Types Of Dragons
Dragons are most often thought of in European legend and modern fantasy. However, dragons are major figures in Chinese mythology as well. The most famous dragon from Marvel comics would be the Iron Man villain Fin Fang Foom who takes the form of a Chinese dragon, though he is technically an alien who takes the shape of a dragon.
In 1954's Captain America #78, Captain America and Bucky met an unnamed Chinese dragon while they were looking for stolen United Nations documents. In a story that likely would not be printed today, the dragon awoke and attacked the Chinese soldiers rather than Cap and Bucky, deciding that the Chinese government was the true threat to China.
7 Yeti Are A Species But Also An Inhuman
Yeti are well-known mythical creatures that are said to inhabit the Himalayan mountain region. Sometimes referred to as abominable snowmen, Yeti in Marvel comics are largely the same, though they are shown to be slightly intelligent.
Shang-Chi was saved from falling off a mountain by a Yeti while Man-Thing was rescued from an avalanche by Yeti. Yeti is also the name of an Inhuman who shares many of the same traits as the Yeti species, even living in a temple in the Himalayas like his namesake.
6 Some Mutants Are Mistaken For Werewolves
Traditional werewolves exist in the Marvel comics universe, though beings cursed with true lycanthropy are relatively rare, with the most pertinent example being Jack Russel, aka the Werewolf by Night. More often, werewolves encountered are artificially created werewolves or are mutants mistaken for werewolves.
Sabertooth and Wolfsbane are two mutants that exhibit werewolf-like characteristics, and J. Jonah Jameson's son was transformed into a Man-Wolf by an extraterrestrial virus. Captain America himself was even transformed into an artificial werewolf temporarily because of a serum created by the villain Nightshade.
5 The Minotaur Is A Powerful Business Executive
The Minotaur is one of the most recognizable creatures from Greek mythology, and it exists just as described in the Marvel universe. Wolverine and Hercules fought the classic Minotaur in the series Wolverine/Hercules: Myths, Monsters & Mutants that, unsurprisingly, featured several other mythical creatures as well.
A variation of the Minotaur has a bigger presence in the comics in the form of Dario Agger. Dario was magically transformed into the mythical beast and has since become CEO of Roxxon Energy. Being CEO of an evil and influential company means Dario has gone up against powerful Marvel heroes like Hulk and Thor.
4 There Is Another Cyclops Besides Scott Summers
The Cyclops is a creature from Greek mythology best known for being encountered by Odysseus in The Odyssey. Odysseus and his crew managed to escape the Cyclops by blinding him. The Cyclops in Marvel comics shares the same history and is known by the same name, Polyphemus. In the present day, Polyphemus was summoned by Zeus' personal huntsman to do his bidding. While Polyphemus was under the control of The Huntsman, he did battle with both Hercules and Namor, ultimately being defeated by them.
3 Writers Mixed-Up Scylla And Charybdis
In Greek mythology, Scylla and Charybdis are two of the monsters that Odysseus faced while passing through the Strait of Messina. Scylla is described as a nymph who was turned into a large reptilian sea creature with multiple heads. Likewise, Charybdis is a giant creature that dwells near the rocks on the opposite side of the strait and creates whirlpools.
Both appear in 1970s Sub-Mariner #29, summoned by The Huntsman in the same issue as the Cyclops. However, the writers not only took some artistic liberties with Charybdis but also mixed it up with Scylla. Here, Scylla is depicted as a golem made of stone, while Charybdis is a typical sea monster.
2 Cerberus Has Been Guarding The Underworld For A Long Time
Cerberus is the three-headed guard dog of the underworld that prevents mortals from entering and souls from escaping. Cerberus in Marvel comics fulfills largely the same role as he does in Greek mythology, with the added ability to transform into a humanoid form. Marvel heroes have needed to enter the underworld numerous times, and many have encountered Cerberus while doing so. Being the first line of defense, Cerberus often loses to those he fights and has been defeated by heroes like Thor, Hercules, Namor, and Wolverine.
1 Hydra Refers To More Than Just The Organization
The Hydra is a reptilian creature from Greek mythology that could regrow two heads for every one that was cut off, a trait that the Hydra organization adopted as its motto. The Hydra in the Marvel universe is essentially lifted straight from the myth, ultimately being defeated by Hercules in a fight witnessed by the Eternals Ikaris and Phastos. In modern times, the Hydra was recovered by Amadeus Cho and then in turn released by Sabertooth. Wolverine would ultimately defeat the Hydra by cutting off so many of its heads that it could no longer move.