10 best Marvel horror comics explored

Marvel's Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness is all the buzz after its theatrical release. Directed by Sam Raimi, it has all the elements of a horror movie while retaining the feel of an MCU flick.

It's a solid comic book film movie and deserves all the praise it's receiving. Benedict Cumberbatch truly shines as the master of the mystic arts in his second solo outing.

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With Raimi being well known for his horror roots (Evil Dead, Army of Darkness), it's time to look at Marvel's different horror/supernatural titles. Comic books used to routinely feature supernatural characters, from mummies to the Wolf-Man, and the supernatural community has a strong presence within the modern-day Marvel Universe.

While it's easy to think of superheroes having their origins rooted in more of a science fiction genre, there are plenty that follow the Sorcerer Supreme down a supernatural path.

Horror comics from Marvel

1) Rise of the Midnight Sons

Ghost Rider has had outings in movies as well (Image via Marvel Comics)

While most superheroes are fending off invading armies from space, the Midnight Sons fought off an army of demons. This army, led by Lilith, mother of all demons, tried invading from a hell dimension to cleanse and prepare the Earth for Lilith's rule.

However, two Ghost Riders (Danny Ketch and Johnny Blaze) received a vision of a coming invasion and quickly assembled a team capable of stopping it.

This team consisted of heroes and anti-heroes that were no strangers to fighting those things that go bump in the night. The likes of Blade and his Nightstalkers, Morbius, the Living Vampire, and Doctor Strange answered the call.

2) Curse of the Mutants

Blade has also been seen on the big screen (Image via Marvel Comics)

Leave it to a child to let things get out of hand. When Xarus, the son of Dracula, decides to take over as lord of vampires, he kills his father and sets his sights on the mutant population in San Francisco.

Blade, the vampire hunter, gets involved and offers his services since he has experience with the bloodsuckers.

This story arc is good because it highlights the mutant leader, Cyclops, and his leadership capabilities. When the mutant island Utopia is assaulted, it is Cyclops who puts those unable to be bitten and transformed into vampires on the frontline.

He also has Nightcrawler, an ordained priest, bless Iceman. This makes every ice attack by Iceman an attack with holy water. Clever indeed.

3) Damnation

Doctor Strange and other Marvel heroes (Image via Marvel Comics)

Further proving a point from the Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange does what he thinks is best, but it only upsets the balance of things. After the city of Las Vegas was lost during the events of Secret Empire, Doctor decides to resurrect it and its inhabitants.

Unfortunately, the devil Mephisto had already claimed their souls. So, what comes back is more than what Strange bargained for.

To help Strange, Wong assembled a new incarnation of the Midnight Sons, consisting of Blade, Moon Knight, Doctor Voodoo, Iron Fist, Else Bloodstone, Man-Thing, Scarlet Spider, and Ghost Rider. The stakes rise when Doctor Strange turns into a Ghost Rider-like creature and the Midnight Sons have to battle Mephisto himself.

4) Legion of Monsters

Franken-Castle and others (Image via Marvel Comics)

The Legion of Monsters consists of Morbius, the Living Vampire, FrankenCastle, Man-Thing, Werewolf By Night, Manphibian, and N'Kantu, the Living Mummy. The story explores different monsters and how they're unfairly hunted.

The Legion of Monsters protects innocent monsters that are hunted and tries to give them a place in the world.

5) Druid

Doctor Druid's fall from grace is spectacular (Image via Marvel Comics)

Warren Ellis took a chance on turning around an otherwise forgettable character. Doctor Druid deals with his struggles and failures as an Avenger, which leads to him making less than stellar choices. Readers get to watch the process of him becoming a memorable villain.

It's a fall from grace story that breathes some new life into this character. A plot that genuinely should not be missed if you're a fan of the supernatural as it shows Doctor Druid's attempt to attain the title of the world's greatest sorcerer.

6) Werewolf By Night

Jack Russell is Werewolf by Night (Image via Marvel Comics)

In a universe where vampires are a genuine threat, you have to have werewolves, too. They kind of go hand-in-hand, especially when the king of vampires plays a role in creating the main werewolf protagonist, Jack Russell. Also known as Werewolf By Night.

Jack Russell is cursed with becoming a werewolf for three nights every month. It's a curse inflicted upon his family since 1795 when a werewolf employed by Dracula attacked his ancestor.

Jack Russell has decided to put his curse to some use and joined the Legion of Monsters team to protect other monsters in the world.

7) Spirits of Vengeance

Ghost Rider is most associated with these comics (Image via Marvel Comics)

Spirit of Vengeance is a title commonly associated with Ghost Rider. While he is a big part of this comic, he is not the only spirit of vengeance.

After an undercover angel is assassinated during a meeting between representatives from Heaven and Hell, Ghost Rider is enlisted to investigate and bring the assassin to justice.

For this mission, Johnny Blaze enlists the help of Blade, Satana, and Daimon Hellstrom. Together, they are the Spirits of Vengeance, and their mission is crucial as the forces of the apocalypse are ready to be unleashed upon the Earth at any moment.

It's a good story with a mystery that Ghost Rider fans shouldn't miss.

8) Tomb of Dracula

Dracula is a major part of the Marvel supernatural universe (Image via Marvel Comics)

Dracula plays a prominent role in the Marvel Universe as he is connected to multiple characters from the X-Men to Werewolf By Night. He's been a major force in comics since 1971 and was a top-notch comic after Marv Wolfman picked up the writing responsibilities for over seventy issues.

Tomb of Dracula would have the titular character crossover with many other characters within the comic universe and introduce future mainstays such as Blade. It would deepen the literary character's history by giving him children, one of which would successfully kill him to take over as Lord of Vampires.

9) Nightmare on Elm Street

Freddy Krueger has been a menace for decades (Image via Marvel Comics)

Being a comic book publisher with children as their audience, any horror titles would be expected to be kid-friendly. And while most of them are, there are one or two that flirt with more mature material.

One of which is the unexpected title, Nightmare on Elm Street, which any horror fan can tell you is not kid-friendly. While the title was solicited through issue five, the publisher only printed two issues.

The story was strongly inspired by the films and used a couple of its characters. However, continuity errors gave the comic a separate identity from the movies. In fact, the comic blatantly contradicts the film on several occasions.

10) Marvel Zombies

Marvel heroes as zombies (Image via Marvel Comics)

Easily the creme de la creme when it comes to horror in comics, Marvel Zombies shows a dark universe where a zombie outbreak has won, and all of Earth's heroes have succumbed to a virus. These flesh-eating monsters are so powerful that they manage to topple Galactus.

These zombies are so ravenous that when they run out of food sources, they devise ways to travel to other universes, like the Ultimate Universe, in an attempt to devour more flesh. The series has seen multiple sequels due to its success.