WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings, now in theaters.
Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings has introduced an all new hero to the MCU as well as a whole new kind of horror in the form of the Dweller-in-Darkness. While the Dweller of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has certainly left an impression, its comic book origins are far more terrifying.
The Dweller-in-Darkness is in fact only one of the Marvel Universe’s pantheon of dark gods known as the Fear Lords, and all of them have already proven to be even more powerful than the devil of the underworld, Mephisto.
Dweller In Darkness
First introduced in 1974’s Thor #229 (by Gerry Conway and Rich Buckler) as “He Who Dwells Below,” the Dweller-In-Darkness of the comics is more of an Eldritch horror than his MCU interpretation. Like the rest of the Fear Lords, the Dweller’s origins are largely a mystery, although he has previously described himself as a cousin of sorts to Nightmare.
After feeding on the fears of humanity for thousands of years, the Dweller-In-Darkness and his Shade-Thralls came into conflict with Doctor Strange after facing off against the God of Thunder. Fortunately, when the Dweller brought the other Fear Lords together to destroy humankind entirely, he was turned on by one of his own and his plans fell apart.
D’Spayre
The Fear Lord D’Spayre was responsible for striking down the Dweller-In-Darkness, an act that was not out of character for this vicious villain. Created by the Dweller, D’Spayre first appeared in 1978’s Marvel Team-Up #68 by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, wherein the Fear Lord defeated Man-Thing yet proved unable to strike lasting fear into the heart of Spider-Man.
The years since then have seen D’Spayre battle his fellow Fear Lords as well as the Unstoppable Juggernaut, and the villain once stood alongside Magik against the mystic, self-aware computer known as Archenemy.
Kkallakku
Kkallakku is one of the strangest Fear Lords, which in their case is saying quite a bit. When Kkallakku made his first appearance in the pages of 1988’s Marvel Comics Presents #1 in “Fear Itself” by Al Milgrom, he used his parasitic spawn to send the Silver Surfer into a deeply depressing hallucination in order to feed upon the cosmic hero’s fear.
During the Dweller-In-Darkness’s attempt at inducing a “Great Fear,” Kkallakku’s Fear Eater offspring are unwittingly drawn into an unknown dimension by Doctor Strange, forcing the demon’s retreat.
Lurking Unknown
Before the hulking Lurking Unknown was ultimately imprisoned during the Fear Lords’ failed attempt to take over the Earth, this monstrosity was called upon shockingly by Odin himself.
1967’s Thor #136 saw Odin summon the Lurking Unknown to test the mettle of Jane Foster who he had temporarily imbued with Asgardian powers. When Thor asked his father for permission to marry his mortal love, the Lurking Unknown became the barometer for whether or not she was worthy of Asgard, and neither Jane nor Thor could stand against him alone.
Nox
Introduced in 1991’s Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #31 in “The Book of the Vishanti: A Gathering of Fear Part One” (by Roy Thomas, Jean-Marc Lofficier, and Larry Alexander), the dreaded Nox has long been believed to actually be the Olympian goddess of night known as Nyx.
From meddling in the affairs of the Olympians thousands of years ago to influencing the actions of supervillains such as Psycho-Man, Nox has always been as dangerous from the shadows as she is up close.
Nightmare
Nightmare is arguably the most recognizable Fear Lord of them all, and for good reason. His introduction in Doctor Strange Master of Black Magic!” (by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko) in 1963’s Strange Tales #110 saw Nightmare nearly trap Doctor Strange in his astral form.
Since then Nightmare has found a seat at the Dweller’s table alongside the other Fear Lords, although that is perhaps one of his least memorable plots. Nightmare has played active roles in Secret Invasion, Civil War, and appeared recently in Savage Avengers #22 (by Gerry Duggan and Patrick Zircher) to nudge Conan along in the right direction in his fight against the evil sorcerer Kulan Gath.
Straw Man
One of the most frightening Fear Lords, the Straw Man is also the most benevolent of the bunch. His first appearance as “The Scarecrow” in 1975’s Dead of Night #11 (by Scott Edelman and Rico Rival) was a bloody affair during which the Straw Man came to life from within a painting to murder thieves and cultists.
In spite of his gruesome tactics, the Straw Man has traditionally been a protector of humanity, even going so far as to singlehandedly defeat the demon Kalumai before warning Doctor Strange of his fellow Fear Lords’ conspiracy. This betrayal cost the Straw Man his life, but with his original painting safely in Doctor Strange’s possession, this good-natured Fear Lord doesn’t need to fear any of his deaths being permanent.
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