With over 7,000 re-occurring characters in Marvel Comics, it should come as no surprise that Jack Kirby and Stan Lee have concocted more than a few frightening creations over the years. The Avengers and other teams of heroes often find themselves fending off nightmarish situations for the greater good.
Fortunately for fans, some of these locations have even begun to be fully realized on the big screen. Whether it be insane supervillains, demonic entities, or creatures of the night, there is always enough to go around to keep the heroes busy and the reader’s nightlight on.
Marcosa House (Werewolf By Night)
Appearing across a four-issue span of Werewolf By Night, the Marcosa House served as perhaps the most classical interpretation of a haunted house in Marvel Comics’ history. Inside resides the spirit of Belaric Marcosa, whose astral form persists after death as he protects the house in wraith form.
Belaric is capable of levitating and manipulating objects through telekineses, reanimating the dead, and psychically control and deceive the perceptions of those within the house. These are all traits commonly associated with spirits and haunted houses, which made the invulnerable Marcosa all the more terrifying.
Knowhere (Guardians Of The Galaxy)
At the very beginning of time itself, the universe was a peaceful place. That was before Knull was disturbed from his darkness, which he responded to by decapitating one of the Celestials. This head would serve as a temporary throne for Knull before going on to wreak havoc throughout the universe.
Later on, a city was established inside the ancient and decaying head and used as a base of operations to conduct research on the Celestials. This morbid tribute to scientific advancement would become the stage for many battles, most notably between Thanos, Hela, and the most powerful members of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Castle Dracula (Tomb Of Dracula)
While he’s housed himself in many different locations over the years, none of Dracula’s residences are quite as famous as Dracula’s Castle itself. The castle has experienced over 500 years of frightening history, even including an invasion by Nazis during World War II.
The vampire lord presiding over the castle is fearsome in his own right. In addition to the typical superhuman strength and speed most villains have, Dracula also has the ability to hypnotize, shapeshift, and mind control. As one of Marvel Comics' most powerful vampires, Dracula is a fearsome figure who would make anyone regret stepping foot in his castle.
Hotel Inferno (Doctor Strange: Damnation)
Centered in Las Vegas, Hotel Inferno is Hell on Earth — in a very literal sense. Created by Mephisto, Hotel Inferno emerged from the depths and imposed itself on the recently resurrected citizens. The building’s presence forced those nearby to act impulsively and commit sinful actions.
The building holds so much power it even influences the Avengers to turn on one another, resulting in the group becoming servants of the devil himself in the guise of Ghost Rider. Even after Mephisto’s eventual defeat at the hands of Doctor Strange and Johnny Blaze, it served as a prison for Mephisto and a grim reminder of what people can do to each other.
Citrusville (Man-Thing)
Located in Florida, near the famous Everglades National Park, is a small town known as Citrusville. A nearby swamp is home to the once-promising scientist Ted Sallis, who lost his humanity after self-injecting his homemade dose of the Super Soldier Serum.
This transformed Sallis into the terrifying creature known as Man-Thing. Having full control of the plant life of the swamp and capable of emitting a burning sensation to those that fear him, Man-Thing’s swamp is one of the scariest places in the Marvel Universe. That being said, he usually fights on the side of good and has assisted the Avengers in many adventures.
Monster Metropolis (Franken-Castle)
Serving as a safe haven from humanity, Monster Metropolis houses more than a few terrifying tenants. Inside can be found heroes and villains alike, such as Morbius, Man-Thing, Werewolf, the Living Mummy, and Manphibian.
After the Punisher was slain by Daken, these monsters brought him back to their ghoulish den in an effort to find help to fight Hellsgaard. They would reanimate Frank Castle as a being resembling Frankenstein’s Monster, thus temporarily adding to their ranks of underground monsters.
Earth-807128 (Old Man Logan)
Although this story takes place in one of Marvel's wildest alternate realities, Old Man Logan’s grim depiction of Earth-807128 quickly became a fan-favorite story arc for Wolverine. Set in a future where the villains prevailed and the remaining heroes are in hiding, while the world has reached near-apocalyptic levels of degeneration.
Wolverine hasn’t unsheathed his claws in 50 years but is brought back into action when his family is killed by the Hulk Gang. The story that unfolds ends up being one of Wolverine’s bloodiest and displays how a world ran by villains would look darker than one might imagine.
Ravencroft Institute (Absolute Carnage)
The Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane has imprisoned some scary things over its 700-year history. Originally claimed as the territory of the cannibalistic cult of Knull, its dark origins help explain why the building is so frightening.
Advertised as a rehabilitation center for the insane, Ravencroft is anything but. Led by the likes of Dracula, Mister Sinister, and Sabretooth, it has been used to imprison, torture, and run experiments on patients. Most notably, the institute is the birthplace of Cletus Kasady, whom the symbiote Carnage would bond with before murdering all of the staff.
The Dream Dimension (Doctor Strange)
Located in a separate dimension from the physical world, the Dream Dimension was a place where unconscious thought manifested itself. Inside resided one of Doctor Strange’s most powerful villains — Nightmare.
Nightmare is the ruler of the Nightmare World and possesses the ability to manipulate reality itself for those he catches sleeping. As the master of his realm, Nightmare can manipulate his foes while they slumber and haunt them during their waking hours, making him one of the most powerful entities in the Marvel Universe.
Earth-2149 (Marvel Zombies)
Originally intended to be a one-off collaboration with The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Marvel Zombies became one of the scariest and popular Marvel alternate realities. Introduced with no real explanation as to their origin, the vast majority of superheroes and supervillains have been zombified in Earth-2149.
The planet itself is scary as it is completely overrun by heroes and villains who are united only by their hunger for human flesh. Their hunger proves insatiable, as they consume everything in sight until nearly no one remains. Visitors to this planet are usually horrified to find their friends and lovers, and sometimes even alternate versions of themselves, are zombies who have destroyed the planet they once they swore to protect.