Marvel's Mightiest Monsters Returns With New Scares This Halloween

Spooky season is upon us, and that means celebrating some of the best monsters ever offered up by Marvel Comics, including some that have either been forgotten or never got their rightful amount of attention. Most fans of Marvel and the MCU know of Groot, a fan-favorite in any form, be it the cute little aggressive version or the brutal combatant in his fully-developed form — thanks to Vin Diesel and the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.

What of the others, though? Surely, Groot isn’t the only monster in Marvel lore?? Well, he isn’t, and not by a long shot. And thanks to Marvel Comics’ partnership with Dark Horse Comics, the world will get a much-needed reminder about some of the others in that spooky space.

This Fall will mark the return of Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters, a collector’s item with origins to the pen of the late, great Stan Lee himself, who initially brought the tales to life, as Chris Claremont and others work to continue what Lee started for 2026.

Story/Writer: Stan Lee, Chris Claremont
Artist/Penciller: Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko
Colorist: Stan Goldberg
Letterer: Artie Simek
Inker: Dick Ayers, Steve Ditko
Editor: John Lind, Chris Ryall
Length: 416 pages
Price: $75 U.S.

Marvel’s Monsters Are Back For More in 2026

Per the official release from Dark Horse Comics: “Kaiju fans assemble! This deluxe collection features a curated selection of pre-super hero monster stories from the 1950s and early 1960s. Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters showcases the larger-than-life creatures that helped establish the creative foundation for the Marvel Age of Comics, including iconic monsters like the fire-breathing Fin Fang Foom, the extraterrestrial giant, Goom (along with Googam, Son of Goom), the sentient tree-creature Groot, the colossal Monsteroso, and the telepathic titan, Xemnu.”

It continued: ” These classic tales explore alien invaders threatening Earth, mutated beasts born from atomic-age anxieties, and bizarre scientific experiments gone horribly wrong. This oversize hardcover presents the best stories from anthology titles Tales to Astonish, Journey into Mystery, Strange Tales, and Tales of Suspense, spotlighting the masterful work of comics legends Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko.”

As noted, most know of Groot, but reintroducing characters like Fin Fang Foom, Goom, Monsteroso and Xemnu not only becomes a bit of an education for the unknowing, but also opens the door for anyone (or more) of the others to somehow find their way into the MCU at some point in the future.

Forgotten Marvel Monsters Are Reappearing, Is the MCU Next?

Granted, Groot isn’t the only monster that’s appeared in the MCU, at least not directly. It’s key to note that Fin Fang Foom was hinted at in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021, though they didn’t assign the dragon that name, but rather “The Great Protector” instead.

Until Marvel truly decides to unleash the rest of them, the world will have to enjoy them in the panels and, soon, that means heavy dose in a 416-page hardcover collectible this Halloween.

“The collection also includes modern monster stories and cover art from acclaimed creators, including Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, John Byrne, Gil Kane, Eric Powell, Tradd Moore, and Arthur Adams—demonstrating how these creatures continue to captivate new generations of readers,” said Dark Horse Comics. “The stories are accompanied by a new essay from comics historians John Lind and Chris Ryall discussing the impact of these monster comics, original art pages, and iconic covers. It’s the ultimate tribute to Marvel’s monstrous heritage!”

The release of Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters is only a few weeks away, and there’s no better way to usher in the scares this October.