Bring On The Bad Guys Reading Order Checklist

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A lot of people read superhero comics for the hero. A character who inspires us to do good, offers some escapism through fantastic feats of strength, and can provide readers with a moral code. However, the other half of the equation that makes superhero comics enjoyable is the bad guys.

Marvel Comics has heaps of excellent bad guys. Bad dudes, with iconic designs, layered motivations, and abilities that test the heroes to their limits. So no wonder Marvel is highlighting some of their most prominent villains with Bring On The Bad Guys, a character showcase celebrating an influential 1976 trade paperback collection of the same name.

This guide dives into everything you need to know about Bring On The Bad Guys. It includes the recommended reading order for the 2025 one-shots, details on the 1976 trade paperback collection, creative teams, release dates, and more.

What is Bring On The Bad Guys?

Bring On The Bad Guys was a trade paperback collection that collated several Marvel villain-centric stories. These mostly feature first appearances or origin stories and focused on Doctor Doom, The Green Goblin, Abomination, Loki, Red Skull, Dormammu, and Mephisto – Marvel’s most prominent bad guys of the time.

Fast forward to 2025, and Marvel Comics is celebrating Bring On The Bad Guys’ (almost) 50th anniversary with a series of one-shots. Each one-shot focuses on a different iconic villain, telling a one-off story highlighting their villainy. At the same time, there will be a back-up story by Marc Guggenheim and Michael Sta Maria serialised through the one-shots that builds towards the finale in Bring On The Bad Guys: Mephisto #1.

Bring On The Bad Guys TPB cover by John Romita Sr.

Bring On The Bad Guys 1976 collection

As mentioned, Bring On The Bad Guys was a villain-centric trade paperback collection released in 1976. It was released during a time when trade paperbacks collecting older material was uncommon, and tracking down many of these stories would have been difficult. As a result, many older readers who fondly remember Bring On The Bad Guys, including Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort.

For those interested, these are the stories that are featured in the collection.

Fantastic Four #5
Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby.

Titled “Prisoners of Doctor Doom!” this tale features the first appearance of Doctor Doom.

Fantastic Four Annual #2
Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby.

As the title suggests, Origin of Doctor Doom! is a 12-page story that delves into Victor von Doom’s origin.

Strange Tales #126-127
Written by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Art by Steve Ditko.

Strange Tales #126-127 feature Dormammu’s first appearance over two ten-page parts – The Domain of the Dread Dormammu! and Duel with the Dread Dormammu!.

Journey Into Mystery #112
Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby.

When this story was published in 1965, Journey Into Mystery would feature a main story starring Thor and a back-up series known as “Tales of Asgard“. Tales of Asgard would explore different citizens of Asgard, with this one (The Coming of Loki!) covering the first chronological appearance of Loki.

Journey Into Mystery #113
Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby.

The Boyhood of Loki! is another Tales of Asgard back-up story. This one continues to explore Loki in his youth.

Journey Into Mystery #115
Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby.

This collection includes both stories from Journey Into Mystery #115. The Vengeance of the Thunder God! is a Thor adventure featuring Loki and A Viper in Our Midst is a Loki-centric Tales of Asgard back-up.

Tales of Suspense #66-68
Written by Stan Lee. Art by Jack Kirby.

This three-part Captain America tale dives into Red Skull’s origin.

Amazing Spider-Man #40
Written by Stan Lee. Art by John Romita Sr.

This Spider-Man story delves into how Norman Osborn became The Green Goblin.

Tales to Astonish #90-91
Written by Stan Lee. Art by Gil Kane.

This two-part Hulk story features the first appearance of Abomination.

Silver Surfer (1968 series) #3
Written by Stan Lee. Art by John Buscema.

Readers see Mephisto’s first appearance in a story titled “The Power and the Prize!”

Bring On The Bad Guys 2025 one-shots reading order

Below is the recommended reading order for the Bring On The Bad Guys one-shots, along with creative teams and release dates.

Bring On The Bad Guys: Doom #1
Written by Marc Guggenheim. Art by Stefano Raffaele.
On sale 5th June

Bring On The Bad Guys: Green Goblin #1
Written by Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, and Marc Guggenheim. Art by Matteo Della Fonte and Michael Sta. Maria.
On sale 2nd July

Bring On The Bad Guys: Abomination #1
Written by Phillip Kennedy Jonson and Marc Guggenheim. Art by Sergio Davila and Michael Sta. Maria.
On sale 16th July

Bring On The Bad Guys: Loki #1
Written by Anthony Oliveria and Marc Guggenheim. Art by Jethro Morales and Michael Sta. Maria.
On sale 30th July

Bring On The Bad Guys: Red Skull #1
Written by Stephanie Phillips and Marc Guggenheim. Art by Tommaso Bianchi and Michael Sta. Maria.
On sale 13th August

Bring On The Bad Guys: Dormammu #1
Written by Alex Paknadel and Marc Guggenheim. Art by Javier Pina and Michael Sta. Maria.
On sale 20th August

Bring On The Bad Guys: Mephisto #1
Written by Marc Guggenheim. Art by Alvaro Lopez.
On sale 27th August

Buy Bring On The Bad Guys on…

Why these bad guys?

You might be thinking to yourself, “Why these bad guys? Where’s Thanos? Where’s Doctor Octopus?” Those are fair questions to ask, as Marvel has a lot of excellent villains to choose from. The reason the seven above – Doctor Doom, The Green Goblin, Abomination, Loki, Red Skull, Dormammu, and Mephisto – come down to these baddies’ inclusion in the Bring on the Bad Guys 1976 trade paperback collection. By including the same villains, Marvel is evoking nostalgia for a small cohort of older readers while finding a way to celebrate the influential collection’s (almost) 50th anniversary.