In the comics, superheroes almost always have peculiarities that are supernatural. Their gifts are often phenomena explainable by science. For their part, most supervillains derive their powers from occult sources. In this context, what is the place of the supernatural in our comic-books?
A mystery named Strange
Wizards and men
Although occult powers are often the preserve of villains, there are exceptions. The first superhero of its kind, Doctor Fate, appeared in 1940. After discovering a mystical helmet, Kent Nelson obtains the powers of the Egyptian sorcerer Nabu. 
This supernatural character, from the DC Universe, was supported by various horror stories, such as those published in the Uncanny tales and Strange tales series of Atlas comics (ancestor of Marvel). These stories gave pride of place to monsters and other strange phenomena. Despite their success, the craze for these stories was halted in the mid-1950s. 
Indeed, comics have always attracted criticism, but the development of murder and horror stories in the late 1940s increased the number of protests. Boycotts multiplied, sales collapsed and we even saw comics destroyed by fire! 
To avoid bankruptcy, the publishers decided to set up an autonomous organization, the Comics Code Autority. Taking the form of a censorship body, publishers were forced to obey it until 2011! Also, in the 1950s, werewolves, vampires, the undead and wizards were gradually banned from comics aimed at the youngest. 
A smashing return, here is Doctor Strange!
With the comics code autority, it was not until the 60s to see some publishers take the risk of reconnecting with heroes adept at magic. Among these heroes is a certain Steven Strange, a doctor now well known to Marvel fans. 
Surgeon Stephen Strange had a brilliant career, but following a car accident, he had to give up his job. Eager to find a solution to heal his bruised hands, he plunged into the occult and became the supreme wizard named Doctor Strange! 
Coming from various inspirations, such as the writings of Marco Polo, the stories of the round table or the radio broadcasts, Strange quickly manages to characterize itself. Moreover, while most of the heroes of the time derive their power from science, he possesses occult knowledge that he has learned to master at the cost of long hours of study. The universe of Doctor Strange is huge, as complex and detailed as Tolkien's world or J's.K Rowling. A universe that, in the coming years, should know its apogee in the cinema with films like Doctor Strange in the multiverse of madness or Spider-man no way home ! 
At the time of the appearance of Doctor Strange, the magical universe in the comics diversifies. Also, we see characters such as the Ghost Rider, the vampire hunter, Blade, or the witch Raven from the Teen Titans! 
Vampire, werewolf and other joy…
If wizards and other magicians are experiencing a growing success at the dawn of the 60s it is largely due to the bestiary and the mysterious atmosphere that accompanies them.
King of the Monsters
Present since the origins of art, the figure of the monster feeds the inspiration of many artists who see it as a way to question human nature and illustrate the duality between Good and Evil. In the world of comics, monsters appeared very early, to symbolize vice and make even more obvious the perfection and virtue of superheroes. 
The most famous monster is none other than the vampire. Every culture has had its bloodsucker. Indeed, the Slavs have the "oupires ", the Romanians have the "strigoi" and the Orientals have the "ghouls". However, the immortal creature, characterized by an irresistible thirst for blood – which is now the object of a veritable cult – is in fact an assemblage of myths and literary narratives. 
While medieval depictions may have inspired some of the comic book authors, it was above all Bram Stokers' 1897 bestseller, Dracula, that was a major reference for many creators of fantasy works. Marvel Comics was the first publisher to exploit the image of the Transylvanian vampire. 
Created in 1972, the supervillain appears for the first time in Tomb of Dracula No. 1, as a pale-skinned man wearing a cape, in accordance with the Count's former depictions. The reader also finds other heroes of the novel such as Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray. 
The Count is not the only vampire in the Marvel Universe. He must, among other things, share this title with Morbius, who differs from his counterpart by his principles and his sometimes heroic conduct. You will soon have the opportunity to discover it at the cinema ! 
The Man Who Cried Wolf
The werewolf also finds its place in the world of American superheroes. He appeared at Marvel in 1953 in issue 3 of Menace. However, it was a unique narrative that was more like the Pulps Magazines of the time. 
It was not until 1972 that Stan Lee and Roy Thomas created the character of Werewolf. Appearing in the pages of Marvels spotlight n°2, it is inspired by popular myths and legends. 
Indeed, the myth of the werewolf also dates back to the Middle Ages, but stories relating to lycanthropic monsters have existed since Greco-Roman antiquity. It sometimes adopts the form of a large wolf, sometimes the appearance of a hybrid being. 
The monster: half-hero and half-villain
The monster, in the comics, appears in a different way. If he is generally the symbol of evil and vice, he can sometimes embody justice as for the heroes Deadman and the Man-thing. 
One is a ghost who, looking for his killer, decided to help the living. While the other is a swamp monster representing nature fighting for its own survival. Thanks to comic books, these creatures can be seen in a more positive way and inspire a form of hope, as well as some form of redemption. 
In truth, the notion of monster in comics can be thought-provoking. A monster is an individual whose morphology is abnormal; a person who provokes repulsion by his ugliness; A being that surprises by some singularity. Can't some of these criteria be applied to the superhero model itself? Isn't a being who steals or can move objects by his simple will a monster in the eyes of men? This is the question posed by the book Marvels, published in 1994 by Marvel comics and recently republished by Panini. Closer to the graphic novel than the classic comic book , by its realistic features evoking photography, it approaches the traditional universe of comics from the point of view of the man who lives in contact with superheroes. 
The world of superheroes is full of men and women that many would call monsters. If it is true that some supervillains have everything of the classic monster, this does not prevent our heroes from borrowing some of their characteristic to do good, like Doctor Strange. But between monster and superhero, is there really a difference? We leave it up to you to choose the answer!
