The world of comic books opened the door to many amazing and memorable adventures. Fans have long been entertained by tales of superheroes, epic quests, and terrifyingly haunting stories. Then there are tales involving dinosaurs, which can increase the ante, increase the action, and add a lot of fun to the mix. Society as a whole has been fascinated with dinosaurs for ages, creating franchises like Jurassic Park, The Land Before Time, and more. Likewise, even major comic book franchises have an established set of dinosaur characters. Both DC Comics and Marvel have a variety of dinosaurs for fans to fawn over, and today we’re here to talk about the greatest dinosaurs in Marvel.
Let’s be real – Marvel Comics has a tendency to create dozens of new characters each year. Every now and then, we’ll get lucky and one of those characters will be a dinosaur. Some quickly became fan favorites, while others exist in the background. In both instances, we’re lucky to have these characters. These dinosaurs are the best of the best, and we just can’t get enough of them.
1) Spider-Rex (Pter Ptarker)
Before he became Spider-Rex, Pter Ptarker was a Pteranodon, and a pretty weak one at that. Much like the Peter Parker of Earth-616, Pter found himself in an unlikely series of events. While on the run from an enemy, Pter was hit by a meteorite. That could have been the end of his story, but instead of killing him, something inside the meteorite saved Pter; the alien spiders. Unfortunately, the enemy chasing Pter was also struck, resulting in the two swapping bodies. Yes, it’s confusing, but Pter has done a great job making the best of things.
Much like the many spider-sonas of Marvel Comics, Pter Ptarker quickly learned that power goes hand in hand with responsibility. Naturally, he learned that lesson the hard way, but it set him on a path he would never waver from. Pter Ptarker has become a hero through and through, battling many enemies (Kraventooth the Hunter, Shathra, Venomsaurus Rex) and allying with many known heroes (he can be seen in the background of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse!).
2) Starbrand (The Dinosaur Version)
Anyone who has been reading Marvel Comics for long enough has probably heard of the Star Brand, at least in passing. Most recently, the Star Brand fell into the hands of an infant, Brandy, who aged rapidly due to the powers. However, she’s far from the only character in Earth-616 to carry the brand. Yes, you guessed it! A dinosaur (a Tyrannosaurus Rex, if you want to get specific) was the first entity to carry the Star Brand on Earth. It’s a big honor, and logically it’s not even that surprising.
Much like Pter Ptarker’s origin story, this Tyrannosaurus Rex (who didn’t have a name before this moment) became exposed to the Star Brand thanks to an asteroid. Now dubbed Starbrand, this T-Rex became one of Earth’s earliest heroes, and yes, that does mean he fought villains, including the Kree Empire (who had been messing with Earth for quite some time). While the Star Brand was not able to extend this T-Rex’s life, it did preserve his body until the next bearer came by.
3) Droog
Not all beloved dinosaurs have to have a superhero origin story, and that’s okay! Droog was created and raised by Kondrati Topolov (Gremlin, Titan), putting Droog solidly in the hench or underling category, at first. Droog’s story doesn’t have a happy beginning, as he was quickly abandoned by Gremlin, left to battle the Hulk (ouch) while Kondrati fled. At this time, it even looked like Droog was killed, though ironically not by the Hulk (we can blame S.H.I.E.L.D.’s larger attack radius on that one).
Here’s where the fun part of the story comes in, as thanks to comic book magic, Droog survived! Not only did he escape the laser blast, but he went off and made a life for himself. He was last seen living in Magacephalo. Well done!
4) The Many Dinosaurs of Savage Land
Thanks to the introduction of the Savage Land, there are plenty of dinosaurs running around Marvel Comics. Admittedly, they don’t always have names, but we’re still happy to see them! Based in Antarctica, the Savage Land acts as almost a wildlife preserve, but for dinosaurs and other prehistoric critters. This explains how these dinosaurs have survived and why dinosaurs from different periods live together in this location. They live alongside countless other prehistoric animals, making for quite the sight – and a dangerous vacation destination.
Many beloved dinosaurs hail from this region of Marvel Comics. Interestingly, there are a few dinosaur-themed characters who were likewise drawn to this area, which makes a lot of sense. The High Evolutionary once spent some time here, creating the Saur-Lords (Styro, Bront, Pter, Allo, and Anky). Other residents include the Pterons, Jeriens, Klantorr, Saurians, and more.
5) Dinosaur Avengers
During a 2022 Fantastic Four event (Fantastic Four #12), the Dinosaur Avengers were introduced, and it’s safe to say we’re here for them. As one might imagine, this means that the iconic Avengers team has been recreated in dinosaur form, and it’s pretty much everything we hoped for. Iron Man is a Brachiosaurus, Black Widow is a Quetzalcoatlus, and Captain Marvel is a Lambeosaurus. Don’t worry, there are plenty of other heroes-turned-dinosaurs in the mix, including Doctor Strange, Captain America, and Thor.
The story is as strange as it is fun, with the dinosaur heroes maintaining their iconic costumes (scaled up for size, obviously) and even their powers/armor. As for the Fantastic Four, they accidentally swapped places with their dino-versions, putting them on an Earth full of dangerous dinosaurs defending their territory from a threat (for that is what it would look like).
[RELATED: Marvel’s Doomasaur Returns: Doctor Doom Dinosaur Roars Again in One World Under Doom]
6) Stegron (Vincent Stegron)
Once upon a time, Dr. Vincent Stegron worked for Dr. Curtis Connors (The Lizard), and we all know what that means. Inevitably, something happened to change Vincent forever. In this case, the change occurred by choice (as opposed to the very common lab accident). He intentionally stole dinosaur extract so that he could become a Dinosaur Man, infusing himself with Stegosaurus DNA. Since then, Stegron has been working hard to make a place for himself in the Savage Lands. Things don’t always go according to his plans, but you’ve gotta give him credit for trying. However, his shenanigans occasionally branched outside of this land, putting the people of Earth in danger more than once.
While Stegron didn’t start his life as a dinosaur, his obsession with the creatures is admirable, even if he does frequently take it to villainous levels. Thanks to his antics, readers have been entertained across many series, as he comes up against the X-Men, Spider-Man, and plenty of other heroes.
7) Reptil (Humberto Lopez)
Some kids never grow out of their obsessions, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Humberto Lopez grew up loving two things: dinosaurs and the Avengers. He got his love of dinosaurs from his parents, two paleontologists. We don’t need to explain how he came to love the Avengers. While he always dreamed of becoming an Avenger in his own right, Humberto likely did not expect the twist of fate waiting around the corner.
Humberto Lopez found a fossilized amulet at one of his parents’ dig sites. Honestly, it’s the sort of thing that warranted a larger investigation, but the disappearance of his parents caused a wee bit of a distraction. Later, Humberto would learn the power of the amulet, as his legs turned into dinosaur legs while he was running for his life. He saw this as his opportunity to become a hero, and he ran with it! Naturally, one of Humberto’s first antagonists was Stegron, who was attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. Now dubbed Reptil, this hero has gone on many dinosaur-themed adventures, with his powers changing and growing with time.
8) Sauron (Karl Lykos)
Karl Lykos wasn’t always a dinosaur hybrid, nor was it something he asked for (unlike Stegron). A mutated Pteranodon (really) attacked him as a child, kicking off a series of events that would change his life forever. The bites from this attack turned Karl into an energy vampire, of sorts. That would have been dangerous enough, but Karl would later learn that absorbing enough life energy would kick off a secondary transformation, turning him into a pterodactyl.
There was a time when it seemed like Karl Lykos would resist the temptation to use his abilities for evil. He worked alongside Charles Xavier, though he later would betray him (and all of the mutants) by stealing energy from Havok. This was the beginning of a downward spiral, with Karl eventually dubbing himself Sauron, where he has since tried to conquer the Savage Lands on more than one occasion.
9) Old Lace
Out of all the dinosaurs in Marvel Comics, Old Lace is arguably one of the cutest. Old Lace is a genetically engineered dinosaur from the 87th Century. As such, she doesn’t fit into a neatly defined box for dinosaurs. Fans have debated what type of dinosaur base was used for her, with top theories including Deinonychus and Velociraptor. She was commissioned by the Yorkes, members of The Pride, who wanted somebody eternally loyal to their daughter, Gert. They ended up getting more than they bargained for, as Gert’s bond with Old Lace activated early, letting the two add a significant threat to their team, the Runaways. As such, Old Lace stood alongside Gert as she rebelled against her parents.
Since Old Lace was genetically engineered, it’s no surprise that there are a few surprises up her nonexistent sleeves. She has a telepathic and empathic link with Gert, though this was passed to Chase Stein for a time (when Gert was dead). Old Lace’s biggest problem is that she was programmed to never hurt a member of the Yorkes family, even at their orders. This made things a little complicated during the rebellion.
[RELATED: Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur Creators Dish on 10th Anniversary, Tease Devil Girl and Moon Dino]
10) Devil Dinosaur
While Old Lace may be the cutest dinosaur in Marvel, Devil Dinosaur is arguably one of the most loyal. Don’t let the name scare you off, as Devil Dinosaur is famous for forming close bonds with his humans. His first human was Moon-Boy, and together they would protect Earth and the Savage Lands. Years later, Devil Dinosaur would meet Lunella Lafayette, aka Moon Girl. Once again, Devil Dinosaur had found his person, and he couldn’t have been happier.
Admittedly, some of what followed can only be described as adorable, as Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur tried (and failed) to hide their presence in New York. Yeah, that didn’t go so well. The two would quickly realize the need to work together to save the day, with Devil Dinosaur providing the brawn to Lunella’s brains. That said, don’t make the mistake of assuming Devil Dinosaur is dumb – he’s quite intelligent, easily putting him on the same tier as humans. He’s also stronger than he looks, which is a bit terrifying.
The post These are Marvel’s 10 Greatest Dinosaurs (Yes, Really) appeared first on ComicBook.com.
