When you're in the monster-making business like we are, you just have to come to terms with the fact that it's sometimes hit-or-miss. For every Godzilla, you'll probably end up with a dozen Mechagodzillas or Ebirahs (who, for those not in the know, was a giant shrimp).

That's why we've taken it upon ourselves to recognize some of the more legitimately frightening monsters who have come across the comics pages, even some that may, in some circles, be considered "heroes."

Swamp Thing
What is he/she/it?
Swamp Thing is actually scientist Alec Holland. Alec gets killed because some rival scientists (damn them!) want a secret formula he's working on that can restore plant life. Surprisingly, he wakes up, but, bummer, he's made entirely out of plants 'n' junk.
What's scary about him/her/it?
Less scary for what he is, even though he has totally killed the crap out of some dudes, what's really frightening about Swamp Thing is that he's just totally screwed up in the head. Get this: He spent a really long time thinking he was a guy whose body had been re-formed into plants, but it turns out the guy he thought he was had actually been dead all along. Swamp Thing actually was just a bunch of Swamp Junk who thought it was Alec Holland. Imagine waking up one morning to find that shit out.
Almost not scary because...
Of the Swamp Thing cartoon, of which nothing more will be said here.

Man-Thing
What is he/she/it?
Ted Sallis was a scientist who created a formula that some guys wanted and they attack him in a swamp. He dies, but comes back to life as a swamp creature. Yes, I know that sounds exactly like Swamp Thing's origin, but they were created within a month of each other, and Man-Thing saw print first, so I don't know what to tell you.
What's scary about him/her/it?
How about this? The utterly mindless Man-Thing will burn the shit out of you if it senses fear. So, just imagine, you're walking around in the swamp and you see this big monster that looks like it's part Snuffleupagus, but in a freaky way. Tell me you're not going to be scared of that. And then, as soon as you're frightened, BAM! You are now on fire. Which, obviously is going to scare you that much more, which means you'll then be even more on fire.
Almost not scary because...
The title "Giant-Size Man-Thing" is too ridiculous not to be intentional.

The Zombies from 'The Walking Dead'
What is he/she/it?
Well, they were dead people. Now, they're still dead, but they're up and they're walking around and they like biting you.
What's scary about him/her/it?
Well, on the one hand these are basically your run-of-the-mill shamble-zombies who don't talk and move at a snail's pace. But there are just so damn many of them. Not to mention that one can just basically pop up out of nowhere and bite the holy hell out of just about any character at any time. Thought you just got away from a bunch? CHOMP! Feeling relatively safe inside your RV? CRUNCH! A character in a different comic book entirely? SNACK!
Almost not scary because...
When there are characters in the book who will mutilate other characters just for the fun of it, do you really need zombies?

The Living Mummy
What is he/she/it?
N'Kantu was all set to become the chief of an Egyptian tribe when a corrupt priest and his men mummified him alive. Three thousand years later, and royally pissed, he broke out of his tomb.
What's scary about him/her/it?
After waking up, The Living Mummy rampaged through Cairo, totally messing up shit and carrying around screaming ladies. And while mummies are generally kind of creepy as they are, ones that got mummified alive (with their brains coming out their noses and everything) have got some real issues.
Almost not scary because...
He's now kind of a wimpy hero-type, and has even helped The Thing rescue his blind girlfriend.

Starro
What is he/she/it?
Starro is a Star Conqueror, and just happens to look like a huge starfish.
What's scary about him/her/it?
You know how Star Conquerors conquer things? Just by producing psycho-parasitic clones of itself which then attach to people's faces. Then, it can make you do whatever it wants, like getting it a Mountain Dew or forcing you not to laugh at it. That's some serious mojo right there.
Almost not scary because...
I mean, it does look like a giant starfish.

Man-Bat
What is he/she/it?
Dr. Kirk Langstrom was worried that he was going deaf, so he tried to create a serum that would give him the sonar sense of a bat. Luckily, it worked. Unluckily, it turned him into a giant bat.
What's scary about him/her/it?
He is a giant bat.
Almost not scary because...
Recently, Langstrom's Man-Bat was one-upped when Ra's al-Ghul's daughter created a whole army of Ninja Man-Bats. That's right. Now they're ninjas.

Nightmare
What is he/she/it?
Nightmare is the ruler of the "dream dimension," which sounds like sort of a nice place, but just trust us on this one, you don't want to go there. Plus, he's kind of a dick about it.
What's scary about him/her/it?
Just look at him! Look at that unicorn he's riding (that's not a euphemism)! That, and he can screw with your dreams, which sort of makes him like Freddie Krueger but without all the bad puns.
Almost not scary because...
Well, that unicorn's name is Dreamstalker, which sounds more like the name of a 14-year-old's garage metal band than anything that poses any real threat.

7 Comics Monsters That Aren't So Scary

KingOblivionPhD@the-iss.com