Marvel's Mighty and Menacing Medical Doctors

Later this month, DR. STRANGE: SURGEON SUPREME #1 will give Stephen Strange a new dilemma. Now that his hands have finally been healed, how can he handle the demands of his medical profession while remaining true to his calling as Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme? Jane Foster faces a similar struggle every month in VALKYRIE: JANE FOSTER. Originally a nurse, she became a doctor long before she became Thor, and later Valkyrie. Now, both parts of Jane’s life are equally important.

Regular Marvel readers know that there’s no shortage of doctors in this universe. However, most of the famous Marvel doctors – like Reed Richards, Hank McCoy, Hank Pym, Doctor Octopus, and Bruce Banner – don’t hold medical degrees. Instead, their genius is applied to other areas of science. But there are a few heroes and villains whose medical training has informed their respective pursuits.

Donald Blake

Thor’s original human alter ego Dr. Donald Blake was the physician to the heroes for years before revealing his secret identity to his friends and colleagues. This came in handy when the Avengers needed to call upon a doctor who could discreetly treat their members. But the last time Blake and Thor were joined, they were entirely separate personas. The Odinson left his secret identity behind a long time ago and is now busy protecting the Ten Realms as the All-Father.

Anthony Druid

Physician, heal thyself! Dr. Anthony Druid may be a trained psychiatrist, but he’s proven to be vulnerable to psychic manipulation. During his stint with the Avengers, Druid allowed himself to be seduced and controlled by Ravonna, Kang’s rival/lover, who was masquerading as Nebula. Druid’s occult dabbling even got himself killed by Daimon Hellstrom in DRUID #1-4. Druid resurfaced in 2015’s SQUADRON SUPREME and went full Super Villain as the tyrant of Weirdworld.

Faiza Hussain

In CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI: 13, Dr. Faiza Hussain realized that she was the heir to King Arthur and became the new wielder of Excalibur. She also has the ability to humanely perform a living cross section to diagnose and heal her patients. But Faiza’s real superpower is her compassion and heart.

Mister Sinister

"Dr. Sinister" may not roll off the tongue, but the former Nathanial Essex was both a medical doctor and an expert in genetics before he was transformed into an immortal and an even more immoral being by Apocalypse. For now, Sinister “helps” Psylocke’s new team in FALLEN ANGELs and the upcoming HELLIONS. But he is far from trustworthy.

Karla Sofen

Dr. Karla Sofen has been both a hero and a villain as a member of the Thunderbolts. But she’s used her psychology degree for nefarious ends more often than not. In THUNDERBOLTS #-1, Karla revealed that she actually took advantage of her patients long before she became Moonstone. That experience came in handy as she used her background to manipulate both the Masters of Evil and the Thunderbolts for her own ends.  

Cecilia Reyes

During OPERATION: ZERO TOLERANCE, Dr. Cecilia Reyes was essentially drafted into the X-Men. Her medical expertise quickly allowed her to save Cyclops’ life when a bomb was implanted in his body. While Cecilia doesn’t relish being one of the X-Men, she has answered Krakoa’s call to be the primary doctor of the new mutant nation.

Victoria Montesi

DARKHOLD: PAGES FROM THE BOOK OF SINS introduced readers to Dr. Victoria Montesi, a young doctor with unexpected dark ties to the elder god, Chthon. Even after Victoria learned she was Chthon’s daughter, she still maintained her oath as a doctor to preserve and protect life.

Leonard Samson

No list of Marvel medical doctors would be complete without Doc Samson! Leonard Samson may have superhuman strength, but he’s also got superhuman patience as the go-to psychologist for Super Heroes. Leonard has helped the Hulk on numerous occasions and lent his expertise to X-Factor and others when needed. Not even a little thing like death can keep Doc Samson from helping his patients!

Want to see some of these medical mavens join forces? Pick up VALKYRIE: JANE FOSTER #6, written by Jason Aaron and Al Ewing with art by Pere Perez – on sale now online and at your local comic shop!

And stay tuned later this month when DR. STRANGE: SURGEON SUPREME #1, written by Mark Waid with art by Kev Walker, hits comic shops on Thursday, December 26!