"Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings" brought dragons to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and left people
wanting more. Whether they're androids or demons from the moon, these dragons fascinate as friends,
foes, or both. These are the biggest dragons from Marvel Comics that we want to see in the MCU.
Fin Fang Foom is one of the most enduring monsters in the Marvel Universe. Created by Stan Lee and
Jack Kirby in 1961's "Strange Tales" #89, he was later incorporated into Marvel continuity
and is a cross-media superstar, appearing in comics, cartoons, and video games. Fin
Fang Foom is so familiar to Marvel fans that the glimpse of a massive, underwater
dragon in the "Shang-Chi" trailers led to wild speculation that we now know didn't pay off.
Fin Fang Foom is an alien from the far-off world of Kakaranathara and, when he's introduced,
lies dormant in an underground temple. A scholar familiar with Fin Fang Foom's legend awakens him
hoping to turn him against the invading forces of Communist China — leading to a wall-whipping,
ship-smashing chase worthy of "Looney Tunes" at its most chaotic.
Fin Fang Foom's history in the Marvel Universe almost defies description. He's fought
Iron Man, Squirrel Girl, and — thanks to an intercompany crossover — the Justice League
of America. He's converted to Buddhism, been a chef, and lived on Monster Isle. He's even
saved Christmas. All that's left for this enduring comic book character
is a long-overdue appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ask any Marvel fan which classic Fantastic Four villains they want to see in the MCU,
and odds are they'll name heavy hitters like Doctor Doom and Galactus. But if
the MCU wants to introduce an FF foe never before seen onscreen, why not
dig a little deeper into their rogues' gallery? Why not introduce ... Dragon Man?
Joining Fin Fang Foom in the very exclusive "dragon in little purple pants" club, Dragon Man
first appeared in 1965's "Fantastic Four" #35. An android created by Professor Gregson Gilbert and
brought to life by the evil alchemist Diablo, Dragon Man was unleashed on the Fantastic Four
during their visit to State University. He was a creature of powerful strength and rudimentary
intelligence, until in true "King Kong" fashion, a beautiful blonde -- Sue Storm -- soothed
the savage beast. Brawling his way across the Marvel Universe, he's fought Spider-Man,
the Hulk, and even the pint-sized heroes of Power Pack — but after Sue and Reed's daughter
Valeria Richards upgraded his programming, he became a valued member of the Future Foundation.
"I was a force in the cosmos before the worlds were made! I have brought whole
civilizations low! But do you really expect to stand ... against the Dragon of the Moon?"
So boasted the eldritch horror imprisoned on Titan in "The New Defenders" #138 (1984).
The Dragon of the Moon is a demon whose corrosive influence can compel others to do evil deeds;
to give an idea of its power, it once claimed Thanos as one of its disciples.
When the young psi-talent Heather Douglas trained on Titan to unlock her mental abilities, the
Dragon attempted to take over her mind. Believing that she had defeated it, Heather assumed the name
"Moondragon" as a symbol of pride. In actuality, the Dragon of the Moon was slowly corrupting her.
Years later, it successfully turned Moondragon against the Defenders,
unleashing a threat that only ended after several of her teammates sacrificed their lives.
With its ability to corrupt the seemingly incorruptible,
the Dragon of the Moon would be a terrifying villain in the MCU.
One possible path toward the MCU is surprisingly clear — in the comics, Heather Douglas is the
daughter of Drax the Destroyer and a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in her own right.
If Moondragon joins the onscreen Guardians, can the Dragon of the Moon be lurking far behind?
Unlike the other Marvel dragons on this list, Shou-Lao the Undying has technically
already appeared in the MCU ... if you count a single pair of red eyes glowing in the dark.
Introduced in "Marvel Premiere" #16, Shou-Lao is an ancient dragon who dwells in the mystical city
of K'un-L'un and is the power source behind the Iron Fist mythos. A warrior must defeat Shou-Lao
the Undying, whose molten heart is hidden inside a sacred cavern, if they are to absorb his power
and become Iron Fist. Included in this heroic lineage is the modern-day Iron Fist, Danny Rand.
But when the 2017 "Iron Fist" television show on Netflix welcomed Rand and K'un-L'un into the MCU,
Shou-Lao was nowhere to be seen. Though he was mentioned by name,
Shou-Lao never made a full appearance due to one disappointing factor: the budget.
As for Danny Rand himself, Finn Jones, told a reporter in 2017:
"I'd love to have the budget for these shows to have a full-on 'Game of Thrones' style
dragon...But unfortunately, you know, we have budget restraints. That's the nature of the show."
Netflix's "Iron Fist" ended in 2018 after two seasons,
but the character's rich comic book history is still worth exploring — and Shou-Lao
is still somewhere out there in the darkness, waiting for his close-up.
Superhero comics generally make bad playgrounds for babies. If you're a baby in a superhero comic,
maybe you'll be lucky like Cable and be sent into the future to become a
grizzled, cybernetic warrior. Or you could be like Shogo Lee and turn into a dragon.
Orphaned by a meteor crash and adopted by X-Man (and former mallrat) Jubilee,
Shogo is a seemingly ordinary baby. Having the X-Men for godparents automatically guaranteed
Shogo a life of adventure, but fate had a big surprise for Jubilee when she brought
Shogo through a magical gate into the realm of Otherworld in "Excalibur" Vol. 4 #2.
Fairy magic, combined with the unlimited power of a child's imagination, spontaneously turned
Shogo into a giant, fire-breathing dragon. Now the youngest member of Excalibur, Shogo acts as
transportation and defense for his mother and their teammates while in Otherworld.. Shogo the
dragon would be an adorable addition to the MCU — but watch out for those explosive tantrums.
Before the dawn of the superhero, there was ... Grogg! One of Fin Fang
Foom's "Strange Tales" fraternity brothers, Grogg first appears in "Strange Tales" #83
as a member of an ancient dragon race held back by the Great Wall of China.
In the spirit of creature features like "Gamera" and "The Deadly Mantis," the prehistoric beast
spends thousands of years sleeping beneath polar ice until nuclear testing behind the Iron Curtain
startles him. In his second appearance, Grogg boards a Soviet rocket ship destined for Mars,
seemingly ending his fire-breathing threat forever.
The 2005 comic "Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl" #1
revealed that Grogg had been seized by the Collector, becoming part of his macabre
menagerie along with other "missing" Silver Age comic book behemoths like
Taboo and Grottu — though Grogg's city-smashing days were far from over.
Memorably played by Benicio del Toro, the Collector is one of the
most slippery supporting characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The true depths of his specimen collection are unknown. Could Grogg be among them? If nothing
else, it would be fun to see Grogg and Giant-Man doing the MCU version of "Godzilla vs Kong."
Mr. Lao, a once-mortal man who gained eternal life after a curse transformed him into a lung dragon,
did the only sensible thing with his immortality: he got a job.
Acting as the advisor for the Atlas Foundation, Mr. Lao utilized
centuries of experience to become a master strategist, with the added perk of ritually
devouring every Atlas Foundation leader after the appointment of their successor.
Mr. Lao would eventually grant his services to Agent of Atlas Jimmy Woo,
though the only agenda he truly follows is his own.
Lao's Machiavellian intelligence sets him apart from the more bestial members of this list,
and he would be an intriguing addition to any upcoming MCU film or television series.
Plus, after Randall Park's scene-stealing turn as Agent Jimmy Woo in "Ant-Man and
The Wasp" and "WandaVision," who wouldn't want to see him trade quips with a colossal dragon?
"It's worth a try."
Flying past the finish line is the X-Men's diminutive dragon friend, Lockheed. Debuting
in "Uncanny X-Men" #166 by Chris Claremont and Paul Smith, Lockheed is a member of the alien race
known as the Flock. With the X-Men trapped in space during the "Brood Saga," Lockheed
rescued Kitty Pryde by torching the brood aliens hunting her. Accompanying the X-Men back to Earth,
Lockheed helped Kitty fight off more alien hatchlings — and a beautiful friendship was born.
Given his small size, Lockheed is often regarded as a pet, but he
is highly intelligent and communicates in several languages, including English.
Apart from the X-Men, he has worked with SWORD, guarded the Time Gem with the Pet Avengers,
and squared off against fellow dragon Fin Fang Foom. Lockheed can usually be found
perched on Kitty's shoulder, whether they're dimension-hopping with
Excalibur in the "Cross-Time Caper" or sailing the high-seas in "Marauders."
Lockheed had a cameo in "The New Mutants," the final Fox "X-Men" film, alongside Magik,
Kitty's comic book best friend. But after the failure of "The New Mutants" at the box office,
it would be a shame to consign Lockheed to cinematic limbo.
Marvel Studios' plans for the X-Men remain unknown,
but if Kitty Pryde appears in the MCU — as either the wide-eyed junior X-Man
or the swashbuckling Captain Kate — Lockheed is sure to be flying by her side.
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