Mandarin

Born of a Chinese nobleman and an English aristocrat, the Mandarin discovered an ancient crashed alien spacecraft in the Valley of Spirits, where he claimed ten rings of extraordinary power from the Makluan extraterrestrial inside, launching his campaign for world domination.

Few villains in Marvel's Silver Age canon have proven as persistently magnetic as Mandarin, who first menaced readers in Fantastic Four #35 back in 1965, conjured by the legendary creative partnership of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Over nearly six decades of publication — with nine key-issue appearances that collectors actively seek out — this figure has become one of Marvel's most enduring antagonists, appearing across 104 catalogued issues and making Invincible Iron Man and Iron Man the natural hunting grounds for anyone tracing his long shadow. The company he keeps tells its own story: Iron Man, Tony Stark, Captain America, Thor — the heaviest hitters in the Marvel Universe — which speaks volumes about the weight this character carries on the page. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just discovering the Silver Age, Mandarin is a cornerstone of Marvel villainy well worth your attention.