History:
MONAKO
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human magic user (World
War 2 Era to Modern Era)
Occupation: Barkeeper, adventurer, former stage
magician
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Chondu the Mystic, Count Kaoz, Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange), Doctor Voodoo (Jericho Drumm), Mahatma Doom, Daimon Hellstrom, Pere Kauraka, Lady Anne, Lady Olga, Louise Larreen, Magik (Illyana Rasputina), el Medico Mistico, Al Nottington, Josie Nottington, Professor Xu, Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff), Shaman (Michael Twoyoungman)
Enemies: the Empirikil (Lord Imperator), Tashu Lascu, Mike, Mr. Muro
Known Relatives: Unidentified parents (deceased), unidentified foster father (deceased)
Place of Birth: Casablanca, Morocco
Aliases: Prince of Magic
Education: College degree, study of mystic arts
Base of Operations: Manhattan, New York, USA;
formerly England
formerly India
First Appearance: Daring Mystery Comics I#1/4 (January, 1940)
Powers/Abilities: Monako could briefly animate and grant motion to inanimate objects, transform objects or animals in size or into other objects or animals, even transforming people into gaseous form or hills into mountains; render objects transparent or super-hot; disintegrate or levitate objects with sufficient skill to remove or restore a person's clothing within seconds and halt bullets; mentally control others and visibly project their thoughts; and create illusions, including an actual duplicate, or "vision" of himself that could think and act independently of him, able to turn intangible but otherwise bound by the same physical restrictions as he. The vision cold travel miles from Monako, who could read and project its thoughts from afar as he could those of anyone else. Monako could teleport to the vision's location and merge with it. He could render footprints visible, place magical tracking marks on vehicles, grow to several hundred feet in heigh, shrink to less than half an inch, and possesses superhuman strength (lifting perhaps one ton). Monkao was an accomplished acrobat and pilot in his youth. He sometimes used a wand to focus his powers. Being bound in iron could neutralize most of his powers.
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Eyes: Black
Hair: Gray-black
History:
(Daring Mystery Comics I#5/4 (fb)) - The man named Monako was the son of two missionaries who were sent to the far interior of India. The tribe who lived there hated Monako's parents and cast a spell which caused their entire camp to disappear, leaving only Monako alive. The tribe wanted to kill him too, but the chief of the tribe spared his life. He raised Monako as his foster son and taught him everything he knew about magic. When Monako was 16, British colonial forces invaded the village and wiped out the entire tribe, including Monako's foster father.
The consular general in India sent Monako to England to be educated, where he completed his studies at a prestigious university. Monako returned to India and continued to practice magic, hoping to amend for some of the wrongs his foster father's people had performed. In time, Monako became the only one left with all the powers and knowledge of the tribe.
(Daring Mystery Comics I#1/4 (fb) - BTS) - At some point in his adventures, Monako became the sworn enemy of Muro, an Argentinian practitioner of magic. He also befriended inventor Al Nottington and his sister Josie in the United States.
(Daring Mystery Comics I#1/4) - Dressed in a magician's costume with a silk hat, tuxedo, boots and red cape, Monako rescued Josie from an attempt on her life by Muro and his associate Tashu Lascu using a car to run her down; Monako cast a spell to fabricate a bridge beneath Josie, elevating her above Muro and Tashu's car. Josie informed Monako that Al had create a new explosive that Muro wanted to claim and he'd tried to kill her to prevent her from warning him. Monako and Josie took a taxi to Al's home but Muro and Tashu had already kidnapped him. While they investigated Al's home, Monako sent the taxi in pursuit of Muro's car with his vision self riding in the back seat of the taxi. Monako's vision followed Muro to his hideout; when one of Muro's henchmen saw the vision they threw a knife at it but it passed through the vision without harming it. Once Muro took Al through an iron door, the vision wasn't able to travel further.
Unable to proceed further with the vision on its own, Monako ventured to Muro's hideout in person. Discovering the iron door had a keyhole, Monako shrank into a tiny figure then simply walked through the keyhole. On the other side, he resumed his normal height. Faced with three doors ahead of him, he cast a spell to reveal the footprints where Muro traveled. As he followed the footprints, a trapdoor opened beneath his feet and Monako fell into an underground chamber in front of Muro and his men. Muro ordered his men to grab him but Monako cast a spell that conjured a number of illusionary selves to confound Monako's men. Monako conjured up mystical fists to punch Muro's henchmen but finally Muro ended the fight by dropping a steel cage from the ceiling that encased Monako.
Muro moved Monako to the chamber where Al Nottington was chained up and chained Monako next to him. Muro began torturing Al to obtain the formula but Al refused to break. Finally, Muro manacled both men to a rack while an axe suspended above them slowly swung back and forth while it lowered closer to their throats. However, Monako used magic to communicate with the axe and ordered it to set them free. Answering, "O'kay!" the axe sliced off their manacles. Monako shrank himself and Al in height and they snuck out of the torture chamber through a crack in the wall.
By the time Monako and Al had regained their normal heights on the street, Muro had captured Josie and fled in his car. Unable to catch Muro due to traffic congestion, Monako and Al went back to Al's home and waited in the laboratory for Muro to return. When Muro reached for a container of Al's explosive formula, Monako made the container become burning hot and cast a voice, telling Muro not to touch it. Monako then appeared in a cloud of smoke that rose from the container. Muro's henchmen were terrified and fled. Muro ran back to his car and drove away, with Monako and Al in pursuit. Muro reached a seaplane and flew away while Monako and Al discovered Josie was imprisoned in a tugboat nearby the dock the seaplane departed from. The tugboat was about to explode from a bomb Muro had set but Monako rescued Josie before the explosion. Monako remained determined to defeat Muro.
(Marvels Project I#2) - In early 1940, Monako performed a magic act in Times Square. The Angel (Tom Halloway) took notice of his act and the rumors that he was a real magician who solved crimes when not on stage.
(Daring Mystery Comics I#4/3) - Now wearing a red fez instead of his silk hat and his mustache shaven, Monako continued his search for Muro. He happened to find one of Muro's men threatening Josie in an attempt to steal government papers she was carrying that concerned U.S. defense plans at the Panama Canal. Monako transformed himself into a giant to frighten the thief, who ran away with the papers. Monako cast a spell to suspend the man in mid-air but Muro took the satchel of papers from his underling and fled in his car. Monako made pursuit in a taxi but Muro reached an airfield and flew away in airplane with his underling Tashu. As a friend of Monako's had an airplane at that airfield, Monako and Josie borrowed it and pursued Muro.
Muro had Tashu fire a machine gun at Monako's plane but Monako magically caused the bullets to reverse course and strike Muro's plane. When Muro's plane flew over a series of hills, Monako made the hills rise up into mountains; Muro's plane hit a mountainside and Muro and Tashu bailed out. Monako and Josie followed them to the ground, landing in a desert but Muro ambushed them at gunpoint and tied Monako to a cactus while he and Tashu took Josie as a hostage aboard the other airplane.
When a vulture descended to feast on Monako, Monako used a spell to break the ropes binding him to the cactus then befriended the vulture, causing it to grow in size. Riding upon the vulture's back, Monako pursued Muro and landed on the airplane but Muro shook Monako off. Again growing to giant size, Monako caught the airplane in his hand. Muro threw Josie from the plane to distract him and Monako caught her, shaking Muro and Tashu from the plane. However, Muro used his own knowledge of black magic to cast a spell that teleported he and Tashu away. Monako returned to the airplane with the retrieved government papers but knew he would have to face Muro again eventually.
(Daring Mystery Comics I#5/4) - Aboard a ship bound for the USA, Monako performed his magic show for the passengers and made his assistant disappear from stage then reappear in the audience. When Lady Anne and Lady Olga asked him how he performed the trick, Monako shared his origin with them.
Mike and another thief attacked and robbed Lady Anne and tried to kill her by throwing her overboard wrapped in a tarp, but Monako levitated her back aboard the ship then set after Mike and his accomplice, using his magic to turn Mike's gun into a water pistol, then magically removing his clothes to search them for Lady Anne's jewels. Not finding them, Monako returned the clothes then created magic bars to confine Mike while he set after the accomplice. The second thief threw a knife at Monako but Monako reversed it back at him; the knife spoke to the thief and ordered him to give up the jewels. The thief complied, handing them to Monako. Monako returned the jewels to the grateful Lady Anne.
(Daring Mystery Comics I#6/6) - Monako performed a magic show at the Elite Theater in Times Square. When he saw a man slumped over in a box seat with two thugs beside him, Monako conjured up a lion to chase the thugs out of the theater. The man told Monako the thugs had kidnapped his sister Louise. Monako and his assistant Pere Kauraka went to the address the brother had been given and Monako cast a spell to turn the outside walls of the building transparent so they could see where Louise was held. Using superhuman strength Monako granted him, Pere smashed down the door and Monako confronted the kidnappers, making himself a giant to frighten them.
Monako used a hypnotic spell to make one of the kidnappers show them Louise's location, which was in a snake pit. Monako used his magic to transform the snakes into harmless puppies. The other kidnappers fled through a secret door but Monako used his magic to open the door. However, while he pursued them one of the kidnappers doubled back and knocked out Pere, then took Louise captive again.
Monako used magic to learn the location Louise was being brought to and he and Pere used a plane to follow the kidnappers' car, casting a magical 'x' on the vehicle's roof. When Monako and Pere arrived at the hideout the kidnappers tried to shoot at them but Monako cast a spell to make them think the building was on fire. Panicking, the kidnappers surrendered and Monako rescued Louise. With the crisis averted, Monako and Pere returned to their magic show.
(Doctor Strange IV#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point in his career, Monako fought Nazi warlocks and rescued "some poor blonde's life." He claimed he had to drown rabbits as the cost for the magic he performed.
(Doctor Strange IV#7 (fb) - BTS) - Monako claimed he killed 97 Nazis during World War II.
(Doctor Strange IV#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some stage, Monako lost sight in his right eye.
(Doctor Strange IV#1) - Monako visited the Bar with No Doors as Dr. Strange, Dr. Voodoo, Shaman and the Scarlet Witch were in conference. Monako confronted Dr. Strange, reminding him there was a cost to wielding magic and wondered if Dr. Strange had been paying his "tab." When Dr. Strange asked what Monako wanted from him, Monako replied "I want you to be the damn Sorcerer Supreme," then stormed off.
(Doctor Strange IV#4) - Monako was present in the Bar with No Doors as Dr. Strange alerted his peers to the recent deaths of various dimensions' Sorcerers Supreme. Monako believed Dr. Strange "tab" was coming due as he'd previously warned.
(Doctor Strange IV#5) - Monako conferred with Chondu the Mystic at the Bar with No Doors while Dr. Strange tried to warn his allies around the world about the threat posed by the Empirikul. When their forces invaded the Bar, Monako refused to run and charged into battle.
(Doctor Strange IV#6) - After defeating the Empirikil at the Bar, Monako told Chondu to guard the Bar while he continued to fight.
(Doctor Strange IV#7) - As Dr. Strange had been beaten by the Lord Imperator of the Empirikil, Monako came to his rescue. Although the Lord Imperator believed he had nullified all magic, Monako's wand was still empowered and he used to fight the Empirikil, ignoring Dr. Strange's warnings that they were too powerful for him. Monako teleported all of the magic users the Empirikil had captured away so they would be able to continue the fight. The Empirikill then overwhelmed Monako and executed him.
Comments: Created by Larry Antonette.
Monako received an OHOTMU entry in the Marvel Mystery Handbook.
He obviously owed a lot to Lee Falk's Mandrake the Magician, especially when he wore the silk hat.
This profile was completed on 11/24/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Monako should not be confused with:
Monako's foster father was an Indian man who was the chief of his tribe. His people hated Monako's parents and used a magic ritual to make them disappear. The tribe also wanted Monako killed but Monako refused and took Monako as his foster son. When Monako was 16, British soldiers invaded the village and wiped out the entire tribe, including Monako's foster father.
--Daring Mystery Comics I#5/4
images: (without ads)
Doctor Strange IV#1, page 20, panel 1 (main)
Daring Mystery Comics I#5/4, page 2, panel 7 (as child)
Daring Mystery Comics I#1/4, page 4, panel 3 (vision)
Marvel Mystery Handbook, Monako entry (1940s fez)
Daring Mystery Comics I#5/4, page 2, panel 7 (foster father)
Appearances:
Daring Mystery Comics I#1/4 (January, 1940) - Larry Antonette (writer,
artist), unidentified editor
Daring Mystery Comics I#4/3 (May, 1940) - Larry Antonette (writer,
artist), unidentified editor
Daring Mystery Comics I#5/4 (June, 1940) - Larry Antonette (writer,
artist), Martin Goodman (editor)
Daring Mystery Comics I#6/6 (September, 1940) - Larry Antonette (writer,
artist), Joe Simon (editor)
Marvels Project I#2 (November, 2009) - Ed Brubaker (writer), Steve
Epting (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Doctor Strange IV#1 (December, 2015) - Jason Aaron (writer), Chris
Bachalo (penciler), Tim Townsend (inker), Al Vey (inker), Mark Irwin
(inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Doctor Strange IV#4 (March, 2016) - Jason Aaron (writer), Chris Bachalo
(penciler), Tim Townsend (inker), Al Vey (inker), Mark Irwin (inker),
John Livesay (inker), Wayne Faucher (inker), Victor Olazaba (inker),
Jaime Mendoza (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Doctor Strange IV#5 (April, 2016) - Jason Aaron (writer), Chris Bachalo
(penciler), Tim Townsend (inker), Al Vey (inker), Mark Irwin (inker),
John Livesay (inker), Victor Olazaba (inker), Jaime Mendoza (inker),
Nick Lowe (editor)
Doctor Strange IV#6 (May, 2016) - Jason Aaron (writer), Chris Bachalo
(penciler), Tim Townsend (inker), Al Vey (inker), Mark Irwin (inker),
John Livesay (inker), Wayne Faucher (inker), Victor Olazaba (inker),
Jaime Mendoza (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Doctor Strange IV#7 (June, 2016) - Jason Aaron (writer), Chris Bachalo
(penciler), Tim Townsend (inker), Al Vey (inker), Mark Irwin (inker),
John Livesay (inker), Victor Olazaba (inker), Jaime Mendoza (inker),
Nick Lowe (editor)
First posted: 09/05/2026
Last updated:
11/24/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel
Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you
should check out the real thing!
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