15 Comic Book 'Firsts' You Didn't Know
12. Monster Society - First Supervillain Team
There have been many classic supervillain teams over the years - the Injustice League, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants - the Crime Syndicate! But it was the insidious Mister Mind who started the evil superteam trend in his debut comic, Captain Marvel Adventures #26 in 1943.
Now, it's pretty easy to dismiss Mister Mind. He is a two-inch worm with glasses who speaks through a mini-radio. How can anyone possibly take him seriously? But Mister Mind is not to be underestimated. In his first appearance, the wicked worm forged a team called The Monster Society of Evil. Mind wished to conquer the world and formed the team to stop Shazam (who was called Captain Marvel at the time) from meddling with his schemes. The first incarnation of The Monster Society consisted of Captain Nazi, Doctor Sivana, Mister Banjo, and the nefarious Stinky Printwhistle. (Yes, that was his actual name.)
Villains had teamed up before in previous stories but always disbanded after a single issue. The Monster Society was the first recurring supervillain team in comics. So, while they may not be as well-known as teams like The Sinister Six or The Frightful Four, their importance cannot be overstated.