History
Baron Mordo has often worked with Dormammu in hopes of defeating Doctor Strange and the Ancient One. Mordo was once empowered by Dormammu far beyond Strange’s power, so Strange brought the Ancient One to safety and searched for a way to defeat Mordo. Strange was lured into the Dark Dimension, where Dormammu could finally fight him.
During the battle, Mordo struck Strange from behind. This enraged Dormammu as it violated his sense of honor, and he banished Mordo to another dimension. He has returned to the Earth Dimension many times only to be met with failure and to be exiled again by either Strange or Dormammu.
In another scheme to defeat Strange, he sold his soul to both Mephisto and Satannish, knowing that they would come to the Earth dimension and fight each other for the soul. Strange would be forced to intervene and stop them from causing damage in this dimension. Mordo planned to attack Strange after his battle with the two demons, knowing that he would be weakened.
His plan did not work, however, as he was still too weak to defeat Doctor Strange. Mordo later learned that he had cancer and would die soon, so he decided to atone for all of his past evils and moved into the Ancient One’s house, which was now occupied by monks. Mordo’s long lost daughter Astrid Mordo sought to pick up the fight where Mordo left off, luring both Mordo and Strange to the Mordo family castle.
Mordo, now repenting, reabsorbed the cancer from Doctor Strange. He rendered his daughter unconscious with a mystic dagger and banished her to another dimension. Soon after this, he died. He returned to Join the Red Hulk, Tiger Shark, and Terrax against the Defenders, as the Offenders.
Powers and Abilities
Baron Mordo has almost all of the same training as Doctor Strange, though he focuses his skills on magicks for personal gain. He was one of the potential Sorcerer Supremes when Doctor Strange passed on his mantle.
Characteristics
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 200 lbs
- Eyes: Brown
- Hair: Black
In Other Media
Television
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
Baron Mordo appears in several episodes of the show, voiced by Tony Jay. In the series, he is the servant of Dormammu, and seeks to find a way to allow his master to enter the human world. Spider-Man is drawn into conflict with Mordo after the villain establishes a cult and brainwashes Mary Jane Watson into acting as one of his followers. He is defeated when Spider-Man allies himself with Doctor Strange and Wong.
He returns in the later episode “Venom Returns”, posing as a businessman who helps supply parts to Stark Industries. He uses Stark’s facility to bring the Venom symbiote back to Earth, where it bonds with its former host, Eddie Brock. After the symbiote also gives birth to an offspring, Carnage, Mordo has two attack Stark Industries to steal a special device that opens dimensional portals. In the ensuing battle with Spider-Man and War Machine, the symbiotes are able to claim the device. In the next episode, “Carnage”, Mordo sends Carnage to attack random civilians and absorb their life energy in order to give it to Dormammu. Spider-Man teams up with Iron Man and Venom (who had suffered a crisis of conscience) in order to prevent Dormammu from crossing into their dimension, and Mordo is once again thwarted. He is last seen lamenting his failure, but promising that he will find a way to bring his master to Earth some day.
The Super Hero Squad Show
Baron Mordo appears in the episode “Night In the Sanctorum”, voiced by Dave Boat. He battles the heroes after accidentally being freed from a soda can by Thor.
Ultimate Spider-Man
Baron Mordo appears in the Season 4 episode “Miles From Home,” voiced by Danny Jacobs. This version of the character works with Doctor Octopus and HYDRA to summon the Goblin, an alternate version of the Green Goblin who killed his world’s version of Peter Parker, to their world. Miles Morales travels through the portal and helps the heroes defeat Goblin and the other villains.
Mordo also appears in the Avengers Assemble episode “The Eye of Agamotto: Part 1,” voiced this time by Phil LaMarr.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Baron Mordo appears in the two-part Season 3 episode “Amazing Friends,” voiced by Leonard Roberts. Mordo allies himself with A.I.M. to capture Groot in order to create a race of alien golems to do his bidding.
Film
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme
Baron Mordo appears in the movie, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
Doctor Strange
Baron Mordo appears in the live-action Doctor Strange movie, portrayed by Academy Award-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Here, he is a disciple of the Ancient One, assisting in Stephen Strange’s training. As the Ancient One’s disciples clash with Kaecilius and his Zealots, Mordo is outraged upon discovering that the Ancient One has been using power from the Dark Dimension to prolong her lifespan, which he considers a violation of magic and nature. Despite this, he is still upset when she is killed by Kaecilius.
Mordo and Strange regroup and battle the Zealots in Hong Kong, where Strange encounters Dormammu. Though Strange manages to thwart Dormammu’s plot by using the Eye of Agamotto (revealed to be the Time Stone), Mordo is once again furious over this, viewing it as another perversion. Though the threat is defeated, a disillusioned Mordo turns his back on his allies and leaves for parts unknown.
In the movie’s post-credits scene, Mordo visits Jonathan Pangborn, a factory worker who had previously healed his broken back by using magic he learned from the Ancient One. He tells Jonathan that his loss of faith in the Ancient One’s teachings has given him time to think, and he begins to talk about the true nature of magic. Jonathan becomes disturbed by Mordo’s intense behavior and prepares to defend himself, but Mordo overpowers him and strips him of his magical abilities. The movie ends with Mordo telling the crippled Jonathan that he has realized that there are too many sorcerers in the world, indicating that he now plans to steal the abilities of other magic-users.
Video Games
- Baron Mordo appears in Marvel Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Philip Proctor. He is one of the boss characters, and a member of Loki‘s Masters of Evil.
- Baron Mordo is a boss character In Marvel Avengers Alliance.
- Baron Mordo appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes.
- The movie version of Mordo appears as a playable fighter in Marvel Contest of Champions.
Merchandise
- Baron Mordo was featured in the HeroClix figure game.
- Hasbro released a Marvel Legends figure of the movie version of Mordo.
- Funko released a bobblehead of Mordo for their Funko Pop! line.