While there have been numerous television and film adaptations of Scooby-Doo and the Gang, it all began in 1969 with the animated series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? The sitcom, which debuted on CBS and eventually aired in syndication on Cartoon Network, followed an eclectic group of friends and their closest friends.
The infamous Black Knight
The Black Knight first debuted in the series opener “What A Night For A Knight,” when this villain appears every full moon to scare tourists away from the County Museum in order to conduct an art counterfeit operation.
When the gang eventually captures the mythical Black Knight, they discover he is actually the museum curator Mr. Wickles, who was the franchise’s first monster.
Shadows of the Phantoms
The Season 1 episode “A Night Of Fright Is No Delight” has not one, but two Phantom Shadows. These green ghosts in shackles plagued a home and kidnapped its heirs in order to steal the money.
When these phantoms pursue Scooby-Doo, his companions hatch a plan to expose them and disclose their true identities as lawyers Cosgood Creeps and Cuthbert Crawls.
Redbeard’s Spirit
Redbeard’s Ghost was the pirate enemy from Season 1’s “Go Away Ghost Ship.” He was supposed to have tormented the Seven Seas 300 years ago, but he got the notice of Mystery Inc. when he returned to steal cargo from a ship.
The Ankha Mummy
The Mummy of Ankha from the Season 1 episode “Scooby-Doo and a Mummy, Too” has to be the most iconic of all Scooby-Doo monsters. In order to obtain a diamond hidden inside a statue, this mummy broke into a museum and turned both the owner and Scooby into stone.
When the gang realizes Scooby has just been captured and not turned to stone, they devise a plan combining a lawnmower and a basketball hoop to capture him and reveal him to be a researcher named Dr. Najib.
Mr. Hyde, please
Mr. Hyde, a creepy-looking monster with orange eyes and a large, red mane and fangs, appeared on The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, one of several crossover events between Scooby-Doo, Where Are You and Dynomutt, Dog Wonder.
Mr. Hyde schemes to convert everyone into a Hyde-like monster in the episode “Everyone Hyde!” before being apprehended by Mystery Inc and Dynomutt and his companions.
49’er Miner
In the Season 1 episode “Mine Your Own Business,” this villain’s memorable name went hand in hand with his long, gray beard and dissimulating cap.
The infamous Tar Monster
The Tar Monster first appeared in Season 3’s title episode as a large, green-eyed cyclops made of tar that would swim through tar and hunt after his victims.
When the gang explores an archaeological site in Turkey, they discover that The Tar Monster has kidnapped a guy named Stoner in order to steal riches, only to discover that The Tar Monster was all along with Stoner.
Strange Space Kook
The Spooky Space Kook was a creative monster that appeared in the Season 1 episode of the same name and consisted of a ghostly humanoid with a skull for a face inside a space helmet.
When the gang examines a crashed spacecraft in the woods and learns from a farmer that a ghostly figure has been haunting the surrounding land, the Spooky Space Kook’s identity is revealed as the farmer’s former neighbor who wanted to exploit his land for money.
Captain Cutler’s Ghost
In the show’s second episode, “A Clue for Scooby Doo,” the Ghost of Captain Cutler is recognized for his green diving outfit wrapped in glowing seaweed.
While this villain presents himself as the spirit of a diver who died at sea in a disaster, additional research by Mystery Inc reveals that the purported ghost is Captain Cutler, who is alive and well and has faked his death in order to steal yachts.
The Crawler
The Creeper wins the award for the most memorable and iconic monster in the series simply because it is the most identifiable. This green-faced hunchback villain first appeared in Season 2’s “Jeepers, It’s the Creeper.”
After pursuing the gang, which had photographic evidence of his crimes, The Creeper was apprehended and exposed, revealing himself to be bank robber Mr. Carswell.
