Stephen Strange: Doctor Strange Appreciation 2021

[Albert1981]

Well, there's a reason why science fiction and crime stories sell so well in comic book form. They're just very popular in general. I think that's why "crime fighters" like Batman, John Constantine, Green Arrow, Daredevil, Punisher and Luke Cage remain really popular. And I won't even get into the popularity of science-fiction based characters. Magic does have one thing in the movies that has definitely boosted Doctor Strange's profile: Stunning visuals. I, like many audience members, was absolutely blown away by the trippy and psychedelic nature of his powers. I've NEVER seen magic used in such a creative and flamboyant way before on screen. I even thought Ragnarok did a great job with magical visuals. It's no wonder Strange and Loki are two of the most popular characters in the MCU. I don't think that translates AS WELL to the comic book format. You can't HEAR the noise as Strange and Loki travel through multiverses in the comic books like you can in live action. I don't think married types have to be boring. WandaVision proved me totally wrong in thinking that people who are husband and wife can't have a really dynamic relationship. In fact, I think WandaVision should have focused on their relationship even MORE than it did. But again, this works better in live action. Have Wanda and Vision ever got into screaming match in the comic books? I don't think so. I personally like Strange as part of the Avengers. The skirt-chasing stuff is pretty fun to me. It shows Strange has a life outside of his "profession". But I would like him to remain a "noble and virtuous" character. Cheating on his wife is not cool. I do think it's fun seeing Strange interact with other members of the team. I just think it is SO hard to sustain interest in magic in the comic books. As you said, science fiction and crime sells. Magic is a little bit more obscure because of how weird and fun it is. I'm hoping one day Marvel can come up with a CLEAR set of rules in magic so there will be no need for more deus ex machinas.

[Albert1981]

I wonder if Elektra will be jealous?🤔😂

I guess Marvel is leaning in on this whole Strange is a manwhore thing. Interesting. I remember him as a deep, noble and spiritual dude. But now he's acting like Marvel's answer to Charlie Harper!

[Clea]

Well, there's a reason why science fiction and crime stories sell so well in comic book form. They're just very popular in general. I think that's why "crime fighters" like Batman, John Constantine, Green Arrow, Daredevil, Punisher and Luke Cage remain really popular. And I won't even get into the popularity of science-fiction based characters. Magic does have one thing in the movies that has definitely boosted Doctor Strange's profile: Stunning visuals. I, like many audience members, was absolutely blown away by the trippy and psychedelic nature of his powers. I've NEVER seen magic used in such a creative and flamboyant way before on screen. I even thought Ragnarok did a great job with magical visuals. It's no wonder Strange and Loki are two of the most popular characters in the MCU. I don't think that translates AS WELL to the comic book format. You can't HEAR the noise as Strange and Loki travel through multiverses in the comic books like you can in live action. I don't think married types have to be boring. WandaVision proved me totally wrong in thinking that people who are husband and wife can't have a really dynamic relationship. In fact, I think WandaVision should have focused on their relationship even MORE than it did. But again, this works better in live action. Have Wanda and Vision ever got into screaming match in the comic books? I don't think so. I personally like Strange as part of the Avengers. The skirt-chasing stuff is pretty fun to me. It shows Strange has a life outside of his "profession". But I would like him to remain a "noble and virtuous" character. Cheating on his wife is not cool. I do think it's fun seeing Strange interact with other members of the team. I just think it is SO hard to sustain interest in magic in the comic books. As you said, science fiction and crime sells. Magic is a little bit more obscure because of how weird and fun it is. I'm hoping one day Marvel can come up with a CLEAR set of rules in magic so there will be no need for more deus ex machinas.

I think Marvel did have a basic set of rules for magic, at least in Doctor Strange's various series. Magic was a skill that was learned through intense, never-ending study of spells, talismans, and magical beings. Some of the magical beings out there are inter-dimensional beings that date back almost to the origin of the universe. They wield vast elemental powers tied to the creation of the universe itself. Some of them, like the Faltine (Dormammu, Umar, Clea in part) are actually sentient magical energy themselves. These beings are not subject to the rules of physics as we know them and they wield great elemental powers that can alter reality as we know it. Some of these beings are flat out malevolent (Dormammu for example), while others are quasi-benevolent towards humanity when it suits them (the Vishanti). At that level, those beings are pretty much always at some level of simmering war for dominance amongst themselves, and periodically they break out into flat out wars of aggression to determine who gets to be the top dog powers (War of the Seven Spheres) and rewrite the rules to suit themselves. Each dimension, such as the earth dimension, has a champion (Sorcerer Supreme) in place to protect their dimension from some of these more malevolent elder beings. The Sorcerer Supreme learns how to draw on the magical 'energy' of these various elder gods in order to perform magic here on Earth. An adept sorcerer can trap and store this sort of energy in various talismans. One of the consequences of using this sort of sorcery though, is if a sorcerer uses a spell to draw energy from one of these elder gods, that act serves to empower the god in return because it extends that deity's sphere of influence into the sorcerer's dimension. Strange in his early days sometimes cast spells drawing on Dormammu's power until he realized that he was unintentionally expanding Dormammu's influence in the earth dimension. Because magic is an act of thought and will, drawing on dark forces or casting spells to harm can affect the Sorcerer's personality and turn them towards increasingly darker uses of power. This can be a trap for a magic user, as the darker forces usually expect fealty in return and they're likely to destroy any acolyte that ticks them off (or who simply look magically delicious). One of the things that sets a Sorcerer Supreme apart from other magic users is that the Sorcerer Supreme has studied the strengths and weaknesses of these beings and therefore knows just how far they can use and push these darker gods around. Even the 'nice' powers like the Vishanti expect the Sorcerer Supreme to do their bidding, which has caused problems between Strange and the Vishanti in the past. The Vishanti regard Strange to be a particularly useful human ally because Strange has proven effective in guarding the earth dimension from powers like Dormammu. The protected Earth dimension acts sort of like the Wall in Game of Thrones. It keeps the darkness from encroaching on other magical dimensions controlled by the Visanti. You can look at the magic users in the Marvel universe in terms of a hierarchy or pecking order. At the top you have the Sorcerer Supreme who guards the entire earth dimension and who interacts with these mega powerful magical beings. The Sorcerer Supreme doesn't have to be the most powerful magic user. He/she doesn't even have to be good. They have to be the smartest and most experienced at dealing with major dimensional level threats. This is one reason why you always saw classic Strange studying, constantly. The amulets and talismans locked up in the Sanctum usually store major dimension altering powers. Underneath the Sorcerer Supreme come other sorcerers who don't have the breadth of knowledge and experience at the Sorcerer Supreme, but who have basically the same path of study, calling upon the eldricth powers, and use of talismans. These Sorcerers all have their own agendas. You may have magic users that are devoted to specific pantheons of gods, or even a single god or demon. The more closely tied a sorcerer is to a specific pantheon or being, the more likely it is that the god/demon is going to view that person as their champion/pawn. Separate from the sorcerers, there are also witches who may draw their powers directly from the energy of the earth (or their home planet), or from beings on the earth (fairies, demons, etc.). They could range from hedge witches on up to very power witches who own extensive grimoires of spells and charms. Could an average nobody teach themselves to become a magic user? Yes, with enough study, concentration, and will they could. They could also inadvertently use the wrong spell, or try to draw power from the wrong magical being, and then they'd be toast.

[Albert1981]

I think Marvel did have a basic set of rules for magic, at least in Doctor Strange's various series. Magic was a skill that was learned through intense, never-ending study of spells, talismans, and magical beings. Some of the magical beings out there are inter-dimensional beings that date back almost to the origin of the universe. They wield vast elemental powers tied to the creation of the universe itself. Some of them, like the Faltine (Dormammu, Umar, Clea in part) are actually sentient magical energy themselves. These beings are not subject to the rules of physics as we know them and they wield great elemental powers that can alter reality as we know it. Some of these beings are flat out malevolent (Dormammu for example), while others are quasi-benevolent towards humanity when it suits them (the Vishanti). At that level, those beings are pretty much always at some level of simmering war for dominance amongst themselves, and periodically they break out into flat out wars of aggression to determine who gets to be the top dog powers (War of the Seven Spheres) and rewrite the rules to suit themselves. Each dimension, such as the earth dimension, has a champion (Sorcerer Supreme) in place to protect their dimension from some of these more malevolent elder beings. The Sorcerer Supreme learns how to draw on the magical 'energy' of these various elder gods in order to perform magic here on Earth. An adept sorcerer can trap and store this sort of energy in various talismans. One of the consequences of using this sort of sorcery though, is if a sorcerer uses a spell to draw energy from one of these elder gods, that act serves to empower the god in return because it extends that deity's sphere of influence into the sorcerer's dimension. Strange in his early days sometimes cast spells drawing on Dormammu's power until he realized that he was unintentionally expanding Dormammu's influence in the earth dimension. Because magic is an act of thought and will, drawing on dark forces or casting spells to harm can affect the Sorcerer's personality and turn them towards increasingly darker uses of power. This can be a trap for a magic user, as the darker forces usually expect fealty in return and they're likely to destroy any acolyte that ticks them off (or who simply look magically delicious). One of the things that sets a Sorcerer Supreme apart from other magic users is that the Sorcerer Supreme has studied the strengths and weaknesses of these beings and therefore knows just how far they can use and push these darker gods around. Even the 'nice' powers like the Vishanti expect the Sorcerer Supreme to do their bidding, which has caused problems between Strange and the Vishanti in the past. The Vishanti regard Strange to be a particularly useful human ally because Strange has proven effective in guarding the earth dimension from powers like Dormammu. The protected Earth dimension acts sort of like the Wall in Game of Thrones. It keeps the darkness from encroaching on other magical dimensions controlled by the Visanti. You can look at the magic users in the Marvel universe in terms of a hierarchy or pecking order. At the top you have the Sorcerer Supreme who guards the entire earth dimension and who interacts with these mega powerful magical beings. The Sorcerer Supreme doesn't have to be the most powerful magic user. He/she doesn't even have to be good. They have to be the smartest and most experienced at dealing with major dimensional level threats. This is one reason why you always saw classic Strange studying, constantly. The amulets and talismans locked up in the Sanctum usually store major dimension altering powers. Underneath the Sorcerer Supreme come other sorcerers who don't have the breadth of knowledge and experience at the Sorcerer Supreme, but who have basically the same path of study, calling upon the eldricth powers, and use of talismans. These Sorcerers all have their own agendas. You may have magic users that are devoted to specific pantheons of gods, or even a single god or demon. The more closely tied a sorcerer is to a specific pantheon or being, the more likely it is that the god/demon is going to view that person as their champion/pawn. Separate from the sorcerers, there are also witches who may draw their powers directly from the energy of the earth (or their home planet), or from beings on the earth (fairies, demons, etc.). They could range from hedge witches on up to very power witches who own extensive grimoires of spells and charms. Could an average nobody teach themselves to become a magic user? Yes, with enough study, concentration, and will they could. They could also inadvertently use the wrong spell, or try to draw power from the wrong magical being, and then they'd be toast.

Now THAT's a really REALLY good explanation of how magic works in the Marvel Universe. No frills, extremely accessible and user-friendly to magical novices. Thank you so much for posting it. I learned so much from this particular post ALONE. So magicians in Marvel often have to get it from other dimensions, strange books and funny-looking accessories? No wonder their fashion choices are so bizarre! My experience with witches in fiction come from the works of Dahl, Baum and Shakespeare. Very shallow I know! It's a good thing Strange is such a hard worker as well as being so smart! But he's spending a lot of his time on women these days apparently!

[Clea]

Now THAT's a really REALLY good explanation of how magic works in the Marvel Universe. No frills, extremely accessible and user-friendly to magical novices. Thank you so much for posting it. I learned so much from this particular post ALONE. So magicians in Marvel often have to get it from other dimensions, strange books and funny-looking accessories? No wonder there fashion choices are so bizarre! My experience with witches in fiction come from the works of Dahl, Baum and Shakespeare. Very shallow I know! It's a good thing Strange is such a hard worker as well as being so smart! But he's spending a lot of his time on women these days apparently!

Apparently Strange is spending more time with the ladies than with his books of magic these days. I guess that helps to sell comics and provides a way for the movie version of Strange to have some romance (which sells tickets!). The way I look at it, Marvel is keeping the character 'alive' so to speak and introducing him to whole new generations of readers and movie fans, so it's all good so long as the writers don't have him sleazing around so much that it's completely out of character, as has been done more than once in stories in the recent few years. When you have characters who have been around in comics for decades they can easily end up in a sort of limbo where nothing ever changes really. I've always thought that the best way to keep the characters fresh and interesting is to let go of rigid continuity and hang on to the essence of the character's personality and overall story. If Marvel wants to make up new rules for 21st century Marvel magic to make it more accessible to their audience, I say go for it and see how it turns out. It lets the writers tell new stories and keeps the character interesting. Some of the writers are better at it than others. I would just like to see them use writers who have at least a background understanding of the Marvel magical universe, and not writers who seem to be cribbing bad anime or casting spells that sound like they escaped from old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Since apparently there is going to be some carryover from WandaVision (which I loved) into the next Doctor Strange film, I think Marvel has a great opportunity to rebrand Marvel magic. I really want them to be successful so that they can continue to tell stories with these characters for another 50 years. The magic users were always my favorite Marvel characters and I'm glad to see that they are getting a moment to shine in the films, even if Marvel still can't sustain a comics series for Strange for too long. I do wish they'd figure out a way to bring Clea back into play as a character, though not as Strange's lover again. I'm not sure that's possible though. Marvel barely knows what to do with Doctor Strange all on his own. They've rarely ever written Clea well. It might be for the best to keep her parked out of sight in the Dark Dimension until Marvel figures out what they're doing with the magical universe overall.

[Albert1981]

Apparently Strange is spending more time with the ladies than with his books of magic these days. I guess that helps to sell comics and provides a way for the movie version of Strange to have some romance (which sells tickets!). The way I look at it, Marvel is keeping the character 'alive' so to speak and introducing him to whole new generations of readers and movie fans, so it's all good so long as the writers don't have him sleazing around so much that it's completely out of character, as has been done more than once in stories in the recent few years. When you have characters who have been around in comics for decades they can easily end up in a sort of limbo where nothing ever changes really. I've always thought that the best way to keep the characters fresh and interesting is to let go of rigid continuity and hang on to the essence of the character's personality and overall story. If Marvel wants to make up new rules for 21st century Marvel magic to make it more accessible to their audience, I say go for it and see how it turns out. It lets the writers tell new stories and keeps the character interesting. Some of the writers are better at it than others. I would just like to see them use writers who have at least a background understanding of the Marvel magical universe, and not writers who seem to be cribbing bad anime or casting spells that sound like they escaped from old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Since apparently there is going to be some carryover from WandaVision (which I loved) into the next Doctor Strange film, I think Marvel has a great opportunity to rebrand Marvel magic. I really want them to be successful so that they can continue to tell stories with these characters for another 50 years. The magic users were always my favorite Marvel characters and I'm glad to see that they are getting a moment to shine in the films, even if Marvel still can't sustain a comics series for Strange for too long. I do wish they'd figure out a way to bring Clea back into play as a character, though not as Strange's lover again. I'm not sure that's possible though. Marvel barely knows what to do with Doctor Strange all on his own. They've rarely ever written Clea well. It might be for the best to keep her parked out of sight in the Dark Dimension until Marvel figures out what they're doing with the magical universe overall.

Boning broads with zero emotional attachment to them is totally fun in my opinion. But I wouldn't consider that "romance". It's pretty shallow. Which is funny because when I read about Strange back in the day, he was totally not like that. I mean before his accident he was a greedy, selfish and womanizing dickhead, but then he went on this amazing spiritual journey to become the most famous magic wielder in the Marvel Universe. And he was very dedicated and committed to keeping the Earth safe. I mean, he literally learned about magic in his sleep. Apparently these days he's getting less sleep and it's not because of a dedication to the mystical arts. I just took a look at some of the pages of that latest Captain Marvel issue online, and I was very surprised to see Strange hit the bottle! He really is becoming like Stark these days.

[Clea]

Boning broads with zero emotional attachment to them is totally fun in my opinion. But I wouldn't consider that "romance". It's pretty shallow. Which is funny because when I read about Strange back in the day, he was totally not like that. I mean before his accident he was a greedy, selfish and womanizing dickhead, but then he went on this amazing spiritual journey to become the most famous magic wielder in the Marvel Universe. And he was very dedicated and committed to keeping the Earth safe. I mean, he literally learned about magic in his sleep. Apparently these days he's getting less sleep and it's not because of a dedication to the mystical arts. I just took a look at some of the pages of that latest Captain Marvel issue online, and I was very surprised to see Strange hit the bottle! He really is becoming like Stark these days.

Modern era Doctor Strange is still a work in progress, from what I can see. Classic Strange was as you describe: a well-meaning, talented, but arrogant jerk who thought the world revolved around him until circumstances smashed him and he learned to see the world, the universe in a new way. It wasn't just about learning magic. He learned to stop seeing himself as the center of the world and instead decided to serve others by protecting them. Classic hero redemption type story. He devoted himself so much to his studies and work as Sorcerer Supreme that he no longer had a place in his life for love until he met his groovy alien sorceress girlfriend and found someone who could live the magical lifestyle with him. Classic fantasy novel sort of relationship. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Strange gained an appreciation for having a single steady love in his life rather than just flitting around from one meaningless date to another. He did cheat on Clea while she was off in the Dark Dimension, but even that relationship (with Morganna Blessing) was an intense, steady love affair fraught with this notion that they were destined to be lovers throughout time. Another fantasy novel trope. But even so, the trend was that Strange took on steady relationships and didn't just date for fun while he was Sorcerer Supreme. Many of the classic Strange stories emphasized that he felt lonely and somewhat sadly destined to forego living like a normal guy because the burden of being Sorcerer Supreme left him no time to do anything other than fight mystic battles or study to prep for the next challenge. He was happy with Clea because with her he could have a loving relationship while also prioritizing his role as Sorcerer Supreme. Rinse/repeat and that was Strange for decades.

Contemporary Doctor Strange is no longer married to Clea so he's free to date whoever he wants and have those relationships be as emotionally fulfilling or as shallow as he chooses. There were sparks between him and Captain Marvel before, so pairing them up seems like a natural progression for both characters. I don't get the Elektra affair, but I'm not reading that book so I may be missing some context where hooking them up makes sense. I guess the trick for Marvel now is to decide just how much they want to show him having random fun hookups vs staying true to his historical portrayal as someone who felt like he had to sacrifice having a personal life due to the demands of being Sorcerer Supreme. Maybe Marvel thinks that Strange's previous mode of "I'm doomed to be lonely forever because I must devote myself a bazillion percent to magic, so I can't even emotionally commit to my groovy magical alien gf/wife" just doesn't work for 21st century Doctor Strange stories. Who knows? I think we'll see who Marvel intends Doctor Strange to be now more from the MCU portrayal rather than in the comics. I'm pretty sure that the audience for the films is larger than the audience for the comics these days. Perhaps Marvel will assign a writer to Strange who understands that if Strange takes his attention too much off of his mystical duties because he wants to have a normal life, that could spell disaster for our dimension. That might make for a fun story.

[Dipter]

I don't get the Elektra affair, but I'm not reading that book so I may be missing some context where hooking them up makes sense.

You're not missing much context tbh. Strange and Elektra were about to go to hell and face off against Kulan Gath. They knew there was a good change they might die, so why not have a little fun beforehand.

[Albert1981]

Modern era Doctor Strange is still a work in progress, from what I can see. Classic Strange was as you describe: a well-meaning, talented, but arrogant jerk who thought the world revolved around him until circumstances smashed him and he learned to see the world, the universe in a new way. It wasn't just about learning magic. He learned to stop seeing himself as the center of the world and instead decided to serve others by protecting them. Classic hero redemption type story. He devoted himself so much to his studies and work as Sorcerer Supreme that he no longer had a place in his life for love until he met his groovy alien sorceress girlfriend and found someone who could live the magical lifestyle with him. Classic fantasy novel sort of relationship. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Strange gained an appreciation for having a single steady love in his life rather than just flitting around from one meaningless date to another. He did cheat on Clea while she was off in the Dark Dimension, but even that relationship (with Morganna Blessing) was an intense, steady love affair fraught with this notion that they were destined to be lovers throughout time. Another fantasy novel trope. But even so, the trend was that Strange took on steady relationships and didn't just date for fun while he was Sorcerer Supreme. Many of the classic Strange stories emphasized that he felt lonely and somewhat sadly destined to forego living like a normal guy because the burden of being Sorcerer Supreme left him no time to do anything other than fight mystic battles or study to prep for the next challenge. He was happy with Clea because with her he could have a loving relationship while also prioritizing his role as Sorcerer Supreme. Rinse/repeat and that was Strange for decades.

Contemporary Doctor Strange is no longer married to Clea so he's free to date whoever he wants and have those relationships be as emotionally fulfilling or as shallow as he chooses. There were sparks between him and Captain Marvel before, so pairing them up seems like a natural progression for both characters. I don't get the Elektra affair, but I'm not reading that book so I may be missing some context where hooking them up makes sense. I guess the trick for Marvel now is to decide just how much they want to show him having random fun hookups vs staying true to his historical portrayal as someone who felt like he had to sacrifice having a personal life due to the demands of being Sorcerer Supreme. Maybe Marvel thinks that Strange's previous mode of "I'm doomed to be lonely forever because I must devote myself a bazillion percent to magic, so I can't even emotionally commit to my groovy magical alien gf/wife" just doesn't work for 21st century Doctor Strange stories. Who knows? I think we'll see who Marvel intends Doctor Strange to be now more from the MCU portrayal rather than in the comics. I'm pretty sure that the audience for the films is larger than the audience for the comics these days. Perhaps Marvel will assign a writer to Strange who understands that if Strange takes his attention too much off of his mystical duties because he wants to have a normal life, that could spell disaster for our dimension. That might make for a fun story.

I dunno why Marvel had to go so dark with their characters in the early 2000s. When I was reading in the 90s, things were HEADING somewhat in that direction, but not to the extent that it eventually did. It's shocking with so much deconstruction going on. I think Strange and Clea would have been really well-suited to some Pink Floyd music videos. They look like relics from the 60s counter-culture era and that's so much fun to see. But isn't it sort of regressing his character if he's just behaving like he did BEFORE he met the Ancient One? Like the hero's journey has sort of been kinda reversed right? I do appreciate that Marvel Studios made him funny because I think it suits his personality, but I can see why fans of his don't like his quippiness. I just think the whole will they, won't they romantic soap opera garbage should not be transferred from the comics to the movies/shows. So far that hasn't happened, so I'm happy. But I would like to see the Multiverse of Madness EXPLAIN magic even more despite the fact that it will be a crowded and busy film. I don't mind that kind of exposition. As long as Marvel writers don't understand magic, Strange will be in a tough spot, unfortunately.

[Clea]

I dunno why Marvel had to go so dark with their characters in the early 2000s. When I was reading in the 90s, things were HEADING somewhat in that direction, but not to the extent that it eventually did. It's shocking with so much deconstruction going on. I think Strange and Clea would have been really well-suited to some Pink Floyd music videos. They look like relics from the 60s counter-culture era and that's so much fun to see. But isn't it sort of regressing his character if he's just behaving like he did BEFORE he met the Ancient One? Like the hero's journey has sort of been kinda reversed right? I do appreciate that Marvel Studios made him funny because I think it suits his personality, but I can see why fans of his don't like his quippiness. I just think the whole will they, won't they romantic soap opera garbage should not be transferred from the comics to the movies/shows. So far that hasn't happened, so I'm happy. But I would like to see the Multiverse of Madness EXPLAIN magic even more despite the fact that it will be a crowded and busy film. I don't mind that kind of exposition. As long as Marvel writers don't understand magic, Strange will be in a tough spot, unfortunately.

This is why I say that Strange is still a work in progress for Marvel. They know that as cool and metaphysical and trippy that classic Strange was, that's not who they need to character to be for a 21st century audience. About the only thing that Marvel has done with Strange in the last couple decades is depower him over and over and over. The more they reboot the character, the further away from classic Strange he becomes. When it comes to the entire Marvel Magical Universe, Marvel has simply not known what to do with these characters. Everything about the magical character set works well when they're off in their own fantasy novel sort of bubble where it's okay to have magic exist without feeling like you have pretend that magic is just some sort of science or physics. Marvel readers like superheroes who use their fists and have cool tech that you can squint at and pretend could be real. You can't do that with magic. I suspect that blending the magic users with the non-magical 'regular' superheroes will always be difficult, and Marvel will want to take the easy way out and depower the magic users to make them more approachable. Hard to say, though.

As for how dark Marvel went with their characters in the early 2000s...don't get me started. Marvel went quite off the rails with many of their characters, IMO. So far as Strange is concerned, he had some good writers and some poor writers. There were writers who obviously were familiar with his previous canon, and others who clearly knew (or cared) little about his previous history and personality. I hope Marvel doesn't decide to completely regress Strange's personality to his pre-Sorcerer Supreme days because pre-magic Strange was a conceited ass for the most part. He become interesting as a person (at least to me) only when he became humble and decided to dedicate himself to a cause greater than himself. He didn't become a saint, by any means, but he did become kind and he learned to put himself in perspective. He always had a sense of humor that was at times droll, dry, or sarcastic, but he was never prone to being quippy. I hope that Marvel doesn't try to turn him into too much of a wise cracking, hard drinking playboy because that would be so inconsistent with his previously established persona that it would be like a whole new character who just happens to share the same name, street address, and awesome levitating cloak.

[Clea]

You're not missing much context tbh. Strange and Elektra were about to go to hell and face off against Kulan Gath. They knew there was a good change they might die, so why not have a little fun beforehand.

That's as good a reason as any for two attractive single people to hook up for a quick affair.

[Eto]

Wasn't aware of that Nightmare mini-series. By Anne Nocenti and Joe Bennett! Looks very interesting. Will have to check it out.

I have to second the TRIUMPH AND TORMENT recommendation. It's great!

A bit trippy, but gorgeous, is INTO SHAMBALA, another OGN.


Also, here's a list of Greatest Doctor Strange stories that Cronin compiled a few years ago, which I think CBR members voted on.

https://www.cbr.com/the-greatest-doc...ies-ever-told/

Thanks for link Reviresco! I'll check it out

[Eto]

So my friend (who only watches MCU and rarely reads comics) asked me if Strange is able to multiply his money and thus technically he could be richer than Black Panther?

Based on from what I've read I'd say no, but I haven't read any Classic Strange stories yet, which I know those are where he's OP.


Anyone?

[DigiCom]

So my friend (who only watches MCU and rarely reads comics) asked me if Strange is able to multiply his money and thus technically he could be richer than Black Panther?

Based on from what I've read I'd say no, but I haven't read any Classic Strange stories yet, which I know those are where he's OP.


Anyone?

Yes, but why would he want to? Material goods aren't really his thing, especially when he can conjure up stuff on the fly. Pretty much the only thing we ever see him (or, more usually Wong) buy is groceries.

[Eto]

Yes, but why would he want to? Material goods aren't really his thing, especially when he can conjure up stuff on the fly. Pretty much the only thing we ever see him (or, more usually Wong) buy is groceries.

Lol, fair enough.

Btw, was this whole "magic comes with a price" in classic Strange stories as well or is this only something from recent years.