Clea - Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension - Appreciation 2022

[Clea]

Aw... That'd be a damn shame! This has been such a solid book!

The announcement does say that another chapter is about to begin, so I'm looking forward to that. This current story had to end sometime. It flowed beautifully from the Death of Doctor Strange to this story. I hope Jed MacKay continues to be the writer for these characters going forward.

[DigiCom]

The announcement does say that another chapter is about to begin, so I'm looking forward to that. This current story had to end sometime. It flowed beautifully from the Death of Doctor Strange to this story. I hope Jed MacKay continues to be the writer for these characters going forward.

I'm rather hoping he treats this story like he's been writing Black Cat... not so much multiple relaunches, but a series of related minis.

[Rzerox21xx]

https://aiptcomics.com/2022/10/21/ma...iew-strange-7/

I believe that Bill Foster in the preview.

[Steroid]

https://aiptcomics.com/2022/10/21/ma...iew-strange-7/

I believe that Bill Foster in the preview.

Awesome looking preview. Can't wait for Wednesday to see all this goodness unfold.

[DigiCom]

https://aiptcomics.com/2022/10/21/ma...iew-strange-7/

I believe that Bill Foster in the preview.

That was my interpretation as well.

[Albert1981]

Hey DigiCom,

I just read something interesting online recently: The Silver Surfer could be making his debut in a couple of years time:

https://www.thecosmiccircus.com/what...isney-special/

I'm weary about how Marvel is gonna introduce Radd. I think Disney has done a TERRIBLE job of introducing their Phase Four characters (with the notable exception of Daredevil), so I don't wanna have Marvel Studios mess this one up. I've stated MANY times on this thread that I've always loved dudes like Silver Surfer and Ghost Rider as a kid because of their unique "modes of transportation".

I was just wondering, when has Clea and/or Strange interacted with either SS or GR? I feel Clea is more of a "cosmic" character due to the fact she's sort of from "outer space". So I feel her hanging around with dudes like Nova and Silver Surfer is perfectly natural. On the other hand, Strange DOES hang out a lot in the "supernatural" corner of the Marvel Universe, so he can easily blend in with dudes like Daimon Hellstrom and Ghost Rider. Has Clea ever interacted with Ghost Rider much (like is she freaked out by the whole "penance stare" thing)? And what's her relationship with the Silver Surfer at the moment? According to the Sisters of Sorcery, Radd's kinda mad at her for stabbing him in the back (albeit for the greater good). I wouldn't mind an MCU story involving Umar, Dormammu, Ghost Rider, Silver Surfer, Stephen, Wong and Clea doing some crazy shit in the Dark Dimension. Because I'm not interested in the current MCU multiversal incursion Avengers storyline at ALL.

Hey Clea,

I didn't really enjoy the MoM all that much. I thought the Illuminati scene was REALLY boring and pointless. And the exposition was just godawful. It felt EXACTLY like the tedious info dumps we got in the Loki series. BUT, some of the little humor from Strange was pretty good:



Mordo: Captain Marvel. Defender of the Cosmos. And the smartest man alive, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four.

Reed: Hello, Stephen.

Strange: Fantastic Four? Didn't you guys chart in the sixties?

Maria: I'm sorry. Is this a joke to you?

Strange: Well there's a guy over there with a fork on his head, so, yeah. Little bit.

Carter: Be grateful Black Bolt doesn't engage you in conversation.

Strange: Why? Does he have bad breath?

Humor is not a bad thing. Strange 2 didn't have THAT many jokes in it. Which is unfortunate. Cumberbatch is a really funny guy. Too bad he didn't put his comedic chops to better use in Strange 2. He was just kind of whiny in it. But heck, I thought Thor lost a degree of novelty to HIS character in L&T, because apparently almost anybody in the MCU can control thunder these days.

[DigiCom]

I was just wondering, when has Clea and/or Strange interacted with either SS or GR?

Well, Stephen & Norrin were "founders" of the Defenders, of course, so they have interacted fairly often. And Stephen interacted with both the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider & Johnny Blaze during the Midnight Sons era in the 90s.

Clea was something of an adjunct member of the Defenders, so she interacted with the Surfer during those runs, most notably during The Order (the same arc where she helped create Ardina). I'm not sure offhand whether she interacted with the Rider all that often.

That being said, Marvel has always kept the division between extra-dimensional mystical characters and "cosmic" characters fairly clear. Cosmic characters are folks like the Elders and the Stranger... they usually don't use magic but "the power cosmic". About the only mystical character who regularly shows up outside of the classic "splash page of conceptual beings" is Mephisto, and that's primarily because he has shown a desire for the Surfer's soul...

[DigiCom]

Actually, after a brief bit of Googling, I have determined that Stephen, Clea, Norrin & Danny Ketch are all in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #50, where Stephen summons the founding Defenders to help him rescue Clea from a supercharged Dormammu. She never witnesses the Penance Stare, but she doesn't seem too bothered about fighting alongside of him.

[Albert1981]

Well, Stephen & Norrin were "founders" of the Defenders, of course, so they have interacted fairly often. And Stephen interacted with both the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider & Johnny Blaze during the Midnight Sons era in the 90s.

Clea was something of an adjunct member of the Defenders, so she interacted with the Surfer during those runs, most notably during The Order (the same arc where she helped create Ardina). I'm not sure offhand whether she interacted with the Rider all that often.

That being said, Marvel has always kept the division between extra-dimensional mystical characters and "cosmic" characters fairly clear. Cosmic characters are folks like the Elders and the Stranger... they usually don't use magic but "the power cosmic". About the only mystical character who regularly shows up outside of the classic "splash page of conceptual beings" is Mephisto, and that's primarily because he has shown a desire for the Surfer's soul...

Oh thanks for the info. Appreciate you sharing it with me. Was never a big Defenders/X-Men guy. I was more into the Avengers when it came to Marvel "teams". I've done a bit of online research myself lately, and I heard one of the Ghost Riders did his penance stare on Strange once, and Stephen took some time to recover from it. So I suppose GR and Strange are not particularly on friendly terms. To me, "dimensions" and "outer space" feel somewhat similar, so I don't really make much distinctions there. But Clea did use her magic on the "power cosmic" from what I understand to create a female Silver Surfer. Which is ABSOLUTELY weird to me. That seems like a pretty important event in Clea's superhero "career". But Marvel apparently didn't do anything more with it. In the Sisters of Sorcery, Umar wants to use Ardina's power to crush Clea's rebel forces in the Dark Dimension. Which sounds pretty interesting to me. Because Clea is sort of Ardina's "mother", so she should feel responsible for that. That would feel like a logical follow-up to the stuff that went down in the Order. I'm glad Marvel is using a novel to tell this story, as opposed to just a few comic book issues.

[DigiCom]

Oh thanks for the info. Appreciate you sharing it with me. Was never a big Defenders/X-Men guy. I was more into the Avengers when it came to Marvel "teams". I've done a bit of online research myself lately, and I heard one of the Ghost Riders did his penance stare on Strange once, and Stephen took some time to recover from it. So I suppose GR and Strange are not particularly on friendly terms. To me, "dimensions" and "outer space" feel somewhat similar, so I don't really make much distinctions there. But Clea did use her magic on the "power cosmic" from what I understand to create a female Silver Surfer. Which is ABSOLUTELY weird to me. That seems like a pretty important event in Clea's superhero "career". But Marvel apparently didn't do anything more with it. In the Sisters of Sorcery, Umar wants to use Ardina's power to crush Clea's rebel forces in the Dark Dimension. Which sounds pretty interesting to me. Because Clea is sort of Ardina's "mother", so she should feel responsible for that. That would feel like a logical follow-up to the stuff that went down in the Order. I'm glad Marvel is using a novel to tell this story, as opposed to just a few comic book issues.

Based on your description, the book is clearly following up directly on The Order. To be honest, though, that run isn't particularly noteworthy... I doubt most folks ever remember it... Ardina herself hasn't even appeared since. One 20-year old miniseries just isn't that important. As for Strange & the Rider... Stephen doesn't usually hold a grudge against fellow heroes, and Ketch isn't even a Spirit of Vengeance these days. He and Blaze fought together in the Damnation event without issues.

[Albert1981]

Actually, after a brief bit of Googling, I have determined that Stephen, Clea, Norrin & Danny Ketch are all in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #50, where Stephen summons the founding Defenders to help him rescue Clea from a supercharged Dormammu. She never witnesses the Penance Stare, but she doesn't seem too bothered about fighting alongside of him.

Oh wow. That sounds like a cool and fun issue. MY Ghost Rider is the Danny Ketch version, by the way. All I'm saying is that I really like Radd and Ketch, and I would love to see Strange/Clea interact with them in the MCU (I kinda doubt that's possible at this point actually). In some ways, a story involving Stephen, Clea, SS and GR could actually be EASIER to understand and follow than this incursion/multiverse stuff. But Clea would probably be overwhelmed by three other really popular Marvel MALE characters. I think a story involving Umar might have a different dynamic. The MCU doesn't really have a mother-daughter dynamic, and the Clea/Umar relationship could be interesting to see on screen.

[Albert1981]

Based on your description, the book is clearly following up directly on The Order. To be honest, though, that run isn't particularly noteworthy... I doubt most folks ever remember it... Ardina herself hasn't even appeared since. One 20-year old miniseries just isn't that important. As for Strange & the Rider... Stephen doesn't usually hold a grudge against fellow heroes, and Ketch isn't even a Spirit of Vengeance these days. He and Blaze fought together in the Damnation event without issues.

The Sisters of Sorcery, from what I understand, is one of the ONLY stories Marvel has ever published featuring Clea as a leader of a group. Which surprised me. I thought they would go with Wanda or Magik, but it probably makes sense to go with Clea because she is more obscure and is less burdened with reader expectations. Yeah, I figure Strange is a live and let live kinda dude. I like a chill Stephen. A funny Stephen. A womanizing Stephen. Just kidding about that last one. But forgive me if I'm wrong, but there's not much pathos to Stephen's and Clea's characters. GR's and the Surfer's powers come with heavy burdens. Which makes them quite interesting. In the MoM, the MCU tries very hard to make Stephen become REALLY naive and crippled by loneliness. However, to ME, he just came off as kind of whiny. Cumberbatch's lack of chemistry with McAdams certainly didn't help matters.

[DigiCom]

The Sisters of Sorcery, from what I understand, is one of the ONLY stories Marvel has ever published featuring Clea as a leader of a group. Which surprised me. I thought they would go with Wanda or Magik, but it probably makes sense to go with Clea because she is more obscure and is less burdened with reader expectations.

More likely, because MCU synergy. And Clea was leader of the "anti-Order" team in the mini of the same name.

But forgive me if I'm wrong, but there's not much pathos to Stephen's and Clea's characters.

Well...

I suspect that's due to lack of familiarity. A good chunk of their story in the 90s centers on how they love each other, but they can't be together, due to their responsibilities to their respective realms. Indeed, one of Clea's last major appearances in Strange's ongoing hinged on that point.

There's a lovely tumblr post about their relationship that touches on the issue:

https://doctorofmagic.tumblr.com/pos...cleas-kiss-was

[Albert1981]

More likely, because MCU synergy. And Clea was leader of the "anti-Order" team in the mini of the same name.



Well...

I suspect that's due to lack of familiarity. A good chunk of their story in the 90s centers on how they love each other, but they can't be together, due to their responsibilities to their respective realms. Indeed, one of Clea's last major appearances in Strange's ongoing hinged on that point.

There's a lovely tumblr post about their relationship that touches on the issue:

https://doctorofmagic.tumblr.com/pos...cleas-kiss-was

Oh wow! Thanks for sharing that info. I guess Clea's and Strange's relationship is pretty tortured. In regards to the MCU, I'm hoping Strange will be fleshed out a little bit better than he has recently. Hate to see Marvel wasting Cumberbatch.

[Clea]

Strange #7
Even without already knowing that we're approaching the final issue of this current run, this storyline feels like it is wrapping up. We know that the Blasphemy Cartel is the source of the Revenants that have been plaguing the mystical underworld. Clea confirms her suspicion that Stephen Strange is the Harvestman and gets him to tell her how and why he took on that role on behalf of Death. The truth makes Clea even more determined to put an end to the Cartel and get Death to release Strange and restore him to life. Stephen confides that he didn't reveal his identity to Clea because he wanted to protect her feelings, lest he fail and die yet again. Clea's reaction upon hearing that sad, noble tale of self-sacrifice is to roll her eyes and chew him out, a scene that I personally found rather hilarious. "So typical of you! Ugh! Mother said I had rotten taste in men and you're proving her right. UGH! Would it kill you to stop being such a self-sacrificing idiot and come home and ask for help? Wait ... you are dead. That was probably insensitive of me. ... Too Bad!!! Ugh! How dare Death tell me who I can and can't touch! UGH! I'm so mad now!!! I will kick Death's ass if I have to!!! ARGH!!!"

Just imagine that dialogue playing out while they periodically pause to demolish a Revenant and that sums up the issue.

It's all super sweet and I will cry buckets of tears if Jed MacKay doesn't continue to write Clea and Stephen for many more years after this book wraps up.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how lovely the artwork is and how well the action flows from page to page. Also, the lettering is wonderful. The different characters often have different colored and sizes of fonts, all used to enhance the story.

Did somebody mention how angsty and tortured Clea and Stephen's relationship has been so often in their past? Well, here's more angst, lovingly brought to us by Jed MacKay. So mean!