Welcome to the combined appreciation thread for Clea and Stephen, Sorcerers Supreme, who will be sharing an ongoing this year!
by
Nszerdy
Long, long ago there was a young neurosurgeon named Stephen Vincent Strange, and he was about to make the big time. He had everything the world considers success -- talent, youth, wealth, looks -- but he had no heart. Then fate and his own carelessness caught up with him and stripped him of his career in a single moment. Suddenly, nothing he had was of any value; he deserted his colleagues, was deserted by his friends, and spent his entire fortune seeking a cure for his ruined hands. In desperation, he used the last of his resources to chase a scrap of hope -- the rumor of an Ancient One, far away in the mountains of Tibet, who could work miracles.
Doctor Strange found the old monk and demanded help, but the Ancient One could see that, underneath the wretchedness, he was just as uncaring as ever. He knew that Strange needed a change of heart more than he needed working hands, and offered to let him stay and learn from him. Strange, hurt and angry, called the ancient mystic a fraud and would have left at that moment except that a blizzard suddenly arose, preventing his escape. He was snowbound in the monastery with the Ancient One and his disciples, stewing in his own bitterness.
Then at last came the moment when he realized the Ancient One's most trusted disciple, Baron Mordo, was plotting to murder his master. Strange rushed to interfere, but Mordo turned dark magic on him to silence him. Faced all at once with the stunning knowledge that EVIL magic is very much real, Strange finally let his self interest go. He humbled himself before the Ancient One and asked to learn magic as well, hoping to save the old master from his deceptive disciple. Pleased to have reached Strange's heart at last, the Ancient One accepted him, freed him from Mordo's spell, and sent his former student away.
Since then, Strange has been fulfilling his silent vow to take a stand against dark magic. His adventures have taken him in and out of the hidden pockets of reality, from Eternity's domain to the throne room of the Dread Dormammu. He has primarily stood alone. He has suffered loneliness, anonymity, and a growing sense of isolation from the rest of the world, but his career has been filled with unexpected joys -- the undying loyalty of his assistant Wong, the respect of the superhero community, the turbulent friendship of the Defenders, and the love of many noble women, particularly Clea, heir to the Dark Dimension. He has allied with Doctor Doom. He has defeated Shuma-Gorath in his own dimension. He has argued with the Living Tribunal, faced down the Scarlet Witch, and ridden the winged horse Aragorn. In some cases he prevails by strength of arms, but in far more he succeeds by keeping calm, cleverly using what he has on hand, and never, EVER giving up.
All hail the master, Doctor Strange, ambassador of the mystic arts to the Marvel universe. May his star never fade.
This wonderful introduction was written by Dr. Strange fan extraordinaire, Chariset, for the original Master of the Mystic Arts: Doctor Strange Appreciation Thread.
Clea is the Sorcerer Supreme and occasional ruler of the Dark Dimension. She is the daughter of Umar and niece of Dormammu, the Faltine warlords who took over the Dark Dimension after the death of Olnar, the last of the Mhuruuk wizard kings who had previously ruled the Dark Dimension for thousands of years. Umar had an affair with Olnar's son Orini, resulting in Umar becoming pregnant and giving birth to Clea. Umar abandoned Clea into Orini's care and he raised her in complete ignorance of her relationship to Umar and Dormammu. Clea became Stephen Strange's ally in the Dark Dimension, resulting in her nearly being killed by Umar and imprisoned by Dormammu. To save her, the Ancient One hid her in a pocket dimension, where Stephen Strange eventually found her and brought her to earth. She became Strange's lover and his magical disciple. Strange taught her all the magic he knew. Although Clea and Strange loved each other deeply, she eventually returned to the Dark Dimension to liberate it from Umar and Dormammu. She led a rebel army and eventually defeated Umar - who Clea learned was her mother - and then she became the new ruler of the Dark Dimension. Clea and Strange were married in a Dark Dimension ceremony and the pair agreed that each would stay in their own home dimension to protect it, but they would still get together whenever they could. Eventually the two became estranged and separated, though Strange was not willing to officially end the relationship. Dormammu took over the Dark Dimension again and Clea fled to Asgard for a time. Clea and Strange got back together during a fight with Galactus. To win that battle, Strange made a deal with Mephisto that meant sacrificing the one thing that meant the most to him: Clea. Strange wiped all of her memories of him and left her in the Dark Dimension. Her memories were restored after Strange's death in the Death of Doctor Strange mini-series. As a result of the events in that series, Clea has become the Sorcerer Supreme of the Earth Dimension. She has vowed to retrieve his lost soul and bring him back to life. This is the basis for the new series, Strange which debuts in March 2022.
Clea first appeared in Strange Tales #126, back in 1964. In all those years, she's largely been a supporting character in the various Doctor Strange series or in the Defenders, and only rarely appeared in other titles. The new Strange series by writer Jed MacKay is the first time that she is being featured as a leading character in her own right, so it seems like a good time to establish an Appreciation thread for her and this new series. Clea has not yet made an appearance in any of the MCU films. It's unknown at this time if she will be appearing in the next Doctor Strange film. She has appeared as an NPC and a playable character in some of the Marvel games.
This wonderful introduction was written by Clea and Dr. Strange fan extraordinaire, Clea, for the original Clea - Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension - Appreciation Thread.
Master of the Mystic Arts: Doctor Strange Appreciation 2014-2018
Master of the Mystic Arts: Doctor Strange Appreciation 2019
Stephen Strange: Doctor Strange Appreciation 2020
Stephen Strange: Doctor Strange Appreciation 2021
Master of the Mystic Arts: Doctor Strange Appreciation 2022
Clea - Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension - Appreciation 2022
By the Vishanti! Clea & Stephen Strange Appreciation 2023