It's Not Nice To Bind Mother Nature

 

For nearly all of its 1974-1987 run, Doctor Strange was obliged to follow a bimonthly publication schedule, having briefly flirted with monthly issues from April-October of '76 during the height of Steve Englehart's time as scripter on the book. It was Englehart who had announced that, despite the strenuous toll such a schedule would take on both himself (who had other projects he'd hoped to pursue) and artist Gene Colan (who was also doing Tomb Of Dracula at the time), the effort would be made, since all involved (which now included inker Tom Palmer) were "determined to keep at it, and to keep the quality high," in Englehart's words.

Flip the calendar ahead to October, with both Englehart and Colan having departed and writer Marv Wolfman announcing that the book would return to a bimonthly schedule--the reason being that its sales, though good, didn't warrant being published monthly. Early on, however, there were similar bumps in the road for readers of the new monthly series to weather, such as a reprint issue being released so shortly after the book's launch, with bimonthly status kicking in two issues later; then, the departure of celebrated artist Frank Brunner, who made no secret of the fact that he preferred a bimonthly schedule but also had other projects he was interested in pursuing, at which point Colan, who had worked on the first Dr. Strange series in the '60s, came aboard. Englehart would later provide a bit of perspective in that regard:

"When Dr. Strange had his own book in the late '60s, it failed. The insider's official explanation has always laid it off on Gene's panel layout ("you couldn't follow the story"). But it's been my conviction for some time that the real reason is far more basic: in the late '60s, despite all the hue and cry over mind expansion, there just weren't enough spacy people reading comics to support a mystic--while today, there are. In fact, as I say, there are so many spacers around that this book is not just supported. This book is a certified hit. That means there are a lot of people out there who dig Dr. Strange as he now is, and they deserve consideration."

And that leads us to a four-issue story from 1975 which I like to think smoothed the road ahead for our new Sorcerer Supreme and his creative team, and certainly for his readers who despite a two-month wait between issues were demonstrating that they were in it for the long haul. Monsieur Brunner has left us a stunning cover for that story's first installment, featuring Strange facing the unrelenting Umar, the sister to none other than the Dread Dormammu--and while Colan had yet to contribute cover work, we get a sense that Strange, as well as his lover and now-disciple, Clea, are literally about to undertake their baptism of fire!

Call Him... Genesis!

It's probably news to you (as it certainly was to myself) that, according to Doctor Strange writer Steve Englehart*, all mystic energy in the universe is finite, and must be shared among all who understand its use; ergo, the more magicians there are in a certain time period, the less mystical energy one could claim and wield. In reading stories featuring Strange, I had been of the notion that it was the more learned sorcerer who possessed more might, in practice if not on paper. Yet in a previous Englehart story, it always seemed odd to me that the Ancient One, upon his passing, could "bequeath" his mystic powers to his disciple, Dr. Strange, as if they were physical assets one could arrange to transfer upon death.  At the time, I regarded that as the Ancient One passing on his accumulated mystic knowledge to Strange (along the lines of the often-quoted passage attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, "knowledge is power"), which seemed to make the most sense considering that the Ancient One had little power to spare by the time he met his maker. Otherwise, we're left to assume that the Ancient One was keeping all of his power that he'd accumulated over the centuries tucked away in a vault back in his Himalayan temple, mystically triggered for release to Strange at the time of his death.

*Though if an earlier Doctor Strange writer actually established this, do chime in and bring it to my attention.

Nevertheless, Englehart's unofficial creed of mystic energy ties in with--or, rather, appears designed to accommodate--the two-part 1974 story that took place in Marvel Premiere which involves Sise-Neg, a sorcerer who has travelled into the past from the 31st century. In his scheme, Sise-Neg means to take control of all available mystic energy from selected eras as he goes further back in time, so that, when he at last reaches the dawn of creation, all mystic energy in existence will be in his exclusive possession, making him all-powerful and capable of reshaping to his liking all that is to come. But two other sorcerers are along for the ride: Baron Mordo, who hopes to win Sise-Neg's trust and thus assure himself of favorable status in the universe born of Sise-Neg's will... and Dr. Strange, who began this journey with the intent of stopping Mordo from taking such action himself but must now also take the unexpected danger from Sise-Neg into account.

Part 1 of this story is further evidence of Dr. Strange being well on track to returning as a viable character in the Marvel stable, as Englehart and artist Frank Brunner continue to inject new life into the mystic master with engaging stories featuring excellent characterization and (you'll excuse the term) spellbound artwork. And now, as we continue to Part 2, Sise-Neg proceeds on the final leg of his journey backward through time, with Strange and Mordo virtually perched on each shoulder as a kind of angel/devil pairing--one acting as Sise-Neg's conscience and imploring him to see the value of human life, the other self-serving and urging him to follow his instincts in treating humanity with contempt. With each stop on that journey, Sise-Neg materializes in order to take possession of whatever mystical energy at that point in time attracts his attention--and in so doing, provides both Mordo and Strange with an opportunity to win his trust, and affect his choices.

The particular time period which the story first deals with is presumably the late 5th century, specifically in what was then Britain, as elements of King Arthur's reign are encountered--with Merlin's power being the likely source of Sise-Neg's interest. Unfortunately, Mordo appears well-versed in the legends of Camelot--and he uses the tragedy of its principal residents as fodder for strengthening his position with Sise-Neg.

Strike One for Strange--and as he rightly notes, he can't afford to keep giving Mordo opportunities to sway a sorcerer who is on track to becoming a deity.

This Sorcerer, Supreme!

Following the defeat of the prehistoric horror known as Shuma-Gorath, and the loss of his teacher, the Ancient One, Dr. Strange formally succeeded his mentor by ascending to the position of Earth's "Sorcerer Supreme," a title never before used in reference to the Ancient One but which would be virtually written in stone from that point on and applied often in future Doctor Strange stories, with Strange now the preeminent sorcerer on Earth.  The end of the Shuma-Gorath saga capped a successful return from near-oblivion in comics for the character, which a previous appearance in Marvel Feature (alongside the Defenders) helped to secure.

Subsequent to getting his bearings after the Ancient One's passing and coming to terms with his new role, Strange went on to make a notable if ill-fated attempt to mend fences with Baron Mordo, his enemy almost from Day One of his arrival at the Ancient One's Himalayan temple where he'd once hoped to find the help he needed to regain the life he'd lived before a car accident robbed him of the use of his surgeon's hands. Only now, Mordo was nowhere to be found at his castle in Transylvania--while Strange fell victim to Lilia, a gypsy woman who sought to use him to get her past the defenses of Castle Mordo and reclaim a book which the wily Mordo obtained from her through duplicity. Strange was eventually released from his enslavement to Lilia--but upon closer examination of her book, which was written by the 18th century sorcerer known as Cagliostro, he discovered that Mordo had ventured into time itself in order to change the past and thereby assure his own ascendance over Strange's new stature.

And so Strange immediately sets out to pursue his old foe through time. But what awaits them both is someone neither he nor Mordo are expecting to encounter: another mystic, who has his own reason for traveling backward in time, and his own future to reshape.

In The Mind Of The Mystic!

When we last left Dr. Strange and his revered master, the Ancient One, all hell was breaking loose at the Crypts of Kaa-u--"hell," of course, meaning the evil creature known as Shuma-Gorath, who has surprised Strange by springing forth from the mind of his dying mentor, while assuming his image. Yet the Ancient One has told his disciple that he wished to be brought to the Crypts because he realized that he was nearing the end of his life and so took steps to hasten his death--which is what Shuma-Gorath desires to happen, since it will mean the evil one's rebirth. Has the Ancient One not thought this through?

It's unlikely that the Ancient One is helping Shuma-Gorath of his own free will, since he's already lashed out at the Shadowmen (who are carrying out the orders of the Living Buddha, one of Shuma-Gorath's followers) when they threatened Strange's life; we only know that his doing so played right into the hands of Shuma-Gorath. So what's the explanation here? We'll let Shuma-Gorath himself explain how the Ancient One has been the key to his rebirth all along.

Shuma-Gorath's elucidation doesn't quite cover all the bases, since we don't know what threshold of the Ancient One's decline will provide sufficient energy for releasing Shuma-Gorath into our reality--but we can assume that Shuma-Gorath for now must continue to gestate inside the Ancient One's mind, feeding off of his mystic energy until that threshold is reached. If that's the case, then it's a race against time for Strange to stop him--and as he's said, he has an idea of where to start.

Master of the Mystic Arts--Cultists, Not So Much

Having had occasion to glance back at a post from two years ago concerning the 1972-73 span of issues of Marvel Premiere which featured Dr. Strange, there probably isn't much more for me to add to what turned out to be a frank, overall, and (hopefully) fair assessment of the subject, which also included a review of the first issue of the series. In essence, the stories that followed comprised a six-issue buildup to a confrontation in the seventh between Strange and the evil force that waited in the wings--Shuma-Gorath*, one of the many entities who had apparently ruled the Earth in ancient times** and who had every intention of reclaiming that position and suppressing the human race into worshippers and slaves.

*Was it ever made clear where to place the accent in the name? Mentally I've been pronouncing it "Shuma-GorATH," which sounds more imposing, doesn't it?

**Just how many were there? The age of the Earth is estimated at 4½ billion years, which leaves large enough chunks of millennia for evil horrors to stake claims to. There's a post in there somewhere...

With the series being published bi-monthly for the duration of this particular story, it would take precisely one year for readers to reach the finale, while sampling an unusual mix of artists who practically made up their own Bullpen. In addition, with the exception of the earliest installment, co-written by Archie Goodwin and Roy Thomas, the bulk of the story was scripted by Gardner Fox, who by Marvel's own admission may not have been the ideal choice for a Dr. Strange series (a less drawn-out approach by the company to reader criticism than that taken with Jack Kirby's stormy tenure as the writer of Captain America.) Still a dedicated collector during the 1970s, however, I stuck with it to the end (the same mindset that got me through the entirety of titles like Marvel Team-Up, et al.!), eventually reaching the two final issues that saw Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner pick up the reins as co-plotters and begin their successful handling of the character.

It will be those issues that we'll focus on in a moment; but for now, have a look at a brief digest of what came before, since each installment goes a little further in laying the groundwork for the menace of Shuma-Gorath and, as it happens, the fate of the Ancient One.

Now Comes The Sorcerer Supreme

Issue #11 of Marvel Premiere initially seemed intended to be a transition issue following the conclusion of a year-long storyline which pitted the Master of the Mystic Arts, Dr. Strange, against the servants of the prehistoric demon known as Shuma-Gorath, and then finally against the monster itself. Following that saga, Strange would begin a new conflict with his arch-nemesis, Baron Mordo, and a powerful mystic from the 31st century known as Sise-Neg; but before the curtain rose on that arc, issue #11 would set the stage by reprinting two stories that reacquainted readers with Mordo's long and often bitter conflict with Strange. One of those stories was Strange's origin story, where we first met Mordo--a former student of the Ancient One who coveted his master's power but was passed over in favor of Strange (and has held a grudge ever since). Yet there appeared to be more to the issue's unexpected format than giving the appearance of an interlude.

Toward the end of the Shuma-Gorath saga, noted artist Frank Brunner began what would become a distinguished stint as regular artist on the book for the remainder of Strange's stay there, co-plotting the good doctor's adventures along with the mag's new scripter, Steve Englehart. Up to that point, Premiere was being published bi-monthly, a schedule which Strange's former title had shifted to for its final three issues in 1969 presumably due to poor sales. Following the Shuma-Gorath climax, Premiere briefly assumed a monthly publication schedule, "for the summer" according to a letters page response (referring to a nonexistent Bullpen Bulletins announcement on the subject); two issues later, however, it returned to bi-monthly status for Strange's remaining two issues under the Premiere banner (and well into the following Iron Fist run). From there, Englehart and Brunner segued to Doctor Strange #1--back in his own title at last, though once again precariously see-sawing between monthly and bi-monthly scheduling, with yet another reprint appearing in only its third issue.

Brunner's run on Doctor Strange ended with issue #5, the announcement citing lack of time: "...one book, bi-monthly, is about all [Brunner] likes to handle--and lately, other projects have begun to pile up around him. So, reluctantly, he's had to put aside his pencil for [Doctor Strange] in order to get to the others." (If you noticed a glaring contradiction in that statement, join the club--those "other projects" piling up in Brunner's queue seem to add up to more pending work than a single bi-monthly book that's reportedly his preferred limit.) In hindsight, Premiere #11 turned out to be an indication that Brunner's days as Strange's penciller were vulnerable to a monthly deadline--and as we take a look at the beginning of that final ambitious Premiere story, it's clear even at this early stage that his contribution to Dr. Strange was invaluable in restoring interest in the character, and would be missed.

And so this new story represents, in a more meaningful way, the transition for Strange that extends beyond what we saw during his brief stop at the Ancient One's Himalayan temple in the prior issue. He's now truly presented to readers as the "Sorcerer Supreme"--a title surely made for a comic headlined by a character versed in mysticism, but is fraught with potential problems as far as the character having no peers in sorcery (which will become evident even as early as this particular tale). Already he must begin a dangerous new mission; but he also must tend to the details of his new station, which are fascinating in the respect that Strange is practically a new character budding before our eyes--as well as the eyes of those who have waited for his return.

The Sorcerer, The Sorceress, And The Slayer!

We've previously taken a look at the first issue of the 1974 Dr. Strange reboot by writer Steve Englehart and artist Frank Brunner, where Strange, now Earth's "Sorcerer Supreme," had fallen prey to the blade of the religious fanatic known as Silver Dagger and subsequently became trapped within the Orb of Agamotto in a state of "unreality," neither dead nor alive. As Strange began his journey toward the center of the Orb in Part Two of this story, in order to free himself from this realm within the Orb and return to the land of the living, Dagger had already taken Strange's disciple and lover, Clea, in custody and had begun a slow and torturous process of forcing her to renounce her studies in magic and embrace Christianity.

Determined to rescue Clea, Strange in Part Three at last reaches the Orb's center and crosses the gateway into the void, where he again is faced with his own death, once more succumbing to the mortal wound inflicted by Dagger and dying from blood loss. He's then confronted and taunted by the manifestation of Death itself, which tries to convince Strange that his efforts to stem off his fate are futile and that there is no escape for him. Strange strives to stave off the inevitable--but eventually, he acknowledges the hopelessness of the situation, and feels he has no choice but to embrace the end. Yet that act of surrender leads to the appearance of the Ancient One, who informs Strange that he has successfully endured and passed a trial meant to expunge the fear of death within him.

And so, with Strange in the process of being reborn into a new life for himself and returning to the world he knew, we come to the conclusion of this four-part story. Silver Dagger remains at large, his brutal treatment of Clea on the verge of breaking her will. Can Dr. Strange truly come back from the dead? And will his new lease on life be enough to save the one he loves?

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To My Death...

No sooner was Dr. Strange's second series off to a great start in 1974, when the title character was slain! That doesn't leave a lot of options open for future Dr. Strange tales, does it? Except for the fact that the Master of the Mystic Arts, in trying to maintain his fading life by employing the Orb of Agamotto, left himself vulnerable to the Orb's realm of unreality, where one exists in a state between life and death. It's there that Strange now resides, his mortal wound healed and his health restored--as long as he remains within the Orb, neither dead nor truly alive.

Nevertheless, Strange has chosen to head for the center of the Orb, where the two states of unreality are in closest proximity to each other and where his best chance for an egress can be found--for Strange knows that Clea is still in danger from the religious zealot known as Silver Dagger, who has kidnapped her from Strange's sanctum and even now holds her prisoner and badgers her into rejecting the ways of magic and embracing a more fundamental spiritual way of life. It's a war of wills which Clea might be on her way to losing, considering that Dagger has already achieved a victory that will weaken her will to resist and deprive her of hope--the death of her lover, Dr. Strange.

As for Strange, his journey will prove to be anything but uneventful, as the realm within the Orb contains many unexpected dangers, as well as many surprises--the latter represented by the presence of those heroes which the issue's cover indicates have turned against their sorcerous ally.

Only one issue to its name, and already this new Dr. Strange series is flaunting guest stars to presumably drum up readership, which at first glance appears to be a worrisome sign of Marvel's confidence in the character's second shot at a series. It's reasonable to assume that Dr. Strange was only given the green light because the character was well received in the Marvel Premiere title and in his continuing appearances in The Defenders; a tie-in with the latter, at so early a stage, may simply be taking advantage of his momentum. Whether that's out of necessity or the result of good business sense is unclear--but it can't help but raise an eyebrow.

At any rate, Part Two of this story is in full swing--and Strange is resolved to press on, even knowing full well that certain death is waiting for him should he emerge from the Orb. But Clea is also in danger from the ravings of a madman, and he knows he must not fail her.

Dr. Strange In Wonderland

The character of Dr. Strange took what seemed to be an arduous path toward his second solo title, following the cancellation of his 1968-69 series--his final three issues shifting to bi-monthly publication before the plug was finally pulled, and right in the middle of an ongoing plot. Strange had just uncovered the existence of the Undying Ones, a storyline that would eventually be played out in the pages of three other titles. Needless to say, the mystic master became something of a floater during this period. He would first track the Undying Ones' devotee, the Nameless One, to its home dimension with the aid of the Sub-Mariner, and subsequently sacrificing himself to become trapped there in order to enable Namor's escape; two months later, the incredible Hulk came to Strange's aid, playing a part in freeing the magician and returning with him to Earth, where Strange would renounce his sorcerous life. It would be a year and a half before he would reclaim it, in the premiere issue of Marvel Feature featuring the debut of the Defenders.

Following the three-issue Marvel Feature appearance of the Defenders, Strange segued to a twelve-issue (albeit again bi-monthly) run in Marvel Premiere, just as The Defenders began as its own series around the same time. Finally, three months after his appearance in Marvel Premiere concluded, and still bolstered by his continuing monthly exposure in The Defenders, the second Dr. Strange series was launched, with writer Steve Englehart smoothly pivoting the character from the concluding events of Marvel Premiere that saw Strange ascend to the position of Sorcerer Supreme following the Ancient One's death.

Which brings us to the second shot of Dr. Strange as a series in its own right, a promising beginning in light of Englehart having written the final five issues of the character's story in Marvel Premiere (with a classic reprint being shuffled in) and being accompanied by the artist from those issues, the very talented Frank Brunner (if only briefly). As the disciple of the Ancient One, Strange was already arguably the world's preeminent sorcerer by reputation if not formally in name, his challenges being met as the "Master of the Mystic Arts," a title his new comic continued to use on its cover for the time being. Englehart's step in elevating him to the more formal status of "Sorcerer Supreme" is perhaps a risky one, since Strange's often-used phrase, "Curse me for a novice!", will be much more difficult to justify from a man who has been judged as ready to assume the powers and status of the Ancient One; yet already, Englehart has found ways to demonstrate that Strange is yet human, and can still be deceived and/or taken by surprise by a clever foe. As indeed this story exemplifies, to deadly and even fatal effect.

From Death To Eternity

In the second meeting between Dr. Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts, and the manifestation of Death, the encounter was an introspective one, as Death sought to co-opt the mage by weakening his spirit and showing him the effect that death has had on his family and, by extension, his own path which led to the end of his surgical career. Death was obliged to take such a circumspect approach due to the fact that, with Strange's ascendance to his current level of power, he could no longer be taken by Death directly--and so Death resorted to a ruse, which would compel Strange to surrender his life willingly. Ultimately, Strange prevailed, which is astonishing when you consider that it makes him 2 for 2 in face-offs with Death. That would certainly make for impressive feathers in one's cap.

But, what about that first meeting, when Strange had to go head-to-head with Death without such impunity? We know that the man is good, but how could he possibly survive?

To make a long story short, he did, but he didn't.

And while that sounds like they would have needed to change the title of the mag to "Dr. Corpse, Master of the Walking Dead" (come on, you know you'd read it), Strange managed to survive that encounter on a TKO. And any death you can walk away from is a good one, which this story will make clear.

To give you some background to this encounter, Strange has found reluctant refuge from his fatal stabbing by the man known as Silver Dagger within the "unreality" realm of the Orb of Agamotto, and has steadily made his way back to the center of the orb in order to make his escape back to Earth. But as he nears his goal, he also makes himself vulnerable once again to death; yet he has no choice, if he wants to return to Earth as well as to save Clea from Dagger.

Which will involve coming face-to-skull with an entity that has only one goal where the living are concerned.