Doctor Strange

Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by artist Steve Ditko and writer Stan Lee, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 in July 1963. Doctor Strange is known as the Sorcerer Supreme, meaning he protects the Earth from magical and mystical dangers.

Strange begins his story as a very smart and confident neurosurgeon. However, he is hurt in a car accident that damages the nerves in his hands, making it impossible for him to continue his work as a surgeon. Unable to accept this, he travels the world looking for ways to heal himself. His journey leads him to meet the Ancient One, who becomes his teacher in the mystical arts.

Under the Ancient One’s guidance, Strange learns powerful magic and gains several special items, such as the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation. He lives in a special house called the Sanctum Sanctorum in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, where he works with his friend Wong to keep the world safe from mystical threats. Over the years, Doctor Strange has also appeared in movies, first played by Peter Hooten in a 1978 television film and later by Benedict Cumberbatch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Publication history

Creation

Artist Steve Ditko and writer Stan Lee created the character, with Ditko originally bringing the idea to Lee. Ditko described bringing a five-page story with a script for a new kind of character to Lee, who agreed to give it a chance. Lee later mentioned in a letter that the character was Ditko’s idea and that they decided to name him Dr. Strange, though they almost called him Mr. Strange.

Early years

Dr. Strange first appeared in Strange Tales #110 in July 1963. The stories featured magical items like the "Eye of Agamotto" and the "Wand of Watoomb", along with mysterious phrases that sounded magical. Ditko’s artwork showed strange and surreal worlds, which made the stories popular among college students at the time. The stories created a rich magical world that combined ideas from different cultures and myths.

Later, other artists joined in, and the stories grew more complex. Dr. Strange’s adventures took him into strange dimensions and cosmic battles. Over time, the character appeared in many different comic series, facing various magical foes and solving mystical problems.

Fictional character biography

Dr. Stephen Strange is a very smart doctor who was born in Philadelphia and grew up in New York City. He went to medical school at Columbia University and became very good at surgery, but he was also very proud and only treated patients who could pay a lot of money.

One day, while driving too fast, Dr. Strange had a bad accident that hurt the bones in his hands. This made it impossible for him to perform surgery anymore. He tried many expensive treatments to fix his hands but failed and lost all his money. Dr. Strange then heard about a wise person called the Ancient One who lived in the Himalayas and could heal anyone. Even though he didn’t believe in magic, Dr. Strange went to find the Ancient One.

The Ancient One didn’t want to help Dr. Strange at first because he was too arrogant. But when Dr. Strange stopped a bad person named Baron Mordo from hurting the Ancient One, he showed he had a good heart. The Ancient One then agreed to teach Dr. Strange special magic skills. After learning these skills, Dr. Strange returned to New York City to live in a special house called the Sanctum Sanctorum in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, with his friend Wong.

Later, Dr. Strange had to face many magical enemies, including a powerful ruler named Dormammu from another world called the "Dark Dimension". With help from a young girl named Clea, Dr. Strange stopped Dormammu’s plan to take over Earth.

Powers and abilities

Doctor Strange is a sorcerer who gets his powers from mystical beings such as Agamotto, Cyttorak, Ikonn, Oshtur, Raggadorr, and Watoomb. These beings give him energy for spells. He also uses special items like the Cloak of Levitation to fly, the Eye of Agamotto to block bad magic, the Book of the Vishanti for knowledge of good magic, and the Orb of Agamotto to see magic happening anywhere in the world.

Besides magic, Doctor Strange knows many fighting styles like judo and can create magical weapons like swords. Before becoming a sorcerer, he was a very skilled doctor, though an accident made it hard for him to use his hands. He is known as the greatest magician in the universe and holds the title of Sorcerer Supreme, protecting the world from magical threats.

Sorcerer Supreme

Doctor Strange is often shown as the Sorcerer Supreme, a special role given to a magic user who protects Earth and the universe from magical dangers. The Sorcerer Supreme also makes sure that other dimensions, like the Dark Dimension, do not mix with our own world, which could cause big problems.

Before Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme was a wise person from Tibet called the Ancient One. After the Ancient One passed away, Strange took over this important job. In one story called "Blood Hunt," a character named Doctor Doom took the role from Strange temporarily. In the future, a hero named the Scarlet Witch will become the Sorcerer Supreme.

Enemies

Doctor Strange has faced many challenging foes throughout his adventures. Some of his notable enemies include:

• Aggamon – The ruler of the Purple Dimension.
• Baron Mordo – An evil wizard and former student of the Ancient One.
• D'Spayre – A demon who feeds on fear and is part of the Fear Lords.
• Dagoth – A sea demon and offspring of Dagon.
• Dormammu – The ruler of the Dark Dimension.
• Dweller-in-Darkness – A demon who creates fear, also part of the Fear Lords.
• Enchantress – An Asgardian sorceress whom Doctor Strange first faced during the "Acts of Vengeance" storyline.
• Kaecilius – An evil wizard who serves Baron Mordo.
• Kaluu – A very old wizard and former classmate of the Ancient One.
• Mindless Ones – Creatures from the Dark Dimension who act as Dormammu's soldiers.
• Mister Rasputin – A sorcerer who claims to be related to Grigori Rasputin.
• Necromancer – The version of Doctor Strange from Counter-Earth.
• Nightmare – The ruler of the Dream Dimension.
• Paradox – A being created by Doctor Strange to stand in for him.
• Satannish – A demon from another dimension.
• Shanzar – The supreme sorcerer of the Strange Matter Dimension, who once controlled Hulk.
• Shazana - A sorceress and queen from another dimension.
• Shuma-Gorath – An ancient being from Earth's very early history.
• Silver Dagger – A sorcerer with strong religious beliefs.
• Sons of Satannish – A group that worships Satannish.
• Stygyro - A magician from the 1600s.
• Tiboro – A human-like being who says he comes from the Sixth Dimension.
• Umar – A resident of the Dark Dimension and the sister of Dormammu.
• Undying Ones – Demons from another world with many different magical powers and shapes.
• Yandroth – A supreme scientist from the planet Yann.

Cultural impact and legacy

Steve Ditko's artwork for Doctor Strange is seen as very important in comic book history. His style was unusual and dreamy, showing strange worlds and places that looked like dreams. This style matched the feelings of many people in the 1960s.

Many places have listed Doctor Strange as one of the best and most powerful characters. He has been named one of the smartest magic users, the best sorcerers, and one of the most powerful heroes in Marvel comics.

Doctor Strange has also influenced other areas. A music group named themselves after him, and he appears in songs by famous bands. He even shows up on the cover of an album by the band Pink Floyd, with an image taken from one of his old comic stories.

Other versions

Two months before Doctor Strange first appeared, another character named Carl Strange was introduced. This Carl Strange was a scientist who gained mental powers after a lightning strike.

In different versions of stories, Doctor Strange appears in many ways. In one world, he works for S.H.I.E.L.D. instead of learning magic. In another, he is a doctor for people with special powers. Some stories show him as the teacher of magic instead of a student. There are even stories where he is part of teams fighting against bad guys or where he lives in futures far from today. Each version shows how Doctor Strange's story can change in new and interesting ways.

Main article: Doctor Strange

In other media

Television

Doctor Strange has appeared in many TV shows. He was in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends with voice actor John Stephenson, and in Spider-Man: The Animated Series voiced by John Vernon. He also showed up in The Incredible Hulk, The Super Hero Squad Show, and several Disney XD series like Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers Assemble, and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., voiced by different actors including Jack Coleman and Liam O'Brien. In Japan, he appeared in Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers and Marvel Future Avengers, with Yasunori Masutani providing his voice in the Japanese version and Liam O'Brien in the English version. He also appeared in Spider-Man (2017), Marvel Super Hero Adventures, and X-Men '97.

Film

Doctor Strange was in a 1978 film played by Peter Hooten, where he worked as a psychiatrist. He also appeared in an animated movie called Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme, voiced by Bryce Johnson. He made a quiet appearance in Planet Hulk as part of a group called the Illuminati, and later in Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell, again voiced by Liam O'Brien.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The character of Doctor Strange is played by Benedict Cumberbatch in movies and shows set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He first appeared in the 2016 film Doctor Strange after a car accident led him to learn special powers. He also appeared in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Different versions of him show up in What If...? and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

Video games

Doctor Strange is a character you can play or meet in many video games. He advises Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin and is a playable character in games like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, Marvel Avengers Alliance, and many more, including several Lego games and fighting games like Marvel vs. Capcom series. He also appears in Marvel Powers United VR and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, among others.

Miscellaneous

Doctor Strange has been in radio dramas and books, like a WBAI radio drama and a novel titled Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts: Nightmare by William Rotsler. He also made a small appearance in Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours by Jim Butcher.