Doctor Strange

In literature, Doctor Strange is one of the most powerful superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is an egotistical neurosurgeon who transforms himself into the world's foremost sorcerer to protect Earth from supernatural threats. The character is also known as the Master of the Mystical Arts and the Sorcerer Supreme.

Doctor Strange was created by artist Steve Ditko and writer Stan Lee in 1963. The character's psychedelic adventures opened a world of magic and mysticism in Marvel Comics. His vast array of powers includes astral projection and traveling through dimensions.

With surreal storylines and Ditko's stunning artwork, the comic book character gained a popular following among 1960s youth. Doctor Strange has worked alongside a variety of Marvel heroes, including the Defenders, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers. Doctor Strange's top foes are Baron Mordo and Dormammu.

After a 1978 television movie and a 2007 animated film, the character achieved mainstream fame with the hit Marvel Studios film Doctor Strange (2016) and subsequent appearances in the hugely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Background

The character of Doctor Strange was conceived during the silver age of Comics. The period between 1956 and 1970 marked a creative renaissance for comic books, especially those featuring superheroes. Ditko and Lee said Doctor Strange was Ditko's idea.

Before Doctor Strange, magical characters had appeared as superheroes in other comics, including The Spectre, Doctor Fate, and Zatara at DC Comics, and Dr. Droom, later known as Dr. Druid, at Marvel. Lee said the character was inspired by an old radio show titled Chandu the Magician.

Doctor Strange made his debut in the comic book Strange Tales #110 in July 1963. Stephen Strange was a wealthy, arrogant surgeon whose career was ruined after a car accident damaged the nerves in his hands. Unable to operate, Strange sets out on a quest to find a cure, which leads him to the Ancient One, a mystic with healing abilities who lives in the Himalayas. The Ancient One refuses to cure him, but instead teaches Strange the dark arts. When Strange learns of the otherworldly threats against Earth, he decides to hone his magical skills and defend the planet, eventually becoming Sorcerer Supreme.

Strange's origin story set the character apart from other superheroes. While others were motivated by justice or vengeance, Strange was initially driven by selfishness. He was not looking for redemption, but he found it anyway.

The comic book character plunged Marvel into new territory, as his stories delved into Eastern mysticism. An expert in the occult, Doctor Strange's powers come from invoking spells, incantations, or divine beings. The Sorcerer Supreme can also manipulate the universe's energy and relies on his own psychic abilities. His magical arsenal includes transforming matter, conjuring portals, and controlling the elements. He also possesses astral projection, teleportation, telepathy, and the ability to travel through dimensions and time.

Doctor Strange's stylized look mashed traditional superhero features with mystical elements. The black-haired sorcerer, with white at his temples, has a thin mustache. He wears Asian-influenced blue robes, accompanied by what looks like a red and gold cape.

The cape is a magical artifact called the Cloak of Levitation. It serves as a second set of hands for Strange, allowing him to fly and levitate. Strange also wears a powerful amulet, the Eye of Agamotto. Hanging around the doctor's neck, the Eye acts as a protective talisman, boosts Strange's mental powers, and enables inter-dimensional travel.

The metaphysical nature of Doctor Strange allowed for numerous story and art possibilities in comics. The collaboration of Lee and Ditko cemented the comic book character's legacy.

Overview

In the 1960s, Doctor Strange became a countercultural hero. Ditko's imaginative and colorful imagery elevated Lee's reality-altering storylines.

Ditko's surrealistic illustrations of Doctor Strange's dimension-hopping adventures appealed to the decade's youth and their interest in Eastern mysticism. The trippy renderings evoked the hallucinogenic visions that young people experienced while using psychedelic drugs. The character became popular among college students and recreational drug users.

Furthering his connection to anti-establishment readers, Doctor Strange set up his home base at a townhouse called the Sanctum Santorum at 177A Bleecker St. in New York's Greenwich Village. The real-life neighborhood was a haven for bohemians and artists. Doctor Strange's sidekick was Wong, an Asian sorcerer who was a devoted disciple of the Ancient One.

Ditko illustrated Doctor Strange's exploits in Strange Tales from 1963 to 1966. After his defining run, artists Dan Adkins, Marie Severin, and Gene Colan took turns rendering the character. But the artwork lacked Ditko's unique vision.

Doctor Strange received his own solo title in June 1968. But as sales dipped, the Sorcerer Supreme underwent a makeover into a mask-wearing superhero. The attempt to reinvent the hero failed, and the comic book title was canceled in 1969.

The character returned to Marvel Comics in 1971 as a founding member of the Defenders, a superhero team-up between the sorcerer, the Hulk, and Namor the Sub-Mariner. Doctor Strange's solo title was relaunched in 1973 with Frank Brunner as artist and Steve Englehart as writer.

Doctor Strange has appeared with other Marvel superheroes, including working with the Fantastic Four and becoming close friends with Spider-Man, another co-creation of Lee and Ditko. The Sorcerer Supreme has been a member of the Avengers, the mightiest group of superheroes in Marvel's history.

The character has battled several foes. In his origin story, Doctor Strange met his nemesis Baron Mordo, an apprentice of the Ancient One who turned against his master. The Sorcerer Supreme has repeatedly faced Dormammu, an all-powerful demigod who rules the Dark Dimension and seeks to conquer Earth for himself. Doctor Strange has even squared off against the literary figure Dracula, temporarily ridding the world of vampires.

After appealing to a niche audience, many attempts have been made to bring Doctor Strange into the mainstream. A 1978 TV movie starring Peter Hooten as the titular superhero aired as a potential pilot for a series on the CBS network. However, the film was a ratings disaster, and the proposed TV show was dropped. An animated 2007 film about Doctor Strange received mixed reviews.

The character made the jump to mass culture when Marvel Studios, the movie studio behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series of comic book–based films, released Doctor Strange in 2016. It starred Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme and traced the character's origins. With its mind-bending special effects and a strong cast led by Cumberbatch, the film was a critical and commercial success. Doctor Strange went on to appear in several further MCU entries, including a brief role in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and more substantial parts in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). In 2022, Marvel released Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as the second installment to focus specifically on the character. Versions of Dr. Strange also appeared in several animated Marvel productions, including the show What If...? that premiered in 2021 and featured Cumberbatch's voice acting.

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