Of all the magic users and mystical figures throughout the Marvel Universe, Doctor Strange is the most accomplished, heroic character to wield the mystic arts to defend all of reality. As the universe's Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange has stepped up as Earth's premier magical defender, either with his trusty assistant Wong or serving on superteams including the Avengers and Defenders. Recently, the character has appeared prominently in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in his own eponymous solo film, Thor: Ragnarok, and the latest Avengers films.
Now, CBR is taking a look back at some of Doctor Strange's best comic book stories that are still new reader-friendly.
Doctor Strange: The Oath
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One of the most influential comic book storylines on the MCU debut of Doctor Strange is Doctor Strange: The Oath by Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin. The miniseries saw the magical superhero launch the most personal investigation ever in his time as the Sorcerer Supreme, as he investigates who exactly was behind a murder attempt on him that left him gravely wounded and hovering at death's door.
From astral form fights to a sentient Cloak of Levitation, The Oath's influences on the 2016 film are evident as both Stephen Strange and Wong are in serious need of some medical assistance, leaving Strange with only a short amount of time to discover the true culprit behind the assault and recover.
Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts
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Many of the Marvel Universe's greatest heroes take on their superpowered alter egos as the price for past hubris and Stephen Strange is perhaps the greatest example of this redemptive turn. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Stephen Strange was a gifted, arrogant surgeon who lost the full use of his hands after a tragic car accident eventually leading him to train in magic to become Earth's latest superhero.
Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts collects the character's original Silver Age adventures, including the introduction of Strange's extensive supporting cast, including allies like Wong and Clea and villains like Eternity and Dormammu, with the fate of the Marvel Universe at stake. This volume collects all of Lee and Ditko's seminal work on the series.
Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment
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As one of the Marvel Universe's leading sorcerers, Victor Von Doom's dabbling with black magic has led him to cross paths with Doctor Strange on several occasions, either as friend or foe, with Doom a potential heir apparent to replace Strange as Sorcerer Supreme due to his mastery of the dark arts.
Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment, by Roger Stern and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, revealed that Doom regularly ventured into Hell to try to rescue his mother's soul from eternal punishment, and the story had Strange in a rare team-up with Doom to help the longtime villain in his noble, personal quest that became a defining moment for both characters.
Doctor Strange: A Separate Reality
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In the decades since his first creation, Doctor Strange has starred in tales written and illustrated by some of the most groundbreaking, acclaimed creative talent in the comic book industry. Each creative team's approach to the Sorcerer Supreme brings the adventures of the Master of the Mystic Arts to mind-bending new heights and the 1960s and 1970s may have been the most vividly psychedelic for the character yet.
Doctor Strange: A Separate Reality compiles some of the superhero's most noteworthy stories from 1968 through 1974 from a whole host of superstar writers and artists like Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, Jim Starlan, Steve Engelhart and Barry Windsor-Smith. Included on the collection are battles against Baron Mordo, the Mindless Ones, and Shuma-Gorath as well as Strange's ultimate ascension to the role of Sorcerer Supreme.
Doctor Strange: The Way of the Weird
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Doctor Strange stories had established that all magic comes at a cost to distort the standard laws of reality and in Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo's Doctor Strange: The Way of the Weird, launching Aaron's acclaimed run on the character, that cost comes due while Strange finds himself coming up short.
The epic storylines sees a dark, mysterious force targeting all of magic within the Marvel Multiverse, including Stephen Strange and his home in the Sanctum Sanctorum. Stripped of his usual tricks and magic throughout the Multiverse in a state of flux, Strange has to resort to desperate measures just to stay alive.
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