Marvel’s superheroes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, whether it be scientific adventurers, Norse gods, or mutants. Yet Doctor Strange stands out from the crowd by leaning into the magical side of the comic book universe. His appearances are always lots of fun, showing off how unique and exciting Marvel’s mystical lore is.
In his greatest modern stories, Stephen Strange proved himself to be a tremendous supporting player, bringing something different to each ensemble book he starred in. Fans of the MCU’s Doctor Strange can fall in love with him all over again with these comics, which gave the character plenty of iconic moments.
New Avengers #1-6 Made The Most Inventive Use of Magic
There's so much to like about the opening arc of Brian Michael Bendis' New Avengers series set during Marvel's Heroic Age relaunch. Panels featured captions stating the name of each spell, along with which occult text they were from. This was a nice addition which made Marvel's magic system feel incredibly complex and original.
The endlessly imaginative story also sent a magically powered Wolverine up against a shape-shifting entity in the light dimension, while Doctor Strange and the New Avengers watched on from afar. Stuart Immonen's gorgeous artwork accompanied by Laura Martin and Rain Beredo's bright colors perfectly captured the action unfold in such an otherworldly setting, solidifying this as one of Marvel's most visually stunning supernatural battles.
"End Times" Combined High Stakes with Blockbuster Action
"End Times" was a spectacular finale to Bendis' New Avengers run, with Doctor Strange pitted against Daniel Drumm, a ruthless spirit who had the power to possess anyone he wanted to. The good doctor was put through the wringer, framed for murder, and unable to trust his teammates, considering anyone could be possessed.
The story ended with a high-energy death match, which involved Doctor Strange taking on a whole squad of mind-controlled Avengers. It's a thrill to read as multiple artists drew this climactic action sequence. Each page, therefore, had its own very distinct style, with each one having Doctor Strange fight a different member of the team. This story is also notable for showing Doctor Strange once again becoming Sorcerer Supreme, following a period of time when he resigned from the position after considering himself unworthy to hold the title.
The Return of the Illuminati Triggered Doctor Strange's Dark Turn
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When Jonathan Hickman took over New Avengers, Doctor Strange and the rest of the Illuminati reformed to tackle their biggest challenge yet, confronted with the terrifying revelation that the entire multiverse was ending. But shortly after they began their proceedings, the group quickly became divided.
Captain America's strong sense of ethics clashed with the other Illuminati members, fearing the dangerous extremes the secret group would be willing to go to in order to protect the Earth. Following Cap's opposition to the Illuminati, Iron Man ordered Doctor Strange to wipe Captain America's memories of the Illuminati ever getting back together. This dramatic turn of events was a crucial development within Hickman's New Avengers, showing the beginning of Doctor Strange's moral descent, and reflecting the Illuminati's highly questionable mode of operation.
Doctor Strange Was Pushed to the Very Edge
As Hickman's New Avengers series progressed, Doctor Strange's shocking character arc showed him sink to new lows. In a desperate bid to save the Earth from its impending doom, he attempted to sell his soul to wield god-like power. But there was an unexpected twist-- the Sorcerer Supreme wasn't able to complete the deal after being unable to hold up his end of the bargain. He couldn't trade away his soul, because it was already incomplete, serving as a stark reminder of how far Doctor Strange had fallen.
Yet Doctor Strange only continued to travel down a sinister path by using dark magic, casting a spell that sucked the life out of a superhero team from another Earth. New Avengers #21 (by Jonathan Hickman, Valerio Schiti, and Salvador Larroca) delved into the horrific effects of the attack, featuring some disturbing imagery of Sun God, a Superman-type character, left in a severely weakened state, his form looking almost skeletal. This was undoubtedly one of the worst things Doctor Strange has ever done, harming innocent people for the supposed greater good.
"Time Runs Out" Gave Doctor Strange An Exciting New Status Quo
Taking place towards the end of Jonathan Hickman's Avengers run, "Time Runs Out" was a novel idea for a story arc, showing what happened to Marvel's biggest players eight months into the future. Doctor Strange was given a unique set-up, joining the Black Priests, a group of cosmic surgeons who operated on a multiversal scale.
It was a great direction for Doctor Strange which not only built on his surgical background but also worked as a logical next step in the character's own personal journey. Hickman continued to play with Doctor Strange's moral ambiguity, as he worked with the Black Priests to destroy multiple parallel Earths, hoping to spare their respective universes and bring order to the entire multiverse.
Secret Wars Introduced Sheriff Strange
Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić's Secret Wars is well worth reading on the basis of its wild premise alone, exploring what happened when Doctor Doom ruled Battleworld, a patchwork planet made up of the remaining multiverse. Sheriff Strange had a pivotal role in the event, governing the rules of Battleworld, and also made the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends.
When a group of Marvel heroes from Earth-616 came into the story, Doctor Doom wanted them to conform to his authoritarian regime. However, Sheriff Strange used his magic to teleport the heroes throughout Battleworld, allowing them to escape from Doctor Doom's wrath and devise a plan to overthrow his dictatorship. For this act of bold defiance, Doctor Doom executed Stephen Strange, giving him a chance to redeem himself for his past wrongdoings.