WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Savage Avengers #12 by Gerry Duggan, Adam Gorham, Java Tartaglia, and Travis Lanham, on sale now.
Savage Avengers #12 has provided Doctor Strange fans with a surprising new dimension to his life right now in the form of Elektra. The issue opens up with them floating above the bed, having anti-gravity sex in Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, accepting they need to take their relationship to the next level after finding a layer of compatibility.
However, while some fans think it might be a gimmick for shock value, this is exactly what Strange needs to shake his career, and overall, story up.
It'd be way too cliche having him go with a mage or even work a way back for him and Clea, but his relationship with Elektra is a way of refreshing the character, especially with so many eyes on him as Marvel Studios sets up the next phase of movies. Benedict Cumberbatch brought more fans to the character and a romance with a high-profile assassin like Elektra creates intrigue. However, while that's on the surface level, deep down there's a lot of substance to this union.
Elektra is bringing out a risque side of Strange seems to have made him more comfortable and confident in his skin. In Mark Waid's last run which had Strange losing his magic and going on a cosmic trip to get it back, he constantly felt anxious and lacked authority. But Elektra is already guiding him to be more assertive and make decisions based on a proper mix of emotion and logic. As seen with how she kills Daniel Drumm at the crossroads so Brother Voodoo/Jericho Drumm can bind to his soul once more, she knows that decisiveness is the key to victory. After all, if you ask the likes of Daredevil, Wolverine, Punisher, or even Bullseye, they can attest to how much of a master of strategy Elektra is. It has a lot to do with her pursuing the Hand over the years, but it's also as she's a rogue, operating outside of authority -- and this is what Strange needs as he's been coming off like a "yes man" over the last decade or so with the nasty decisions made by the Illuminati where he seemed influenced by other people, whether it be Reed Richards, Captain America, or Iron Man.
He'll need this stronger presence as his new crew to go after Kulan Gath includes Magik, a supernatural apprentice, as well as Logan, Black Widow, Jericho, and Daniel, Daimon Hellstrom, and the stubborn Conan. And with Elektra there, ready to help him become a better leader, Strange does seem resigned to trying the aggressive approach as he did when watching Elektra kill Daniel to speed up the process. While he's shocked at the act, he accepts it quickly and moves on. This shows that Strange is starting to understand that results aren't always clean and with his heroic temperament -- and Elektra cutting through the nonsense -- we can see them riffing off each other and becoming quite a couple.