Character Intro Post: Doctor Stephen Strange (The Sorcerer Supreme)
Hold up guys!
Let me talk to you some more about a doofus named Stephen Strange real quick.
If you’re unfamiliar with him you might want perk your eyeballs up because this guy could very well be the next big character in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And he’s got some great stories to tell.
Origin: Don’t let his bad taste in attire and love for the dramatic fool you, this guy wasn’t always the kooky magic dude living in the Village.
Born in Philadelphia, raised in Nebraska, Stephen Strange turned toward medicine at a young age. He followed that passion and eventually became one of the world’s top surgeons. Success made him arrogant and greedy and so he worked more for money instead of the desire to help those in need. Until one horrible car accident left his hands mangled and scarred, the nerves forever injured.
Unable to perform delicate surgeries anymore, Stephen searched for a way to fix his hands in order to return to the life of professional and material success. This trek led him to the Ancient One, a master of the mystic arts and Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme at the time. Stephen became the Ancient One’s student after he experienced magic first hand in an encounter with the villain Mordo. Eventually, Stephen became Master of the Mystic Arts and upon his master’s death fighting Shuma-Gorath, he ascended to the role of Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, thus leaving behind his old life and following a new path.
Sorcerer Supreme. What’s that?: It’s a title given to the sorcerer/sorceress who possesses great magical ability and strength and is tasked as the protector of Earth to keep it safe from other dimensional beings and magical entities. The Sorcerer Supreme is given many magical artifacts that are passed down to the next in line. Such as the powerful Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation. The knowledge, dedication and work required to obtain this title means Stephen has achieved a level of power matched by very few. He is arguably one of the most powerful humans in the Marvel universe.
Powers: Flying/Levitation (via the Cloak of Levitation and various spells), Teleportation, Astral Projection (Watch out he could be watching you right now), Illusions, Memory Manipulation/Erasure, Time Travel, Dimensional Travel, Healing (both magical and medicinal), Various offensive and defensive spells that provide a variety of options in battle, training in hand to hand combat, Power of Bad Life Choices, an uncanny ability to attract tentacle monsters to his location at any given time.
Random Snippets:
- Once trained Doctor Doom in the Mystic Arts
- Witnessed the Earth’s destruction and then original (re)creation.
- Married to Clea, Master of the Mystic Arts and the once maybe current Ruler of the Dark Dimension and Stephen’s former disciple. (she’s totally rad and he’s putty in her hand)
- Apparently is not currently in possession of his soul.
- Let the New Avengers hang out in his home during the aftermath of Civil War. What a nice dude.
- Sometimes sleeps in the nude and levitates in his sleep.
- Faced Death and lived, accepting that all things will die, but in the process gained the Ankh, which sometimes lights up on his forehead when death is near. Doctor Strange no longer ages and conceivably will never age and die but can only be killed through an outside source.
- That makes him pretty old, though this doesn’t show physically.
- Once spent thousands of years fighting in the War of the Seven Spheres, a war fought by the immensely powerful beings that Stephen calls upon to grant him certain magical spells and abilities.
- Most notably, The Vishanti. Three immortal beings that grant magical boons to those they deem worthy. Agamotto The All-Seeing, Omnipotent Oshtur, and Hoggoth.
- Agamotto likes to take the form of a caterpillar and fuck with Stephen’s life.
- Is an actual cutie pie.
- Once spent a day as a rat because his body had been possessed.
- Lost his left eye in battle and was eventually gifted a new one.
- One of the founders of the Defenders. Usually the “leader” of the team.
Notable Adversaries: Nightmare, Dormammu and Umar of the Dark Dimension, Baron Mordo, Shuma-Gorath, Mephisto.
Other Media: Check out the 2007 Cartoon Movie - Doctor Strange - This works very well as an introduction to the character even though there are a good number of changes when compared to the source material. (Could possibly still be available on Netflix!)
Masterpost: A bunch of Doctor Strange runs and books
Now go read Doctor Strange and love him forevers. May the Vishanti smile upon you!
