In the most recent Captain America movie, SHIELD mentions a
number of heroes that they have information files on. One of the names in the
list is Steven Strange, which is a reference to a hero that will likely be
getting their own movie in the next couple years. I want to tell you a little
bit about Dr. Strange, also known as the Sorcerer Supreme. Originally written
in the 1960s, Dr. Strange has remained one of the most powerful hero entities
of the entire Marvel Universe. A brilliant neurosurgeon who was exceptionally
selfish and greedy, Strange found himself lost after suffering an accident that
permanently damaged his hands. While on a trip to the Andes, he met an old man
who refused to teach him the magic he knew. However, when Strange foiled the
old man’s apprentice who was trying to murder him, the old man changed his
mind, and eventually relinquished his role as magical guardian of the universe.
If this sounds like an impressive title, that’s because it is; Dr. Strange is
literally the first and best line of defense against attacks from other
dimensions against our universe.
Dr. Strange lives in the Sanctum
Sanctorum, a mystical safehouse in New York, disguised as a small house and
filled with magical artifacts and weapons. He acts mostly as a consultant for
hero groups like the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the X-Men. Most often
when these teams come for help, Strange offers them some sort of brilliant plan
or minor magical boon, but tells them he cannot go and fight alongside them,
since he’s probably busy keeping our entire universe safe from an invasion of
otherworldly beasts. Strange uses magic, which also means that writers are able
to give him basically any power he could need by calling it a spell. In the
comics he has done so many different things with his magic it is impossible to
list. He uses common hero type powers, such as energy blasts but also uses
binding spells, summons creatures to do his bidding, or uses his magic cauldron
to look into the future. Dr. Strange is an easy answer to a tough situation
that heroes have to face because he is so easy to fill in as a plot device.
Magic is used very little in the
Marvel universe, compared to other origins for powers, but because of this it
is very strong. Most heroes that are invulnerable to weapons or attacks are
totally helpless against any sort of magic. Iron Man, who we already know has a
bunch of different suits for different occasions and can take down some
extremely powerful heroes with his brilliant technology is all but helpless
against Dr. Strange’s magic. It would take little effort for Dr. Strange to
manipulate others’ minds, or bind them all with magic; it is fortunate that he
is one of the good guys and fights to keep the world safe from other evil magic
users. Thor is probably one of the only heroes in the Avengers with some
resistance to Strange’s magic, being a god from Asgard (any mortal has
difficulty affecting a god). I’m not sure how they’re going to add Strange to
the lineup of current hero movies, since none really deal with “magic” as an
origin of power, and I think it’ll feel quite different; it tends to feel more
fantasy rather that superhero. In any case, as long as he gets to keep his
classic high-backed cape, I think all will be well.
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