Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: March 10, 1964
Cover: June 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee, King of Suspense
Drawn by: Steve Ditko, Master of the Macabre
Lettered by: Art Simek, Prince of the Lettering Pen
9 pages
I’ll include the cover with this post, as this is the first time the Dr. Strange story is given a significant piece of cover real estate.
I confess to a little bit of Mordo-fatigue. A full half of the Dr. Strange stories have pitted him against Mordo. As I start the story, I do a bit of a “Mordo again” sigh/eye-roll. But it’s actually a pretty good comic, as they tend to be.
What we learn in this issue is that Dr. Strange can only survive in his “unphysical ectoplasmic form” (not a phrase I say a lot in life) for 24 hours. This comes up when Mordo steals and hides Dr. Strange’s physical body. It takes Dr. Strange over 23 hours to locate his body with his amulet, including a brawl with some unphysical warriors of Mordo’s.
A floating clock helps keep the tension up. At first I thought the clock might be metaphorical, just a reminder to us readers that time was running out. But it seems like it’s actually a mystic projection of Dr. Strange’s. In lieu of a wrist watch, I guess.
The issue ends with Dr. Strange again letting Mordo go. He cites his code against killing each time, but he also tends to go on about the grave danger Mordo poses to humanity. If you’ve got Mordo imprisoned, maybe find some other option besides killing him or letting him go.
Wax museums are a favorite setting for suspsense in both comics and film. Ditko has even set horror stories in wax museums before.
Last issue, we had a long discussion about the word “whence”. I won’t belabor it, but I will note the same circumstances occur again. Stan Lee uses the allowable but vulgar “from whence”, and the Marvel Masterworks editors change it to “whence”.
Characters:
Invocations:
- Power of Vishanti
- Hosts of Hoggoth
Rating: ★★★½, 61/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: Dr. Strange vol. 1. You can also find the story in Dr. Strange Epic Collection vol. 1: Master of the Mystic Arts. Or on Kindle.
- Dr. Strange
- Baron Mordo
Story notes:
- We again see Dr. Strange’s “earthly scanner”, a globe that shows him mystical threats, introduced in issue 118.
- Physical form of Dr. Strange is stolen; can only remain in ectoplasmic form for 24 hours.
- Amulet leads Strange to his body.
- Mordo sends ectoplasmic allies against Dr. Strange.
- Amulet can replay recent events.
- References to black magic.
- Editor notes Dr. Strange appears in Fantastic Four #27.
#194 story in reading order
Next: Fantastic Four #27
Previous: Strange Tales #121
