Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: June 9, 1964
Cover: September 1964
12 cents
Written inside a haunted house by: Stan Lee
Illustrated inside a gypsy’s tent by: Steve Ditko
Inked inside a hidden cave by: Geo. Bell
Lettered inside… because it was raining outside by: S. Rosen
9 pages
Dr. Strange gets more than his usual amount of cover real estate. Some 15% of the page devoted to his story. Enough to actually depict the story within. The second time that’s happened. Strange’s day will come.
For the second of three issues, we have to put up with George Roussos finishing Ditko’s art. There’s a payoff that makes it all worth it, though. When Ditko resumes the full art duties in two issues, he’ll give us 20 of the best comics ever made.
The first page asks, “Can you guess the identity of the Lady from Nowhere??” This puts me in a bind I’ve been in before. The issue reveals her identity on the final page. I’m not a fan of spoilers and don’t want to spoil things for you. That said, this comic is over 55 years old, so it’s not like you haven’t had ample time to read it.
Even if I don’t spoil the ending in my write-up, I do like to give a listing of all the characters in this issue afterward, which would reveal who the Lady is. Tell you what. I’ll give you some hints and see if you can guess before we reach the character listing below. This is her second Marvel Age appearance, after the Iron Man story in Tales of Suspense #44. (Clicking the link will probably give away the answer.)
We’d actually already met her in one of our PRELUDE posts, when we read Venus #1. It’s not absolutely clear how or if these three versions of the character are related.
Time travel is weird. Dr. Strange is in the ancient past, but Ancient One is in the present talking about how Strange needs to hurry and finish before the candle goes out. Of course he’ll finish before the candle goes out! He’ll finish 2000 years before the candle goes out. Somehow, magically, from the candle’s perspective, it’s like Dr. Strange’s time in the past is happening synchronously with the present.
When the candle does go out, Dr. Strange is almost trapped between times, but it turns out the amulet can light the way. The amulet is almost always the answer. Yet, it always takes Strange a while to come up with it, even though it’s the only solution he ever comes up with.
Invocations:
- Ancient One: “By the power of the Dread Dormammu, by the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth…”
- By the Shades of Seraphim
- By the Seven Rings of Raggedor
- By the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak
- By the power of the Dread Dormammu
Ancient One recites the classics, but Dr. Strange has three new invocations for us. Probably the most significant part of an issue that is mostly filler. This is not the last we will hear of the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 52/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
Scans are taken from a reprint in Marvel Collectors’ Item Classics #15 (1968).
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: Dr. Strange vol. 1. You can also find it in Dr. Strange Epic Collection vol. 1: Master of the Mystic Arts. Or on Kindle.
You were warned. Spoilers ahead. The final page reveals the mystery woman to be…
Characters:
- Dr. Strange
- Cleopatra
- Ancient One
- Mark Antony
- Zota
Story notes:
- Dr. Strange relaxes by flying in ectoplasmic (or spirit) form.
- He detects magic and finds a girl who is its victim, seemingly in a trance.
- Dr. Strange calls on inner eye of enchanted amulet.
- Ancient One sends Strange’s spirt form into past for as long as candle burns.
- Zota traps Strange in prison of rolling light.
- Strange probes Zota’s brain with amulet.
- Strange robs Zota of powers.
- Dr. Strange sends Cleopatra back in time.
#232 story in reading order
Next: Fantastic Four #30
Previous: Strange Tales #124
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