Strange Tales #133, Story B

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: March 11, 1965
Cover: June 1965
12 cents
Strange is this script by: Stan Lee!
Awesome is this art by: Steve Ditko!
Lilting is this lettering by: S. Rosen!
10 pages

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For I have truly gained the greatest power of all… that which is the fountainhead of all other power… I have gained the gift of knowledge!

Dormammu and Mordo have teamed up. The Ancient One is comatose. He keeps ominously referring to Eternity. Last issue ended with Dormammu possessing Mordo to destroy Dr. Strange, and Dr. Strange died.

I expect this to be a short issue.

Wait. Maybe I should read the first panel better. Dormammu claims Dr. Strange still lives. Strange summoned all his remaining power to transport himself to another dimension.

I’ve claimed repeatedly this is a great story arc. I think there’s some excellent melodrama throughout and some cool ideas coming, but it’s also a perfect showcase for what Ditko’s Dr. Strange is best known for: these bizarre almost formless dimensions that defy description or visualization, yet somehow rendered on our page.

More than that, what Ditko seems to be depicting in these first three panels is the transition from one strange dimension to another.

This makes an interesting issue within the extended arc as it’s a mostly isolated stand-alone story. It’s connected to the larger arc, because of some interludes, and because Strange’s defeat last issue led him to this dimension in the first place.

Within this dimension, we’ll find a familiar story. I think of Princess of Mars as the template, but we’ve seen it plenty of times even within our Marvel reading. The hero finds themselves in a new world with some political unrest, and helps to overthrow an authoritarian usurper.

It takes a bit of arrogance to spend 5 minutes in a new world and already have an opinion about how its government should be structured, and a strong enough opinion to help overthrow the current government.

He is able to gain enough power in the finale to return to Earth and back to the main story.

While this could be seen as a mostly irrelevant aside, I appreciate that Dr. Strange’s seeming death last issue isn’t easily resolved. They could have just revealed he’d transported himself to Paris and continued the story. Instead, he had to earn his way to regaining his strength and returning home.

The battle with Mordo and Dormammu will continue next issue.

I thought the Electro/Daredevil battle from Daredevil #2 was quite good, but it’s no longer one of the Best We’ve Read.

Rating: ★★★★☆, 71/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆

Invocations:

• By the Seven Rings of Raggadorr
• By the power of the Vishanti
• By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth
• By the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak

Characters:

• Dr. Strange
• Mordo
• Dormammu
• Girl from Dark Dimension
• Woman from other dimension
• Shazana
• Ancient One
• Ancient One’s servant

Again, with the odd non-naming. This story is a conflict between two sisters. The bad one is named Shazana. We just never learn the name of the good one that Dr. Strange helps install on the throne.

Story notes:

• Dimensions of infinity are endless; even Dormammu cannot track Dr. Strange.
• Power-mad half-sister Shazana has stolen throne.
• Dr. Strange seems to be the better sorcerer than Shazana.
• Dr. Strange uses mystic eye of amulet to peer into mind of Shazana’s pet and learns the secret of Shazana’s power.
• Shazana tricked a magician into teaching her sorcery, then killed him.
• The source of her power is hidden within her throne.
• Dr. Strange uses Eye to send a remote message.
• Dr. Strange’s amulet feeds upon Shazana’s power source. Dr. Strange is able to use the extra power to return home.
• Rightful ruler takes control of that dimension. We never learn her name.

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Strange Tales #132, Story B	Reading order	Strange Tales #134, Story B
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