Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: April 8, 1965
Cover: July 1965
12 cents
Written by Marvel’s own living legend, Stan Lee
Illustrated by Marvel’s own unsung genius, Steve Ditko
Lettered by Marvel’s own beaming pixie, Artie Simek
10 pages
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|---|---|---|
| Strange Tales #133, Story B | Reading order | Strange Tales #135, Story B |
| Strange Tales #134 | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #135 |
This is the final issue of Strange Tales to feature Ben and Johnny. We read their finale over a year ago, but are long delayed in finishing the comic.
With the end of the Human Torch/Thing and Giant-Man/Wasp series, Marvel basically stopped putting out bad superhero books. They aren’t all great. Hulk is flailing a bit without Ditko. Colan’s Namor is off to a rocky start. Iron Man hasn’t quite found his footing, but is much improved. And Ayers isn’t delivering on Sgt. Fury the way Kirby did, and I anyway think the best of Ayers’ work is mostly behind us on the series. But they’re all at least decent now. And the best of them–Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and Fantastic Four–are getting even better.
We get some progress in our big arc, and we’ll have some pedantic questions.
Let’s start with the progress. Dr. Strange at last learns that Ancient One has been occasionally awakening to say “Eternity”, and agrees to uncover the secret. That quest should occupy him for a few issues.
Mordo and his wraiths find Dr. Strange again, and again Dr. Strange is basically helpless against Dormammu’s power.
This time he gets help. That unnamed girl from the Dark Dimension betrays her own realm. She places a device to weaken the barrier and allows the Mindless Ones to attack. She risks the lives of all of her own people to save Strange.
Dormammu abandons Mordo to deal with the Mindless Ones. Dormammu’s only weakness is caring too much about his people, a weakness that girl exploits.
Strange then plays a cool game of chicken with Mordo, as Mordo pursues him toward the heart of our sun. Even spirit forms can’t survive there, but Mordo fears Strange has learned a spell to enable it, so backs away. Dormammu chides him for his cowardice.
Dr. Strange begins the search for Eternity.
Pedantic things. Dr. Strange notes the quickest way from New York to Tibet is through the center of the Earth. That’s not true. In general, it won’t be true on a sphere that you have to pass through the very center, unless you have antipodal points like the North and South Poles. But if you have two points in the same hemisphere, like New York and Tibet, you definitely don’t need to head through the center. Now, the narrator does note that time and distance are virtually meaningless to the spirit form, so maybe that affects the math.
Next pedantic point. Can people see Dr. Strange in his spirit form? The answer has been sometimes yes and sometimes no. It’s been an important plot point both ways. They seek to clarify that point in this story. They clarify that by default nobody can see his spirit form, but that he can make it visible. So he intentionally makes his spirit form visible for the Ancient One to see, but this allows Mordo’s servant to see him as well. Hopefully this explanation will cover any past inconsistencies.
Steve Ditko was doing some great work on the Hulk in Tales to Astonish #62, but he’s doing better work here. Best We’ve Read page updated.
Invocations:
- By the Seven Rings of Raggadorr
- The Vishanti be praised!
- May the Vapors of Valtorr blind their eyes!
- The Shades of the Seraphim have been merciful to me!
- By the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak–Dormammu
Rating: ★★★★☆, 72/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
Characters:
- Dr. Strange
- Ancient One
- Ancient One’s servant
- Baron Mordo
- Dormammu
- Girl from Dark Dimension
Story notes:
- Dr. Strange rents hotel room for physical body while his spirt visits the Ancient One.
- Dr. Stranges notes nobody can see him in his spirit form. This is only sometimes true.
- Dr. Strange wills that Ancient One can see his spirit form.
- Dr. Strange learns Ancient One has occasionally awakened and muttered “Eternity”, but dismisses this information at first, but then agrees to ponder the information.
- Dr. Strange uses amulet to replenish Ancient One’s strength.
- Mordo’s spirits search for the Ancient One.
- Dr. Strange finds no mention of Eternity among the Ancient One’s books and papers.
- Dr. Strange caught by one of Mordo’s servants because he had spell of visibility turned on.
- Mordo pursues in astral form, empowered by Dormammu.
- Chase underground, in the sea, etc.
- Girl has device to weaken barrier, allowing Mindless Ones to invade Dark Dimension.
- Dr. Strange makes Mordo follow him into the sun, where atomic power can affect even ectoplasmic forms.
- Dr. Strange attempts to probe mind of Ancient One to learn secret of Eternity.
- Dormammu erects new barrier for the Mindless Ones; girl steals back her device.
| Previous | #416 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Strange Tales #133, Story B | Reading order | Strange Tales #135, Story B |
| Strange Tales #134 | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #135 |
