Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: November 11, 1965
Cover: February 1966
12 cents
Dialogue and captions: Stan Lee
Plot and artwork: Steve Ditko
Lettering and more lettering: Artie Simek
10 pages
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| Strange Tales #141 | Reading order | Avengers #21 |
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…I must destroy him! And destroy him I shall!! For I am truly– the Dread Dormammu!!
Chapter 12. Dr. Strange had defeated and humiliated Mordo, so Dormammu challenged Strange directly to a duel of honor for the fate of Earth. They fought using “pincers of power”. Dr. Strange was on the edge of victory when the treacherous Mordo intervened and struck a cowardly blow, leaving Dr. Strange defeated.
And so we continue the Eternity Saga.
Notice the plotting credit for Ditko. He’s plotted every Dr. Strange story.
Generally these stories have really been 9 pages, with the opening splash page serving as a sort of cover for the issue, since the actual issue covers always go to Nick Fury. However, this time Ditko seems to need all 10 pages, so a lot of plot is covered on the opening splash page.
Dormammu banishes Mordo for daring to presume he needed help. That’s the end of that partnership and Mordo’s last bow for this story.
Then Dormammu gallingly still tries to claim his prize despite clearly cheating.
There are things I love and don’t love about this story. As we covered last issue, an omnipotent foe agreeing to a duel without powers isn’t my favorite way to write oneself out of the dilemma. However, I thought the pincer duel was really cool. This issue just continues the pincer duel, without really adding anything new visually. So that’s a bit disappointing.
However, it has one great moment. What my friend the late Greg Hatcher might call a Fuck Yeah! moment. (He credits David Campbell for the term, but I learned it from Greg.)
It’s that moment in a boxing movie where the hero seems down for the count, but then stands back up, and declares himself fit for one more round. Perhaps saying something like, “I can do this all day.”
Dr. Strange had seemed dead at the end of last issue, and he’s clearly hurt. But he stands, and declares that the contest must continue. I like that moment. A lot.
But then the contest itself just seems redundant. Basically what we saw last issue. Except this time Dr. Strange wins. Not entirely satisfying.
With Dormammu defeated and vowing to never attack Earth, this seems like the story is over. It’s not, though. But it’s finally ready to relax a bit.
Hey, I can finally stop referring to Ancient One’s servant as Ancient One’s servant. The Tibetan hermit who has been caring for him these past dozen issues is named Hamir.
If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he was one of the Ancient One’s disciples in the Dr. Strange movie as well.
And we see the loose ends. Dormammu vowed to never attack Earth, but he made no promises regarding that woman from the Dark Dimension Dr. Strange is fond of. So she gets banished. Dr. Strange vows to save her. So that’s some plot left.
We get a more vague plot point also. Mordo has scattered “traces of evil enchantment” around the globe. Dr. Strange will have to deal with them before they spread. I don’t know what any of that means.
One final plot point to deal with. Knowing he’d be ready for mystical traps, Mordo’s remaining servants have placed an ordinary bomb in Dr. Strange’s sanctum, and it is about to explode.
That’s plenty of plot threads left. And if the story ended there, I wouldn’t quite be satisfied either with Dormammu’s defeat or Eternity’s role in the arc. But it’s not over.
It will however spin its wheels a bit. The first 12 issues were tightly paced. Less so the next few. Ditko’s time at Marvel is coming to an end. He knew that while making these stories, but I think he didn’t know precisely when his last issue would be. We’ll see soon that he brings his Spider-Man arc to an epic finale, but then churns out 5 more forgettable issues. Here, he will go out with a bang, saving the great comic for his last Dr. Strange story. But before that, we get a bit of what seems like filler. Plot threads like this search for the woman that could have taken any number of issues Ditko needed until it was time to depart.
This is a good moment to pause the story. Even though a bomb is literally about to go off.
Among other reasons to check on the Marvel Universe, I want to note how close in time Marvel’s greatest stories are. This very same day saw the release of Amazing Spider-Man #33 and Fantastic Four #47. The Spider-Man comic is that great finale I alluded to earlier. And the FF comic is the climactic chapter of a famous arc. The following month will begin the greatest Fantastic Four story of all time, which will be followed by the other greatest Fantastic Four story of all time.
So let’s rewind the clock. We left the rest of the Marvel Universe in July 1965, and it’s time to see what the Avengers are up to. But probably in a couple weeks. First, let’s enjoy Christmas and New Years.
When we come back here again, just try to remember where we were. With the bomb literally about to go off.
Rating: ★★★½, 64/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
This kicks another recent Strange Tales story off the Best We’ve Read page. The second chapter of the Hydra Saga from Strange Tales #136.
Invocations:
- By the Seven Rings of Raggadorr — Dormammu
- May the Shades of the Seraphim banish the Vapors of Valtorr! — Ancient One
- In the name of the Vishanti, I speak — Ancient One
Characters:
- Baron Mordo
- Dormammu
- Ancient One
- Dr. Strange
- Girl from Dark Dimension
- Hamir the Hermit
- Demon
- Mordo’s servant
- Mordo’s other servant
I’m glad the hermit taking care of Ancient One finally got a name. I really wish they would just name Mordo’s servants and that woman. Especially if one of them will go on to be the lead villain in an MCU film.
Story notes:
- Dormammu not pleased with Mordo; transports him to the Dimension of Demons.
- Dormammu still claims victory and to be crowned Master of All Dimensions.
- Dormammu swore to leave Earth to Strange, so takes his revenge upon the girl.
| Previous | #428 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Strange Tales #141 | Reading order | Avengers #21 |
| Strange Tales #141 | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #142 |
