Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: April 12, 1966
Cover: July 1966
12 cents
Edited by the enchanter– Stan Lee
Penciled + inked by the prestidigitator– Steve Ditko
Scripted by the sorcerer– Dennis O’Neil
Lettered by the letterer– Artie Simek
10 pages
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| Strange Tales #146 | Reading order | Amazing Spider-Man #38 |
| Strange Tales #146 | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #147 |
Human eyes have never witnessed such a struggle!
We recently described Fantastic Four #50 as the most disappointing cover yet. This may top it. Again, just compare the cover of the issue to the first page of the issue and see the contrast.
This is sad because it’s Ditko’s last Dr. Strange story, and because Dr. Strange has been snubbed from the covers of Strange Tales for the entire run. Even more insulting because the spotlight was instead given to the inferior Human Torch stories. The one time Dr. Strange was finally given the cover spotlight, Kirby, not Ditko, was assigned to draw it.
So here we are, Ditko’s final issue of one of the greatest superhero runs in history and finally we seemingly get our very first Ditko Dr. Strange cover. Except it’s a lie.
That is a Ditko Dr. Strange but it’s been badly cut and pasted from interior art. Resized, flipped around, generally mangled. The Eternity image is also cut and paste from the interior.
I don’t believe Ditko actually made this cover, though it’s generally credited to him. I think someone else made the cover, assembling bits of interior art by Ditko.
I hate it.
The issue is good. This first page is closer to what the cover should look like.
I’d given a lot of hype to this extended saga, which I’m calling “The Eternity Saga”. And I think the first 12 issues are unimpeachable. From #130-141, the action flows crisply to a climax, ending with the final defeat of Mordo and Dr. Strange and Dormammu in something of a stalemate after Strange’s humbling of Dormammu. The story then completely lost momentum as Dr. Strange dealt with Mordo’s underlings and searched for the woman who had helped him, facing some unrelated threats along the way. The last 4 issues have been solid comics, but don’t help make the case that we have a great 17-part saga. We have a great 12-part saga, then 4 more issues, then this conclusion.
Let’s see how Ditko brings this home. And this will be bringing it home. With this story, Ditko bids goodbye to Marvel for the foreseeable future and to the character of Dr. Strange forever.
Stan seems utterly indifferent to the importance of the moment. In addition to the sloppy cover, Stan has junior writer Dennis O’Neil onboard for his second Dr. Strange story and one of his earliest comics, period. It doesn’t matter too much who the writer is, as Ditko does most of the writing anyway. O’Neil will stay on the title a few more issues, but soon enough move to DC, where he will go on to great things.
We learn Dormammu has two things on his mind. The first, he wants revenge against Dr. Strange. But really, Dr. Strange is a mere mortal who should be beneath his notice. He is basically a god and has grander ambitions. He’d expressed consternation upon learning Dr. Strange had sought out Eternity.
That admittedly epic meeting didn’t seem to come to much. Eternity offered Dr. Strange no power, and no wisdom beyond pithy platitudes. But now we see the impact of the meeting. That Dormammu knows it happened has him concerned Eternity will intercede in his battle with Dr. Strange.
Also, overthrowing Eternity and usurping his power has apparently long been on Dormammu’s to-do list.
So before going after Strange, Dormammu tries to cast a spell that will keep Eternity in his home dimension, and blind to Dormammu’s misdeeds.
This of course backfires, and is exactly the thing that alerts Eternity to what is happening.
It’s not clear Eternity cared much or at all about protecting Dr. Strange, but Dormammu has messed with Eternity now.
How does a mortal hero defeat a god like Dormammu?
One answer: they don’t. They leave it to a bigger god to deal with.
Similar to what we saw in the Fantastic Four against Galactus, Dr. Strange is mostly helpless here. He can do nothing but watch as Eternity and Dormammu battle. These are powers far beyond him.
We get two spectacular splash pages by Ditko.
One right after the other.
In the end, Eternity wins. Dormammu’s physical form is reduced to nothingness; if he exists at all, it is as a disembodied spirit shorn of mind and will. Presumably that’s the last we’ll see of Dormammu.
With Dormammu defeated, now what? They don’t specifically address some key questions, like who will rule the Dark Dimension and keep the Mindless Ones at bay. They do take the time to free those who had been imprisoned or banished by Dormammu. And all agree to help deal with the after-effects of Dormammu’s evil and demise.
For better or worse, freeing all those banished by Dormammu includes freeing Mordo. So I guess we are not done with him yet. For now, he will be a prisoner of the Ancient One.
Of course, the one person Dr. Strange wished to be freed was also saved. The woman he’d grown fond of, but whose name he had never learned.
At last we learn her name: Clea.
Some romantic attraction, perhaps?
Here’s Clea from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Charlize Theron.
This was a good issue. A satisfying defeat for Dormammu, the main foe for 20 issues. A satisfying conclusion to the epic Eternity saga, and a fitting farewell for Steve Ditko.
Other good writers and artists will work on Dr. Strange in the decades to come and turn out some great stories. But nothing will ever compare to these original Dr. Strange stories by Steve Ditko. They will always remain the gold standard for the character of Dr. Strange.
Most famous for its psychedelic depictions of impossible dimensions, but we also saw a genuine arc for Dr. Strange, growing in ability and confidence, gaining the ability to wield stronger magical items, invoke greater powers, and face greater threats. By the end, he was a true Master of the Mystic Arts.
Ditko also did an impressive job with a conundrum that many stumble upon. When the battles seem to come down to invoking strange deities and magical light shows, how do you build tension in a conflict? Ditko always accomplished this through showing us the ingenuity or force of will that Strange was using to win these magical duels. It’s a difficult trick.
Presumably the final wording is mostly due to O’Neil, but it almost feels like it could be Ditko speaking for himself in Dr. Strange’s voice.
I am drained… my very soul is numb with fatigue… I shall go to the quiet of my retreat, and rest…
Rest well, Steve. You’ve earned it.
Next up, we’ll read Ditko’s final issue of Amazing Spider-Man and bid the artist farewell.
Invocations
- “By the Eternal Vishanti”
- “May the Vishanit protect you”
- “The Hosts of Hoggoth be praised!” — prisoner of Dormammu
Rating: ★★★★½, 87/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
Thor has been generally great of late, but the Best We’ve Read is getting tight, and we lose a recent issue, Thor #128, something of an interim point in the whole Hercules/Pluto saga, not quite as magnificent as the issues that surround it.
Ditko made 35 Dr. Strange stories. We’ve got 18 of them, just over half, amongst the Best We’ve Read. It’s recently fallen behind Fantastic Four, now with 21 entries. And with Ditko off the title, it’s not likely to hold momentum, so the FF’s lead is expected to increase. Spider-Man remains the top title, with 29 of Ditko’s 43 or so Spider-Man stories appearing on the list. While it could lose momentum with Ditko gone, I have high hopes for John Romita.
Fittingly, Ditko overtakes Kirby once again with the most entries, taking 47 of the best 100 comics, with Kirby at 46. But with Ditko gone and Kirby not, Kirby will retake the lead soon enough. It’s nice to send Ditko out on top though.
Characters:
- Dormammu
- Dr. Strange
- Eternity
- Ancient One
- Baron Mordo
- Clea
Story notes:
- Dormammu wants to destroy Strange but is bound not to while Strange is on Earth.
- Fearing Eternity, Dormammu enters his dimension to erect a barrier that will blind Eternity to Dormammu’s deeds. Dormammu traps Eternity while he rests.
- Dr. Strange leaves hospital, still weak from bullet wound.
- Dormammu tricks Strange with voice of silver-haired woman.
- Dr. Strange rescued by Ancient One.
- Mortals whose psyches were enslaved by Dormammu freed.
- Dr. Strange had been gone for mere minutes.
| Previous | #520 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Strange Tales #146 | Reading order | Amazing Spider-Man #38 |
| Strange Tales #146 | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #147 |
Ditko’s Dr Strange was one of Marvel’s best series in its early days. The Eternity saga is one of my favorite stories of all time… Although it is true that there was too much Mordo in the first stories. Although it is strange that it took us until the last chapter to finally learn Clea’s name.
The early use of Mordo was a little lacking. Partly because Dr. Strange kept defeating him and then letting him go. The Eternity Saga found a spot for him that worked. As a powerful threat but also a somewhat spineless lackey when compared with Dormammu.
Years ago, I translated Edgar Rice Burroughs’ three Caprona novels for the German market, and he goes through several chapters of calling the female protagonist “the girl” until settling on a name for her. I guess it was a thing in more patriarchy days.