Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: May 10, 1966
Cover: August 1966
12 cents
Script: (pgs. 1-5) Stan Lee.. (Our vacationin’ sorcerer)
Script: (pgs. 6-10) Denny O’Neil.. (Our sorcerer’s apprentice)
Art: Billy Everett… (Our peerless prestidigitator)
Lettering: Sam Rosen.. (Our naive necromancer)
Amulet polisher: Irv Forbush.. (Our stowaway)
10 pages
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| Strange Tales #147 | Reading order | Avengers #32 |
| Strange Tales #147 | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #148 |
“Zowie! He’s the ever-lovin’ gearest! Far as I’m concerned, the mods have had it! That crazy cape really comes on strong!”
“Man! Like there’s a boss bunch’a threads! That dad is gotta be what’s happenin’!”
The first issue of Dr. Strange without Steve Ditko. I think the first Spider-Man stories without Steve Ditko actually went pretty well. That John Romita guy is doing all right. But what even is Dr. Strange without Steve Ditko?
Stan Lee never cared about Dr. Strange. He never understood the character. He never understood the character’s appeal. He accepted the character had fans and was fine with that.
You can see this in his treatment of the character. The gap between the early issues, the character rarely being featured on the cover, the story always the back story of each issue, behind Human Torch and then Nick Fury.
He wrote the character for dozens of issues, but almost all the writing really came from Ditko.
On the other hand, Stan Lee loved Spider-Man. And you can tell. There are eternal disagreements over how much of the character and stories come from Lee and how much come from Ditko. But it was a much more collaborative process than Dr. Strange ever was, at least early on. And Stan Lee loved the character of Spider-Man like a son.
So when Ditko left Spider-Man, Lee put everything into making sure the next issue would keep the readership. He found the best artist for the job, told an extraordinarily eventful story, and plainly put his all into assuring readers that Spider-Man would continue to be great after Ditko.
For the first issue of Dr. Strange without Ditko… Lee writes half the script then hands the back pages to his new hire to write, a guy who’s scripted like 5 comics by this point. He just doesn’t care.
This is the second recent comic to refer to Stan Lee as being on vacation. Some reprints of this issue omit that, and change the credits to read “Smilin'” instead of “vacationing'”.
Bill Everett isn’t a bad choice for artist. He created Sub-Mariner and Daredevil. He’s been doing solid work illustrating the Hulk. But Ditko brought something wild and unique to these pages, while Everett is, well, less wild.
Though I’ll give him some credit for this image. He’s certainly taking his best shot at being Ditkoesque.
It’s been almost 30 issues since we’ve met Strange’s servant Wong. Wong notes that Dr. Strange is broke. This is the type of plot point that was common in Fantastic Four or Spider-Man stories. That these super-powered beings also have mundane problems. But Ditko had been going for something different with Dr. Strange.
We’ve been listing since the beginning the invocations Dr. Strange has used to summon magic powers. In this issue, they start to seem more like magic phrases. Dr. Strange describes them as “charms and spells”. Whereas before we’d clearly understood they were asking for power from named beings.
Dr. Strange confirms Mordo is still in mystic prison where Ancient One incarcerated him. He notes Mordo’s escape would place mankind in jeopardy. But Mordo was shown finally to be a bit of a loser. No match for Dr. Strange. Part of the point of Ditko’s run was that Dr. Strange was growing. In his earlier days, Mordo was a match for him. But now…
Dr. Strange used the Crystal of Agamotto to check on Mordo. What seems to be the same device has been called by many names at this point: Orb of Agamotto, Eye of Agamotto, and Earthly Scanner.
Stan Lee wrote the first 5 pages. We’re onto page 6, where Denny O’Neil takes over. O’Neil’s role will largely be summarization.
Dr. Strange gazes upon Clea, the woman he loves. A little creepy, actually. Watching her without her realizing it.
This is like one of those clip show episodes of a TV series. We get a recap of the highlights of the last 20 issues.
Which is a really disappointing way to launch this brand new era of Dr. Strange, and such a contrast to what they did with Spider-Man.
Some of the panels seem to just be the original Ditko art reused. We’ll do side-by-side comparisons to the originals from Strange Tales #127 and #146. (New ones on your left, originals on your right.)
Note that much dialogue matches, and some is omitted. But Eternity’s dialogue has been rewritten, though not changed in substance.
After an issue of nothing, the Ancient One appears with a dire warning that something interesting might actually happen next issue (don’t worry; nothing interesting will happen next issue). He proceeds to spend the next several panels overhyping the next villain.
The Ancient One describes Kaluu thusly:
…not even in your darkest dreams have you imagined one so terrible! … Never has one lived who is so without honor or mercy! Never has one so utterly committed to evil!
…
He is the incarnation of all that is loathsome within the heart of human creatures!
Flash forward some 50 years and Kaluu will reform and join the Avengers.
But… also… Dr. Strange just defeated a villain who was as terrible as one could imagine. His name was Dormammu, a demon sorcerer emperor type. This Kaluu better be somehow tougher than Dormammu to warrant such hype.
It is very urgent that they respond to the threat of Kaluu. Step one, the Ancient One will regale Dr. Strange with a longwinded story about their past.
The tale of the Ancient One’s early days will be set 300 years ago. I had gotten the impression he was way more ancient than that.
Here’s the letters page.
One letter is apparently from Robin Goodfellow, the namesake of Puck, who might live at “Cyttorak Hotel”.
Despite all the hype and urgency, we will not be starting the Kaluu saga until we’ve checked in with the Avengers.
Invocations:
- “By the Seven Rings of Raggadorr, may my future actions be visible only to the evil ones before me.”
- “Heed my incantation, O Shades of the Shadowy Demons!”
- “By the everlasting powers of enchantment… by the eternal majesty of the mystic realm… Let the gleaming Crystal of Agamotto pierce the veil of time and space!”
- “Upon you I place the Curse of Watoomb!” — Mordo
- “By the Shades of the Seraphim do I command you!”
The Curse of Watoomb from Mordo is new, but we’ve heard of Watoomb before. As Amazing Spider-Man Annual 2 centered on the Wand of Watoomb.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆, 31/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
There was some temptation to give this 4 stars in significance for introducing Kaluu. But I’m not convinced Kaluu is that significant. And we only actually see his eyes, so he’s not really introduced. Also, this issue sucks.
Characters:
- Dr. Strange
- Wong
- Mordo
- Clea
- Hiram Barney
- Ancient One
Story notes:
- Dr. Strange shopping in home neighborhood of Greenwich Village, in full mystic garb
- Groovy passers-by reflect on Strange’s outfit; one man recognizes him but thinks he’s a charlatan.
- Dr. Strange at drugstore buying aspirin and 24-hour cold capsules.
- Pharmacist notes he hadn’t seen Strange in months, and that Strange is behind on his bill; Strange says Wong will attend to it.
- Strange casts a spell to appear in ordinary garb.
- Dr. Strange shows robbers a glimpse of what demons await if they don’t renounce evil.
- Crooks surrender to a cop, who notes they’d been after them awhile.
- Wong notes Dr. Strange’s bank account is empty.
- Building inspector wants to condemn Sanctum unless it’s painted, and the moldy trap doors and hidden passages are sealed.
- Dr. Strange orders Wong to sell jeweled trinkets for money.
- Dr. Strange studies the writings of the Vishanti.
- Dr. Strange sees Mordo in the Crystal of Agamotto. Mordo can tell he’s being watched.
- Mordo attacks from his prison, but Dr. Strange uses the Shield of the Seraphim.
- Dr. Strange gazes upon Clea. He is in love with her.
- In editor’s note, Stan notes O’Neil is paraphrasing Goethe.
- Dr. Strange seeks to ascertain the fate of Dormammu, but Crystal of Agamotto unable to show him fate of Eternity or Dormammu.
- Dr. Strange calls a theatrical agent named Hiram Barney about performing in nightclubs to earn money. He is rejected.
- Ancient One appears on flying carpet.
- Kaluu is free. Ancient One had never mentioned him. His power surpasses Dr. Strange’s and is the equal of the Ancient One. He is committed to evil.
- The Book of Vishanti contains all knowledge of the Occult that mortals possess. Kaluu makes it melt into nothingness; Dr. Strange thought nothing could penetrate its enchanted aura. With the Book, Kaluu can finish the work he began 300 years ago.
- Kaluu taught the Ancient One about the supernatural and the Ancient One loved and admired him.
- Eyes of Kaluu watch while Ancient One tells his tale.
- Next issue: Origin of Ancient One
| Previous | #577 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Strange Tales #147 | Reading order | Avengers #32 |
| Strange Tales #147 | Strange Tales | Strange Tales #148 |
