Strange Tales #152, Story B

Featuring: Dr. Strange
Release: October 11, 1966
Cover: January 1967
12 cents
Truly hath Stan Lee authored yon awesome epic–
Verily hath Bill Everett such scenes depicted–
And, finally didst Artie Simek the lettering incribe!
10 pages

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I sense– a female!

I’d say this issue picks up where the last issue left off, but nothing happened last issue. Except that Clea was captured by Umar after a recap of the last 40 issues.

Everett’s depiction of Dark Dimension is fine, maybe even good. Maybe I’m just in a bad mood since Ditko left and am being unfair to Everett. I do appreciate Everett for his work on Sub-Mariner, Venus, and Daredevil… just not here.

A character like Dr. Strange can be tricky when it comes to how he vanquishes foes. Umar sends a progression of threats after him, and he defeats them all in a panel with one of his famous invocations.

Threat. Magic words. Threat gone now.

This reads like 4 pages of Dr. Strange dispelling abstract nonsense with his invocations.

Ditko ran up against this too, but more often than not found a way for the reader to understand Dr. Strange’s battle. We discussed his two main tricks plenty in the past. Sometimes Dr. Strange used some clever ploy in addition to the magic, and sometimes we saw the extent to which the magic was depending on Strange’s will or taking its toll. None of that here.

The other issue is with Umar. We’ve already complained about her design. But Stan Lee, who is already known for his struggles to write female characters, is having a real hard time writing this female character. She and Dr. Strange both continuously bring up the fact that she is a female. And then focus not on her godlike powers, but her femininity as her greatest weapon.

But, though the power of Umar is beyond all measure, still am I a female–! Thus, I shall crush the accursed human as only a woman can– with the matchless weapons of cunning– and overwhelming guile!

I merely combine my own feminine wiles with a subtle spell…

And, though she is but a female, the aura of her power seems to fill this very universe!

Finally, I’d like to point out some naming confusion. What is the Eye of Agamotto? Dr. Strange seems to refer to his amulet thusly for the first time. He’s previously used the phrase to describe the mystical eye which sometimes appears on his forehead, and to describe the crystal ball in his house. That ball has also been described as the Crystal of Agamotto, the Orb of Agamotto, or simply the Earthly Scanner.

A few issues back, he for the first time referred to his amulet as the Amulet of Agamotto. Now he calls it the Eye of Agamotto. It hadn’t been named before. It was always just his magic amulet.

Strange Mails.

Invocations:

• By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth
• By Raggadorr’s Seven Rings, by Cyttorak’s Crimson Bands, let yon demons feel Valtorr’s Stings– So Dr. Strange commands!
• Shades of the Seraphim
• Omnipotent Oshtur
• Agamotto’s All-Seeing Eye
• By the Demons of Darkness, by the touchstone of fear, at the summons of Umar, let Twin Spirits appear! — Umar

Rating: ★½, 29/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆

Characters:

• Dr. Strange
• Umar

Story notes:

• Dr. Strange has traveled to the Dark Dimension to rescue Clea and finds himself in the grip of a mighty spell. He does not yet know Umar is his foe.
• Shapeless demons materialize from the murky mists above him.
• Dr. Strange refers to his invocations of Raggadorr, Cyttorak, and Valtorr, as “deathless chants of the Vishanti”.
• Tingling of amulet warns Strange of danger.
• Dr. Strange describes spirits as the “Unliving Who Live”.
• Dr. Strange decides to save his power and submit to the spirits.
• Umar introduces herself as Dormammu’s sister. She claims he imprisoned her because she opposed his evil deeds.
• Umar claims Clea is a prisoner of the Mindless Ones and had bid her to summon Dr. Strange.
• Dr. Strange refers to amulet as Eye of Agamotto. He says it will guide him.
• Umar’s spell of believability did not work on Dr. Strange.

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Strange Tales #152	Strange Tales	Strange Tales #153