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This article is about the character. For the film, see Doctor Strange (film).
- “Dormammu, I've come to bargain!”
- ―Doctor Strange[src]
Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a superhero from Marvel Comics. He is a neurosurgeon who suffered nerve damage to his hands in a car crash. He sought out the Ancient One, hoping to cure his disability, but abandons that notion after being taught to use and utilize magic from the Ancient One, eventually becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, until he blipped and the title was passed on to Wong.
He debuts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the eponymous protagonist of the 2016 film Doctor Strange, and made subsequent appearances in the following films of the franchise.
Doctor Strange was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Background
Stephen Strange grew up with a sister named Donna, who died by drowning in a frozen lake when they were kids. Unable to save his sister, Stephen decided he wanted to study medical care, in order to save lives. Strange studied at Columbia University, where he was able to graduate with a diploma in M.D. Following his graduation, Stephen officially became a doctor in New York City.
Personality
Prior to his car accident, Stephen was extremely egotistical, arrogant, stubborn, and narrow-minded. Despite these negative traits, he did have some standards, such as valuing life and unwillingness to kill. After the accident, which left Stephen a broken man, albeit also one extremely determined to heal himself, his demeanor began to shift.
After discovering the existence of the supernatural and becoming more involved in the dimensional wars; Stephen becomes far more selfless, moral, honorable, honest, responsible, and open-minded. He was also not above apologizing or admitting when he is wrong, as he apologizes to Christine Palmer, his ex-girlfriend and love interest, for his arrogance and for taking his frustration out on her when he temporarily lost the use of his hands.
Stephen is highly intelligent, as he comes up with creative methods of defeating his enemies, despite the fact that he has only recently become a sorcerer and has less experience than Mordo and his other enemies.
Powers and abilities
Powers
- “Just as you gave Kaecilius a bit of power from your dimension, I've brought a little bit of power from mine. This is time...endless, looped time.”
- ―Doctor Strange[src]
- Magic: As a sorcerer, Stephen is extremely powerful, after months of study and practice under the tutelage of the Ancient One, Steve excels; becoming an exceptionally powerful sorcerer.
- Eldritch Magic Manipulation: Stephen is able to create, shape, and manipulate Eldritch Magic.
- Teleportation: By using a Sling Ring, Stephen is able to open a fiery portal to another location; gaining the ability to across both the physical world and the dimensional Multiverse.
- Interdimensional Travel: By using a Sling Ring, Stephen can travel between different dimensions and universes, crossing over different planes of existence or traveling across various forms of reality.
- Astral Projection: Stephen is capable of separating his astral spirit from his body, gaining access to the Astral Dimension; he can also make his spirit from visible to other individual(s), if he chooses to.
- Chronokinesis: By using the Eye of Agamotto, Stephen is able to control the flow of time, be it on a small or massive scale, notably to turn back something to a previous state, to accelerate its time in order to apply changes that have not happened yet, or to lock it in a time loop, resetting its state until he stops its effect.
Abilities
- Doctor Strange: "Dormammu, I've come to bargain!"
- Dormammu: "You cannot do this forever."
- Doctor Strange: "Actually, I can. This is how things are now! You and me, trapped in this moment, endlessly."
- Dormammu: "Then you will spend eternity dying!"
- Doctor Strange: "Yes, but everyone on Earth will live."
- Dormammu: "But you will suffer!"
- Doctor Strange: "Pain's an old friend."
- ―Doctor Strange and Dormammu[src]
- Master Physician: Stephen is one of the world's best surgeons. His skill allows him to perform nearly any form of operation with little to no mechanical assistance flawlessly. His skills are so impressive, that Stephen was targeted by HYDRA's Project Insight as a potential threat long before he ever became a sorcerer.
- Multilingual: Stephen is capable of fluently speaking English and Sanskrit among other languages.
- Eidetic Memory: Stephen has a perfect photographic memory and his perfect recall had originally greatly aided him in medical school, helping him earn his MD and PhD simultaneously; he even managed to Stephen managed to master entering the Astral Dimension, and was able to understand how to use the Eye of Agamotto after reading a portion of the Book of Cagliostro's instructions only once.
- Hand-To-Hand Combatant/Martial Artist: Stephen has some skills in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts.
- Indomitable Willpower: One of Doctor Strange's greatest abilities was his prodigiously unbreakable will. His determination is transcended by very few and he has never truly been shown to surrender to anyone. He tirelessly sought out a cure for his hands, frequently asked unlikely pedestrians for the whereabouts of Kamar-Taj, and remained outside its door for five hours, with the latter earning him Karl Mordo's admiration. He later allowed Dormammu to kill him repeatedly in order to goad him into leaving his homeworld alone, despite the immense pain and patience he endured to do so. A year later, his prodigious patience served the entire world a second time when he watched fourteen million outcomes of the Infinity War, which in the very least took centuries to accomplish. He never backed down when facing vastly more experienced enemies such as Kaecilius and Thanos, defying their tyranny until the bitter end. Even when at another's mercy, he never begged for any, instead fighting back in defiance, as shown with the Ancient One and Thanos. Strange's indomitable willpower was not only essential to serving himself, but billions of his fellow men, on more than one pivotal occasion.
Weapons and equipment
- Sling Ring: A Sling Ring allows Stephen to open a fiery portal to another location; regardless if it is to another location on his Earth or another dimensional Multiverse.
- Eye of Agamotto: The Eye of Agamotto allows Stephen to Manipulate time itself, creating an endless loop, until he stops its effect; its other powers are currently unknown, as its powers comes from an Infinity Stone.
- Cloak of Levitation: The Cloak of Levitation allows Stephen to levitate and hover in the air.
Former weapons and equipment
- Quarterstaff: Stephen used a Quarterstaff during his training at Kamar-Taj.
Appearances
Marvel animation
Ultimate Spider-Man
When New York went under a powerful sleeping spell cast by Nightmare, Doctor Strange enlisted the help of Danny Rand, also known as Iron Fist. He questioned Iron Fist's choice in bringing Spider-Man with him. Doctor Strange explained to them that it was the work of Nightmare and claimed that faith had brought Spider-Man to be with them. Strange brought Spider-Man and Iron Fist to the Dream World to stop Nightmare. Doctor Strange fought against Nightmare, his horse Dreamstalker and his army of Dreamons, who overpowered him. For a while, Strange believed that he was too weak against Nightmare and lost his magical powers. He was convinced by Spider-Man that it was just a dream and regained his powers, and with the help of Spider-Man and Iron Fist, they sealed Nightmare in a magic box.
After they defeated him, Doctor Strange thanked Iron Fist and Spider-Man and reminded them to go back to Midtown High school before anyone figured out where they had gone.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Stephen Strange is mentioned by Agent Jasper Sitwell as a potential threat to HYDRA in the future as well as being a target for Project Insight.
Doctor Strange
Stephen Strange is a very skilled surgeon and medic. Despite his job in saving lives, he had a large ego. After his hands are healed, he becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, able to master Elditch Magic and becomes the protector of the New York Sanctum.
Thor: Ragnarok
Doctor Strange appears in the film some months after becoming protector of the New York Sanctum. Strange meets Thor who is on a quest to find his father Odin, alongside Loki. Doctor Strange summons Thor to the sanctum after he causes Loki to fall through portals for 30 minutes. Strange and Thor discuss Loki and Odin, as Thor asks the sorcerer to locate Odin for him. Strange agrees to help as long as Thor promises that Loki will return to Asgard promptly and no longer cause problems for Earth. Doctor Strange locates Odin and opens a portal that Thor can walk through to get to his father. Thor asks for Loki back, who Strange has forgotten about, causing Loki to fall through a portal and land in the sanctum. Just as Loki is about to attack Strange, he sends the brothers through the portal to where their father is.
Avengers: Infinity War
- “We're in the endgame, now.”
- ―Doctor Strange[src]
Doctor Strange helps Iron Man battle Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw until the latter captures him. Iron Man and Spider-Man rescue him. Strange uses the Time Stone to view millions of possible futures, seeing only one in which Thanos loses. The group battles Thanos on Titan, but their efforts to remove the Infinity Gauntlet are inadvertently thwarted by Star-Lord, and Strange is ultimately forced to surrender the Time Stone to save Iron Man's life. In the end, Strange is among those who were erased by the Gauntlet's power after Thanos collects all the Infinity Stones.
Avengers: Endgame
After the remaining Avengers receive the infinity stones from various timelines, Hulk performs the snap, which restores every being in the universe that was erased from existence five years prior, including Stephen. Strange fights in the climatic battle alongside the rest of the heroes. Strange does not tell Iron Man if this was the possible future where Thanos loses, believing it won't come true if he does. However, he does gesture the number 1 to Iron Man to motivate him into action, leading to Tony snapping his fingers to erase Thanos and his army from existence, but at the cost of his own life. Strange is last seen attending Stark's funeral with the rest of the Avengers.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Doctor Strange is mentioned by Peter Parker when he tries to convince Talos (disguised as Nick Fury) to use the sorcerer to help deal with Mysterio's attacks instead of him, so he can enjoy his trip. Talos declines saying Strange is unavailable.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
Doctor Strange is mentioned in the second episode of this series, "The Star-Spangled Man", by Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes.
What If...?
Season 1
In the fourth episode, "What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?", his lover Christine Palmer was with him in the accident and died in the car crash, with Strange struggling to accept her death.
One night, two years later, he is the Sorcerer Supreme and uses the Eye of Agamotto repeatedly to reverse time to the day the accident happened, in order to save her life. However, he never succeeds and Christine ends up dying in all the attempts. Ancient One eventually tells him that Christine's death is an Absolute Point in time, thus it cannot be changed or it will cause the end of their universe.
Ancient One tells Doctor Strange that he must just accept his lover's death, but Strange refuses and the two of them fight. Doctor Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto to go back in time again with the intent to find the Books of Cagliostro, as Cagliostro was a person that knew how to alter an Absolute Point. He encounters the librarian O'Bengh and spends a long time studying. He discovers that he will be able to break the Absolute Point by absorbing the powers of other life-forms, so he summons many different mystic beings a uses his magic to force them to give their powers to him. While he is doing this, the Watcher of the multiverse states that he won't do anything to interfere, but this universe is doomed if Strange continues, and Strange is able to overhear this comment. Strange stays there for centuries. O'Bengh eventually becomes an elder and dies from old age while Strange uses his magic to freeze himself in time, so he does not age. Before dying, O'Bengh tells him that there is another Strange in their universe.
It is then revealed that when the Ancient One fought Strange and was unable to follow him after he gone back in time again, she used the power of the Dark Dimension to divide the timeline in two, splitting Doctor Strange. While the first Strange had gone back in time and spent years studying to find a way to bring Christine back, the second one in the same universe chose to accept Christine's death that same night and never used the Eye of Agamotto to revert time. When the universe starts to crumble as a consequence of the first Doctor Strange's actions, the two of them meet when the first one, now Strange Supreme, abducts the second. Strange Supreme says that they should merge to bring Christine back. They fight and the Doctor Strange attempts to convince Strange Supreme to move on from Christine, despite the love both of them still have for her. However, Strange Supreme refuses and eventually manages to combine them both.
Following this, Strange Supreme is successful in breaking the Absolute Point and revive the woman he loves, only to watch as she begins to vanish along with their entire universe. Desperate, Strange asks for the Watcher's help to save Christine and the universe, offering to be punished in their place. However, the Watcher says he cannot intervene and has no power to save them, because when Doctor Strange messed with time, he condemned this universe. The Watcher leaves and Strange Supreme sees everything around him disintegrating. Strange uses his magic and manages to create a purple gem around himself and his lover, but Christine ends up vanishing in his arms anyway. Alone, he cries in grief, regretting what he did.
Strange Supreme reappears at the end of the eighth episode, when the Watcher retreats from the battle with the powerful Ultron and falls inside Strange Supreme's mirror dimension. Ultron from one of the universes had managed to transfer his mind to his Vibranium body and later obtain all six Infinity Stones. After devastating his own reality, Ultron is now trying to destroying the entire multiverse. Strange Supreme smugly asks the Watcher if he is prepared to break his oath to not intervene with the universes. Having no other choice to save the multiverse, the Watcher asks for Strange Supreme's help.
Strange started an alliance with the Watcher as they gathered the heroes from across the Multiverse in a fight against Ultron. They brought them to an illusion of the Whip & Fiddle pub, that Captain Carter is familiar with.
Season 2
When Strange Supreme returns in the second season, he is a lot more sinister. He first appears at the end of "What if... Kahhori Reshaped the World?", where he meets Kahhori, a new superhero who gained superpowers from the space stone. Strange then returns at the end of "What if... The Avengers Assembled in 1602?", where he reconnects with Captain Carter, who is stranded in 1602, and tells her he has a story to tell her.
In "What if... Strange Supreme Intervened?", Supreme tricks Carter into thinking there is a big threat that is planning on destroying all universes, including Kahhori's. Kahhori tells Captain Carter that Strange is the real threat and wants to destroy several universes to restore his own, in order to live peacefully and bring back Christine Palmer once and for all. Strange battles Carter after she refuses to help him, to the point where he tricks her into thinking Carter is back in 1943, moments before she became a super soldier. However, Carter notices Strange's butterfly effect and realises Steve telling her he loves her is a rouse. Strange and Carter fight and he eventually sees the error of his ways. Strange Supreme sends everyone back to their own time and restores his universe, but at the cost of his own life. His universe and Christine are brought back, but it is now a world that Strange Supreme was not born into.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
- “You know, after everything we've been through together, somehow I always forget... You're just a kid. Look, part of the problem, it's not Mysterio. It's you. Trying to live two different lives.”
- ―Doctor Strange to Peter Parker[src]
Doctor Strange appears in the third instalment of the Spider-Man series. After Mysterio exposes Peter Parker's identity as Spider-Man, with the ensuing controversy causing him and his friends to have their MIT applications cancelled, Parker visits Strange to get them back in MIT. Strange offers to cast a spell known as the Runes of Kof-Kol and make the universe forget Parker is Spider-Man, but after Parker tries to modify the spell one too many times so his Aunt May and friends would still remember, it fractures the Multiverse and teleports everyone from other realities who know Parker is Spider-Man-- specifically, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Sandman from the Sam Raimi trilogy, Lizard and Electro from the Webb-verse, the Spider-Men of the aforementioned realities, and Venom from Sony's Spider-Man Universe -- into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Luckily, Strange is able to seal the corrupted spell before it can damage the Multiverse further.
Strange instructs Parker to capture the multiversal villains and bring them back to the Sanctum Sanctorum, where he prepares to use the spell to send them back to their realities. He argues they are destined to die at the hands of Spider-Man, but Parker wishes to avert their fates. After a duel in the Mirror Dimension, Parker is able to trap Strange, steal his Sling Ring, and escape.
Eventually, Peter's friend Ned Leeds-- who had discovered his latent magical potential with the Sling Ring-- accidentally frees Strange from the Mirror Dimension. Strange finds out Peter had teamed up with the Spider-Men of the villains' realities and managed to cure the villains. However, the Green Goblin is able to unleash the corrupted spell, causing the multiverse to fracture. Unable to keep it at bay any longer, Strange decides the only way to stop it is to cast a new spell, sending the multiversal visitors back to their realities while making the entire universe forget Parker's existence, much less that he is Spider-Man.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange returns as the main protagonist in this film, which ties-in with WandaVision. in 2025, Stephen is invited to the wedding of his ex-girlfriend Christine Palmer. After the ceremony, Strange congratulates Christine and is glad she is happy. Strange also tells her he wishes he had managed to be different for her sake, but she tells him it never would have worked between them anyway because he had to "be the one to hold the knife". During the wedding reception, there is commotion outside. Strange and Wong kill a being and rescue a teenage girl named America Chavez.
Strange and Wong learn that America is a multiversal traveller and is being hunted by someone for her powers. She also informs them that an alternate version of Doctor Strange tried to take her powers for himself and that she was teleported to this universe with the other Strange. Strange goes to visit Wanda Maximoff for help, only to find she has been corrupted by the Darkhold and is the one who sent the monster to attack Chavez, hoping to take her power. Stephen learns Wanda wants to leave this current reality to be with her children in another even though they are not real. When Wanda demands Strange to hand over America by sundown, he refuses and she attacks Kama Taj. Strange is transported to another universe with Chavez, known as 838. There, he is found by Baron Mordo, an alternate version of a man who tried to kill Strange when he first became a sorcerer.
Mordo informs Chavez and Strange that Wanda plans on dream walking to possess her alternate self's body and he drugs the duo, leaving them to wake up in chambers. Strange meets an alternate version of Christine who designed the chambers and he asks her for help. Strange is called to speak to the Illuminati - 838's equivalent to the Avengers. Strange learns that his alternate self got corrupted by the Darkhold after they killed Thanos and the team were forced to kill their Doctor Strange. While the Illuminati are all killed by Scarlet Witch, Strange battles Mordo and ends up in the spaces between universes with 838 Palmer and Chavez. Strange and Christine work together and they are transported to another universe, which has been destroyed by another version of Strange.
616 Strange finds his alternate self in his sanctorum and battles him, killing that version of himself. While in this universe, Strange learns America is being attacked by the Scarlet Witch so dream walks into the corpse of himself that came to earth 616 with Chavez, with Christine's help. While processing his alternate self, Strange manages to convince America to use her powers and control them to defeat Wanda. Strange then manages to stop dream walking and is helped by Christine. Knowing that he and Christine will be sent back to their own universes - now that the Darkhold is destroyed in every universe - Strange takes this as a chance to tell 838 Christine that he has always loved her and loves her in every universe. Christine is flattered and wishes she could see his universe. Stephen finally gets closure with Christine and he is sent back to his universe.
Back in his own universe, Strange reunites with Wong, whom he respects as the new Sorcerer Supreme, and bows to his boss. Wong asks Strange how he is since he dreamwalked into the corpse of his alternate self, and Strange says he is okay. Sometime later, Strange is leaving the sanctorum when he collapses in the middle of the street, screaming, as he develops a third eye. Strange is then greeted by another sorceress, who offers to help Strange fix an incursion he caused.
Disney Parks
Doctor Strange had a limited-time meet-and-greet and interactive street show at Disney's Hollywood Studios located at the end of Pixar Place that ran from November 4 to December 1, 2016.
In addition, Doctor Strange appeared in the 2016 Super Heroes Half-Marathon RunDisney event at Disneyland and hosting the Doctor Strange 10K run.
Doctor Strange did meet-and-greets at Disney California Adventure for a time.
Gallery
Trivia
- Benedict Cumberbatch was originally unsure whether or not to play the character in the MCU due to Doctor Strange's characteristics in the comics.[3]
- This version of Doctor Strange is mentioned in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse by Miguel O'Hara.
- There is a Doctor Strange that exists in Peter-Two's world, mentioned in Spider-Man 2. J. Jonah Jameson suggests the name for Doctor Octopus, until he remembers it is already taken by that world's Stephen Strange.
- Sam Rami then went onto work with Doctor Strange actor Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
- The character might also exists in Peter-Three's world as he alludes to magic existing in his world when speaking to Michelle Jones and Ned Leeds.
- As a result of his confrontation with Dormammu in the Dark Dimension, Strange has officially died more times than any other character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Doctor Strange was considered to physically appear in the series finale of WandaVision, where it would be revealed that all the commercials seen in the show were messages from Strange attempting to reach Wanda Maximoff. However, his planned appearance was discarded in order to keep the focus on Maximoff.[4]
References
- ↑ Perez, Alex (August 14, 2023). "Exclusive: 'Doctor Strange 3' to adapt 'Time Runs Out'". The Cosmic Circus.
- ↑ "Spider-Man: Freshman Year Who's Who - Daredevil, Doctor Strange and More | Comic-Con 2022". IGN (July 23, 2022).
- ↑ "Benedict Cumberbatch Admits 'Sexist' Doctor Strange Views Led Him to Doubt MCU Role". MCU Direct (November 10, 2021).
- ↑ Doctor Strange Was Written Out of WandaVision
This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Ultimate Spider-Man Wiki. The list of authors can be seen in the page revision history (view authors). As with Disney Wiki, the text of Ultimate Spider-Man Wiki is available under the CC-by-SA Free Documentation License. |
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