Doctor Strange, Marvel's sorcerer supreme

Having received his own Marvel films and made many important appearances in other films in the same universe, Doctor Strange is a character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1963. A comic book hero, he operates in the same universe as Spiderman, Ironman, the Hulk and the Silver Surfer.

The sorcerer supreme

Doctor Strange's story is one of painful redemption. The human character is Stephen Strange, a brilliant neurosurgeon. Unfortunately, his soul is consumed by narcissism and the pursuit of profit. Fate finally punishes him with a terrible car accident in which his hands are permanently damaged. He exhausted all the resources of modern medicine, to no avail: his hands remained unfit for surgery.

He then embarks on a mystical journey to the Himalayas, where he meets the Ancient One, a great master of the occult sciences. The Elder puts him to the test and teaches him what he knows. Strange does not regain the full use of his hands, but he does gain something else instead: an awareness of his past mistakes.

He then decides to become a sorcerer, a master of the occult sciences, and is entrusted with the protection of the Earth by the Ancient One, before the latter dies. Strange must confront terrible enemies such as Dormammu, the Shadow Lord, and Baron Mordo, a disciple of the Ancient One who has chosen the wrong path.

Doctor Strange's equipment

To carry out his missions, Doctor Strange has received a number of magical accessories from the Ancient One:

• The levitation cape: this enormous cape gives Doctor Strange his characteristic appearance. And, of course, it allows him to fly.
• The Eye of Agamotto: an amulet capable of countering the effects of evil energy with its light.
• The Orb of Agamotto: his famous crystal ball, which gives him clairvoyance.
• The Book of Vishanti: Doctor Strange's grimoire, containing his knowledge of white magic.

Thanks to his knowledge of spells and incantations, Doctor Strange can manipulate mystical energies, giving him almost unlimited powers. He can teleport, telekinesis, astral projection, hypnosis, telepathy... In combat, he can either defend himself by creating a protective shield, or attack with mystical energy discharges capable of destroying an entire planet. And if he ever loses his powers, he has learned the martial arts from Wong, his faithful servant.

The two Doctors Strange, not to be confused

The name "Strange" means strange in French. It seems that the use of the name 'Doctor Strange' is as tempting as 'Doctor Evil', and so the two great rivals, Marvel and DC Comics, each have their own Doctor Strange.

In the DC Comics universe, it's Doctor Hugo Strange and he's a villain, an enemy of Batman. Doctor Hugo Strange builds robots and androids in an attempt to trap the masked vigilante... except in the 'Batman Prey' album, where he's a psychoanalyst who pretends to be a media charlatan, the better to penetrate the depths of Bruce Wayne's mind and discover his identity and weaknesses.

Marvel's much better-known Doctor Strange is a hero who fights alongside the good guys, whether in the Avengers or in a group called the Illuminati. This group is made up of people like Professor X (of the X-Men), the Black Arrow, Ironman and Mr Fantastic.

Doctor Strange in the movies

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch has played Doctor Strange in a number of Marvel films. He began with his own film:

• Doctor Strange, released in 2016 and directed by Scott Derrickson. This film retraces the origins of Doctor Strange, with a slightly different version from the comics. Here, he must confront Kaecilius, a disciple gone bad, but also discover that the Ancient One has broken his own rules by using the energy of the Dark Dimension to stay alive. Strange in turn breaks the rules to confront Dormammu in the Dark Dimension, which is invading Earth.
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: the sequel directed by Sam Raimi in 2022. Here, Doctor Strange travels through alternative universes thanks to America Chavez, and encounters alternative versions of himself, as well as the notorious Illuminati.

Doctor Strange also appears in several Marvel films:

• Thor: Ragnarok (2017), appearance announced in the Doctor Strange film credits
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
• Avengers: Endgame (2019)
• Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Of course, the character also appears in a number of video games, including Marvel VS Capcom 3.

You'll find lots of Doctor Strange goodies in our geek shop. Bags, T-shirts, jewellery, etc. Treat yourself!