What is the strongest form of Dr Strange?

What is the strongest form of Dr Strange?

Knowing his reliance on his medical abilities to support his affluent lifestyle, Strange began to seek a source of healing for his hands until the quest drained him of his resources and he faced a dark and uncertain future. Having crossed off all grounded cures from his list, he followed a path of rumor and legend to Tibet for a more esoteric shelter. There, high in the mountains, he met the Ancient One, a master mystic, and caught his first glimpse of a much larger universe.

Strange embarked on a journey to learn the art of magic under the Ancient One’s tutelage when he realized that the art of medicine would remain closed off from him forever. The former medico excelled at his lessons and grew to be as adept at spells and sorcery as he once was at surgery. The Ancient One saw in Strange a most gifted pupil and after years of schooling him, presented him with powerful artifacts with which to protect the Earth from many and varied menaces.

Returning to the West, Strange set up a new practice in New York City, and settled into his destined role as a sage, an occult advisor, and a Master of the Mystic Arts.

Magic Man

Doctor Strange’s powers and abilities originally stemmed from tapping into otherworldly entities and planes, chief among them the Vishanti, a triumvirate of powerful beings who granted magic-users temporary access to their essences through spells. Strange called upon the Vishanti throughout his early years as a magician to aid in his battles against various forms of magical danger and creatures, culminating in him receiving the title of Sorcerer Supreme when the Ancient One relinquished it upon his death.

As his career advanced, Strange lost and regained both his title as Sorcerer Supreme and his connection to the Vishanti several times due to injuries or extreme challenges to his authority. During these times, he sought other forms of sorcery to wield, including so-called catastrophe or chaos magic, blood spells, and demon possession. Ultimately, the doctor has found himself returning to more traditional wellsprings of magic after bouts with darker forms, each dalliance with the dark inevitably impacting him one way or another.

Strange’s primary artifact is known as the Eye of Agamotto, an amulet endowed with the might of the being it was christened for and the ability to impart powers of light, truth, and planar travel, among others. In addition, the doctor also makes use of his Cloak of Levitation to fly and maintains a sprawling library of mystical tomes in his New York home. Recently, he’s taken up the ancient Axe of Angarruumus for both offense and defense purposes.

Direct Opposition

A man in Stephen Strange’s important position is sure to create many enemies, and so it is expected that the Sorcerer Supreme may claim some of the most terrifying foes of any champion. Baron Mordo became Strange’s first opponent when the two studied simultaneously under the Ancient One and Mordo proved he cared more for selfishly gaining power than for helping others. As Strange learned to let go of his own ego he saw the same darkness in his fellow student and warned their teacher of it. Mordo swore eternal enmity against Strange and went on to transform himself into the doctor’s longtime foe.

Perhaps the greatest and most powerful of all of Strange’s enemies is the dreaded Dormammu, a magical entity from another dimension whose lust for power and rulership over Earth’s plane placed him in direct opposition with the Sorcerer Supreme on multiple occasions. Strange has managed to defeat Dormammu at almost every turn, but sometimes by the skin of his teeth, owing to the Dread One’s near-omnipotent might on his own plane and his deft manipulation of earthly lackeys and sycophants.

Doctor Strange’s other enemies include the sorcerer Yandroth, the demons Nightmare and Shuma-Gorath, the Earth despot Doctor Doom, and Umar the Unrelenting, the sister of Dormammu.

Allies and Affiliates

Though a loner by choice, Strange has opened his heart and home to a precious few he can call friends. Chief among these individuals is Wong, a seemingly simple servant on the surface, who is in fact a martial arts master and accomplished scholar. Wong tends to Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum, a stately mansion in New York’s Greenwich Village, protecting it and its master from outsiders while advancing his own skills. Together, Doctor Strange and Wong have traveled the dark and light together as employer and employee, but also as brothers.

During Strange’s initial forays into the Dark Dimension and his earning of Dormammu’s wrath, he met a young woman named Clea who would become not only his student and partner, but also his beloved. Eventually, Clea left Strange’s side after many adventures to ascend to the rulership of the Dark Dimension, but the two have found each other again and again to renew their bonds in even the most strident situations.

After a short period of non-activity as a sorcerer, Strange came in contact with two individuals who would shape an important corner of his life, Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Hulk. Together, the three men — joined soon after by the Silver Surfer as well — formed the basis of an experiment in teamwork known as the Defenders, a group of heroes formed by Strange to address missions on a sporadic basis and without any formal structure. Many versions of the Defenders followed the original “non-team,” with Strange at the forefront of a good number of them as “members” came and went as they would.

Strange also allied himself with a phalanx of supernatural champions called the Midnight Sons, as well as took part in a secretive conference of some of Earth’s most intelligent and well-reasoned champions. These Illuminati came together only under the most extreme of circumstances until torn apart by internal strife and disagreements. Strange himself questioned his own participation in the group on several occasion and though he called some of its members friends, never fully warmed to its intended purpose.

Though he himself only briefly dallied with the idea of operating as a traditional “super hero,” Doctor Strange’s ties with the ranks of costumed and codenamed champions around the globe have been fairly strong. In particular, his many team-ups with Spider-Man have produced a lasting friendship, and his relationship with the Avengers led to actual membership for the doctor in more recent times. More often than not though, Strange has mostly gone it alone, knowing well that his expertise as a singular mystical warrior makes for a sometimes lonely path.

The Most Powerful Variants in ‘Doctor Strange 2,’ Ranked by Strength

As anticipated, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced us to a slew of powerful variants. There were multiple variants of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), as well as variants of other familiar Marvel characters. Additionally, we even had variations of a new character not previously introduced to the MCU.

The variants mainly make their appearance when Strange and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who are from the primary timeline on Earth-616, accidentally land on Earth-838. While searching for a variant of Strange, they are apprehended by a variant of Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who is Sorcerer Supreme in that universe. Through flashbacks, we find the Strange variant in that universe, Strange Supreme, was corrupted and executed by the Illuminati. Mordo introduces the other members of the Illuminati on Earth-838 who are variants of Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Mister Fantastic (John Krasinski), Captain Carter (Haley Atwell), Black Bolt (Anson Mount), and Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch).

Meanwhile, we also meet three more Strange variants in the film. First is Defender Strange, who originally teamed up with Chavez. However, he quickly died after attempting to sacrifice Chavez to save the multiverse. Next, we meet Sinister Strange, a corrupted Strange who has caused his universe to collapse from incursions. Lastly, there is Undead Strange who appears when Earth-616 Strange dreamwalks and possesses the corpse of Defender Strange. Here are all of these variants ranked from strongest to weakest in Doctor Strange 2.

1. Undead Strange

Undead Strange takes the top spot as the most powerful variant in Doctor Strange 2. In the film, Doctor Strange uses the Darkhold to dreamwalk, and to essentially possess the dead body of Defender Strange who is buried on earth. What makes this Strange more powerful than the other Doctor Strange variants are his allies—the souls of the damned. Strange is initially attacked by the souls, but learns to control them and utilize them for his mission. Undead Strange combines the powers of Defender Strange, the Darkhold knowledge of Earth-616 Strange, and the aid of the souls of the damned, to become the most powerful variant.

2. Sinister Strange

Sinister Strange exists in a destroyed universe that has collapsed in on itself. This version of Strange has been deeply corrupted by the Darkhold. In his desperation, Sinister Strange sought out other versions of himself who may have been happy with Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). Upon finding that, in no universe, did he end up with Palmer, he utilizes the Darkhold to dreamwalk and kill other variants of himself. In doing so, he destroyed his own entire universe. While clearly immensely powerful, he is defeated by Earth-616 Strange, showing that his power has limits.

3. Strange Supreme

Viewers will recall that Strange Supreme from Earth-199999 first appeared in the animated series, What If…?. The Strange of Earth-838 bears a history that is pretty similar to the Strange Supreme of What If…?. However, the Strange in this universe doesn’t seem as powerful. As soon as he becomes corrupted by the Darkhold and a threat to the universe, he is killed by Black Bolt. His easy defeat at Black Bolt’s hands seems to indicate that his full powers didn’t come to fruition in that universe, making him one of the less powerful Strange variants.

4. Defender Strange

Defender Strange only has a minor role in Doctor Strange 2, but he shows quickly he is one of the less powerful Strange variants. For one, he is a very logical Doctor Strange, almost to a fault. He would willingly sacrifice Chavez to save the multiverse. He seems to lack the empathy that is so typical of Earth-616 Strange, but is also likely less impulsive and less likely to tamper with spells he shouldn’t. Ultimately, though, playing by the rules and using logic isn’t enough to save him from being killed by a monster. He has most of the same powers as Earth-616 Strange, but seems less likely to push the boundaries of them, making him a bit weaker.

5. Professor X

Professor X boasts some serious telekinetic abilities. While all of the Illuminati members put up a valiant fight against Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), Xavier lasts the longest. He manages to temporarily disorient Wanda and to even travel inside her mind, where he finds the actual Wanda struggling to break free from the Scarlet Witch’s power. While he ultimately meets the same fate as the rest of the Illuminati, he was powerful enough to penetrate the mind of the Scarlet Witch.

6. Black Bolt

Black Bolt is an inhuman, sometimes referred to as the King of the Inhumans. His power resides in his voice, which emits enormous shockwaves capable of leveling cities. While Black Bolt is the first member of the Illuminati to fall at the hands of Wanda, other details point to his power. After all, we did see him swiftly destroy Supreme Strange with just his voice in his universe. He might not do well with reality manipulation, but he definitely harbors serious power.

7. Captain Marvel/Maria Rambeau

Captain Marvel was the only member of the Illuminati besides Professor X to hold off Wanda for a substantial amount of time. While the rest of the Illuminati was gone in a wink, Captain Marvel continued fighting. Similar to Xavier, she actually managed to get to Wanda in a way no one else even came close to. She knocked her off course, landed multiple blows, and had Wanda drop the ease and smugness with which she greeted every other foe. This Captain Marvel has some serious force and a refusal to back down, making her exceedingly powerful.

8. Captain Carter

Captain Carter boasts similarities to Captain Marvel, with her grit and determination. However, she simply lacks the extreme force and power of Captain Marvel. Yes, she is a super soldier with enhanced abilities, but she is not invincible. This becomes evident pretty quickly when Wanda slices her in half with her own shield. Carter gets brownie points for her bravery, but she really isn’t any force against the likes of Wanda.

9. Mister Fantastic

Mister Fantastic may be the smartest man in the world, but he’s definitely not the strongest. Aside from his intelligence, he boasts the ability of shapeshifting. He can, essentially, stretch his body and shape it into almost anything. This ability generally helps keep him immune from injury. However, being stretchy isn’t any kind of match to chaos magic being wielded by the Scarlet Witch. His demise is almost comically quick showing that he really lacks true power.

10. Baron Mordo

In Earth-838, Mordo holds the title of Sorcerer Supreme after Supreme Strange’s execution. As the Sorcerer Supreme and Master of the Mystic Arts, we were really expecting Mordo to be extremely powerful. That’s not in the case in Doctor Strange 2, though. We don’t even really get to see Mordo’s powers throughout the entirety of the film. He uses sleepy-tea to capture Strange and Chavez, doesn’t fight Wanda, and eventually gets subdued by Earth-616 Strange and a pair of handcuffs. He might be the Sorcerer Supreme in title, but Earth-838 Mordo doesn’t seem to be the Sorcerer Supreme in any other manner.

11. Wanda of Earth-838

In the film, we get only one variant of Wanda, Earth-838 Wanda. This Wanda is a loving and doting mother to her children, Billy (Julian Hilliard) and Tommy (Jett Klyne). Using the Darkhold, Earth-616 Wanda, dreamwalks to possess Earth-838 Wanda. She uses this innocent woman to wreak havoc and completely destroy the Illuminati. Her ranking on this list doesn’t necessarily mean she is the weakest variant. It only means we don’t get to see enough of her to understand her strength. From what we can see, she is a suburban mother enjoying life with her children. We don’t know if she has found her identity as the Scarlet Witch or unlocked her true powers.

Her physical power might be unknown, but she still has power alright. In the film, she valiantly protects her children, but also shows empathy to Earth-616 Wanda, promising her that her kids will be loved. We don’t see her fight or use magic, but she wields immense power in being a mother.

(Featured image: Marvel)

Marvel’s What If…? Episode 4 Ending Explored: The Ramifications of Doctor Strange’s Choice

Things get extra dark in the latest episode of Marvel’s big anthology cartoon. Let’s take a closer look at this alternate universe.

By Gavin Jasper | September 2, 2021 |

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With the last couple episodes of Marvel’s What If…?, I was able to speculate on the tangent realities. What would a reformed Thanos mean for Earth? Where do the loyalties lie in the war against Loki’s rule over Midgard? The show asks, “What if?” and I asked, “What’s next?”

Well…episode 4 makes that a little difficult. There is no world to expand upon. There is no future. Dr. Strange, driven by an obsession to save Christine Palmer’s life, goes way overboard and abuses time travel and magic to the point that reality collapses upon itself and all that remains is a guilt-ridden sorcerer left with nothing but consequences.

Still, the events of the episode do suggest a deeper look.

The Nexus Event

Much like Hope Van Dyne joining SHIELD in the last episode, the nexus event isn’t ever shown. What separates this world from regular continuity is actually what makes it feel so tragic and even mean spirited. The universe is doomed because Stephen Strange was a better person before his origin. He was able to keep his ego in check enough to end up in a relationship with Christine. He was better and, in the end, everyone suffers. That’s messed up.

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In the movie, Strange learns a cosmic lesson about humility and comes out of it stronger. We see him get messed up from that car crash after texting while driving, we see what a dick he is, and we decide, “Hey, he got what was coming to him.” The lesson to be learned here is that, what, “Shit happens?” That pointless tragedy has to happen in order to push the narrative of the universe?

I have to wonder how the “absolute point” concept works in regards to various continuities. I imagine that if the movie version of Dr. Strange tried to go back in time and stop his accident, he’d get his hands run over by a steamroller or he’d accidentally punch a brick wall several hundred times or whatever. Reality is hellbent on making him Dr. Strange. So could the Dr. Strange from this episode set up that situation? If he somehow had the foresight to make his younger self a jerk so that he never gets too close with Christine and goes on to only lose his livelihood, would that actually work?

Animated Deconstruction

Hey, remember the Marvel Animated Cinematic Universe? Those straight-to-DVD movies that came out before the MCU was a hit? There were two Ultimate Avengers movies, a really boring Iron Man feature, a movie about the Avengers’ kids fighting Ultron, and so on? Back in 2007, there was a Dr. Strange movie. It didn’t work.

The people behind it couldn’t figure out how to make magic interesting, so all the sorcerer characters mainly fight with swords that they could summon out of thin air. At one point halfway into the movie, they mention that Dr. Strange has an innate power to absorb magic. By the end, when realizing that Dormammu is too powerful as he’s made of pure magic, Strange just remembers his ability and sucks Dormammu into his own body.

It does the job. It’s just that simple There are somehow no side-effects and the movie abruptly ends. What the hell?

I like that this animated Dr. Strange story also features him absorbing demonic and magic entities, only it’s very, very apparent that this is not healthy and not good for Strange or the world. It’s like they’re calling out that dumb ending that only I remember!