Doctor Strange

This article is about the superhero. For other uses, see Doctor Strange (disambiguation).

Doctor Strange
File:Dr Strange by Steve Ditko.jpg Art by Steve Ditko.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Strange Tales #110 (July 1963)
Created by	Steve Ditko
In-story information
Alter ego	Stephen Vincent Strange
Team affiliations	New Avengers Illuminati Defenders The Order Midnight Sons
Notable aliases	Stephen Sanders, Vincent Stevens
Abilities	Mastery of magic Genius-level intellect Skilled neurosurgeon Trained martial artist

Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange (known as Doctor Strange) is a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Doctor Strange is a former neurosurgeon who serves as the Sorcerer Supreme — the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats. Debuting in the Silver Age of comics, the character has been featured in several eponymous comics series and licensed derivative media including video games, animated television series, a direct-to-DVD film, and merchandise such as trading cards. A live-action feature film based on the character is in development, scheduled for release in 2016.

Publication history

1960s

Artist and plotter Steve Ditko and scriptwriter and editor Stan Lee have separately described the character, if not the name, as having been created by Ditko, who wrote in 2008, "On my own, I brought in to Lee a five-page, penciled story with a page/panel script of my idea of a new, different kind of character for variety in Marvel Comics. My character wound up being named Dr. Strange because he would appear in Strange Tales."

In a 1963 letter to Jerry Bails, Lee called the character Ditko's idea, saying,

Well, we have a new character in the works for STRANGE TALES (just a 5-page filler named DR. STRANGE--) Steve Ditko is gonna draw him. It has sort of a black magic theme. The first story is nothing great, but perhaps we can make something of him-- 'twas Steve's idea and I figgered we'd give it a chance, although again, we had to rush the first one too much. Little sidelight: Originally decided to call him MR. STRANGE, but thought the MR. bit too similar to MR. FANTASTIC -- now, however, I remember we had a villain called DR. STRANGE just recently in one of our mags-- hope it won't be too confusing!

Dr. Strange debuted in Strange Tales #110 (July 1963), a split book shared with the feature "The Human Torch". Doctor Strange appeared in issues #110–111 and #114 before the character's eight-page origin story appeared in #115 (Dec. 1963). Scripter Lee's take on the character was inspired by the Chandu the Magician radio program that aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System in the 1930s.

With issue #135 (Aug. 1965), "The Human Torch" feature was replaced, and "Dr. Strange" began sharing Strange Tales with the espionage series "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. ". Ditko drew "Dr. Strange" through issue #146 (July 1966), and during this period he and Lee introduced many of Strange's allies, such as his eventual lover Clea, who debuted, initially unnamed, in Strange Tales #126 (Nov. 1964); and enemies, such as the flame-headed Dormammu in that same issue, and Nightmare in #110.

Ditko's stories showcased surrealistic mystical landscapes and increasingly vivid visuals that helped make the feature a favorite of college students. Comics historian Mike Benton wrote,

The Dr. Strange stories of the 1960s constructed a cohesive cosmology that would have thrilled any self-respecting theosophist. College students, minds freshly opened by psychedelic experiences and Eastern mysticism, read Ditko and Lee's Dr. Strange stories with the belief of a recent Hare Krishna convert. Meaning was everywhere, and readers analyzed the Dr. Strange stories for their relationship to Egyptian myths, Sumerian gods, and Jungian archetypes.

"People who read 'Doctor Strange' thought people at Marvel must be heads [i.e., drug users]," recalled then-associate editor and former Doctor Strange writer Roy Thomas in 1971, "because they had had similar experiences high on mushrooms. But … I don't use hallucinogens, nor do I think any artists do."

As co-plotter and later sole plotter, (in the "Marvel Method"), Ditko took Strange into ever-more-abstract realms. In an epic 17-issue story arc in Strange Tales #130–146 (March 1965–July 1966), Ditko introduced the cosmic character Eternity, who personified the universe and was depicted as a silhouette whose outlines are filled with the cosmos. As historian Bradford W. Wright described,

Steve Ditko contributed some of his most surrealistic work to the comic book and gave it a disorienting, hallucinogenic quality. Dr. Strange's adventures take place in bizarre worlds and twisting dimensions that resembled Salvador Dalí paintings. Inspired by the pulp-fiction magicians of Stan Lee's childhood as well as by contemporary Beat culture, Dr. Strange remarkably predicted the youth counterculture's fascination with Eastern mysticism and psychedelia. Never among Marvel's more popular or accessible characters, Dr. Strange still found a niche among an audience seeking a challenging alternative to more conventional superhero fare.

Splash page for the "Doctor Strange" story in Strange Tales #110 (July 1963). Art by Steve Ditko.

In keeping with Lee's emphasis on continuity, Strange guest-starred in Fantastic Four #27 (June 1964) and The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (1965), and encountered the Norse god Loki, foster brother of Thor, in Strange Tales #123 (August 1964).

The series continued with Lee dialoging Ditko's plots through Strange Tales #142, followed by Roy Thomas and Denny O'Neil (two issues each). Golden Age artist/writer Bill Everett succeeded Ditko as artist with issues #147–152, followed by Marie Severin through #160 and Dan Adkins through #168, the final issue before the Nick Fury feature moved to its own title and Strange Tales was renamed Doctor Strange.

Lee returned to write episodes in Strange Tales #151–157; followed by Thomas (#158–159); and two writers who did virtually no other Marvel work, Raymond Marais (#160–161) and Jim Lawrence (#162–166). Another cosmic entity, the Living Tribunal, was introduced in issue #157 (June 1967) and the evil Umar, sister of Dormammu, in #150 (Nov. 1966).

Expanded to 20 pages per issue, the Doctor Strange solo series ran 15 issues, #169–183 (June 1968 - Nov. 1969), continuing the numbering of Strange Tales. Thomas wrote the run of new stories, joined after the first three issues by the art team of penciler Gene Colan and inker Tom Palmer through the end. Colan drastically altered the look of the series, as Thomas recounted: "…he had his own view of what these other worlds should look like. Everyone else sort of copied Ditko's versions of those extra dimensions, which were great and wonderful. When Gene came on, he didn't feel a real rapport with that, I guess, so his extra dimensions tended to be just blackness and smoke and things of that sort… Sometimes it was a little strange for a dimension Doc Strange had been to before to look different when drawn by Gene, but nobody complained." In #177, Thomas and Colan attempted to boost sales by revamping Strange's appearance to more closely resemble those of other superheroes, giving him a form-fitting blue costume, a full-head mask and a secret identity as Dr. Stephen Sanders. The cancellation with #183 was abrupt (there was a "Next issue" blurb in the last issue), and outstanding storylines were resolved in Sub-Mariner #22 (February 1970) and The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, #126 (April 1970).

Thomas recalled in 2000 that he had eloped in July 1968 to marry his first wife, Jean, and returned to work a day late from a weekend comic book convention to find that Marvel production manager Sol Brodsky had assigned Doctor Strange to writer Archie Goodwin, newly ensconced at Marvel and writing Iron Man. Thomas convinced Brodsky to allow him to continue writing the title. "I got very possessive about Doctor Strange," Thomas recalled. "It wasn't a huge seller, but [by the time it was canceled] we were selling the low 40 percent range of more than 400,000 print run, so it was actually selling a couple hundred thousand copies [but] at the time you needed to sell even more."

1970s–1990s

Doctor Strange #177 (Feb. 1969), the debut of Strange's short-lived new look. Cover art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer.

After plans were announced for a never-realized split book series featuring Doctor Strange and Iceman each in solo adventures, Strange next appeared in the first three issues (Dec. 1971 – June 1972) of the quarterly showcase title Marvel Feature. He appeared in both the main story detailing the formation of superhero "non-team" the Defenders, and the related back-up story. The character then starred in a revival solo series in Marvel Premiere #3–14 (July 1972–March 1974). This arc marked the debut of another recurring foe, the entity Shuma-Gorath, created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Frank Brunner. In issues #8–10 (May–Sept. 1973), Strange was forced to shut down the Ancient One's mind, causing his mentor's physical death. Strange then assumed the title of Sorcerer Supreme. Englehart and Brunner created another multi-issue storyline featuring sorcerer Sise-Neg ("Genesis" spelled backward) going back through history, collecting all magical energies, until he reaches the beginning of the universe, becomes all-powerful and creates it anew, leaving Strange to wonder whether this was, paradoxically, the original creation. Stan Lee, seeing the issue after publication, ordered Englehart and Brunner to print a retraction saying this was not God but a god, to avoid offending religious readers. The writer and artist concocted a fake letter from a fictitious minister praising the story, and mailed it to Marvel from Texas. Marvel unwittingly printed the letter and dropped the retraction.

The Marvel Premiere series segued to the character's second ongoing title, Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts, also known as Doctor Strange vol. 2, which ran 81 issues (June 1974–February 1987). Doctor Strange #14 featured a crossover story with The Tomb of Dracula #44, another series which was being drawn by Gene Colan at the time. In Englehart's final story, he sent Dr. Strange back in time to meet Benjamin Franklin. In 2010, Comics Bulletin ranked Englehart's work on Doctor Strange with artists Brunner and Colan ninth on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels."

Strange met his allies Topaz in #75 (February 1986) and Rintrah in #80 (Dec, 1986). The series ended with a cliffhanger as his home, the Sanctum Sanctorum was heavily damaged during a battle. Among the losses was Doctor Strange's entire collection of mystic books and other important artifacts. As a consequence, Strange was now considerably weaker and several spells designed to protect humanity from vampires and the evil serpent god Set expired.

The title was discontinued so that the character's adventures could be transferred to another split book format series, Strange Tales vol. 2, #1–19 (April 1987–October 1988), which was shared with street heroes Cloak and Dagger. This new Doctor Strange series resolved Strange's quest to reclaim his power and missing artifacts, as well as resurrect the Defenders, who had died in the last issue of that team's title.

Strange was returned to his own series, this time titled Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme, which ran 90 issues (Nov. 1988 – June 1996). The initial creative team was writer Peter B. Gillis and artists Richard Case and Randy Emberlin, with storylines often spanning multiple issues. Strange lost the title of "Sorcerer Supreme" in issues #48–49 (Dec. 1992 – Jan. 1993) when he refused to fight a war on behalf of the Vishanti, the mystical entities that empower his spells. During this time the series became part of the "Midnight Sons" group of Marvel's supernatural comics, and Doctor Strange found new sources of magical strength in the form of chaos magic, as well as a magic construct he used as a proxy. He would form the Secret Defenders with a rotating roster of heroes, and reunite with the original Defenders. Strange regained his title in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #80 (Aug. 1995).

Strange appeared — together with the Human Torch and the Thing — in the one-shot publication Strange Tales vol. 3, #1 (Nov. 1994).

The character was featured in several limited series. The first was Doctor Strange: The Flight of Bones #1–4 (February–May 1999), with a series of spontaneous combustions by criminals instigated by old foe Dormammu. Strange was the catalyst for the creation of a trio of sorceresses in Witches #1–4 (Aug.–Nov. 2004). The Strange limited series (Nov. 2004 – July 2005) by writers J. Michael Straczynski and Samm Barnes updated the character's origin. Another limited series, Doctor Strange: The Oath #1–5 (Dec. 2006 – April 2007), written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Marcos Martin, focused on Strange's responsibilities as sorcerer and doctor.

Doctor Strange appeared in four graphic novels over the years: Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa (1986); Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment (1989); Spider-Man/Dr. Strange: The Way to Dusty Death (1992); and Dr. Strange: What Is It That Disturbs You, Stephen? (Oct. 1997).

2000s

Strange appeared as a supporting character for the bulk of the 2000s. He appeared regularly in Amazing Spider-Man under J. Michael Straczynski, before being cast into a time loop by Baron Mordu. He later appeared on and off in New Avengers, where he was stated as being part of the secret group known as Illuminati to deal with future threats to Earth. Ultimately Strange joined the team (and allowing them to use his home as a base) after the events of Civil War, which he sat out. Doctor Strange was critical of the federal Superhuman Registration Act and aided the anti-registration Avengers team led by Luke Cage.

During the Bendis run, Doctor Doom attacked the Avengers and manipulated Scarlet Witch into decimating the mutant population; Doctor Strange's failure to stop the latter and his failure to realize Doom's hand in the former led to Strange renouncing his status as Sorcerer Supreme, with the Eye of Agomotto passing the mantle to Brother Voodoo.

He was also featured in "The Order" (which spun out of the 2000 Defenders revival) and the "Indefensible" Defenders mini-series.

2010s

Doctor Strange appeared as a regular character throughout the 2010–2013 New Avengers series, from issue #1 (August 2010) through the final issue #34 (January 2013).

Renamed Doctor Voodoo, the newly appointed Sorcerer Supreme sacrifices himself in order to stop the powerful mystical entity Agamotto from reclaiming the Eye. The following issue, a guilt-ridden Strange, rejoining the New Avengers, offers the team his servant Wong to act as their housekeeper. Strange and Wong are seen working with improvised teams of Avengers in later incidents. He eventually regains his position of Sorcerer Supreme when the ghost of Doctor Voodoo's brother, Daniel Drumm, attempts to attack Strange by possessing various Avengers and Strange manages to defeat him with the use of dark magic without being corrupted by it. The spirit of the Ancient One appears to Strange to inform him that his willingness to fight for the world even when not officially Sorcerer Supreme, coupled with his ability to use black magic when necessary and then avoid its corruptive influence, has proven that he deserves the mantle.

He continues to appear in the pages of the 2013 incarnation of "New Avengers", which focuses on the Illuminati as they deal with "Incursions": cases where two parallel earths collide and cause the destruction of both universes. As such, the group have engaged in considerable acts of moral ambiguity in dealing with each impending incursion. Moreso, Doctor Strange has become host to a dangerous demon after being recruited by a wealthy couple whose son has become possessed; Strange ultimately offered to become the demon's host in exchange for sparing the child only for the child to die anyway. The demon ultimately possessed Strange when fighting a group of heroes from a world threatened by an incursion and kills most of those heroes, resulting in the Illuminati having to stop him.

Fictional character biography

Doctor Stephen Strange is a brilliant but egotistical neurosurgeon who only cares about wealth from his career. A car accident damages his hands, shattering the bones. The damage effectively ends his ability to conduct surgery, since his hands now tremble uncontrollably. Too proud to take a teaching job, Strange desperately begins to search for a way to restore his hands, consulting various doctors, homeopathic treatments and traveling around the world to remote regions for exotic cures, all to no avail.

He exhausts his funds and is reduced to homelessness and is forced to perform "back alley" medical procedures for cash. Depressed and still searching, Strange locates a hermit called the Ancient One (who is actually the Earth's Sorcerer Supreme) in the Himalayas. The Ancient One refuses to help Strange because of his selfishness, but senses a good side that he attempts to bring to the surface. He fails, but Strange's goodness appears when he discovers the Ancient One's disciple, Baron Mordo, attempting to kill the old man. After Strange selflessly thwarts Mordo (later to become Strange's most enduring antagonist), the Ancient One teaches him the mystic arts. After completing his training, Strange returns to New York and takes up residence within the Sanctum Sanctorum, a townhouse located in Greenwich Village which is guarded by Strange's personal servant Wong.

As the Ancient One's disciple, Strange encounters the entity Nightmare, and miscellaneous other mystical foes before meeting Dormammu, a warlord from an alternate dimension called the "Dark Dimension". Strange is aided by a nameless girl, later called Clea, who is eventually revealed to be Dormammu's niece. When Strange helps a weakened Dormammu drive off the rampaging Mindless Ones and return them to their prison, he is allowed to leave unchallenged.

Powers and abilities

Strange is a practicing magician who draws his powers from various entities (such as Agamotto, Cyttorak, the Faltine, Ikonn, Oshtur, Raggadorr, the Seraphim, and Watoomb) and artifacts (such as the Cloak of Levitation which enables him to fly, the Eye of Agamotto whose light is used to negate evil magic, the Book of the Vishanti which contains knowledge of white magic, and the Orb of Agamotto which is used as a crystal ball) which enable him to perform various magical feats.

In addition to his magical abilities, Strange is also a skilled neurosurgeon (although he can no longer practice due to minor nerve damage to his hands rendering him unable to perform the finer details of such operations) and is trained in several different martial arts disciplines.

Doctor Strange has been described as "the mightiest magician in the cosmos", and as "more powerful by far than any of your fellow humanoids" by Eternity, the sentience of the Marvel Universe. He has held the title of Sorcerer Supreme from 1973 (with the death of the Ancient One) to the present, except during an interruption from 1992 to 1995. He relinquished the title once again in 2009, but reclaimed it in 2012 when he proved himself willing to protect the world even without the title.

Recalled issue

Jackson Guice's cover for Doctor Strange #15 (March 1990) used Christian music singer Amy Grant's likeness without her permission, leading to a complaint saying that the cover gave the appearance that she was associating with witchcraft. A US District Court sealed an out-of-court settlement between Grant and Marvel in early 1991, with a consent decree in which Marvel did not admit to liability or wrongdoing.

Other versions

Main article: Alternative versions of Doctor Strange

The character has starred in several alternate universe titles. In the miniseries Marvel 1602 #1–8 (Nov. 2003 – June 2004), Sir Stephen Strange is both the court physician and magician to Queen Elizabeth I. The title Spider-Man 2099 introduced a female version of Strange who shares her body with a demon in issue #33 (July 1995). The miniseries Strange #1–6 (Nov. 2004 – April 2005), written by J. Michael Straczynski and Samm Barnes, with artwork by Brandon Peterson, reimagined the character's origin, allies and enemies in a contemporary setting.

In the miniseries Marvel Zombies #1–5 (February–June 2006), Strange is infected with a zombie virus along with many other heroes. He reappears in the second sequel, Marvel Zombies 3 #1–4 (Dec. 2008 – March 2009)

In the alternate future universe of the Marvel imprint MC2, Doctor Strange is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme, the title there held by Doc Magnus. Doctor Strange uses his remaining power to reform the superhero team the Defenders in A-Next #3 (Dec. 1998) and to fight the Norse god of mischief, Loki, Last Hero Standing #4 (February 2005).

The Ultimate Marvel title Ultimate Marvel Team-Up introduced a version of the character called "Stephen Strange, Jr.," the son of the original Doctor Strange, in Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #12 (July 2002). The character was killed in battle by the Ultimate Marvel version of Dormammu in the miniseries Ultimatum #1–5 (Jan.–Sept. 2009).

Two months before the debut of the sorcerer-hero Doctor Strange, Stan Lee (editor and story-plotter), Robert Bernstein (scripter, under the pseudonym "R. Berns"), and Jack Kirby (artist) introduced a criminal scientist and Ph.D. with the same surname (called "Carl Strange"). Making his sole appearance in the Iron Man story "The Stronghold of Dr. Strange" in Tales of Suspense #41 (May 1963), the character gained mental powers in a freak lightning strike.

In other media

Television

File:Doctor Strange Spider-Man.jpg

Doctor Strange in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

• Peter Hooten starred as Dr. Stephen Strange in the live-action TV movie Dr. Strange, which premiered on Sept. 6, 1978. In this film, Stephen Strange was a psychiatry resident rather than an experienced neurosurgeon. John Mills appeared as Thomas Lindmer, whom director-writer Philip DeGuere added to the story as a stand-in for the Ancient One.

• Dr. Strange appears in the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends episode "7 Little Superheroes".

• Doctor Strange appears in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series episode "Doctor Strange", voiced by John Vernon. Doctor Strange and Wong help Spider-Man rescue Mary Jane Watson from Baron Mordo and Dormammu, and retrieve the Wand of Watoomb. After Spider-Man leaves, Doctor Strange detects the presence of Madame Web. Baron Mordo and Dormammu reappear in the "Sins of the Father" arc where Dormammu brings the Venom symbiote back to Earth and guides Venom and its offspring, Carnage, to their respective hosts.

• The 1997 episode "Mind Over Anti-Matter" of The Incredible Hulk animated series features Doctor Strange, voiced by Maurice LaMarche. He helps She-Hulk at the time when an unnamed evil entity has possessed Hulk turning him into the Dark Hulk.

• Doctor Strange appears in The Super Hero Squad Show episodes "Enter Dormammu", "A Brat Walks Among Us", "Night in the Sanctorum", "Invader from the Dark Dimension", and "Election of Evil", voiced by Roger Rose.

• Doctor Strange is featured in the Ultimate Spider-Man season one episode "Strange", voiced by Jack Coleman. He helps Spider-Man and Iron Fist at the time when Nightmare has placed everyone in Manhattan in a deep sleep. He appears in his astral form in season two episode "Journey of the Iron Fist" while visiting K'un-L'un. He appears in the season three episode "Cloak and Dagger".

• Doctor Strange appeared in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "Stranger in a Strange Land". The character is voiced again by Jack Coleman.

• Doctor Strange appeared in several episodes of Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, voiced by Yasunori Masutani.

Film

• The 1992 film Doctor Mordrid began development as a Doctor Strange adaptation, but the studio's license expired before production began. The project was rewritten to change the main character's name and slightly alter his origin.

• In the animated direct-to-DVD movie Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme, released August 14, 2007, Strange (voiced by Bryce Johnson) travels to Tibet, seeking to heal his hands after a car accident. Training with the Ancient One and his pupils, Strange faces the emergence of Dormammu. Its broadcast premiere occurred November 1, 2008 on Cartoon Network.

• Doctor Strange has a brief non-speaking cameo in the film Planet Hulk. He and members of the Illuminati regretfully inform Hulk of the decisions made to ensure his removal from Earth.

• A movie version of Doctor Strange was initially listed as being in pre-production in 1986, with a script by Bob Gale, but the outing never materialized. Savoy Pictures acquired the distribution rights and hired Wes Craven to write and direct a new Doctor Strange film in 1992 for a planned 1994 release date. After Savoy went bankrupt Columbia Pictures purchased the film rights, and hired David S. Goyer to draft a new screenplay in 1995. Goyer was subsequently replaced by Jeff Welch and Michael France before Columbia placed Doctor Strange in turnaround in 2000, despite interest from directors Chuck Russell and Stephen Norrington. Dimension Films picked up the project and brought Goyer back as both writer and director, but Miramax Films acquired the film rights from Dimension in 2001, and Goyer dropped out over other obligations. Development stalled, but in 2003, Marvel announced a 2005 theatrical release date. despite having no script that they were satisfied with by the following year. Producer Avi Arad expressed his enthusiasm to find an credible A-list writer to start from scratch on a new script. Paramount Pictures acquired the rights from Miramax in April 2005, and considered Doctor Strange as either a $165 million tentpole, or a stripped-down $50 million film. Guillermo del Toro was attached to direct in February 2008, having approached Neil Gaiman on the possibility of co-writing the script.

In June 2010, Marvel Studios hired Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer to write Dr. Strange. In January 2013, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that Doctor Strange would appear in some capacity as part of "Phase Three" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In May 2013, Feige stated that a Doctor Strange feature film is in development at Marvel Studios, and reiterated this in November. In February 2014, The Hollywood Reporter reported Marvel was considering Mark Andrews, Jonathan Levine, Nikolaj Arcel and Dean Israelite to direct the film, as well as Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger to pen the script. However, while Feige confirmed that Marvel was considering prospective candidates, he stated The Hollywood Reporter article "was not true about who we're meeting or what level anybody is." By March 2014, the director candidate list was shortened to Andrews, Levine and Scott Derrickson. In April 2014, Feige stated that Doctor Strange would be the "doorway" into the supernatural side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In June 2014, Derrickson was chosen to direct the film. Also in June, it was revealed that Donnelly and Oppenheimer were still attached to write the screenplay. Later in the month, Jon Spaihts entered negotiations to rewrite the script. On June 20, 2014, Feige told Total Films at CineEurope in Barcelona that filming will start in Spring 2015 and casting will be announced soon. In late October 2014, Deadline.com and Variety reported that Benedict Cumberbatch was in talks to play Doctor Strange. On November 14, 2014, german actor Daniel Brühl is cast as a secondary villain in Captain America: Civil War and according to Deadline, Brühl will appear in the film as a main villain.The film is scheduled to begin shooting in May 2015 at Pinewood-Shepperton studios in the UK, and is scheduled for release on November 4, 2016.

Video games

• Doctor Strange acts as Spider-Man's advisor in cutscenes in The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin, on the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear.

• Doctor Strange appears as a playable character in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance voiced by James Horan.

• Doctor Strange appears in Hsien-Ko's ending in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. He later appears as a playable character in the updated version of the game, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. He is voiced by Rick Pasqualone.

• Doctor Strange appears as a playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.

• Doctor Strange appears as a playable character in the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance.

• Doctor Strange appears as a playable character in the 2012 fighting game Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth.

• Doctor Strange appears as a playable character in Marvel Heroes.

• Doctor Strange appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes, with James Horan reprising the role. In a bonus mission at the Sanctum Sanctorum, Human Torch and Invisible Woman arrive to help Doctor Strange when Dormammu traps Doctor Strange in a mirror. When Human Torch and Invisible Woman destroy the artifacts, Doctor Strange is freed as he helps Human Torch and Invisible Woman to fight Dormammu and an army of skeletons. The heroes defeat Dormammu who is then sent back to the Dark Dimension.

Novels

• In the late 1970s, Pocket Books published Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts: Nightmare, by William Rotsler.

• In the 1968 book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Tom Wolfe writes about Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters' interest in comics and specifically references Strange.

• In the 2006 novel Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours, Strange appears briefly as a fellow superhero from whom Spider-Man seeks assistance when struggling against three vengeful siblings of Morlun.

Toys

• A 3 ³⁄₄″ Doctor Strange toy was released as part of the 2011 series Marvel Universe.

• Doctor Strange was the 40th issue in the Classic Marvel Figurine Collection.

• A six inch Doctor Strange toy was released in the 2005 Galactus series of Marvel Legends.

• Doctor Strange was a playable character in the Galactic Guardians set of Marvel Heroclix.

Collected editions

Various Doctor Strange stories have been collected into separate volumes.

• Essential Doctor Strange
  • Vol. 1 collects Strange Tales #110–111, 114–168; 608 pages, December 2001, ISBN 0-7851-2316-4
  • Vol. 2 collects Doctor Strange #169–178, 180–183; The Avengers #61; Sub-Mariner #22; The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, #126; Marvel Feature #1; Marvel Premiere #3–10, 12–14, 608 pages, March 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1668-0
  • Vol. 3 collects Doctor Strange vol. 2, #1–29, Doctor Strange Annual #1; and The Tomb of Dracula #44–45, 616 pages, December 2007, ISBN 978-0-7851-2733-8
  • Vol. 4 collects Doctor Strange vol. 2, #30–56; Chamber of Chills #4; Man-Thing #4, 564 pages, June 2009, ISBN 978-0-7851-3062-8
• Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange
  • Vol. 1, collects Strange Tales #110–111, 114–141, 272 pages, September 2003, ISBN 0-7851-1180-8
  • Vol. 2 collects Strange Tales #142–168, 304 pages, September 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1737-7
  • Vol. 3 collects Doctor Strange #169–179, 256 pages, The Avengers #61; March 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2410-1
  • Vol. 4 collects Doctor Strange #180–183; Sub-Mariner #22; The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, #126; Marvel Feature #1; Marvel Premiere #3–8, 272 pages, January 2010, ISBN 978-0-7851-3495-4
  • Vol. 5 collects Marvel Premiere #9-14; Doctor Strange vol. 2 #1-9, 272 pages, April 2011, ISBN 978-0-7851-5022-0
  • Vol. 6 collects Doctor Strange vol. 2 #10-22; Annual #1; Tomb of Dracula #44, 288 pages, July 2013, ISBN 978-0-7851-6786-0
• Origins of Marvel Comics. Marvel. 25 May 2011. ISBN 978-0-7851-5615-4. includes Doctor Strange stories from Strange Tales #110, 115, and 155, 254 pages.
• Stan Lee (May 1978). Stan Lee Presents Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts. Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-671-81447-2. collects Doctor Strange stories from Strange Tales #111, 116, 119–120, 123, 131–133, 132 pages.
• Stan Lee (1998). Bring on the Bad Guys: Origins of Marvel Villains. Marvel Comics. ISBN 978-0-7851-0597-8. includes Doctor Strange stories from Strange Tales #126–127, 253 pages, October 1976, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 978-0671223557
• Stan Lee (1 January 1978). Marvel's Greatest Superhero Battles. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-24544-3. includes Doctor Strange stories from Strange Tales #139–141, 253 pages.
• Steve Englehart (2002). Doctor Strange: A Separate Reality. Marvel Enterprises, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-7851-0836-8. collects Marvel Premiere #9-10, 12-14; Doctor Strange vol. 2, #1–2, 4–5, 176 pages.
• Dr. Strange Vs. Dracula: The Montesi Formula. Marvel. 18 October 2006. ISBN 978-0-7851-2244-9., collects Doctor Strange vol. 2 #14, 58–62; The Tomb of Dracula 44, 160 pages, October 2006
• Infinity Gauntlet Aftermath (Doctor. Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #36)
• Doctor Strange: The Oath. Marvel. 6 June 2007. ISBN 978-0-7851-2211-1. collects Doctor Strange: The Oath #1–5,
• Dr. Strange: Strange Tales. Marvel. 26 October 2011. ISBN 978-0-7851-5549-2. collects Strange Tales vol. 2, #1–19, 240 pages, October 2011, ISBN 978-0-7851-5549-2
• Mark Waid (2010). Doctor is Out!. Marvel Worldwide, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-7851-4425-0.

Further reading

Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew, eds. (2008). Marvel Chronicle: A Year by Year History. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-0-7566-4123-8. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

• Doctor Strange: Sanctum Sanctorum
• The Lesser Book of the Vishanti by Catherine Yronwode
• Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme