New Avengers #26 wordless preview

[sherkahn]

ComicBookResources.com has the preview of #26, as revelations reveal how long ago the seeds of precaution have been prepared for the coming of the Phoenix as AvX continues.

I've been trying to find a decent "cut tag" phrase to get you to click and look on.

"They've been waiting."
"They have a plan."
But they sound too cheesy. Keep it simple





By Roth!!!, you have Da Vinci from S.H.I.E.L.D. involved.... and the are developing a contingency plan for the Phoenix?!

How long HAVE they known?
Is K'un L'un's extradimensional existence a way to hide the city from the Phoenix?
You had a plan for Galactus and the Celestial Child... what's the plan for the Phoenix?
Was the Iron Fist program designed to create an ideal host?

Comments

[bruinsfan]

His own title was usually written to make things challenging even with lesser opposition, but I recall Strange defeating Nightmare pretty handily in Dr. Strange #13, ditto by merely opening the Eye of Agamotto at the beginning of Dr. Strange #50, and easily making short work of Mordo's lieutenants in Dr. Strange #56 by basically letting his house eat them.

Also sticking out in my memory are (1) the old issue of Defenders where as the Red Rajah Strange took out Solarr, the Rhino, and the male half of his own team as if they were toddlers, (2) an issue of Namor where the titular character, Iron Fist, and possibly Misty Night and Colleen Wing were fleeing from some über-powerful sentient plant monsters and Strange disintegrated them effortlessly, and (3) Fantastic Four #243, in which Strange waved his hands and knocked Galactus into a coma with a single spell.

[bewareofgeek]

Congratulations. You are actually the first person to ever actually answer the challenge. Unfortunately, I don't actually own most of those stories, so I can't give you a proper rebuttal.

But for the one I do own:

Mordo's minions were taken out pretty easily, true, but it wasn't a matter of "Strange waves his hand and they lose". And that's what he's often accused of. Most of the examples you give don't seem to fall under that label as well, except maybe for the FF take.

And if the story is the one I'm thinking of, it wasn't as simple as that. Strange basically gave the big G a Penance stare, and that's why Galactus went comatose. It wasn't "By the Lights of Great Paloma, put this being into a coma".

Still, you have some good examples there. But I think you'll agree, these are the exception, not the rule. And Strange has been around for 50 years...

[bruinsfan]

And if the story is the one I'm thinking of, it wasn't as simple as that. Strange basically gave the big G a Penance stare, and that's why Galactus went comatose. It wasn't "By the Lights of Great Paloma, put this being into a coma".

And the fact that Strange didn't need an incantation and just knew exactlly how to make Galactus fall down and curl up with a gesture invalidates the example how?

In a lot of cases, stories after the mid-80s or so didn't have Dr. Strange live up to his potential, but that meant a lot of contrived situations to preserve drama, or Bendis-like nerfings where he suddenly couldn't do much if he was in the company of allies, since you can't have a huge extradimensional invasion every month. Someone who can fight Dormammu or Mephisto one-on-one really shouldn't have to worry when facing down minor occultists or Spider-Man villains, y'know? I think all but a few writers these days have problems coming up with interesting stories about a character who can basically do anything he can imagine - it's a problem that has also plagued the Dr. Fate and Spectre characters over at DC.

The current situation brings Strange back down to a point where he's still one of the most powerful Marvel heroes, but no longer virtually omnipotent and omniscient. And so far IMHO Matt Fraction has been getting the character notes exactly right while preserving a sense of mystery and wonder. I much prefer that to having Strange make cameo appearances in crowd scenes during each summer's big crossover mess because no one can think of anything else to do with him.