This is how we operate

[arbre_rieur]

Four pages from Issue 4 of Strange, the current Dr. Strange mini-series.

Magic's gone amok.





The pointy shard he was holding is a piece of the cosmic being Eternity, embodiment of the universe.

Dr. Strange goes to perform surgery on the Universe.





creator: dr. strange/stephen strange, creator: mark waid, creator: emma rios, publisher: marvel comics

Comments

[icon_uk]

Ummm, isn't this the sort of thing that, I dunno, the Sorceror Supreme of the Marvel Universe should be doing rather than the Used-to-be SS?

What;'s the point of making Brother Voodoo the SS and demoting Doctor Strange if you're still going to give more coverage to Strange?

[okkult3000]

Brother Voodoo is a psychologist, not a surgeon.

[icon_uk]

Not quite my point. The fact he's a surgeon, and thus using comparitively meaningless surgical analogies (Like the manifestation of Eternity actually has a brain or a circulatory system in the sense that a surgeon would understand it) is secondary to the fact that it's usually the Sorceror Supreme's business to deal with entities like Eternity in this context (Other beings can interact with him, but they're usually also either high powered beings themselves, or their agents. Quasar for example is a regular guy but is the primary agent of Infinity and so has chatted with assorted cosmic beings).

This is the sort of thing we should be seeing Voodoo deal with so we get some idea as to why he was appointed SS in the first place. Instead we've seen Voodoo face off against Doom, and not make a great job of it, and yet Strange swans in to save the day with the freaking embodiment of the totality of the Universe!

Marvel should either accept that Strange is no longer top dog and shouldn't be doing top dog duties so run with a new direction for him, or they shouldn't have demoted him from the role of Sorceror Supreme in the first place.

[thandrak]

Sorry, bubbe. Stephen Strange just can't help being awesome. It's how he rolls.

[icon_uk]

I don't really have a problem with that, but I do sort of have a problem with HIM being that cool and NOT Sorceror Supreme, and the guy who IS the Sorceror Supreme getting shoved to the sidelines.

[thandrak]

I'd agree with you more if Editorial had chosen anyone but Brother damn Voodoo. Eeesh.

[icon_uk]

See, that's what would make it interesting to me, how someone from a different approach to magic would take to the position, finding his own way of doing things, maybe NOT always invoking Ashtur, Hoggoth, Cyttorak and the like, but his own belief systems patron magical deities (or are they simply Ashtur, Hoggoth and the like under other names).

But them, I'm still irked that despite Dick being Batman, they're still churning out Bruce as Batman series, and he's only just joined the JLA when they annouce Bruces return...

[arilou_skiff]

IIRC Oshtur is Ma'at at least, so there's at leas thte possibility they're the Vishanti By Other Names.

[thandrak]

Oh, it's nothing to do with Voodoo. It's just that Mr. Drumm... well... he just doesn't have the character to carry it off. All his classic appearances have him really being more of a one-trick pony, waiting for his dead brother's spirit, yadda yadda. I'd rather have someone completely new pick up the reins, rather than a failed blacksploitation concept.

You could see the Falcon taking over for Cap. But you couldn't see Luke Cage doing it. Or the Punisher.

[thanekos]

there's an AoA What If where he's also Sorcerer Supreme, and Dormammu doesn't think too highly of him:

" Jericho Drumm?! Your world must be in poor straits indeed if you are the best that could be chosen as Sorcerer Supreme! "

[sherkahn]

It's a matter of experience.

Let's say your a patient going in for surgery. Do you want the old guy who has done it a thousand time before with tons of experience (who may have fallen off the wagon but has sobered up and is refocused) or do you want the new hotshot who has never had to treat a patient like this before.

Wait, better analogy... do you want Dr. Greg M House or McDreamy from season 1?

[icon_uk]

Not quite a comparison I'd say, as Sorceror Supreme doesn't strike me as an entry level position, or if it is, magic as a concept is seriously hosed.

So a comparison would be, if House and McThingie had both earned positions called "Head of all possible surgeries no matter how complex and bloody good at every single one of them", I don't think it would matter much which I had treating me.

If Brother Voodoo isn't up to sorting this sort of problem out, and Strange is, how could BV get the role of Sorceror Supreme in the first place? Strange should at least have had BV accompany him in his role as Sorceror Supreme to see Eternity, or better yet REQUIRE BV to be there in order to facilitate the meeting.

If there are no appreciable difference in his power levels whether Sorceror Supreme or not (and interacting with Eternity is seriously high level magic stuff), then having him give up the role was meaningless and annoying.

[thokstar]

Mightygodking's solution to your problem.

[cmdr_zoom]

I was hoping someone would post/link to that.

[arbre_rieur]

Another factor was that the rest of the sorcerers had there hands full with the out-of-control magic thrashing about. Strange was protected from that because of how well-built his Sanctum Sanctorum was.

[cainofdreaming]

Is that Silver Dagger? Isn't he dead? And not someone who'd be likely to listen to dirty magicians anyway.

[long_silence]

Yep that's Silver Dagger, he tries to kill Strange while his astral self is performing the surgery.

[cainofdreaming]

Well, that sounds like him, yes. When did he get resurrected, though? Or did he just appear alive for this story?

[long_silence]

I'm not sure if he was resurrected before this. But he did mention that he was attacking Stephen as pay back over all of the times he'd humiliated him.

[righthondude]

Nico is making me uncomfortable and I can't tell why.

[sir_mikael]

I was sidetracked by her too.
Could be that she's got a weird sorta old drug user look on her face and it kinda looks like she's uhm penetrating herself with the Staff Of One instead of dragging it out. Like Strange caught her in a bad time.

[darkblade]

Well if the magic went all wonky when the staff was still inside her that would really be messing her up.

[autumn_lily]

Screw Nico (heh heh). I'm a little irked that Billy didn't seem to make the cut for the montage of magic users but Ghost Rider did? Didn't Strange court Billy for the Sorcerer Supreme position?

[sir_mikael]

"Right, Ghost Rider, I need you to stop using magic for an hour. So.... you know... could you extinguish that head of yours for that long?"

[sir_mikael]

Aww this is pretty sweet.
And yeah I think I can finally see why everyone is comparing this to Dr Who.
The way he explains things and that whole "magic is having a stroke so we need to do the almost exact equivalent of surgery" feels pretty Who-ish. And a companion getting worse and stating her admiration and thanks to him even though he's busy with other stuff.

I wonder if his astral body doing surgery is affected by his actual hands being damaged and non-precise. Or did they heal that while I wasn't looking?

[pyrotwilight]

...And it worked? Wow, I would've thought Doom if anyone would use magic just to tick off the universe and such. But I guess because Stephen begged him?

[darkblade]

It is not in the best interests of DOOM for magic to be falling apart across the universe and DOOM is not in a position in which DOOM could perform the necessary surgery upon reality so DOOM shall temporarily lend his aid unto the former Sorcerer Supreme.

[halloweenjack]

Only a fool would fight in a burning house, and DOOM is no fool.

[autumn_lily]

I like how, in order to properly mention him, one must put DOOM in all caps.

[leikomgwtfbbq]

I love Dr Strange, and I've been lovin' this series loads. :D

[autumn_lily]

I still miss Clea though, if only because she was a sexy sexy woman.

[pensive]

Casey and anything to do with her still bores me to tears. I couldn't even be bothered to care about her self-sacrifice. I was more excited to see Baroshtok, ffs.

/currently residing in the MGK corner of This Will Be Over Soon

[arbre_rieur]

I like her. But then, I'm a Doctor Who fan. :)

I'm with pensive, here

[jazzypom]

Waid just... had so much potential with Dr Strange and... lost it. Damn.