Warning: contains spoilers forDoctor Strange of Asgard#1!
Marvel just resetDoctor Strangein a way that no one saw coming. At the end ofBlood Hunt, Doctor Strangerelinquished the title of Sorcerer Supremeto Doctor Doom, setting into motionOne World Under Doom. With the Latverian monarch now firmly in control of Earth,Doctor Strange seeks new sources of power inDoctor Strange of Asgard#1, and it is taking him back to his roots.
Derek Landy is best known for theSkulduggery Pleasantseries of novels.
Doctor Strange of Asgard#1 is written by Derek Landy and drawn by Carlos Magno. Doctor Strange has come to Asgard, broken and defeated in the aftermath ofBlood Hunt. He meets up with Thor and makes the Odinson a proposition: that he, Doctor Strange, become the Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard. Doctor Strange notes that even the bricks in Asgard are charged with magic.Strange believes that Asgard is in need of a Sorcerer Supreme, and he vows to prove himself worthy of such power once again.
After Losing His Title, Doctor Strange Is Going Back to His Roots
Asgard Is a Land of Opportunity and Magic for Doctor Strange
For Doctor Strange, his trip to Asgard is the next step in a journey that began the day he was in the automobile accident that destroyed his career as a surgeon.Seeking a way to get the use of his hands back, Stephen Strange turned to magic, traveling to Tibet, searching for the Ancient One. After saving the Ancient One’s life from the evil Baron Mordo, Strange became his most devout student, and in time became one of Earth’s greatest magic users, eventually acquiring the title of Sorcerer Supreme.
Strange’s situation in Asgard can be compared to the one that drove him to magic in the first place: he has been humbled by forces greater than himself, and seeks solace and help in the magical world.
WhenDoctor Strange of Asgard#1 opens, Stephen is almost back to square one. While still a powerful sorcerer, Doctor Strange can no longer channel the magic he once did. Strange’s situation in Asgard can be compared to the one that drove him to magic in the first place: he has been humbled by forces greater than himself, and seeks solace and help in the magical world. This time, however, he is not a selfish, self-absorbed man, but a great hero who seeks power this time so that he may help people, and not just obtain glory.
Doctor Strange’s sojourn to Tibet ended with him becoming one of the greatest sorcerers who ever lived, and his journey to Asgard is sure to increase his powerand knowledge as well. As Doctor Strange notes in the first issue, magic is literally everywhere in Asgard, but for some reason, it has never had a Sorcerer Supreme. Since there is no precedent, Doctor Strange would be breaking new groundas the Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard. Strange could potentially harness energies and magic he has never experienced before, and this could make all the difference in defeating Doctor Doom.
Doctor Strange’s Origin Story is Cool, But Problematic
Doctor Strange Will Leave Asgard an Even Better Sorcerer
The optics of Doctor Strange, a white man, outperforming Asian people who had studied magic for years was also problematic.
Doctor Strange’s odyssey to Asgard also fixes some problematic elements in his classic origin story.As detailed inStrange Tales#115, Stephen traveled to Tibet, on the Asian continent, seeking the Ancient One. While the origin story is solid, there were highly racist elements permeating it. The Ancient One fulfilled several stereotypes of Asian people. Furthermore, the origin story featured Orientalist tropes throughout, such as Tibet being a “land of magic.” The optics of Doctor Strange, a white man, outperforming Asian people who had studied magic for years was also problematic.
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While Doctor Strange’s new quest has many reflections of his origin story, it has removed the racist and Orientalist overtones. Doctor Strange is no longer the arrogant white man, but humbled and willing to learn. While Strange can still come across as arrogant, it is now backed up by decades of experience. This experience will allow Doctor Strange to channel Asgardian magic and become the Sorcerer Supreme once again. Just asDoctor Strange’sjourney to Tibet left him a better person, his time in Asgard is sure to be beneficial as well.
Doctor Strange of Asgard#1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!
