Strange

Biodata

Background

Strange was a world-renowned neurosurgeon. In Lin Xu’s original timeline, he survived a car accident unharmed, but his girlfriend, Christine Palmer, died. Seeking solace after her death, he joined Kamar-Taj and studied under the Ancient One 1 28 124.

Christine’s death is an absolute point in time connected to Strange’s becoming Sorcerer Supreme. Lin Xu preserved her body and planned to exploit a time-loop loophole rather than change her death before Strange took up the role 7 135.

Personality

Strange is highly talented and quick to learn magic, but can also be impatient and confident in his own judgment. At Kamar-Taj, he restored missing pages from the Book of Cagliostro after only a few attempts, despite warnings about the dangers of time magic 94 124.

His love for Christine drives several versions of him to take extraordinary risks. When Lin Xu says he would sacrifice everything for someone he loved, Strange agrees that he would do the same 123. A version who becomes Dark Strange pursues her return for more than a century, while another resolves to confront him as part of the Sorcerer Supreme’s duty to protect reality 138 139.

Abilities & Skills

Mystic Arts

Strange has exceptional talent and comprehension in the mystic arts 94.

• Portals: A version on Titan draws power from the Hell Dimension to open a long-distance Mystic Gate to Earth 40.
• Defensive magic: Strange uses the Shield of the Seraphim against Kaecilius’s energy bomb, drawing on Ego’s power 124.
• Images of Ikonn: He plans to use duplicates to distract Mephisto while drawing power from Hell; later, Hell Lords form an Anti-Strange Alliance in response to his raids 42 162.
• Dimensional Transmission: He uses this Sorcerer Supreme art to contact Wong and summon allies for the battle at the Avengers Compound 40.

Time Magic

Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto and the Time Stone to observe futures and create time loops 130 135.

• He traps Dormammu in repeated loops until the invader gives up and leaves 130.
• In another universe, he restores the Tesseract and secretly creates a loop in which he experiences five years 43.
• He reports seeing 23,070,000 futures, all ending with another version of himself falling into darkness 135.

Medicine

Before becoming a sorcerer, Strange was a neurosurgeon at Presbyterian Hospital. He had been scheduled to operate on Rhodey before his accident 2.

Equipment

• Eye of Agamotto and Time Stone — Used for time magic and viewing possible futures 130 135.
• Sling Ring — Used to open portals; one version temporarily loses his after becoming trapped in the Mirror Dimension 16.
• Book of Cagliostro — A forbidden book containing time magic. Strange restores its missing pages and later uses it with the Eye against Dormammu 124 130.
• Kof-Carl’s Ruins — An oblivion spell. A version of Strange takes a book about it while considering another attempt to draw power from Hell 162.

Relationships

• Christine Palmer — Strange’s girlfriend, whose death leads him to Kamar-Taj. His wish to bring her back puts timelines in danger 1 28 135.
• The Ancient One — Strange’s teacher and predecessor as Sorcerer Supreme. Before dying, the Ancient One tells him to heed Lin Xu’s advice 129.
• Lin Xu — A fellow Kamar-Taj sorcerer whom Strange calls “Senior Brother.” Lin helps him secure Ego’s divine power and prepares him for the threat of Dark Strange 125 130 138.
• Wong — A fellow sorcerer at Kamar-Taj. In another universe, Wong rescues Strange from the Mirror Dimension and helps Lin contact Tony Stark 16 31.
• Aoben — Librarian of the Cagliostro Library, who saves and advises the Strange who pursues Shuma-Gorath’s power 121 122.

Story Role and Major Arcs

Kamar-Taj and Dormammu

After joining Kamar-Taj, Strange studies magic while grieving Christine. He helps defend the Sanctums against Kaecilius and survives an attack by drawing on Ego’s power 28 124.

When the Ancient One dies after restraining Dormammu, Set, and Chthon, Strange becomes the chosen successor. He confronts Dormammu and forces him to leave through repeated time loops, then returns to Kamar-Taj with Lin Xu and the Ancient One’s body 129 130.

Preparing for Dark Strange

Lin Xu tells Strange that Christine’s death is an absolute point, but reveals that he preserved her body and intends to retrieve her from the future. Strange has already seen millions of futures ending with another version of himself falling into darkness 135.

Lin and two versions of Strange prepare a dimensional-isolation array at the New York Sanctum. Dark Strange arrives, and the sorcerers activate the formation, restricting his time and space magic 138 140.

Other Versions

Notable Quotes

“I can give my life for Christine too!” 140

“The Sorcerer Supreme’s duty is to protect reality.” 138