Strangers (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
The Strangers, individually named Strange and Vincent Stevens, are a fictional
pair of magical beings. They are both owned by Marvel Comics
and both exist in that company's main shared universe
, the Marvel Universe
. The two characters were created by David Quinn and Melvin Rubi.
In a year long storyline, published in 1994 and taking place in the comic book
series, Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange
creates the Strangers out of aetheric energy
. He does this as the beginning of a hastily put together plan to prevent the demon
sorceress Salomé from taking his power, life and the title of Sorcerer Supreme
.
The genesis of this storyline began a year before in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #50 (February, 1993). There Doctor Strange loses access to the extradimentional entities who traditionally give him his magical abilities when he refuses to take part in the War of the Seven Spheres.
Later that year in the "Siege of Darkness" crossover
, running through the Midnight Sons
family of books, a weakened Doctor Strange cannot prevent his Sanctum Sanctorum
from being destroyed in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #60 (December, 1993).
These two factors leave him open to the attack by Salomé that launches the storyline dealing with the Strangers.
#18 (January, 1994) and Midnight Sons Unlimited #4 (January, 1994).
Vincent Stevens first appeared in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #62 (February, 1994) and the story of the Strangers continued in that series until the storyline concluded in issue #75 (March, 1995).
Strange made one guest appearance outside of the major storylines involving the two characters. This took place in Warlock and the Infinity Watch
#36 (dated January 1995).
, the demon mother Lilith and her children the Lilin. During this fight Doctor Strange and the Nine take refuge within Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, which is then besieged and destroyed by the Lilin.
Doctor Strange and his allies eventually triumph over their foes, and banish Lilith and her children to another dimension known as Shadowside
. The means they take to ensure this happens allows the Fallen (corrupted members of the ancient race known as the Blood) to return from their ages long extra-dimensional exile to follow their ancient leader - Zarathos.
One of those who returns is Salomé, who in ancient times was Sorceress Supreme, and who wants her title back. Her first act is to attack Doctor Strange and infect him with a magical virus of her own creation called Salomé's Dance. Dying from this virus, Doctor Strange launches a desperate plan to stop Salomé. As he teleports away, two artificial beings, who Doctor Strange comes to refer to as the Strangers, are created using aetheric energy, only one being seen at first. This first being takes Doctor Strange's place in the battle against Zarathos and the Fallen and becomes known by the name Strange.
Doctor Strange takes refuge in a new Sanctum Sanctorum located underground beneath Trinity Church
, and creates an aura there using aetheric energy that stops the progression of Salomé's Dance. Searching for a cure, Doctor Strange sends Strange out to procure objects of power, including the Oculus Oroboros from Romania
, The Song of the Blood Opal of the Whole Moon Hawk from Australia
, and the Coral Crab from Atlantis
.
While all of this is happening, the second Stranger appears on the streets of New York
, takes the name Vincent Stevens and quickly makes a name for himself as a psychiatric consultant and the owner of the office tower the Tempo.
Stevens' high profile and close appearance to his creator attracts the attention of Salomé who sends two of her followers to kidnap him. These two individuals are Wong
(Doctor Strange's servant who currently serves Salomé) and Xaos -- Wong's deceased former love resurrected as an undead winged skeleton. Stevens is rescued from Salomé's lair by Strange and in the process both discover their true nature. They also discover the fact that their bodies are unstable and deteriorating and that they only way to survive is to merge together into one being -- something Stevens decides he doesn't want to do.
While Doctor Strange's creations are deciding what to do next, his former love Clea
arrives in New York seeking him. She quickly finds his new Sanctum Sactorum and request his aid against her uncle Dormammu
, who is once again the ruler of her native Dark Dimension. Doctor Strange explains why he can't currently help, but promises to send aid in any way he can.
Now knowing his full situation, Stevens begins to search for a way to escape his fate. Locating a collector of arcane artifacts named Mr. Azopardi, Stevens begins to subtlely press him to allow Stevens access to the Levant Rubric, an ancient book containing spells Stevens believes will save him without having to merge with Strange. Mr. Azopardi turns out to be a person of great paranoia, who suspects Stevens of being a demon who wants to steal his soul. Mr. Azopardi lures Stevens into a trap and attempts to kill him. His life is saved only when Strange arrives and kills Azopardi. In the process, the Levant Rubric is destroyed and an enraged Stevens totally rejects Strange.
Having been rejected by Stevens, Strange begins to seek another individual to merge with in order to save his existence. After failing to convince the X-Men
's Polaris
, he next contacts Rick Jones
. Seeking revenge, Stevens possesses the Hulk
and uses him in an effort to destroy Strange. This effort fails and Stevens finally agrees to the merger.
It is at this point that Doctor Strange finishes his creation of a suit of armour made of aetheric energy that protects him from the effects of Salomé's Dance. He confronts the Strangers and attempts to reabsorb the aetheric energy he used to create them to use it in his coming confrontation with Salomé. Stevens rebels against his creator and is destroyed in the ensuing fight.
Seeing his chance to merge with Stevens and live is now gone, Strange flies into a rage, but is calmed by Doctor Strange. Strange is sent to the Dark Dimension by his creator and there he merges with a dying warrior named Nobel. The new combination of the two calls himself Paradox and takes his place alongside Clea.
The means they used the aetheric energy in their bodies differed from there. Strange displayed superhuman strength and the ability to project blasts made of aetheric energy, while Stevens predominantly used abilities to control and possess other individuals.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
pair of magical beings. They are both owned by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and both exist in that company's main shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
, the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. The two characters were created by David Quinn and Melvin Rubi.
In a year long storyline, published in 1994 and taking place in the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series, Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
creates the Strangers out of aetheric energy
Aether theories
Aether theories in early modern physics proposed the existence of a medium, the aether , a space-filling substance or field, thought to be necessary as a transmission medium for the propagation of electromagnetic waves...
. He does this as the beginning of a hastily put together plan to prevent the demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
sorceress Salomé from taking his power, life and the title of Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme or Sorceress Supreme is a title granted in the fictional Marvel Universe to the "practitioner of the mystic or magic arts who has greater skills than all others or commands a greater portion of the ambient magical energies than any other organism on a given world or dimension". By...
.
The genesis of this storyline began a year before in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #50 (February, 1993). There Doctor Strange loses access to the extradimentional entities who traditionally give him his magical abilities when he refuses to take part in the War of the Seven Spheres.
Later that year in the "Siege of Darkness" crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
, running through the Midnight Sons
Midnight Sons
The Midnight Sons is fictional team of supernatural superheroes in the Marvel Comics Universe. The team first appears in Ghost Rider The Midnight Sons is fictional team of supernatural superheroes in the Marvel Comics Universe. The team first appears in Ghost Rider The Midnight Sons is fictional...
family of books, a weakened Doctor Strange cannot prevent his Sanctum Sanctorum
Sanctum Sanctorum
The Sanctum Sanctorum is a fictional building in the Marvel Universe. It first appeared with Doctor Strange in his debut in Strange Tales #110 .-Location:...
from being destroyed in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #60 (December, 1993).
These two factors leave him open to the attack by Salomé that launches the storyline dealing with the Strangers.
Publication history
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #61 (January 1994) featured the first appearance of Strange, who replaced Doctor Strange for the remaining two issues of the Siege of Darkness crossover. Those final two issues were Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of VengeanceGhost Rider (comics)
Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Night Rider and subsequently to Phantom Rider.The first supernatural Ghost Rider is...
#18 (January, 1994) and Midnight Sons Unlimited #4 (January, 1994).
Vincent Stevens first appeared in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #62 (February, 1994) and the story of the Strangers continued in that series until the storyline concluded in issue #75 (March, 1995).
Strange made one guest appearance outside of the major storylines involving the two characters. This took place in Warlock and the Infinity Watch
Infinity Watch
The Infinity Watch is a group of fictional characters in Marvel Comics' universe. The Watch was gathered in Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1, and starred in that series until it ended with issue #42...
#36 (dated January 1995).
Fictional character biography
After losing most of his magical abilities due to his refusal to take part in the War of the Seven Spheres, Doctor Strange aides the Nine (the group the Midnight Sons family of titles was built around) in their battle against the demon ZarathosZarathos
Zarathos is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics series Ghost Rider. He is a demonic being who tortures and devours souls. He first appears in Marvel Spotlight #5 .-Fictional character biography:...
, the demon mother Lilith and her children the Lilin. During this fight Doctor Strange and the Nine take refuge within Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, which is then besieged and destroyed by the Lilin.
Doctor Strange and his allies eventually triumph over their foes, and banish Lilith and her children to another dimension known as Shadowside
Shadowside
Shadowside is a heavy metal band with female vocals from Brazil drawing from influences of Thrash and Hard Rock.-History:Beginning in 2001, Shadowside entered the Brazilian metal scene with a stage act that incited a buzz around the band...
. The means they take to ensure this happens allows the Fallen (corrupted members of the ancient race known as the Blood) to return from their ages long extra-dimensional exile to follow their ancient leader - Zarathos.
One of those who returns is Salomé, who in ancient times was Sorceress Supreme, and who wants her title back. Her first act is to attack Doctor Strange and infect him with a magical virus of her own creation called Salomé's Dance. Dying from this virus, Doctor Strange launches a desperate plan to stop Salomé. As he teleports away, two artificial beings, who Doctor Strange comes to refer to as the Strangers, are created using aetheric energy, only one being seen at first. This first being takes Doctor Strange's place in the battle against Zarathos and the Fallen and becomes known by the name Strange.
Doctor Strange takes refuge in a new Sanctum Sanctorum located underground beneath Trinity Church
Trinity Church, New York
Trinity Church at 79 Broadway, Lower Manhattan, is a historic, active parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of New York...
, and creates an aura there using aetheric energy that stops the progression of Salomé's Dance. Searching for a cure, Doctor Strange sends Strange out to procure objects of power, including the Oculus Oroboros from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, The Song of the Blood Opal of the Whole Moon Hawk from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and the Coral Crab from Atlantis
Atlantis (Marvel Comics)
Atlantis is a fictional location in the Marvel Universe. It is based on the mythical island of Atlantis first mentioned in Plato's initial dialogue the Timaeus, written circa 360 BC. In the Marvel Universe, Atlantis was a small continent with many human settlements...
.
While all of this is happening, the second Stranger appears on the streets of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, takes the name Vincent Stevens and quickly makes a name for himself as a psychiatric consultant and the owner of the office tower the Tempo.
Stevens' high profile and close appearance to his creator attracts the attention of Salomé who sends two of her followers to kidnap him. These two individuals are Wong
Wong (comics)
Wong is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is the sidekick and manservant of Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. Wong was first mentioned in the comic Strange Tales #110 and first appeared in Strange Tales #147. In the 2006 miniseries Dr. Strange: the Oath, it was revealed...
(Doctor Strange's servant who currently serves Salomé) and Xaos -- Wong's deceased former love resurrected as an undead winged skeleton. Stevens is rescued from Salomé's lair by Strange and in the process both discover their true nature. They also discover the fact that their bodies are unstable and deteriorating and that they only way to survive is to merge together into one being -- something Stevens decides he doesn't want to do.
While Doctor Strange's creations are deciding what to do next, his former love Clea
Clea
Clea is a fictional character, a sorceress in the . She is the disciple and lover of Doctor Strange. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko , Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126 .Clea is a human-appearing being and maternally related to the...
arrives in New York seeking him. She quickly finds his new Sanctum Sactorum and request his aid against her uncle Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
, who is once again the ruler of her native Dark Dimension. Doctor Strange explains why he can't currently help, but promises to send aid in any way he can.
Now knowing his full situation, Stevens begins to search for a way to escape his fate. Locating a collector of arcane artifacts named Mr. Azopardi, Stevens begins to subtlely press him to allow Stevens access to the Levant Rubric, an ancient book containing spells Stevens believes will save him without having to merge with Strange. Mr. Azopardi turns out to be a person of great paranoia, who suspects Stevens of being a demon who wants to steal his soul. Mr. Azopardi lures Stevens into a trap and attempts to kill him. His life is saved only when Strange arrives and kills Azopardi. In the process, the Levant Rubric is destroyed and an enraged Stevens totally rejects Strange.
Having been rejected by Stevens, Strange begins to seek another individual to merge with in order to save his existence. After failing to convince the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
's Polaris
Polaris (comics)
Polaris is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books. Created by Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth and Jim Steranko, Polaris first appeared in The X-Men #49...
, he next contacts Rick Jones
Rick Jones (comics)
Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
. Seeking revenge, Stevens possesses the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
and uses him in an effort to destroy Strange. This effort fails and Stevens finally agrees to the merger.
It is at this point that Doctor Strange finishes his creation of a suit of armour made of aetheric energy that protects him from the effects of Salomé's Dance. He confronts the Strangers and attempts to reabsorb the aetheric energy he used to create them to use it in his coming confrontation with Salomé. Stevens rebels against his creator and is destroyed in the ensuing fight.
Seeing his chance to merge with Stevens and live is now gone, Strange flies into a rage, but is calmed by Doctor Strange. Strange is sent to the Dark Dimension by his creator and there he merges with a dying warrior named Nobel. The new combination of the two calls himself Paradox and takes his place alongside Clea.
Powers and abilities
Both Strangers had bodies made of aetheric energy that healed almost any injury almost immediately.The means they used the aetheric energy in their bodies differed from there. Strange displayed superhuman strength and the ability to project blasts made of aetheric energy, while Stevens predominantly used abilities to control and possess other individuals.