History ComicBook / DoctorStrange

[[index]]
[[folder:Main Comics]]
* ''Strange Tales'' vol 1 #110-111, 114-169 (1951)
* ''Doctor Strange'' vol 1 #1-26 (1968)
* ''Marvel Premiere'' #3-14 (1972)
* ''Doctor Strange'' vol 2 #1-82 (1974)
* ''Strange Tales'' vol 2 #1-19 (1987)
* ''Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme'' #1-90 (1988)
* ''Doctor Strange'' vol 3 #1-4 (1999) - mini-series by Dan Jolley
* ''Strange'' vol 1 #1-6 (2004) - mini-series by Creator/JMichaelStraczynski
* ''Doctor Strange: The Oath'' #1-5 (2006) - mini-series by Creator/BrianKVaughan
* ''Strange'' vol 2 #1-4 (2010) - mini-series by Creator/MarkWaid
* ''Doctor Strange'' vol 4 #1-28 (2015)
* ''Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme'' #1-12 (2016)
* ''Webcomic/DoctorStrangePunisherMagicBullets'' (2016)
* ''Doctor Strange'' vol 5 #1-22 (2018)
* ''Doctor Strange: Damnation'' #1-4 - crossover mini-series by Creator/DonnyCates
* ''Dr. Strange, Surgeon Supreme'' #1-6 (2019)
* ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfDoctorStrange'' #1-5 (2021)
* ''ComicBook/Strange2022'' #1-10 (2022-2023)
* ''[[ComicBook/DoctorStrange2023 Doctor Strange]]'' vol 6 (2023)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:One-Shots and Graphic Novels]]
* ''Marvel Graphic Novel'' #23 (1986) - ''Doctor Strange: Shamballa'' by J.M. [=DeMatteis=] and Dan Green
* ''Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment'' (1989) - graphic novel by Creator/RogerStern and Creator/MikeMignola
* ''Doctor Strange: What is it That Disturbs You, Stephen?'' (1997) - a one-shot by Marc Andreyko and P. Craig Russell
* ''The Mystic Hands of Doctor Strange'' (2010) - black-and-white 48-page anthology with stories by Creator/KieronGillen, Creator/PeterMilligan, Ted [=McKeever=], and Creator/MikeCarey
* ''Doctor Strange: Season One'' (2012) - graphic novel retelling of Doctor Strange's origin by Creator/GregPak and Emma Rios
* ''Doctor Strange: The ComicBook/BestDefense'' (2018) - part of the ComicBook/BestDefense crossover
* ''Doctor Strange: The End'' (2020) - one-shot showing a possible ending to Strange's story by Creator/LeahWilliams and Felipe Andrade
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Team Books]]
* ''ComicBook/TheDefenders'' vol 1 (1972)
* ''The Secret Defenders'' #1-25 (1993)
* ''The Defenders'' vol 2 #1-12 (2001)
* ''The Order'' vol 1 #1-6 (2002)
* ''Defenders'' vol 3 #1-5 - mini-series
* ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'' vol 1 (2005) and vol 2 (2010) - occasional team member
* ''ComicBook/FearItself: The Deep'' #1-4 (2011)
* ''Defenders'' vol 4 #1-12 (2012)
* ''[[ComicBook/Defenders2021 Defenders]]'' vol 6 (2021)
[[/folder]]
[[/index]]

* DoesNotLikeGuns: After struggling to fire a gun in "The Oath", Strange expresses his distaste for firearms.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: Wong in ''Doctor Strange: The Oath'' when he discovers he has an inoperable brain tumor. Doc's not having it.
-->'''Wong''': Journeys only find meaning at their destinations. I am fully prepared to reach my final--\\
'''Doctor Strange''': Oh, shut up with that Zen crap.
* FriendOrIdolDecision: In the ''Doctor Strange: The Oath'' comic book miniseries, Strange has to decide between [[spoiler:taking the panacea to his home to mass-produce a universal remedy; or using it to cure Wong, who is at death's door. He ultimately chooses to save his friend's life]].
* GoodIsNotSoft: In ''The Oath'', upon learning that due to an extensive cover up, the man who shot him will never be able to be convicted in a court of law, Strange banishes him to another dimension, flat out telling his allies that he has neither the time or the patience to worry about due process.
* HijackedByGanon: Subverted in ''The Oath''; Strange initially suspects Baron Mordo to be behind the events, and later seems to meet Nightmare and Dormammu in collusion, but none of them are responsible. An original character ends up being the BigBad.
* KungFuWizard: Wong has taught Strange martial arts just in case he was BroughtDownToNormal.
* MistakenForGay: Happens to Strange no fewer than three times in ''The Oath'', where everyone and their mother seems to assume that Strange and Wong are a couple.
* PrecisionFStrike: One memorable moment in ''The Oath.''
-->''By the Hoary #%*-ing Hosts!''
%%* SdrawkcabName: From ''The Oath'', the Elixir of Otkid.
* SilverBullet: In ''Doctor Strange: The Oath'' #2, a silver bullet fired from the Walther P-38 which Hitler used to commit suicide managed to get through Strange's mystical defenses and nearly killed him.
* WithholdingTheCure: The major plot of ''Doctor Strange: The Oath'' involves [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Timely Pharmaceuticals]] interfering with Doc's efforts to save Wong's life because the magical elixir he's retrieved can cure all diseases -- and put them out of business. Worse; it's implied this isn't the first time they've done something like this.
* TheWorldIsNotReady: Played with in ''Doctor Strange: The Oath''. [[spoiler:West and Timely Pharmaceuticals claim that the panacea must be destroyed to ensure the natural evolution of medical science, but it's blatantly obvious that they have ulterior motives: The existence of a universal remedy would logically put all drug companies out of business; while West himself rejects magic due to his own incompetence with the mystical arts accidentally leading to one of his patients' death]].

'''Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange''' is Master of the Mystic Arts and the Sorcerer Supreme of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, which means that he is in charge of protecting it (mostly from powerful supernatural menaces). Strange first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (July, 1963), created by Creator/StanLee and Creator/SteveDitko. He has been appearing ever since, featured as a star of his own series, in team books, and as a frequent guest star in other people's titles. His story has been adapted into a live-action MadeForTVMovie, an [[WesternAnimation/DoctorStrangeTheSorcererSupreme animated DVD movie]] and is part of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, with the character being first introduced in [[Film/DoctorStrange2016 his first feature film adaptation]].

Despite having his series canceled years ago, Strange is still a recurring character in the Marvel Comics universe. He has starred in many ''[[ComicBook/TheDefenders Defenders]]'' stories and has guest-starred in many other comics, usually to help out other heroes against magical menaces. He is a long-time ally of ComicBook/TheAvengers and has had an on-and-off membership in the ComicBook/NewAvengers (currently 'off' -- officially. Unofficially, still very much 'on'). In 2011 he was involved in the ''Comicbook/FearItself'' storyline with several of his old Defenders teammates -- this reunion prefigured a revival of the Defenders title in late 2011 to deal with the threat of Nul, Breaker of Worlds, one of the entities empowering the Serpent's "Worthy." He stood with the Avengers in ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen''. He also has a role behind the scenes as one of the "Illuminati" -- a secret group of high-powered figures who try to deal with problems without the rest of the Marvel Universe becoming aware of it.

* AboveGoodAndEvil: Morality is explicitly not a factor when a new Sorcerer Supreme is chosen. Nonetheless, Doctor Strange is determined to prevent the station and its associated power from falling into the wrong hands.
* AcidTripDimension: Many of the dimensions Strange travels through as part of his duties, but especially the Dark Dimension.

** Pretty much any item and entity he calls upon will be alliterative. This was taken to its most ridiculous extremes in the "Eighth Day" crossover, in which a number of people were empowered by the Octessence, eight principalities typically invoked by Dr. Strange. ''All'' of them were empowered by alliterative items, such as the "Blinding Brazier of Balthakk". Not surprising when you consider who his [[Creator/StanLee original writer]] was.
* TheAgeless: He is immortal ever since he and Death came to an understanding. Though he can still die, Death now may only come "from without," and not from within. Canonically he was born in 1930 and only returned to America after completing his training in the 1970s, spending decades as a mystical consultant until the debut of the Fantastic Four.
* TheAlcoholic: In some depictions he was prone to alcohol abuse as a surgeon, either during or just after the car accident that ruined his hands.

* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: His Sanctum Sanctorum has been jeopardized, destroyed, erased from existence, etc. almost too often to count. He always repairs the damage and moves back in.
* AlmightyIdiot: In one arc, Strange destroyed a primordial entity of Chaos by assuming its power, killing it -- and then killing himself. This led to him briefly becoming an all-powerful transcendent being with no ego or identity. Ironically, [[NiceJobFixingItVillain it was one of Strange's old enemies who dragged him back into the "illusion" of self]].
* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: To Creator/DCComics' ComicBook/DoctorFate, the most powerful magic user in [[Franchise/TheDCU his universe.]]
* AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome: Doctor Strange has a few, though historically the Eye of Agamotto is by far his most famous.
%%* AnimeHair: Clea.
* AntiMagicalFaction: The Empirikul are a zealous MageKiller faction with a religious devotion to destroying all magic throughout the multiverse. They accomplish this through the use of AntiMagic technology which leaves the realities they 'purge' grey and sterile.
* ArbitrarySkepticism: Justified example: in one issue, Strange and his friend Sara Wolfe meet Akira Nitobe, a master of "kiai-jitsu", or manipulating "ki" energy via the voice. Initially Strange is skeptical, which amuses Sara:
-->'''Sara Wolfe''': You, of all people, being skeptical of paranormal powers?\\
'''Doctor Strange''': Ah, but of all people I know how many pretenders and how few true practitioners of "paranormal arts" there are.
* ArchEnemy: Originally [[EvilCounterpart Baron Mordo,]] but [[MultiversalConqueror Dorm]][[EldritchAbomination ammu]] took the job quickly, with their history being extremely personal and long-lasting; Dormammu also became an EvilUncle of sorts after Stephen's marriage to Clea. [[Characters/MarvelComicsDemons Mephisto]] has also been a frequent adversary to Strange, who's been a thorn in his side for years and the latter has even battled him in his own realm. Though [[ForTheEvulz given who he is,]] Mephisto is virtually ''everyone's'' nemesis and Dormammu remains Strange's most bitter enemy.
* TheArchmage: As the "Sorcerer Supreme", Strange is the Earth's most powerful wizard and the designated BigGood regarding magical dangers.
%%* AristocratsAreEvil: Baron Mordo.

* BackFromTheDead: In the comics, Strange has been resurrected at least once. This is later referenced when Rick Jones consults the Doc on bringing Marlo Chandler back to life. Concerned for Rick's sanity, Strange tries to talk sense into him. Rick counters with "Who in this room has been dead before?" Wong, Strange, and Rick himself all raise their hands.
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: The eventual fate of the Ancient One, who became one with the universe after his death. Broadly hinted to be Strange's destiny as well.
* AstralProjection: This is an incredibly dangerous spell that leaves the body vulnerable and is fatal after 24 hours. [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fire12_210.jpg Strange barely even hesitates to use it]]. In fact, it's one of his signature moves. Inevitably, someone who sees his astral form will mistake him for a decedent, so he has to emphasize that he's AnAstralProjectionNotAGhost. Of course, he never makes that mistake himself.

* BigBadDuumvirate: When Baron Mordo first teams up with Dormammu, this is what he ''thinks'' has happened...but as Dormammu constantly reminds him, what ''actually'' happens is that Mordo is DemotedToDragon. Mordo resists the idea at first, but eventually gives in, calling Dormammu master and trying to keep favor with him.
* TheBlacksmith: After journeying to outer space and learning alien magic, including dwarven runework, Doctor Strange has his own forge to make new weapons and artifacts.
* BoundAndGagged: He cannot use magic if his hands and voice are restrained. (Granted, getting him into this condition will ''not'' be easy...)
* BoxingLessonsForSuperman: He took up the study of the martial arts as well as the mystic, realizing he needed to know how to defend himself physically.
* TheBusCameBack: The 2016 comic brings back notable figures from Marvel history:
** Chondu the Mystic, who appeared in 1960 as a criminal magician, has now reformed and runs a bar for mages.
** Monako Prince of Magic, who appeared in 1940 in Timely Comics (preceding Marvel), appears as a veteran magician.
** Casey Kinmont, who had briefly appeared as a sidekick to Dr Strange in 2010, returns for another brief appearance.
** Doctor Druid, Strange’s acquaintance, is set for a return in 2020.

* CantStayNormal: He has tried at least once to walk away from magic and become an ordinary doctor. It never sticks.
* CastFromLifespan: The 2015 Jason Aaron run has the Sorcerer Supreme teach a lesson that a normal punch inevitably takes a toll on the one who threw it, and so does casting a spell. [[spoiler: In the present, the story shows Stephen dealing with a destroyed digestive tract from all the spellcasting, and Wong has to prepare food that looks like rejects from a tentacle hentai story (and doesn't taste any better) because it's all that his system will accept.]]
* TheChessmaster: At times he cannot fight the enemy directly, so he recruits heroes and sends them to deal with the threat. In particularly jerkish moments, he neither asks their permission first nor thanks them afterward, but he'll usually apologize and explain if called on it. This is taken to the extreme in a recent Defenders one-shot, where a time-displaced future Strange sends his astral projection back in time with a devastating snowball of consequences, all for the intended purpose of altering an alien's travel trajectory a few degrees.
* ClarkesThirdLaw: ''Doctor Strange and the Sorcerer's Supreme'' deals with a conflict involving an obscenely powerful artifact known as the Word of God that turns out to be highly advanced, extradimensional alien technology that looks and behaves exactly like a spellbook.
* ClothesMakeTheLegend: The red cloak, blue tunic with a demon symbol, black leggings, and yellow sash and gloves carry over into almost all depictions of Strange. Alternate universe characters shown to have assumed the role of Sorcerer Supreme (e.g. Clea, Wiccan) often wear the same ensemble.
* CreateYourOwnVillain: In order to pay the price for using his magic without straight-up killing himself, Dr. Strange and Wong created an entity that would absorb all of the pain he would suffer otherwise. That entity ended up becoming Mr. Misery, an EldritchAbomination that has never known anything but pain and suffering, so when it gets loose...
* CollectorOfTheStrange: Over his career he has amassed a number of mystical artifacts, including several trophies that imprison old enemies. When he was forced to destroy his collection to prevent Urthona from using it, it loosed so much evil that he had to devote his complete attention to bottling it up again.
* ComesGreatResponsibility: He does have a manservant, a nice house, and no qualms about magicking up money, but this is mostly because his duties are so all-encompassing that he doesn't have ''time'' to worry about the mundane.

* ContinuitySnarl: ''Dr. Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme'' mini raised several questions about the Ancient One's tenure as Sorcerer Supreme thanks to introducing former Sorcerers Supreme that overlap the time period he was said to have held the role in previous stories.

* DeadpanSnarker: Many of Strange's writers, like Roy Thomas, have Strange recurrently engage in dry sarcasm, especially when involved with more traditional superheroics. More than once he's implied that, after all the time battling monsters that want to devour the universe or corrupt the souls of humanity, he finds battling bank-robbing supervillains ''relaxing'' and finds it a happy side-effect of his time with teams like the Defenders.
%%* DeceptiveDisciple: Baron Mordo was one to the Ancient One. How?
* DeflectorShields: Dr. Strange is protected by a mystical shield that can withstand attacks from beings like Galactus, Dormammu and Shuma Gorath. DependingOnTheWriter, it either functions automatically or he has to summon it. He can also call up the "Shields of the Seraphim" for added protection.

* DemotedToExtra: After the loss of his own title series, Strange was basically demoted for most of the 2000s. Creator/JMichaelStraczynski was supposed to write a regular Dr. Strange book, but for whatever reason the book never materialized, so Straczynski compensated by making Strange a supporting character in the ComicBook/SpiderMan book instead, suddenly being Spider-Man's closest superhero ally over Peter's more long-standing friendships, like with Daredevil and the Fantastic Four. It got to the point where Spider-Man fans groaned whenever Spidey came across some sort of mystical phenomena, knowing full well that he was going to make yet ''another'' trip to the Sanctum Sanctorum for help.
* DentedIron: Turns out that one really can't be a SquishyWizard in Marvel. Channeling the dark arts will alter your innards and will kill weak people who try it for long enough period of time. Dr. Strange has methods to reduce the effects and he's tough as nails, but he still has to go through a regular routine of getting pus drained out of internal boils, ulcers treated, et cetera.
* DependingOnTheWriter: No one has ever been able to decide exactly how damaged Strange's hands are after the accident. Some writers give him impairments of varying severity to his dexterity, some have him regain the injuries if he begins to heal, and some say that Strange's hands are perfectly fine, and that he doesn't return to surgery due to issues more relating to his ego or morality than physicality.
* DePower: Zigzagged. His most powerful spells draw on the energy of divine beings, so he can't technically lose those unless he also loses the favor of that deity. On the other hand, AstralProjection, PsychicPowers, the ability to manipulate the magical energy of the universe, and the ability to steal another's magic through sheer force of will have been implied to be his own personal powers. He does rely heavily on artifacts like the Eye of Agamotto to help him use those abilities effectively, so his loss of the Eye and the special patronage of the Vishanti would count as a functional de-powering.
%%* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: This is Strange's job.
* DiscardAndDraw: Has happened a few times, leading him to explore white magic, black magic, elemental magic, a bizarre discipline called 'catastrophe magic,' and others.
* DoesNotLikeGuns: The nerve damage in Strange's hands prevents him from having steady aim. After struggling to fire a gun in "The Oath", he expresses his distaste for firearms.
* DoppelgangerAttack: A common tactic of his in his classic days was creating numerous false images of himself and concealing his true self, distracting his opponents long enough to slip away and prepare a new tactic. Additionally, if he sensed he was about to fall prey to a trap, he would leave a copy behind to take the brunt of his foe's attack and allow them to waste their energy before revealing the deception.

* DrJerk: Strange's backstory. Before he became a sorcerer, he was one of the most skilled surgeons in the world and had the clout to charge his own exorbitant fees, turn away patients who couldn't afford to pay, and walk out on colleagues. The animated movie gives him a literal dead little sister to give him a FreudianExcuse.
* DysfunctionalFamily: Clea is the daughter of Umar and thus the niece of Dormammu. For a while, Clea and Dr. Strange were considered common-law husband and wife, thus making two of Strange's greatest enemies some of his ''in-laws.'' And then Baron Mordo became Umar's consort.
* EnemyMine: He will work with ''anyone'' in the name of good. In one mini, he joined forces with Doctor Doom.
* EpunymousTitle: Dr. Strange debuted in the ''Strange Tales'' comic series.
%%* EvilCounterpart: Baron Mordo.

* ExposeTheVillainGetHisJob: How he became The Ancient One's apprentice. The Ancient One already knew that his current apprentice was plotting to betray him, but he let Strange discover Mordo's treachery to [[SecretTestOfCharacter see what he would do.]]
* EyepatchOfPower: He had one for a while as part of a retool into a [[DarkerAndEdgier "grittier"]] character.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: Wong in ''Doctor Strange: The Oath'' when he discovers he has an inoperable brain tumor. Doc's not having it.
-->'''Wong''': Journeys only find meaning at their destinations. I am fully prepared to reach my final--\\
'''Doctor Strange''': Oh, shut up with that Zen crap.

* FateOfTheFrankensteins: An issue of ''Dr. Strange: Sorcerer Supreme'' reviews the entire history of the Frankensteins in the Marvel universe, including clarifying a few facts left unclear by earlier stories.
* FightDracula: They've met several times, and fought throughout an entire arc when Strange wiped out every single vampire in the entire Marvel universe with a ChekhovsGun from ''Comicbook/DraculaLives''. This was due to UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode banning vampires from comics for a few years. When the ban was lifted, the vamps came back.
* FindTheCure: He has been called upon to find magical cures for ailments which are beyond modern medicine.
* {{Fingore}}: Strange's hands were badly injured in the car crash, and though they outwardly appeared to heal, nerve damage meant he could never safely operate again. [[DependingOnTheWriter Different writer-artist teams]] may or may not make his impaired dexterity obvious, and a few particularly sadistic ones have [[CallBack had his hands damaged again.]] [[DependingOnTheWriter Others have said]] that his hands have fully healed and there's nothing physically wrong with them, it's his confidence, and more specifically, his ego that was devastated.
* FlyingFirepower: Often. Initially he needed his Cloak of Levitation to fly, but writers have shown him flying without it, particularly in ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen''.
* FriendOrIdolDecision: In the ''Doctor Strange: The Oath'' comic book miniseries, Strange has to decide between [[spoiler:taking the panacea to his home to mass-produce a universal remedy; or using it to cure Wong, who is at death's door. He ultimately chooses to save his friend's life]].

* FunctionalMagic: As Master of the Mystic ''Arts'', he uses or has used everything on the list except MagicMusic (possibly because he's never been shown to be musical; more likely because it wouldn't translate well into the medium of comic books).

** In ''The Oath'', upon learning that due to an extensive cover up, the man who shot him will never be able to be convicted in a court of law, Strange banishes him to another dimension, flat out telling his allies that he has neither the time or the patience to worry about due process.

* GoodOldFisticuffs: Dr.Strange vs Korvac, in the latter's first appearance. When his spells failed, [[https://panels-of-interest.tumblr.com/post/133895702965/doctor-strange-vs-korvac-from-giant-size Doc just decided use his fists]].
* GuileHero: By necessity against unspeakably powerful entities. He could never hope to take them by force, so he has to use his wits, be creative, and exploit any weaknesses they might have.
* HealingMagicIsTheHardest: Potentially, it seems. Other than the rumors of healing that brought Strange to the Ancient One's doorstep, the ability of magic to heal is almost never addressed. Perhaps to show an in-universe reason why not, as of the comic #19 (2019), Stephen has healed his hands -- but what it took was a DealWithTheDevil with an EldritchAbomination named Channok, Keeper of Forbidden Spells. Channok had a tome called "The Book of Even Odds" with the spell "Uthurvan's Invocation" a spell no one tried for a millennia. With good reason, it could cure Strange's condition or it could permanently remove his powers and make the Earth dimension vulnerable without a Sorcerer Supreme. It worked, but in an agonizing way. [[BodyHorror The spell vaporized Stephen's hands and bit by bit rebuilt them until he had brand-new hands]]. Funnily enough, the movie features a little more magical healing, but it's still shown as severely limited.
* HijackedByGanon: Subverted in ''The Oath''; Strange initially suspects Baron Mordo to be behind the events, and later seems to meet Nightmare and Dormammu in collusion, but none of them are responsible. An original character ends up being the BigBad.
* HorrorHunger: In the Aaron run, Dr. Strange's biology is so changed by otherdimensional energies, that normal food can't sustain him and it all tastes like ash now. Instead he needs to eat the cooked body parts from EldritchAbomination, dead souls and alien animals. They taste horrible but provide him with the energy to cast his spells. This will be the fate of any sorcerer over a long period of time. Note that nobody has paid attention to that since Aaron left the book.
%%* IceCreamKoan: In the animated movie.
* TheIlluminati: He is a member of a group by that name with Iron Man, Reed Richards, Professor Xavier, and others. Zigzags the trope, since they are all heroes but they have done some morally questionable acts in the name of saving the world. Strange appears to consider his involvement with them a necessary evil.
* IndyPloy: When written well, this is his signature ability -- the creativity to evaluate the situation in an instant and turn it around with the right spell, use of his artifacts, or words.
%%* InstantRunes: In the animated movie.
* InstantSedation: He has at least one generic 'Sleep' spell.
%%* IntangibleMan: Strange's [[AstralProjection astral self]].
%%* IntergenerationalFriendship: With several young heroes, but particularly with Peter Parker.

* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: He tried to beg out of New Avengers membership because Daniel Drumm had sworn vengeance on him. Luke Cage reminded him that this sort of thing happens ''routinely'' to superheroes.[[note]]As it turns out, he was VERY correct in being worried about this, because that is EXACTLY what Drumm did in the final arc of ''New Avengers.''[[/note]]

* KungFuWizard: He's a trained martial artist. Although his skills don't come close to those of fellow superheroes like ComicBook/IronFist, he can still hold his own in a physical fight.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: On occasion he will make people forget specific bits of information they're better off not knowing.
* LaserGuidedKarma: To escape assault from the magic-hating Empirikul, Dormammu sold out Shuma-Gorath, whom the Empirikul REALLY hated since it was his cult that murdered his family. When he confronted Dr. Strange after the Empirikul's defeat, Strange teleported him right into the tentacles of the injured, but still deadly and VERY ANGRY Shuma-Gorath.

* LevitatingLotusPosition: Used by Doctor Strange for purposes of study, meditation, and sometimes AstralProjection.
%%* LivingLieDetector: Strange's talisman, the Eye of Agamotto.
* LogicalWeakness: He's limited by his physicality: he uses his hands and voice to cast nearly all of his spells, and he can get tired, hungry, or distracted like anyone else.
* MagicAIsMagicA: Attempted, but never successfully established for any length of time. The limits of what magic is capable of and what Strange himself can do vary greatly from writer to writer and arc to arc, perhaps even more than usual for comics.
* MagicVersusScience: The entire premise of Creator/JasonAaron's "Last Days of Magic" arc, where Strange and Earth's other magic-users come under siege from the Empirikul, an army led by the Imperator that worships science and seeks to purge out all magic in the universe.
* MagicalGesture: Spell-casting for Strange involves special hand positions. He often uses the ''mano cornuta'' or "horns" gesture made by folding the two inner fingers down. Currently provides the page image.
* MagicalIncantation: Usually, but not always, required for him to work magic. More complicated spells seem to require longer incantations, which often rhyme.
* MarkOfTheSupernatural: A streak of white hair at each temple. Originally a sign of age, but increasingly they seem to indicate that he commands [[LockedIntoStrangeness arcane power]].
* MartialPacifist: He prefers not to fight if it can be avoided.
%%* MayDecemberRomance: What his relationship with Clea appears to be.
%%* TheMentor: A past incarnation of him mentored ComicBook/{{Magik}} of the ComicBook/XMen.
* MerlinAndNimue: Clea, Strange's best disciple, was also the woman he loved most; at one point they were considered common-law husband and wife. In ''ComicBook/EarthX'', she betrayed and killed him before the story began, putting the final touch on the traditional depiction of this relationship.
* MightyWhitey: It takes Strange only a short time (an indeterminate handful of years) to surpass all The Ancient One's other students. Some writers retcon him into the ChosenOne and claim the master was aware of his potential long before he actually came to Tibet. Mordo, the master's second-best student, was also Caucasian, hailing from somewhere in Transylvania.
* MindRape: The Eye of Agamotto, used as a weapon, will forcibly show someone the truth, with devastating results. Strange used it to subdue the rampaging ComicBook/ScarletWitch during her breakdown. He has also used the Images of Ikkon to send Galactus into a HeroicBSOD (by projecting images of the billions (if not trillions) of sentient beings he's killed into his mind).
* MistakenForGay: Happens no fewer than three times in ''The Oath'', where everyone and their mother seems to assume that Strange and Wong are a couple.
* MultipleChoiceChosen: When Doctor Strange loses the right to be the Sorcerer Supreme due to his actions during ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk'' (long story), he knows that there are [[http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Sorcerer_Supreme_Candidate several possible candidates]] to be the next Sorceror Supreme (he even shows the Avengers their images). The Eye of Agamotto has vanished and will go to the candidate, and Dr. Strange must find and train him or her.
* MyGreatestFailure: He blames himself for certain events which went down on his watch (particularly ''ComicBook/HouseOfM'' and its aftermath), believing that the Sorcerer Supreme has that office to prevent exactly that sort of thing.
* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Strange's presence is one of the standard indicators that something big is going down in the Marvel universe. He may not do anything about it, but he'll know.

* {{Mythology}}: Strange comes with his own assembly of arcane deities and supernatural entities from whom he draws power.
* NeutralNoLonger: His backstory. The clear and obvious existence of ''evil'' magic is what convinced him that 1) Magic is real, and 2) Good people need to learn magic too, so they can fight back.
* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: One of the reasons he's not used as often as other heroes outside his own series: Doctor Strange can, potentially, do ANYTHING. He's basically only limited by the power of his imagination, so pretty much any plot could easily be solved by him, eliminating any drama.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed:
** Creator/SteveDitko's Strange looks a lot like Creator/VincentPrice (once he lost the Asian features), something most artists afterwards don't seem to realize.
** Stuart Immonen's version in ''New Avengers'' looked a lot like Tom Selleck -- likely influenced by Strange's 1980's depictions, who likewise looked like Selleck.

* OccultDetective:
** Strange occasionally takes on this role. More than one plot has centered around him investigating supernatural problems brought to him by clients.
** As one advertisement once said, "If he has to make a house call, you're already in trouble."

* OhMyGods: He has a lot of occult deities to call upon, particularly the Mother/Father/Child trinity of Oshtur (the Omnipotent, and elder goddess and sister of Gaea), Hoggoth (the Hoary, an elder god that long outlived his worshippers) and Agamotto (the All-Seeing, who was born mortal and ascended, becoming the first Sorcerer Supreme and inventing many forms of sorcery along the way), known collectively as the Vishanti.
* OlderThanTheyLook: According to the ''Marvel: The Lost Generation'' limited series, Strange's origin story predates the ComicBook/FantasticFour's by decades; in other words, he has not been subject to ComicBookTime, and his origin actually ''did'' happen in the 60's, or likely even earlier. Thanks to his magic, he looks much younger than he is.

* OutOfTimeOutOfMind: Strange spent 5000 years in another dimension and returned after four months of "real" time, having aged only a year.
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: In most depictions, Mordo was the Ancient One's best student before Strange came along.

* PatronGod: Strange derives many of his spells and magical powers from the Vishanti, a trio of extradimensional deities of unfathomable power. It's through their patronage that he's able to obtain relics like the Eye of Agamotto, which grants him telepathy, the ability to see through illusions, and playback recent events for investigative purposes. In addition, he invokes their name in his spells, such as the Hand of Hoggoth or Oshtur's Lance.
* ThePerilsOfBeingTheBest: Strange owes his long tenure as Sorcerer Supreme to the fact that the few who are actually skilled enough to challenge him also tend to be wise enough to realize how badly it would suck to actually have his job, which entails fighting potentially world-destroying threats on a daily basis. Strange once faced a challenge from a young man who was convinced that he was ready to become the Sorcerer Supreme and, not wanting to hurt the kid, allowed him to think that he'd won... then gave the lad a simulation of all the shit he deals with on a normal day. The poor sod lasted only a few minutes before freaking out and begging Strange to take the job back.
* PimpedOutCape: One of the most famous examples, though it's the high collar with its two winglike projections which is really his icon.
* PlayAlongPrisoner: A fellow sorcerer supposedly traps Strange in a magical energy prison. Strange stays "trapped" just long enough to listen to the villain's MotiveRant before easily walking through the bars.

* PostModernMagik: In the 2018 series Strange meets the alien Pkzkrfmknna, Kanna for short, who is an arcanologist, a student of magic. Her knowledge is deep enough that she can replicate magical spells with completely scientific substitutes and regularly uses a "wrench wand" for mechanical repairs.
* PostVictoryCollapse: Extreme magical exertion is hard on him, and the effort required to win a battle can bring on anything from momentary dizziness to coma.
* PowerFloats: He has no difficulty [[LevitatingLotusPosition sitting cross-legged on about four feet of empty air]], even without his Cloak of Levitation.
* PrecisionFStrike: One memorable moment in ''The Oath.''
-->''By the Hoary #%*-ing Hosts!''
* PrideBeforeAFall: His backstory. He's come a long way since, though {{Pride}} still seems to be his besetting sin.
* PrimaryColorChampion: A blue tue tunic, a yellow belt, and a red cape with gold lining and clasp.
* ProgressivelyPrettier: He started as a somewhat gaunt older man with slanted eyes, progressed into a conventionally-handsome Western man, transformed into something that was almost {{Bishounen}}, and eventually settled as an ordinary-looking (but still more attractive than average) man in his mid-forties.
* PropheciesRhymeAllTheTime: Strange's longer spells must rhyme - and in the early years, they all scanned to the first few lines of "Battle Hymn of the Republic".
* PsychicPowers: Telepathy, telekinesis, others. Dr. Strange once bested Moondragon while she was in possession of the [[AmplifierArtifact Mind Gem]].
* PsychologicalTormentZone: One weapon of his enemies'. D'Spayre once caught him in one so painful that he nearly [[DrivenToSuicide took his own life]]. BreakThemByTalking is another of D'Spayre's favorite weapons. He's so good at it that, again, he came within seconds of convincing Strange to kill himself. Yes, he's nearly done it ''twice''.

* RealityWarper: At full power, and with great effort, he can bend the laws of physics to accomplish anything. But he's more often seen keeping an eye on the fabric of reality to make sure no one's messing with it, as part of his duties as Sorcerer Supreme/Master of the Mystic Arts.
%%* RivalTurnedEvil: Baron Mordo.

* ScarsAreForever: DependingOnTheArtist, Stephen's hands may still be heavily scarred, with the implication that he wears his gloves to hide them.
* SecretIdentity: During the brief period, he had a different appearance as "Doctor Strange" and a civilian identity known as "Stephen Sanders."
%%* SdrawkcabName: From ''The Oath'', the Elixir of Otkid.
* SecretKeeper: As a member of the Illuminati. For a time they were the secret custodians of the Infinity Gems (he had the Soul Gem). Then he was summoned by Black Panther to be party to ''his'' secrets -- incursions, the Great Destroyer, and the very real possibility that he'll have to destroy alternate-universe Earths if he wants his own to live.
* SecretTestOfCharacter: When Strange sought the help of the Ancient One to heal his hands, the latter sensed his selfish motives and refused, though he proposed that Strange become his student and find the cure within himself. Strange called him a fraud and would have left right then if not for a sudden blizzard. While confined to the building, Strange discovered one of the other students, Mordo, plotting to kill the master. When he tried to warn the Ancient One, Mordo cast a spell on Strange that rendered him [[TongueTied unable to speak of this]]. Strange then decided to become the Ancient One's student, thinking that by learning magic, he would be able to stop Mordo. The Ancient One then revealed he knew about Mordo's plans all along and accepted Strange as his apprentice, now knowing he was capable of acting selflessly. Subverted in the same story, as the Ancient One made the offer a second time (and Strange accepted) once he knew all the facts.

* ShipTease: There have been hints of sexual attraction between Strange and Comicbook/MsMarvel (mutual), the ComicBook/ScarletWitch (his side), and Dead Girl of ''[[Comicbook/XForce X-Statix]]'' (sort of mutual but mostly her side).
* ShootTheDog: There is nothing he wouldn't do to protect the Earth and those he loves. Case in point...
** He murdered the Ancient One to prevent Shuma-Gorath from entering their world.
** He destroyed his home and all of his treasured artifacts to prevent Urthona from using them. And then was forced to go on a canine shooting spree under the instruction of Kaluu, culminating in his own suicide after defeating Shuma-Gorath again.
** In Hickman's ''New Avengers'', Strange erases Comicbook/CaptainAmerica's memories to get him out of the group and open the possibility of darker solutions to their [[ApocalypseHow current problem]].
* SilverBullet: A silver bullet fired from the Walther P-38 which Hitler used to commit suicide managed to get through Strange's mystical defenses and nearly killed him.
* SlidingTimeScale: One of the few characters in the Marvel Universe who is immune. According to Creator/RogerStern and Creator/JohnByrne's ''Marvel: The Lost Generation'' limited series, his origin actually ''did'' happen in the Sixties, or perhaps even earlier.
** As Sorcerer Supreme, he has eternal youth and is locked in his forties, although he's chronologically twice that age.
** Potentially retconned after the events of ''Secret Wars 2015''. When asked how long he's been practicing magic, he answers "about a decade."
* StealthPun:
** For a time, Strange took on Rintrah, a green minotaur-like being, as his apprentice. [[spoiler:A ''greenhorn''.]]
** Strange is a ''literal'' SuperDoc, being a doctor with superpowers.
* StevenUlyssesPerhero: His given name is Stephen Strange, and his title is real too.
%%* StrippedToTheBone: The Wing Mouths in the animated movie do this.
* SuperDoc: In ''Comicbook/NewAvengers'', he has done everything from giving an injection to delivering a baby.

** Sorcerer Supreme, Master of the Mystic Arts. Clea was sometimes called the Mystic Maiden. Luke Cage attempted to saddle him with "the Magic Avenger" when he officially joined the New Avengers. Oh, and to the "savage" Hulk, he will always be "Dumb Magician."
** For some reason his rogues' gallery tend to villain versions of TheAdjectivalSuperhero: The Dread Dormammu, the Unspeakable (or Unrelenting) Umar...
* SupernormalBindings: Uses the "Crimson Bands of Cyttorak" spell to tie up superpowered evildoers, and the Hulk when he's rampaging..
* SuperWeight: Level 5 or level 6 DependingOnTheWriter. To be expected when you've been called upon for aid by ''the manifestation of the '''universe''' itself''. Returned to level 6 after selling his soul for the power of a god.
* ThematicRoguesGallery: Most of Strange's enemies are sorcerers or demons. Strange is ''too absurdly powerful'' to fight non-{{Eldritch Abomination}}s or other Super Super threats, [[DependingOnTheWriter most of the time]].
* ThirdEye: The Eye of Agamotto. By itself it sends out a beam of light that reveals the true nature of something; when Strange looks through it, it mystically attaches to his forehead.
* TimeMaster: Dr. Strange can stop and reverse time at will.
* TimeTravel: An older feat, Dr. Strange traveled back in time to witness the birth of the Earth.
* TongueTied: When Stephen Strange first met the Ancient One and his disciple Baron Mordo, he learned that Baron Mordo was trying to kill his mentor. Mordo cast a spell on Strange that made it impossible to reveal the truth to the Ancient One. When Strange instead asked the Ancient One to accept him as a student, the Ancient One immediately broke Mordo's spell on Strange, revealing that he had known of Mordo's treachery for some time but kept him as a student [[KeepingTheEnemyClose so he could keep an eye on him]].
* ToThePain: A lot of his enemies enjoy describing the horrible things they're going to do to him. Some of them are foolish enough to do it before he's even securely in their grasp, giving him enough time to plot a way to escape.

* TraumaCongaLine: In recent times, Strange has had a terrible time even for his standards. There was the Imperator who decimated magic, then while everyone was trying to rebuild the magical world Dr Strange’s rogue gallery mobilized to kick him when he’s down, then Loki stole his position as Sorcerer Supreme, then the Accountant took away his magical ability, then he had to deal with Galactus consuming magic (which threw the universe out of balance)...
%%* VillainousBSOD: What he does to [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Galactus]] by reawakening his conscience.
* VillainousIncest: Baron Mordo has a daughter by his half-sister.
* WeHelpTheHelpless: Even heroes have to eat, and so sometimes the good Doctor will investigate cases for hire (DependingOnTheWriter -- sometimes he simply conjures up money whenever he needs it, so we assume he does this pro bono... or perhaps for light entertainment).
* WhoYouGonnaCall: If you're a New York superhero and you're facing the supernatural, you'll be so glad that Stephen Strange hangs his shingle in Greenwich Village.
* WithholdingTheCure: The major plot of ''Doctor Strange: The Oath'' involves [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Timely Pharmaceuticals]] interfering with Doc's efforts to save Wong's life because the magical elixir he's retrieved can cure all diseases -- and put them out of business. Worse; it's implied this isn't the first time they've done something like this.
* WizardingSchool: Dr Strange is to open ''ComicBook/StrangeAcademy'', a school for magical children to learn to use their powers responsibly, in 2020.
* WizardsFromOuterSpace: What the Mark Waid run in 2018 was about. Iron Man convinced Stephen to look at other planets as a source of other magic and resources, Stephen takes this to heart and travels throughout the galaxy instead of his usual travels to other dimensions. Prior to that, Stephen has encountered wizards from alien planets that are within the Earth's dimension, including the Dire Wraiths.
* WizardsLiveLonger: Strange is functionally immortal, and his mentor lived to be over 600.
* TheWorldIsNotReady: Played with in ''Doctor Strange: The Oath''. [[spoiler:West and Timely Pharmaceuticals claim that the panacea must be destroyed to ensure the natural evolution of medical science, but it's blatantly obvious that they have ulterior motives: The existence of a universal remedy would logically put all drug companies out of business; while West himself rejects magic due to his own incompetence with the mystical arts accidentally leading to one of his patients' death]].

%%* YourUniverseOrMine: The primary tension in his relationship with Clea, and the reason it ultimately failed. (They still love each other, though).

'''Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange''' is Master of the Mystic Arts and the Sorcerer Supreme of the MarvelUniverse, which means that he is in charge of protecting it (mostly from powerful supernatural menaces). Strange first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (July, 1963), created by Creator/StanLee and Creator/SteveDitko. He has been appearing ever since, featured as a star of his own series, in team books, and as a frequent guest star in other people's titles. His story has been adapted into a live-action MadeForTVMovie, an [[WesternAnimation/DoctorStrangeTheSorcererSupreme animated DVD movie]] and is part of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, with the character being first introduced in [[Film/DoctorStrange2016 his first feature film adaptation]].

* SlidingTimeScale: One of the few characters in the MarvelUniverse who is immune. According to Creator/RogerStern and Creator/JohnByrne's ''Marvel: The Lost Generation'' limited series, his origin actually ''did'' happen in the Sixties, or perhaps even earlier.