Appearing in "Lo, the Powers Changeth!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Xander (First appearance)
- Creators (First appearance)
- Stygyro (also poses as Benjamin Franklin)
- corpses
Other Characters:
- Daniel (First appearance)
- Ancient One
- Benjamin Franklin
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Creation II (First appearance) (Unnamed)
- Quadriverse (Mentioned)
- Earth
Items:
- Cloak of Levitation
- Eye of Agamotto
- Star-Stone (First appearance)
- Spells
- Bromagdon's Ruby Rain (First appearance)
- Images of Ikonn
- Crimson Crystals of Cyttorak (Invoked)
- Demons of Denak (Invoked)
- Hosts of Hoggoth (Invoked)
- Shield of the Seraphim
Synopsis for "Lo, the Powers Changeth!"
Xander begs his masters, the Creators, to allow him to destroy Dr. Strange, but for the time his masters only wish to observe the Sorcerer Supreme. While in Philadelphia in 1775, Dr. Strange begins to grow jealous of Benjamin Franklin's romance with Clea. When he confronts the two, Clea informs Strange that they are to be engaged, Strange blasts Franklin when he realizes that it is really an imposter as the real Benjamin Franklin would be a member of the Second Continental Congress that day and reveals Stygyro as the manipulator of Clea's affections.
Battling Stygyro, Strange defeats him, then uses his powers to reverse the effect their battle had on history. Strange then confronts the Ancient One who confirms that he is undergoing a test but refuses to say anything more. Strange returns to Clea and the real Benjamin Franklin. Bidding farewell to Franklin, the two return to their own time.
Meanwhile, the Creators order Xander to go and do their bidding and destroy Dr. Strange. Back on Earth and in their own time, Strange and Clea find that everyone has been reduced to animated skeletons and it's only after Clea is changed into one of them as well that Strange realizes what the final test is. When the Ancient One appears, Strange declines the entitlement to become one with the universe along with his former master, and the Ancient One is forced to withdraw Strange's additional mystic might, causing him to lose the title of Sorcerer Supreme.
Notes
- Although the conversation between Xander and the Creators seems to imply that they are in the Quadriverse, Doctor Strange (Vol. 2) #25 clarifies that the Quadriverse and the realm of the Creators (Creation II) are two distinct places.