Appearing in "Doctor Strange Master of Black Magic!"
Strange Tales #110
Featured Characters:
- Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Ancient One (Yao) (Identified only as "The Master")
Antagonists:
- Unnamed customer (First appearance)
- Nightmare (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Wong (First appearance) (Unnamed)
- Crang
- Dreamstalker (First appearance) (Unnamed)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- North America
- Atlantic Ocean (Cameo)
- Europe (Cameo)
- Asia
- China
- Tibet
- Himalayas
- Ancient One's temple (First appearance)
- Himalayas
- Tibet
- China
- Dream Dimension / Dimension of Dreams (First appearance)
- Nightmare World (First appearance)
- Astral Plane (First appearance)
Items:
- Amulet of Agamotto (First appearance) (Unnamed)
Synopsis for "Doctor Strange Master of Black Magic!"
Strange Tales #110
A man tormented by nightmares comes to Doctor Strange to seek aid. Doctor Strange promises to help. He travels in spirit form to his old master who lives in a remote mountain temple in Asia. The master tells Strange to depend on his magic amulet if danger threatens. Back in his mortal form Strange visits the man he has promised to help. When the man falls asleep Doctor Strange enters his dream in spiritual form. Inside the dream, Strange is met by a figure bound in chains who presents himself as Mr. Crang. Then another form appears, Nightmare, Strange's ancient foe. Meanwhile the dreaming man awakes. He realizes the dreams are caused by all the men he has ruined. He grabs a gun to shoot Doctor Strange who is kept from reuniting with his mortal form by Nightmare. Doctor Strange uses his amulet to call upon his master who places a hypnotic spell on the man. Doctor Strange slips out of the dream dimension to grab the gun before removing the hypnotic spell. The man confesses his crimes.
Appearing in "The Coming of... Doctor Strange"
Doctor Strange #169
Featured Characters:
- Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- Ancient One (Yao) (Only in flashback)
Antagonists:
- Baron Mordo (Karl Mordo) (Only in flashback)
Other Characters:
- Victoria Bentley (Mentioned)
- Clea (Mentioned)
- Vishanti (Invoked)
- Yandroth (Mentioned)
- Dr. Charles Benton (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
- Mrs. Van Heusen (Mentioned)
- Dormammu (Invoked)
- Valtorr (Invoked)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- North America (Only in flashback)
- United States of America (Only in flashback)
- New York (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Only in flashback)
- Manhattan (Only in flashback)
- New York Hospital (Only in flashback)
- Manhattan (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Only in flashback)
- New York (Only in flashback)
- United States of America (Only in flashback)
- Asia
- Singapore (Mentioned) (Only in flashback)
- China (Main story and flashback)
- Tibet (Main story and flashback)
- Himalayas (Main story and flashback)
- Ancient One's temple (Main story and flashback)
- Himalayas (Main story and flashback)
- Tibet (Main story and flashback)
- North America (Only in flashback)
Items:
- Cloak of Levitation
- Eye of Agamotto
- Spells
- Vapors of Valtorr (Only in flashback)
- Flames of the Faltine (Only in flashback)
Synopsis for "The Coming of... Doctor Strange"
Doctor Strange #169
While recuperating at the Sanctum of his master the Ancient One, Doctor Strange sleeps and dreams of the events that led to him becoming a master of the mystic arts. What follows is an extended origin based on the events depicted in Strange Tales #115 following the end of his career as a surgeon due to car accident, becoming a drunken derelict and questing to restore his damaged hands. Learning of the Ancient One and attempting to become his disciple, after displaying a show of selflessness by trying to protect the Ancient One from the machinations of Karl Mordo, he is allowed to train under the Ancient One's tutelage.
Strange awakens from his dream to the summons of the Ancient One.
Appearing in "To Dream-- Perchance to Die!"
Doctor Strange #170
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Nightmare (Impersonates Hamir the Hermit)
- Dreamstalker
Other Characters:
- Vishanti (Invoked)
- Hamir the Hermit (Illusion)
- Raggadorr (Invoked)
- Oshtur (Invoked)
- Hoggoth (Invoked)
- Seraphim (Invoked)
- Agamotto (Invoked)
- Dormammu (Invoked)
- Munnopor (Invoked)
Locations:
Races and Species:
Items:
- Cloak of Levitation
- Eye of Agamotto
- Spells
- Rings of Raggadorr (Invoked)
- Hosts of Hoggoth (Invoked)
- Shades of the Seraphim (Invoked)
- Moons of Munnopor (Invoked)
Synopsis for "To Dream-- Perchance to Die!"
Doctor Strange #170
Strange hears the Ancient One cry out in his sleep and rushes to his chamber. He is in some kind of coma. Hamir, the Ancient One's manservant, heard him say, "Nightmare." An arousal spell fails, so Strange tries to enter his dreaming mind. Before he can complete his preparations, he is pulled forcibly into the Ancient One's nightmare. Hamir drops his disguise--he is really Nightmare, and he follows Strange.
Nightmare's first spell, a set of emerald bands, is broken. His second forces Strange to revert from astral form to physical. His steed attacks, but Strange drives it off with the light of his All-Seeing Eye. Nightmare's third spell brings Hamir forth as a hostage, but the Eye reveals it as an illusion. Frustrated, Nightmare returns to the waking world to kill the Ancient One physically. Strange's cloak restrains him, and he flees to his own dimension.
The Ancient One finally awakens. He confesses that he deliberately set a trap for Nightmare, using himself as bait, so that Strange would defeat him and regain his confidence.
Appearing in "To Steal the Sorcerer's Soul!"
Marvel Fanfare #5
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Nicodemus (Main story and recap)
Other Characters:
- Baron Mordo (Karl Mordo) (Mentioned)
- Nightmare (Mentioned)
- Dormammu (Mentioned)
- Oshtur (Invoked)
- Hoggoth (Invoked)
- Agamotto (Referenced)
Races and Species:
- Humans
- Faltine-Mhuruuk Hybrids
- Demons (Invoked)
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and recap)
- United States of America (Main story and recap)
- New York (Main story and recap)
- New York City (Main story and recap)
- Manhattan (Main story and recap)
- East Village (Main story and recap)
- Nicodemus' church (Main story and recap)
- Seventh Avenue
- Central Park (Recap)
- New York City (Main story and recap)
- New York (Main story and recap)
- United States of America (Main story and recap)
- Astral Plane
Items:
- Cloak of Levitation
- Eye of Agamotto
- Orb of Agamotto
- Book of Enchantments[1]
- Spells
- Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth (Invoked)
- Spell of Power Transferral (Mentioned)
- Shield of the Seraphim
Synopsis for "To Steal the Sorcerer's Soul!"
Marvel Fanfare #5
Nicodemus hypnotizes a child to help him break into Doctor Strange's Sanctum and attempt to steal the power of the Sorceror Supreme. Strange and Clea work together to give him just what he wants, briefly transferring all of their power to Nicodemus, tranforming him into a creature resembling Dormammu, but due to his poor understanding of the fundamentals of magic, the power overwhelms him and Strange and Clea are able to set things right. Strange lets Nicodemus go, trusting that he's been cured of his powerlust.
Solicit Synopsis
By the hoary hosts of Hoggoth, Doctor Strange works his magic as we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the House of Ideas with the era-spanning MARVEL TALES! This anthology series shines a spotlight on fan-favorite characters, features timeless stories and highlights some of our most impressive talent from the past eight decades. First, the legendary pairing of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko debut the incomparable Stephen Strange as Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme in STRANGE TALES (1951) #110! Then, in DOCTOR STRANGE (1968) #169-170, Roy Thomas and Dan Adkins offer their take on Strange’s origin — and serve up a rematch with his first foe, the dream-manipulating Nightmare! And the skillful spellcaster called Clea joins the fight against the nefarious Nicodemus, who’s out to steal the sorcerer’s soul in a memorable tale from MARVEL FANFARE (1982) #5 by Chris Claremont and Marshall Rogers!
