The Defenders are a set of superhero groups with rotating membership appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . They are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders" who, in their prior adventures, are known for following their own agendas. The team often battle mystic and supernatural threats.
119-643: Its original incarnation was led by Doctor Strange and included Hulk , Namor , and—eventually— Silver Surfer . They first appeared as the Defenders in Marvel Feature #1 (Dec. 1971), before receiving their own title, The Defenders , in 1972. The group had a rotating line-up from 1972 until 1986, with Dr. Strange and the Hulk being usually constant members along with a number of other mainstays such as Valkyrie , Nighthawk , Hellcat , Gargoyle , Beast ,
238-702: A griffin to guard the Book. The sorcerer known as the Ancient One traveled back in time to c. 4000 BC, defeated the griffin, and returned to the 20th century. The Ancient One would remain the book's owner, despite a brief loss when the dark wizard Kaluu returned the Book to the Griffin, until he deemed his student, Doctor Strange, worthy of taking it. Doctor Strange keeps the book in his townhouse library in New York City 's Greenwich Village . He briefly lost
357-549: A warlord from an alternate dimension called the "Dark Dimension" who wishes to conquer Earth. Strange is aided by a nameless girl, later called Clea , who is eventually revealed to be Dormammu's niece. When Strange helps a weakened Dormammu drive off the rampaging Mindless Ones and return them to their prison, he is allowed to leave the Dark Dimension unchallenged. In The Unbelievable Gwenpool #3, Strange encounters Gwendolyn Poole , who explains herself to be from
476-415: A 1963 letter to Jerry Bails , Lee called the character Ditko's idea, saying: Well, we have a new character in the works for Strange Tales (just a 5-page filler named Dr. Strange) Steve Ditko is gonna draw him. It has sort of a black magic theme. The first story is nothing great, but perhaps we can make something of him-- 'twas Steve's idea and I figured we'd give it a chance, although again, we had to rush
595-558: A base after the events of the 2006 " Civil War " storyline, which he sat out. Doctor Strange was critical of the federal Superhuman Registration Act and aided the anti-registration Avengers team led by Luke Cage . During Brian Michael Bendis ' time as writer, Doctor Doom attacked the Avengers and manipulated the Scarlet Witch into eliminating most of the mutant population. Doctor Strange's failure to recognize Doom's hand in
714-488: A chain of events leading to the destruction of the universe. In the final issue, Dr. Strange changes the past so that the reunion never happens, thus erasing all the events of the series. February 2013 saw the debut of The Fearless Defenders , a series written by Cullen Bunn with artwork by Will Sliney . Bunn said that he had wanted to write the series, which centers on a new team of Valkyrior , led by Valkyrie and Misty Knight , after writing Fear Itself: The Fearless . It
833-801: A cohesive cosmology that would have thrilled any self-respecting theosophist . College students, minds freshly opened by psychedelic experiences and Eastern mysticism , read Ditko and Lee's Dr. Strange stories with the belief of a recent Hare Krishna convert. Meaning was everywhere, and readers analyzed the Dr. Strange stories for their relationship to Egyptian myths, Sumerian gods , and Jungian archetypes. "People who read Doctor Strange thought people at Marvel must be heads [i.e., drug users]," recalled then-associate editor and former Doctor Strange writer Roy Thomas in 1971, "because they had had similar experiences high on mushrooms. But I don't use hallucinogens, nor do I think any artists do." Originating in
952-627: A comic book series featuring a team of superheroes called the Justice League . Impressed by that book's strong sales, Martin Goodman , the owner of Marvel Comics predecessor Timely Comics , asked Stan Lee to create a title featuring a similar team of superheroes for Marvel. Lee recounts in Origins of Marvel Comics : Martin mentioned that he had noticed one of the titles published by National Comics seemed to be selling better than most. It
1071-552: A conclusion to Steve Gerber's Omega the Unknown series in two issues of The Defenders , at the end of which most of the original series' characters were killed. While Gerber seemed unhappy with Grant's conclusion, it nevertheless tied up the loose ends of the comic series, and is considered "canon" by Marvel. Writer J. M. DeMatteis took over the series with issue #92. He and Mark Gruenwald co-wrote The Defenders #107–109 (May–July 1982), which resolved remaining plot points from
1190-538: A crossover story with The Tomb of Dracula #44, another series which was being drawn by Gene Colan at the time. In Englehart's final story, he sent Dr. Strange back in time to meet Benjamin Franklin . Strange met his allies Topaz in #75 (February 1986) and Rintrah in #80 (December 1986). The series ended on a cliffhanger as his home, the Sanctum Sanctorum, was heavily damaged during a battle. Among
1309-480: A custom selection of heroes chosen for the mission at hand. At various times, War Machine , Darkhawk , Thunderstrike , Wolverine , the second Spider-Woman , Ant-Man , Iceman , Nomad , and many others were members. At the end of its existence, the group had a somewhat regular composition, including Cadaver, Sepulchre , Joshua Pryce, and Doctor Druid. In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Defenders are
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#17327732560231428-482: A day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born—to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! Through the years, their roster has prospered, changing many times, their glory has never been denied! Heed the call, then—for now, the Avengers Assemble!" —Prologue from The Avengers used in
1547-649: A fictitious minister praising the story, and mailed it to Marvel from Texas. Marvel unwittingly printed the letter in Doctor Strange #3 and dropped the retraction. Due to the growing number of Doctor Strange readers, the Marvel Premiere series segued to the character's second ongoing title, Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts , also known as Doctor Strange vol. 2, which ran 81 issues (June 1974 – Feb. 1987). Doctor Strange #14 featured
1666-559: A freak lightning strike. In the Age of X timeline, Doctor Strange poses as a Mutant-hunter for hire, but is in reality a double agent working with Magneto , who teleports mutants to Fortress X for safety. The Avengers (comic book) The Avengers is a comic book title featuring the team the Avengers and published by Marvel Comics . The original The Avengers comic book series debuted in 1963. In 1960, DC Comics launched
1785-673: A group of amateur vigilantes who dress up as superheroes. None of them have superpowers, although they claim to be experienced in crimefighting. Henry Pym is invited to join them, and he accepts, adopting a new identity, Ant-Man, to avoid the potential legal problems of using his growth serum, as it has become the official property of the government. Their members include Ultimate versions of Power Man , Hellcat , Nighthawk , Valkyrie , Black Knight , Son of Satan and Whiz-Kid . The Ultimate Defenders are much more interested in becoming celebrities rather than actually stopping crimes or saving lives. Since The Ultimates (vol. 3), Pym has rejoined
1904-533: A reality where all Marvel characters are fictional characters in comic books. As Strange helps her locate her home reality to create a fake background for her in the Marvel Universe so that she can get a Social Security number, driver's license and other essential documents, he discovers that Benedict Cumberbatch has been cast to play him in Gwen's universe, remarking that he "could see that". Doctor Strange
2023-470: A revival solo series in Marvel Premiere #3–14 (July 1972 – March 1974). This arc marked the debut of another recurring foe, the entity Shuma-Gorath , created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Frank Brunner , who took over as the regular creative team starting with Marvel Premiere #10. Englehart and Brunner collaborated closely on the stories, meeting over dinner every two months to discuss
2142-508: A room called the Chamber of Shadows. It usually is inside a display case with three curved legs. When summoned, the glass covering rises and the ball levitates. While powerful, the Orb has been blocked by exceptionally powerful mystic forces (such as Umar ) who do not want their exact location known. On at least one occasion, it has been used to open a dimensional portal to the realm of Agamotto. In
2261-625: A supporting character for the bulk of the 2000s. He appeared regularly in The Amazing Spider-Man under J. Michael Straczynski , before being cast into a time loop by Baron Mordo . He later appeared on and off in The New Avengers , where he was stated as being part of the secret group known as the Illuminati to deal with future threats to Earth. Ultimately Strange joined the team and allowed them to use his home as
2380-517: A team afterward. Editor Stan Lee , wanting to write all of the Silver Surfer's stories personally, had asked other writers not to use the character, and suggested that Thomas use Doctor Strange instead. Thomas has also speculated that Lee came up with the team's name: "The 'Defenders' is far too passive a name for my taste. I prefer more aggressive-sounding names like the 'Avengers' or the 'Invaders,' so Stan probably came up with that one." Due to
2499-717: A team outside the Initiative with the Son of Satan , She-Hulk , Krang , and Nighthawk ( S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Joaquin Pennyworth). The team reappears in the mini-series Vengeance (2011). In the 2009 ongoing Hulk series (Issues #10–12), Red Hulk assembles a counter team of supervillains called the Offenders , which includes Baron Mordo , Terrax the Tamer , and Tiger Shark , and fights past versions of their enemies. During
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#17327732560232618-525: A way to fix his hands and subsequently wastes all of his money on expensive, but unsuccessful treatments. Broke and ostracized from his colleagues, Strange becomes a drifter. He happens to overhear two sailors in a bar discussing a hermit called the Ancient One (who is actually the Earth's Sorcerer Supreme) in the Himalayas , who can heal any ailment. Despite not personally believing in magic, Strange uses
2737-502: Is Thanos . Stephen Vincent Strange, M.D., Ph.D., is a brilliant but highly egotistical doctor. He was born in Philadelphia and raised in New York City . After high school, he went to New York College as a pre-med student, entered medical school at Columbia University and completed his residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital , where his success made him arrogant. Despite his reputation for being able to handle even
2856-604: Is a practicing sorcerer who draws his powers from mystical entities such as Agamotto, Cyttorak , Ikonn , Oshtur, Raggadorr , and Watoomb , who lend their energies for spells. Strange also wields mystical artifacts including the Cloak of Levitation which enables him to fly; the Eye of Agamotto , an amulet whose light is used to negate evil magic; the Book of the Vishanti, a grimoire which contains vast knowledge of white magic; and
2975-557: Is a resistance against Morgan le Fay who has conquered half of Earth. In the Iron Man: Fatal Frontier storyline taking place on Earth-10429, a version of the Defenders consisting of Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor encountered Rescue, this reality's version of Ho Yinsen . After a brief fight over a misunderstanding, Rescue joins up with the Defenders. During the " Secret Wars " storyline, different versions of
3094-444: Is likewise indestructible. It is possible to destroy single pages of either book, but the balancing spell in the other book must be destroyed as well to maintain a mystical balance. A collective of the three powerful magical beings—Agamotto, Oshtur, and Hoggoth—known as the Vishanti must allow the spell to be destroyed. Even though the book is a tome of benevolent magic, the spells within can still be dangerous when used improperly. This
3213-636: Is proven when a young, inexperienced Strange tried to use the Book of the Vishanti to resurrect his dead brother Victor, but the spell, known as the Vampire Verses, caused Victor to become the vampire Baron Blood years later. The first known owner of the book was the Atlantean sorcerer Varnae , who lived around 18,500 BC. The next known owner was the Babylonian god Marduk Kurios . Marduk set
3332-732: Is taken further in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Wake the Dead", wherein Amazo joins the group as an apparent analogue of the Silver Surfer. Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by Steve Ditko , the character first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ( cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as
3451-454: Is usually seen wearing. The first appearance of the first (blue) cloak was in Strange Tales #114 (November 1963). The first appearance of the second (red) cloak was in Strange Tales #127 (December 1964). The Cloak of Levitation is seen in a great many battles where it often plays a very significant role. While it is extremely durable, there are a few occasions when it is damaged. Its repair requires that Strange engage an ally, Enitharmon
3570-470: The Age of Ultron to keep Ultron from being created, a splinter timeline called Earth-26111 is created. In the new timeline, the Defenders became the world's premier superhero team after the disbanding of the Avengers. The new Defenders line-up consisted of Doctor Strange, Captain America , Wolverine, Janet Van Dyne as Captain Marvel , Thing , Scott Summers as Cable , Hulk , and Star-Lord . The group
3689-539: The Sorcerer Supreme , the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats. Strange was introduced during the Silver Age of Comic Books in an attempt to bring a different kind of character and themes of mysticism to Marvel Comics. The character starts as an intelligent and arrogant neurosurgeon who is injured in a car accident. Because his hands had suffered severe nerve damage from
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3808-696: The 1978 television film Dr. Strange . Since 2016, Benedict Cumberbatch has portrayed the role of Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . Artist Steve Ditko and writer Stan Lee have described the character as having been originally the idea of Ditko, who wrote in 2008, "On my own, I brought in to Lee a five-page, penciled story with a page/panel script of my idea of a new, different kind of character for variety in Marvel Comics. My character wound up being named Dr. Strange because he would appear in Strange Tales ." In
3927-674: The Dragon of the Moon controlling Moondragon. The remaining mutant members leave the team to join X-Factor . Gillis has claimed that killing off the other members of the group was a directive from the editorial staff to free up the surviving members for usage in X-Factor , pointing out that he shortly after revived several of these seemingly-deceased members in issues of Solo Avengers , in Strange Tales vol. 2 #5–7, followed by issues #3–4 of
4046-541: The Marvel Method of scripting, Ditko took Strange into ever-more-abstract realms. In a 17-issue story arc in Strange Tales #130–146 (March 1965 – July 1966), Ditko introduced the cosmic character Eternity , who personified the universe and was depicted as a silhouette filled with the cosmos. Golden Age of Comic Books artist/writer Bill Everett succeeded Ditko as an artist with issues #147–152, followed by Marie Severin through #160 and Dan Adkins through #168,
4165-619: The Silver Surfer and Iron Fist . The new series follows the reunion of the Defenders in Fear Itself: The Deep . During the battle against the Death Celestials the characters Black Cat , Nick Fury , and Ant-Man join the team. The series was cancelled at issue #12. Despite the prophecy supposedly being a hoax, the central storyline of the series involves a reunion of the original four Defenders setting off
4284-473: The Son of Satan and Luke Cage , and many temporary members. The publication was retitled near the end of the run as The New Defenders but featured none of the original members and only Valkyrie, Beast and the Gargoyle of the former long-term members. The concept was modified in the 1993–95 series Secret Defenders, in which Dr. Strange assembled different teams for each individual mission. The original team
4403-731: The Ultimates , and the Valkyrie was rewritten as having powers and skills akin to her Earth-616 counterpart, along with expertise in sword fighting, some degree of enhanced strength, and training by Thor. The Defenders return in Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates #1 (May 2010) with the original members now possessing superhuman abilities that fit their namesakes. It is revealed that Loki gave them these powers (Valkyrie included), to steal Thor's enchanted hammer Mjolnir . Following Wolverine 's murder of Hank Pym during
4522-513: The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued the registration in 1970. Between 1996 and 2004, Marvel relaunched the primary Avengers title three times. In 1996, the " Heroes Reborn " line, in which Marvel contracted outside companies to produce four titles, included a new volume of The Avengers . It took place in an alternate universe , with a revamped history unrelated to mainstream Marvel continuity. The Avengers vol. 2
4641-436: The pulp fiction magicians of Stan Lee's childhood as well as by contemporary Beat culture, Dr. Strange remarkably predicted the youth counterculture's fascination with Eastern mysticism and psychedelia . Never among Marvel's more popular or accessible characters, Dr. Strange still found a niche among an audience seeking a challenging alternative to more conventional superhero fare. As co-plotter and later sole plotter in
4760-650: The " Infinity Countdown " storyline, Doctor Strange goes on a space mission. He encounters Super-Skrull who has the Time Stone . After defeating Super-Skrull, Doctor Strange claims the Time Stone. Doctor Strange then tracks down the Mind Stone and finds it in Turk Barrett 's possession as Turk manages to evade him. When Black Widow's clone arrives seeking out Doctor Strange where she wants to dispose of
4879-544: The "Defenders" brand as "The Secret Defenders". The new team first appeared, unofficially, in Dr. Strange #50 and later Fantastic Four #374, before being officially introduced in Secret Defenders #1. The series' premise originally was that Doctor Strange would organize various teams of heroes for certain missions, with him as the leader. Members included Wolverine , Darkhawk , Spider-Woman , Spider-Man , Hulk, Nomad , Ghost Rider , and others. This lasted for
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4998-715: The 1970s In the first issue, the Avengers team began with Ant-Man ( Hank Pym ), Hulk (Bruce Banner), Iron Man (Anthony Stark), Thor , and the Wasp (Janet van Dyne). The roster changed almost immediately after the first issue; in the second issue, Ant-Man became Giant-Man, and at the end of the issue, Hulk quit the team. Issue #4 brought the title's first major milestone: the revival and return of Captain America (Steve Rogers). The creative team of writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema introduced new characters such as Arkon in issue #75 (April 1970) and Red Wolf in #80 (Sept. 1970). The team's adventures increased in scope as
5117-581: The 2011 " Fear Itself " storyline, Doctor Strange forms a new version of the Defenders with Lyra (daughter of Hulk), Namor , Loa (a student of the X-Men ), and the Silver Surfer to confront Attuma who has become Nerkkod, Breaker of Oceans. Many past Defenders appear in the last issue. Marvel launched a new Defenders series in December 2011, written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Terry Dodson. The new book features Doctor Strange , Red She-Hulk , Namor ,
5236-601: The Ancient One trains the doctor in the mystic arts. After completing his training, Strange returns to New York City and takes up residence within the Sanctum Sanctorum , a townhouse located in Greenwich Village , Manhattan , accompanied by his personal assistant Wong . As the Ancient One's disciple, Strange encounters the entity Nightmare , and other mystical foes before meeting Dormammu ,
5355-415: The Ancient One, Strange desperately and selflessly accepts the Ancient One's offer to become his apprentice to have some hope of helping the old man. The Ancient One, pleased at Strange's sincere change of heart, accepts Strange as his new student and promptly frees him from the restraining spells while explaining he was aware of Mordo's treachery all along. Strange soon becomes Mordo's most enduring enemy, as
5474-731: The Cognoscenti. The series was canceled with Secret Defenders #25. In 2001–02, the Defenders reunited in Defenders (vol. 2) #1–12 created by Kurt Busiek and Erik Larsen , immediately followed by The Order #1–6, in which Yandroth manipulated Gaea into "cursing" the primary four Defenders (Doctor Strange, the Sub-Mariner, the Hulk, and the Silver Surfer) so that they would be summoned to major crisis situations. These members were then mind controlled by Yandroth into forming
5593-502: The Defenders are featured: The Justice League two-part episode "The Terror Beyond" features Doctor Fate , Aquaman , Solomon Grundy , and Hawkgirl banding together to fight an ancient supernatural entity called Icthulhu. According to series developer Bruce Timm , the team was meant to be an explicit homage to the Defenders, with each member paralleling a different Marvel hero (Doctor Fate / Doctor Strange, Aquaman / Namor, Solomon Grundy / Hulk, and Hawkgirl / Nighthawk ). This homage
5712-591: The Duck in Marvel Treasury Edition #12 (1976). Due to Marvel's shuffling of editors-in-chief, a brief run by Gerry Conway abruptly ended in mid-production on issue #45. David Anthony Kraft and Roger Slifer volunteered to write the series, but issue #45 had no written plot, having been drawn by Giffen following a story conference with Conway. Kraft and Slifer were unable to contact either Conway or Giffen, and so had to puzzle out Conway's plot from
5831-596: The Gatherers. This culminated in " Operation: Galactic Storm ", a 19-part storyline that ran through all Avengers-related titles and showcased a conflict between the Kree and the Shi'ar Empire . Marvel contracted out The Avengers and three related titles — Captain America , Fantastic Four , and Iron Man to former Marvel artists Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld , two of the founding creators of Image Comics . While The Avengers
5950-690: The Masters of Evil single-handedly. Pym proved his innocence. Stern developed several major storylines, such as "Ultimate Vision"; the formation of the West Coast Avengers ; and "Avengers Under Siege". Rogue , who would later become a member of the X-Men, was introduced in The Avengers Annual #10 (1981) by writer Chris Claremont and artist Michael Golden . Stern created the villain, Nebula , who falsely claimed to be
6069-524: The New Avengers, and he offers the team his valet Wong to act as their housekeeper. Strange eventually regains his position of Sorcerer Supreme, but is possessed by a demon and becomes leader of the Black Priests . After the various Marvel universes merge into one, Doctor Strange acts as righthand man of Doctor Doom, who has become the ruler of this world after erasing all recollection of
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#17327732560236188-612: The Orb of Agamotto is the other occult object that Doctor Strange owns. It is a powerful scrying crystal ball powered by the Agamotto entity to detect the use of magic anywhere in the world, providing Strange with a location and visual. It can also be used to monitor the shields that protect the planets created by the three sanctums. If Agamotto is inside the Orb, it becomes Strange's ultimate source of knowledge. The Orb of Agamotto rests in Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum in
6307-421: The Orb of Agamotto, a crystal ball which is used for clairvoyance . In addition to his magical abilities, Strange is trained in several martial arts disciplines, including judo , and has shown proficiency with numerous magically conjured weapons including swords and axes. Strange was a skilled neurosurgeon before nerve damage impaired his hands. Doctor Strange is described as "the mightiest magician in
6426-407: The Space Stone, he does not want to take it as he knows what would happen if they are in proximity. Using a magic spell, Doctor Strange speaks to the holders of the Infinity Stones and requests a parley to reform the Infinity Watch . He states to Adam Warlock , Black Widow's clone, Captain Marvel, Star-Lord , and Turk Barrett that they need to safeguard them from such calamities even if one of them
6545-417: The Valkyrie story by Kraft and Hannigan published three years earlier. As of issue #125, The Defenders was retitled to The New Defenders as the original four members (Doctor Strange, the Silver Surfer, the Hulk, and Namor) are forced to leave the team, in response to an alien prophecy that states that these four, operating as a group, would be responsible for destroying the world. While The Beast reforms
6664-413: The Vision were actually illusions. The Avengers titles in late 1989 were involved in the major crossover event " Acts of Vengeance ". Bob Harras and Steve Epting took over the title in the summer of 1991 and introduced a stable lineup with ongoing story lines and character development. Their primary antagonists in this run were the mysterious Proctor and his team of other-dimensional Avengers known as
6783-402: The Weaver. The item has been referred to as a "relic" in the live-action movie Doctor Strange (2016). In this film (and other MCU films), the cloak appears to be sentient; not only does it rescue falling people on its own accord, but when Strange reached for a weapon in the Sanctum to fight an intruder, the cloaked yanked him to where a harness was sitting. Aside from the Eye of Agamotto,
6902-454: The accident, he was told that current medical therapy and rehabilitation would not be enough to enable him to practice again as a surgeon. Unable to accept this prognosis , he travels the world searching for alternative ways of healing, which leads him to the Ancient One , the Sorcerer Supreme. Strange becomes his student and learns to be a master of both the mystical and the martial arts . He acquires an assortment of mystical objects, including
7021-419: The aftermath of Busiek's Kang arc, as the Avengers were granted international authority by the United Nations. Chuck Austen followed as writer. Writer Brian Michael Bendis then rebooted the series with the " Avengers Disassembled " storyline. All four Avengers series ( The Mighty Avengers , New Avengers , Dark Avengers , and Avengers: The Initiative ) were canceled, and a new ongoing series titled Avengers
7140-406: The aid of the Silver Surfer and the Hulk to stop a potentially devastating weather control experiment, inadvertently freeing a small island nation from a dictator and facing the Avengers under the name of the "Titans Three". The Defenders first appeared as a feature in Marvel Feature #1 (December 1971), where the founding members gather to battle the alien techno-wizard Yandroth and remain as
7259-418: The authorities and the public as they commit robberies. Kraft and artist Ed Hannigan explained some of the Valkyrie's backstory in The Defenders #66–68 (December 1978 – February 1979). At Kraft's request, Hannigan helped write issue #67 but found that he could not handle both writing and artwork at once, and so transitioned to being just the series's writer with the following issue. Steven Grant wrote
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#17327732560237378-403: The banner of The Defenders. Announced on August 24, 2018, the creative teams were respectively: In August 2021, Marvel launched a new Defenders series. Written by Al Ewing with art by Javier Rodriguez, this new version of the team features Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer, Masked Raider , Red Harpy and Cloud. Before the publication of the fifth and final issue of the 2021 series it was teased that
7497-403: The beginning of the universe, becomes all-powerful and creates it anew, leaving Strange to wonder whether this was, paradoxically , the original creation. Stan Lee, seeing the issue after publication, ordered Englehart and Brunner to print a retraction saying this was not God but a god, to avoid offending religious readers. According to Frank Brunner, he and Englehart concocted a fake letter from
7616-416: The book when he destroyed his home to prevent the alien wizard Urthona from taking his magical artifacts, but the book was saved by Agamotto, who transported it to his realm and returned it to Strange some time later. The Cloak of Levitation is depicted as a potent mystical cloak worn by Doctor Strange. The primary purpose of the cloak is to give its wearer the ability to levitate and fly. Additionally,
7735-422: The character of Henry Peter Gyrich , the Avengers' liaison to the United States National Security Council . The true origins of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch were revealed in a three-part story that ran in issues #185-187 (July-Sept. 1979). The first major development was the breakdown of Henry Pym, which writer Roger Stern resolved this by having Pym outwit Egghead and defeated the latest incarnation of
7854-527: The character's eight-page origin story in #115 (December 1963). His origin was later retold in Doctor Strange #169 (February 1968). Scripter Lee's take on the character was inspired by the Chandu the Magician radio program that aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System in the 1930s. He had Doctor Strange accompany spells with elaborate artifacts, such as the " Eye of Agamotto " and the " Wand of Watoomb ", as well as mystical-sounding vocabulary such as "Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!". Although these often referenced
7973-545: The character's origin. Another limited series, Doctor Strange: The Oath #1–5 (December 2006 – April 2007), written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Marcos Martin , focused on Strange's responsibilities as sorcerer and doctor. Doctor Strange has appeared in four graphic novels : Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa (1986); Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment (1989); Spider-Man/Dr. Strange: The Way to Dusty Death (1992); and Dr. Strange: What Is It That Disturbs You, Stephen? (1997). Strange appeared as
8092-400: The characters in Giant-Size Defenders #3 (January 1975) and became the writer of the main title with issue #20 the following month. He wrote the series until issue #41 (November 1976). Part of Gerber's oeuvre was reviving forgotten characters; he brought back three pre-Marvel characters, now organized as the Headmen , as well as the Guardians of the Galaxy . The Defenders met Gerber's Howard
8211-403: The cloak is able to alter its shape, being often used to act as "another set of hands" to attack an opponent when Strange's own body has been incapacitated. There were two distinctly different cloaks worn by Doctor Strange bequeathed to him by his mentor, the Ancient One : a billowing, full-length blue cloak, that had minor abilities and spells woven into it, and the later, red cloak that Strange
8330-452: The cosmos" and "more powerful by far than any of your fellow humanoids" by Eternity , the sentience of the Marvel Universe . He holds the title of Sorcerer Supreme beginning with the 1973 storyline in which the Ancient One dies, and retains the title thereafter, except during an interruption from 1992 to 1995. He relinquishes the title once again in a 2009 storyline, but reclaims it in a 2012 story when he proves himself willing to protect
8449-423: The debut of the sorcerer-hero Doctor Strange, Stan Lee (editor and story-plotter), Robert Bernstein (scripter, under the pseudonym "R. Berns"), and Jack Kirby (artist) introduced a criminal scientist and Ph.D. with the same surname (called Carl Strange). Making his sole appearance in the Iron Man story "The Stronghold of Dr. Strange" in Tales of Suspense #41 (1963), the character gained mental powers in
8568-496: The decision to select other heroes for the team. The line-up is led by Nighthawk, with Blazing Skull , Colossus , and She-Hulk as members. The Defenders are assigned to New Jersey under the Fifty State Initiative , because the proximity to New York City demands more experienced heroes than can just be recruited from the ranks of Camp Hammond . The team is disbanded for incompetence but Richmond eventually founds
8687-459: The early 1960s, the character was a predictor of trends in the art prior to them becoming more established in the later counterculture of the 1960s . As historian Bradford W. Wright described: Steve Ditko contributed some of his most surrealistic work to the comic book and gave it a disorienting, hallucinogenic quality. Dr. Strange' s adventures take place in bizarre worlds and twisting dimensions that resembled Salvador Dalí paintings. Inspired by
8806-425: The end. After plans were announced for a never-released split book series featuring Doctor Strange and Iceman , each in solo adventures. Strange next appeared in the first three issues (December 1971 – June 1972) of the quarterly showcase title Marvel Feature . He appeared in both the main story detailing the formation of superhero team the Defenders , and the related back-up story. The character then starred in
8925-1374: The film Thor , the Orb is briefly shown in Odin's Trophy Room in Asgard. The following are a selection of enemies of Doctor Strange: Laura Bradley of Vanity Fair included Doctor Strange in their "Stan Lee’s Most Iconic Characters" list. Screen Rant included Doctor Strange in their "10 Most Powerful Comic Book Wizards" list, and in their "10 Smartest Magic Users In Comic Books" list. CBR.com ranked Doctor Strange 1st in their "10 Best Sorcerer Supremes" list, and 5th in their "10 Scariest Avengers" list. Collider ranked Doctor Strange 1st in their "Most Powerful Original Marvel Illuminati Members" list, and 14th in their "20 Most Powerful Marvel Characters" list. Lance Cartelli of GameSpot ranked Doctor Strange 27th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes" list. IGN ranked Doctor Strange 33rd in their "Top 50 Avengers" list, and 38th in their "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes" list. The A.V. Club ranked Doctor Strange 47th in their "100 best Marvel characters" list. Lance Cartelli of ComicBook.com ranked Doctor Strange 35th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes Ever" list. Wizard Magazine ranked Doctor Strange 83rd in their "200 Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time" list. Two months before
9044-493: The final issue before the Nick Fury feature moved to its own title and Strange Tales was renamed Doctor Strange . Expanded to 20 pages per issue, the Doctor Strange solo series ran 15 issues, #169–183 (June 1968 – November 1969), continuing the numbering of Strange Tales . Thomas wrote the run of new stories, joined after the first three issues by the art team of penciler Gene Colan and inker Tom Palmer through
9163-411: The first eight issues only, in addition to doing the layouts for issues #14–16. This initial series, published bi-monthly through issue #6 (July 1964) and monthly thereafter, ran through issue #402 (Sept. 1996), with spinoffs including several annuals , miniseries and a giant-size quarterly sister series that ran briefly in the mid-1970s. Marvel filed for a trademark for "The Avengers" in 1967 and
9282-459: The first one too much. Little sidelight: Originally decided to call him Mr. Strange, but thought the "Mr." bit too similar to Mister Fantastic -- now, however, I remember we had a villain called Dr. Strange just recently in one of our mags, hope it won't be too confusing! Doctor Strange debuted in Strange Tales #110 (July 1963), a split book shared with the feature " The Human Torch ". Doctor Strange appeared in issues #110–111 and #114 before
9401-525: The first several months of the title, before Doctor Strange was removed from the book, due to the character being reassigned to the " Midnight Sons " line at Marvel. After an arc where the supervillain Thanos organized a team of "Secret Defenders" for a mission, leadership of the Secret Defenders passed to Doctor Druid and the series itself abandoned the revolving-door roster in favor of Druid and
9520-613: The form of chaos magic , as well as a magic construct he used as a proxy. He would form the Secret Defenders with a rotating roster of heroes, and reunite with the original Defenders. Strange regained his title in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #80 (August 1995). Strange appeared with the Human Torch and the Thing in the one-shot publication Strange Tales vol. 3, #1 (Nov. 1994). The character
9639-463: The former and to stop the latter caused him to start to doubt his abilities. After he was forced to use dark magic to confront an enraged Hulk , followed by further use of dark spells to save the New Avengers from the Hood's supervillain army, Strange renounced his status as Sorcerer Supreme, as he felt that he was no longer worthy of it. The Eye of Agamotto passed the mantle on to Jericho Drumm . He
9758-530: The granddaughter of Thanos . Following Stern's departure, Walt Simonson wrote the series briefly but left due to editorial conflicts. John Byrne took over writing both West Coast Avengers and The Avengers and merged the two separate Avengers teams into one team with two bases. Byrne's contributions included a revamping of the Vision, and the discovery that the children of the Scarlet Witch and
9877-478: The last of his money to track down the aged mystic. The Ancient One refuses to help Strange due to his arrogance, but senses a good side that he attempts to bring to the surface. He fails, but Strange then commits a heroic act when he discovers the Ancient One's disciple, Baron Mordo , attempting to kill his mentor and usurp his power. After a confrontation with Mordo leads to him being shackled with restraining spells preventing him from either attacking Mordo or warning
9996-431: The losses were Doctor Strange's entire collection of mystic books and other important artifacts. As a consequence, Strange was now considerably weaker, and several spells designed to protect humanity from vampires and the evil serpent god Set expired. The title was discontinued so that the character's adventures could be transferred to another split-book format series. Strange Tales vol. 2, #1–19 (April 1987–Oct. 1988)
10115-716: The middle of a story arc , leaving Thomas no choice but to resolve the storyline in other series that he wrote. In the story, Dr. Strange teams with Sub-Mariner and the Hulk to protect the Earth from invasion by Lovecraftian interplanar beings known as the Undying Ones and their leader, the Nameless One . Barbara Norriss, later the host of the Valkyrie , first appears in this story. In the second arc, featured in Sub-Mariner #34–35 (February–March 1971), Namor enlists
10234-438: The most complicated surgical procedures, Strange is self-centered and greedy, and only treats patients who can afford to pay his exorbitant fees. One night, while speeding in his car, a terrible accident shatters the bones in his hands, leading to extensive nerve damage. He soon finds that his fingers tremble uncontrollably , rendering him unable to perform surgery. Too vain to accept a teaching job, Strange desperately searches for
10353-420: The names of established mythological beings, Lee has said he never had any idea what the incantations meant and used them simply because they sounded mystical and mysterious. Ditko showcased surrealistic mystical landscapes and increasingly vivid visuals that helped make the feature a favorite of college students at the time. Comics historian Mike Benton wrote: The Dr. Strange stories of the 1960s constructed
10472-603: The numbering, and The Avengers #500-503 (Sept.– Dec. 2004), the one-shot Avengers Finale (Jan. 2005) became the " Avengers Disassembled " storyline and final issues. Avengers vol. 4 debuted in July 2010 and ran until January 2013. Vol. 5 was launched in February 2013. After Secret Wars , a new Avengers team debuted, dubbed the All-New, All-Different Avengers , starting with a Free Comic Book Day preview. "And there came
10591-604: The original four Defenders to battle Dormammu and Umar . This series focuses mostly on humor as the characters spend most of their time arguing with and criticizing one another. In 2008, Joe Casey wrote a new miniseries with a new line-up of Defenders as a result of the Super-Human Registration Act and the events of the Civil War . Nighthawk wanted a team made up of previous Defenders such as Hellcat and Devil Slayer but Tony Stark ( Iron Man ) makes
10710-777: The popularity of their tryout in Marvel Feature , Marvel soon began publishing The Defenders with Steve Englehart writing and Sal Buscema penciling, while Thomas moved into the editor's seat. Despite Lee's continuing edict on the use of the Silver Surfer, he approved Englehart's pitch to include the Silver Surfer in the story. Valkyrie was introduced to the team in issue #4 (February 1973). Englehart wrote "The Avengers–Defenders War" crossover in The Avengers #116–118 (October–December 1973) and The Defenders #9–11 (October–December 1973), leaving The Defenders afterwards because he "didn't want to keep doing two team books at
10829-430: The powerful Eye of Agamotto and Cloak of Levitation , and takes up residence in a mansion referred to as the Sanctum Sanctorum , located at 177A Bleecker Street , Greenwich Village , Manhattan , New York City . Strange assumes the title of Sorcerer Supreme and, with his friend and valet Wong , defends the world from mystical threats. In live-action adaptations, the character was first portrayed by Peter Hooten in
10948-437: The previous separate realities that existed. Circumstances force Strange to open a pod that releases the surviving heroes of the original Marvel continuity, known as Earth-616 . Doom kills Doctor Strange. In 2015, Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo teamed up for the fourth volume of Doctor Strange . A new character, reluctant librarian Zelma Stanton, agrees to reorganize Strange's magical library. Jericho Drumm returns, and
11067-693: The relaunched Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme series. In 1990, the original trio reunited in The Incredible Hulk #370–371, in which it was revealed that the prophecy was a hoax. The originals then rejoined with the Silver Surfer in a story entitled The Return of the Defenders running in The Incredible Hulk Annual #18, Namor the Sub-Mariner Annual #2, Silver Surfer Annual #5, and Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme Annual #2. In 1993, Marvel sought to revive
11186-595: The same time." Len Wein briefly wrote the series and introduced such characters as Alpha the Ultimate Mutant and the Wrecking Crew . Wein also added Nighthawk to the cast because, in his words, doing so "gave me a character to play with who didn't have a whole lot of previous history ... [a] character I could do anything I wanted to without worrying about how it would affect any other titles that character might appear in." Steve Gerber first worked on
11305-482: The series and a spinoff, Dr. Strange: Last Days of Magic , sees such characters as Medico Mistico, Magik , Scarlet Witch, Mahatma Doom, Professor Xu, Monako , and Alice Gulliver. With the laws of magic fundamentally altered, and with the loss of his former resources, Doctor Strange is forced to depend on his own physical skills and inventive use of his few functional spells. He eventually no longer has access to most of his former spells or his levitating cape. During
11424-458: The series, and their run became known for its psychedelic visuals and plots. In issues #8–10 (May–September 1973), Strange is forced to shut down the Ancient One's mind, causing his mentor's physical death. Strange then assumes the title of Sorcerer Supreme. Englehart and Brunner created another multi-issue storyline featuring sorcerer Sise-Neg ("Genesis" spelled backward) going back through history, collecting all magical energies, until he reaches
11543-587: The start of a seven-part story featuring the Squadron Supreme and the Serpent Crown . In 2010, Comics Bulletin ranked Englehart's run on The Avengers eighth on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels". After Englehart departed and a seven-issue stint by Gerry Conway , Jim Shooter began as writer, generating several classic adventures, including " The Bride of Ultron ", the " Nefaria Trilogy", and "The Korvac Saga". Shooter introduced
11662-408: The team along with the reformed Swordsman. During the summer of 1973, Englehart and artists Bob Brown and Sal Buscema produced "The Avengers-Defenders Clash" storyline which crossed over between the two team titles. This eight-issue story was the first summertime cross-title event, and was very popular with readers. George Pérez became the title's artist with issue #141 (Nov. 1975) which saw
11781-410: The team as an official superhero team complete with government clearance. DeMatteis stayed on for only six issues of The New Defenders before turning it over to writer Peter Gillis , whose run was marked by shorter, more personal stories. Gillis recounted, "I had been working for a while at Marvel, and was constantly pumping for more work, and specifically a series of my own. So when I heard DeMatteis
11900-462: The team consisting of Daredevil , Jessica Jones , Luke Cage , and Iron Fist . The origin of the Defenders lies in two crossover story arcs by Roy Thomas prior to the official founding of the team. The first, in Doctor Strange #183 (November 1969), Sub-Mariner #22 (February 1970), and The Incredible Hulk #126 (April 1970) occurred due to the Dr. Strange series being canceled in
12019-582: The team crossed into an alternate dimension and battled the Squadron Supreme , and fought in the Kree-Skrull War , which guest-starred the Kree hero, Mar-Vell/Captain Marvel . Novelist Harlan Ellison plotted two stories for the series. The first ("The Summons of Psyklop") was published in issue #88 (May 1971) and the second ("Five Dooms to Save Tomorrow") in #101 (July 1972). Writer Steve Englehart introduced Mantis , who joined
12138-466: The team would be returning after a short break in summer 2022 for another five part run. Following a message from beyond the grave from Doctor Strange, a new team is assembled featuring Blue Marvel , America Chavez , Taaia (the mother of Galactus ), Tigra , and Loki (a variant of the God of Mischief) to tackle a new cosmic threat. Defenders membership was fluid, yet a few members were relatively constant:
12257-581: The three founders (Doctor Strange, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the Hulk), the Silver Surfer, the Valkyrie , Nighthawk , the Hellcat , and the Gargoyle. Membership was clearer in the New Defenders era when the team was more formally organized. This group's composition was even more fluid than that of the original Defenders, but typically included either Doctor Strange or Doctor Druid as leader, joined by
12376-452: The unscripted artwork. David Anthony Kraft's run as writer included "The Scorpio Saga" (issues #46, 48–50) and the "Xenogenesis: Day of the Demons" storyline (issues #58–60). The "Defenders for a Day" storyline in issues #62–64 saw dozens of new applicants attempting to join the Defenders, as well as a number of villains attempting to present themselves as Defenders members in order to confuse
12495-536: The villains that were on a rampage for what happened in Pleasant Hill. They were defeated when Nitro exploded. 2018 saw a new five part crossover storyline involving the "Big Four" members of the team. Published throughout December, the plot features separate issues all sub-titled "The Best Defense" in Immortal Hulk , Namor , Doctor Strange and Silver Surfer which culminates in a final issue under
12614-472: The world even without the title. The Book of the Vishanti , portrayed as being written by unknown authors, is closely associated with Doctor Strange and is the greatest known source of white magical knowledge on Earth. The Book of the Vishanti contains spells of defensive magic and is indestructible. Its counterpart, the Darkhold , contains all the knowledge of black magic in the Marvel Universe and
12733-543: The world-dominating "Order"; once the Order were freed from this control by their fellow heroes (including their teammates Hellcat , Nighthawk , and Valkyrie ), the Defenders apparently disbanded. A fill-in issue set between these two series was published in 2011. A Defenders five-issue miniseries debuted in July 2005, by Keith Giffen , J. M. DeMatteis , and Kevin Maguire , featuring Doctor Strange attempting to reunite
12852-467: Was a book called The [ sic ] Justice League of America and it was composed of a team of superheroes. ... 'If the Justice League is selling,' spoke he, 'why don't we put out a comic book that features a team of superheroes?' Much like the Justice League, the Avengers were an assemblage of pre-existing superhero characters created by Lee and Jack Kirby . Kirby did the artwork for
12971-600: Was also featured in The Order , which spun out of the 2001 Defenders revival, and the Indefensible Defenders mini-series. Doctor Strange appeared as a regular character throughout the 2010-2013 The New Avengers series. Jericho Drumm , now newly appointed Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Voodoo, sacrifices himself to stop the powerful mystical entity Agamotto from reclaiming the Eye. A guilt-ridden Strange rejoins
13090-494: Was featured in several limited series . The first was Doctor Strange: The Flight of Bones #1–4 (February–May 1999), with a series of spontaneous combustions by criminals instigated by old foe Dormammu . Strange was the catalyst for the creation of a trio of sorceresses in Witches #1–4 (August–November 2004). The Strange limited series (November 2004 – July 2005) by writers J. Michael Straczynski and Samm Barnes updated
13209-624: Was launched in May 2010, written by Brian Michael Bendis and penciled by John Romita Jr. In 2012, a biweekly Avengers title was launched, written by Jonathan Hickman and drawn by different artists for each story arc. After Secret Wars , a new Avengers title (vol. 6) dubbed the All-New, All-Different Avengers launched in 2015 written by Mark Waid , with alternating artwork by Mahmud Asrar and Adam Kubert , and covers by Alex Ross . Mark Waid and Alex Ross continued with Avengers vol. 7, which launched in 2017, with artwork by Mike del Mundo . It
13328-589: Was leaving Defenders , I was in [editor] Carl Potts ' office like a shot, and I got the gig." Though the series remained a modest hit through the Gillis/Perlin run, it was cancelled to make room in Marvel's production schedule for the New Universe line. The final issue was The New Defenders #152. In the final issue, several members (Gargoyle, Moondragon and Valkyrie), plus allies ( Andromeda , Manslaughter , Interloper ) seemingly die in battle with
13447-437: Was relaunched as a new series, the " Heroes Reborn " line ended after a year as planned and the license reverted to Marvel. Writer Kurt Busiek and penciler George Pérez launched a new volume of the series with The Avengers vol. 3, #1 (Feb. 1998). Busiek concurrently wrote the limited series Avengers Forever . Busiek's run included many of the Avengers' traditional villains. Successor writer Geoff Johns dealt with
13566-738: Was relaunched once again in 2018 as part of Marvel's " Fresh Start " relaunch featuring a creative by Jason Aaron (w) and Ed McGuinness (pen). 978-0785160151 (variant) 978-0785191773 (variant) 978-1302910211 (variant) 978-1302915353 (variant) 978-1302926502 (variant) 978-0785162049 (variant) (hardcover only after Volume 6) May 28, 2024 978-1302957988 August 22, 2023 978-1302950521 April 12, 2022 978-1302934026 May 26, 2021 978-1302929596 January 4, 2022 978-1302933661 September 20, 2022 May 10, 2022 978-1302946869 Avengers Finale and New Avengers #3. NB: The Avengers Assemble volumes comprise most of
13685-462: Was reunited in a short-lived 2001 series by Kurt Busiek and Erik Larsen . In 2005 Marvel published a five-issue miniseries featuring the classic line-up by J. M. DeMatteis , Keith Giffen and Kevin Maguire . In December 2011 writer Matt Fraction and artist Terry Dodson launched a Defenders series with a mixture of classic and new members, which lasted for 12 issues. A television miniseries The Defenders premiered in 2017 on Netflix , with
13804-412: Was shared with street heroes Cloak and Dagger . This new Doctor Strange series resolved Strange's quest to reclaim his power and missing artifacts, as well as resurrecting the Defenders, who had died in the last issue of that team's title. Strange was returned to his own series, this time titled Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme , which ran 90 issues (November 1988 – June 1996). The initial creative team
13923-465: Was suggested to him that it should run as a Defenders title, however Bunn explained that beyond the name there is "little connection" to the Defenders. In August 2017, Marvel launched a new Defenders comic book series starring Daredevil , Jessica Jones , Luke Cage and Iron Fist , based on the Netflix incarnation of the team . During the " Secret Empire " storyline, the Defenders were seen fighting
14042-478: Was writer Peter B. Gillis and artists Richard Case and Randy Emberlin , with storylines often spanning multiple issues. Strange lost the title of "Sorcerer Supreme" in issues #48–49 (Dec. 1992 – Jan. 1993) when he refused to fight a war on behalf of the Vishanti, the mystical entities that empower his spells. During this time the series became part of the " Midnight Sons " group of Marvel's supernatural comics. Doctor Strange found new sources of magical strength in
14161-494: Was written by Rob Liefeld and penciled by Jim Valentino , and ran for 13 issues (Nov. 1996–Nov. 1997). The final issue, which featured a crossover with the other Heroes Reborn titles, returned the characters to the main Marvel Universe . The Avengers vol. 3 relaunched and ran for 84 issues from February 1998 to August 2004. To coincide with what would have been the 500th issue of the original series, Marvel changed
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