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What does it take to become the Sorcerer Supreme? What is a Sorcerer Supreme? Doctor Stephen Strange knows and has to deal with the headaches of that every day. So, who is Stephen Strange and how did he become the Sorcerer Supreme? Let’s find out!

Stephen Vincent Strange was born to Beverly and Eugene Strange, he was also the brother to Donna and Victor Strange. As a child, Donna got injured and Stephen found he enjoyed helping others through medical care. Years later, he would try and rescue his sister once more, but he was too late, she had drowned while swimming. This furthered Stephen’s desire to master medicine so he could hopefully save anyone he came across.

The idealistic Stephen would become a surgeon and prove to be a world-class master of the medical arts. As time went on, Stephen’s ideals waned as his arrogance grew. He found his skills to not be for everyone, but for those he deemed fitting to his needs. Money and acclaim became all that Stephen craved. This all changed after a fateful car accident.

Stephen would have his hands horribly injured and even with the best surgeons that weren’t Stephen Strange, they couldn’t get him back to one-hundred percent. Unable to be a surgeon any longer, he spiraled into drinking and spending the rest of his money on anything he believed could restore his hands. This leads him to hearing rumors of someone called The Ancient One in Tibet, Stephen would spend the last of his money to make his way there in hopes to finding this last hope.

When he finally found The Ancient One, Stephen was rejected in being healed but was offered a chance to train with the master, who claimed to have power of the mystical arts. Dismayed at such a ridiculous offering, Stephen refused and would have left if not for a blizzard. Stuck within The Ancient One’s home for the time being, he would get to know The Ancient One and his apprentice, Baron Mordo. Mordo would show off displays of magic, by trying to attack The Ancient One so he could usurp his role as the Sorcerer Supreme, protector of Earth and all realms from magical threats.

Witnessing magic being real amazed Stephen, but he also saw that Mordo was planning on killing The Ancient One. Mordo would use more magic to bind Stephen, making him unable to tell The Ancient One of Mordo’s threat to him. Realizing that the only way he could help stop Mordo would be to begin training in magic, Stephen accepted The Ancient One’s original offer. This seemed to all be part of The Ancient One’s plan as he was pleased to hear Stephen’s change of heart and knew of Mordo’s treachery, dispelling Stephen of his binding and keeping Mordo close for the hope of changing his ways.

This began Stephen’s years long training in magical studies. He was not aware at the time, but The Ancient One was training Stephen to replace him as the Sorcerer Supreme, seeing great potential in his newest student. Stephen excelled at learning and would learn to deal with inter-dimensional cosmic-level entities. Mordo would leave during Stephen’s studies and began a life-long rivalry between the two.

His training also took him to meeting and befriending many other magical practioners of Earth and this would be a trend for Stephen as he would also become friends with many of Earth’s heroes as his career continued. After seven years of study, Stephen would be sent to New York City where he would open his Sanctum Sanctorum in Greenwich Village, ready to consult and aide those who needed magical assistance.

Going on many adventures and establishing several teams with other heroes who were beginning to crop up more and more, Strange was finding a place for himself as a sorcerer. When the old one, Shuma-Gorath, threatened all of reality by way of The Ancient One’s mind as a doorway, Stephen was tasked with his final lesson from his teacher. The Ancient One pleaded for Stephen to kill him, stopping the gateway and freeing The Ancient One from Shuma-Gorath’s grasp. Doing so would also complete Stephen’s training and grant him the title of Sorcerer Supreme. Since then, Stephen has gone on even more magical adventures and worked with all manner of heroes to stop threats that not even the Sorcerer Supreme alone can handle.

There you have it! Doctor Strange has been one of the more psychedelic heroes of the Marvel’s roster. He’s been animated, on the small screen several times, and has been in live-action on the big screen. He’s appearing all over the place, possibly even death’s door. Where he’ll end up next is anyone’s guess. See you next time!

Suggested Reading
Strange Tales #110
Doctor Strange

Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net