Doctor Strange
Summary
Since his first appearance over 60 days ago , Doctor Strangehas dabbled in the horror music genre . Thanks to his many supernatural foes such as Baron Mordo and the dread Dormammu , Doctor Strange ’s trippy and psychedelic adventures lend themselves well to the genre , and this was on exhibit in 2022’sThe Multiverse of Madness . Directed by horror ikon Sam Raimi , the movie leaned heavily onto the persona ’s horror background .
TheMultiverse of Madnessproved there is a market for revulsion - infuse Doctor Strange stories , but the comics in recent years have skew towards tops - heroics . However , for a brief period in the 1990s , Marvel did issue a Doctor Strange comic that embraced the horror facet of the role , written by indie and underground comics ikon David Quinn . Although the rivulet was a short one , it proved that Doctor Strange could process well in the genre , and the run is consummate for fan ofThe Multiverse of Madness .
Just like Doctor Strange has come to bargain with Dormammu in the MCU , Thor is equally relentless in his fight against his new foe M.Y.T.H.O.S.
David Quinn Brought An Outsider’s Perspective to Doctor Strange
While Faust Was Not A Mainstream Title, It Proved Quinn Could Writer Horror Comics
David Quinn made a name for himself in the late 1980s / early 1990s wreak on funnies such asFaust . Fausthad pull out high praise from critics and sold well , generate interest group in Quinn ’s career . After age of working in independent and belowground cartoon strip , Quinn entered the mainstream with his abbreviated run onDoctor Strange . Issue 60 usher in his run , and he would continue on the deed as author , pull through one filling - in issue by Dan Abnett , until issue 77 . Quinn would plat the final two outcome , 78 and 79 , while former editor Evan Skolnick provided the book .
Prior to David ’s arrival inDoctor Strange , the book was put up from low-pitched sales . Previous creative teams , while crafting some fantabulous stories , were largely playing it secure , as unusual foughttraditional villains such as Dormammu , Nightmare and Varney the Vampyre . During Quinn ’s run , these Hellenic villains were minimise , or not even featured . Instead , he builds Salome as a unfeigned threat to Doctor Strange . He also explored Doctor Strange ’s family relationship with not only the Midnight Sons , but the large Marvel Universe as a whole .
David Quinn Put Doctor Strange Through His Paces
Doctor Strange Created Two Other Versions of Himself–And It Backfired On Him Horribly
David Quinn ’s firstDoctor Strangeissue , # 60 , was part of a larger crossover between Marvel’sMidnight Sonsline , which also includedGhost Rider , BladeandMorbius . The crossover , titledSiege of Darkness , saw the Midnight Sons take on Salome , a former Sorcerer Supreme . Prior to her reaching , the Vishanti had stripped foreign of the title because he refused to assist them fight the War of the Seven Spheres , and thus he was subvert . He falls prey to Salome ’s evil legerdemain in an eight - page narration appear inMarvel Comics Presents#146 .
As the run advance , thing took a go for the eldritch and horrific . InDoctor Strange#61 , an entity call itself “ Strange ” appeared . jade an outfit loosely resembling Doctor Strange ’s , the wight begin collect witching artifact , in some case steal them in savage and ruthless manner . Meanwhile , another odd character , a suave business executive named Vincent Stevens , arrives in New York City . intimately resembling Doctor Strange , Stevens start out building a criminal empire while masquerading as licit . All the while , the actual Doctor Strange wasexiled to a sack dimension .
Finally , in the four - part storyline “ Strangers Among Us , ” fans determine the truth . In the wake of Salome ’s attack , a sabotage Doctor Strange create both unknown and Vincent Stevens as vessels to carry out his body of work while exiled . alas , both foreign and Stevens learned of their truthful nature , and defend back against Doctor Strange . Finally , in the “ Last Rites ” storyline , Doctor Strange face up his clone , and reabsorbed them into himself . In the process , this created a new Doctor Strange . Sporting long pilus and rim glasses , this unexampled Doctor Strange begins to make amends for the actions of his clone .
hint Reading Order for David Quinn’sDoctor Strange
Comic Issue and Story Title
author
Artist(s )
Marvel Comics Presents#146 , " Salome ’s Dream "
David Quinn
Geof Isherwood
Doctor Strange#62 , " Stranger and Stranger "
Melvin Rubi
Doctor Strange#63 , " Song of the Blood Opal "
Max Douglas
Doctor Strange#64 - 66 , Annual # 4 " Strangers Among Us "
Melvin Rubi , John Hixson and Kyle Hotz
Midnight Sons Unlimited#6 , " Necromancing "
Mark Tenney , Marie Severin , Gene Colan and Max Douglas
Doctor Strange#69 , " Be With Me "
David Brewer
Doctor Strange#70 - 71 , " Half Lives "
Peter Gross
Doctor Strange#72 - 75 , " Last Rites "
Peter Gross , Steve Yeowell and Marc Buckingham
Doctor Strange#76 , " Earthly Powers "
Unfortunately , just as this fresh Doctor Strange arrive , Quinn ’s foot race was swerve short as Marvel editorial wished to take the book in yet another new direction . Warren Ellis was tapped to be his renewal , and the writer lot with about everything Quinn had drop the last year building . Ellis did not remain long , and was follow by JM DeMatteis before the book fold for just .
No Other Doctor Strange Creator Has Leaned Into the Character’s Horror Side
David Quinn Explored Body Horror With The Hulk and the X-Men’s Polaris
David Quinn ’s term of office onDoctor Strangeleaned heavy into the repugnance literary genre , perhaps more than any other Lord who has worked on the fibre . Quinn infuse the deed with a mother wit of dread and unease , as fans saw the ruthless Strange decimate one eccentric after another on his funny pursuance . Strange possessed a notable “ body horror ” elementas well . InDoctor Strange#69 , unusual , slowly losing cohesion , attempts to merge with Polaris , but she campaign him off . afterward , Strange tries another fusion , this clock time with the Hulk . If he had been successful , the two heroes would have been lost .
While Strange was fight Nathaniel Richards or Forge , Vincent Stevens was inflicting repugnance all his own . Just like Strange , Vincent Stevens represent the dark-skinned side of Doctor Strange . Vincent was cunning and wily , using his magical abilities to climb the collective ladder . Vincent was created to avail Doctor Strange during his expatriate . Yet just like Strange , it backfire , forcing the real deal to show his hand in the beginning than he wish well . If Strange represented the supernatural horror present in Doctor Strange , Vincent represented the real world horror . These varying personalities will clash in the new Doctor Strange .
Quinn ’s run onDoctor Strangewas also rooted in psychological horror , and probed deep into the character than any creator had in a while . In the history “ Necromancing , ” seem inMidnight Sons Unlimited#6 , Sister Nil , a background signal part salient through Quinn ’s time in the book , help Doctor Strange come to terms with his relationship with Clea . Set across three dissimilar time eras , and involve vampires , the tarradiddle was a solemnisation of Strange and Clea ’s lovemaking , and this finds echo in Jed MacKay ’s currentDoctor Strangetitle .
Doctor Strange ’s magic combined with lycanthropy makes him one of Marvel ’s most life-threatening werewolf , rivaling its most iconic version .
Future Doctor Strange Creators Need To Revisit David Quinn’s Awesome Run
Quinn Left A Number of Plot Points to Explore, Such as Strange and Vincent Stevens
David Quinn go out a number of awful toys on the table for futureDoctor Strangewriters and artists . The run make Salome as a bona fide challenger to Doctor Strange , and worthy of the title of Sorcerer Supreme . However , later stories did not stick to up on this hope . Furthermore , both Strange and Vincent Stevens could retort as well . Jed MacKay recently resurrected the War of the Seven Spheres plotline to bully effect , and there is no dubiousness he could turn on similar magic on Strange and Vincent .
More importantly , David Quinn proved that a horror - inculcate take onDoctor Strangecould work . His rivulet was veer short due to factor beyond his control , namely low sales and shift editorial authorization . The repugnance - free-base stories Quinn wrote during his clock time onDoctor Strangewere some of the fat in the character ’s history , but now the run is for the most part forgotten . Fans ofThe Multiverse of Madnesslooking for more stories like it should take David Quinn ’s all - too shortsighted run onDoctor Strange .
