Strange Ways

Dr. Strange: The Best Defense #1 shows the sorcerer late in life—arguably the last defender of a desolate Earth. Keeping him company is the enchanted head of Hulk, mystically modified to grow more powerful by absorbing magical energy. The story ends in an explosive showdown with Dr. Strange and Hulk against the malevolent Dormammu.

Furthering the subplot from previous Best Defense stories, a character in a ghost costume stabs another unsuspecting alien victim at an unspecified place and time.

Dr. Strange: The Best Defense. No. 1. February 2019. Gerry Duggan (writer). Greg Smallwood (artist). VC's Cory Petit (letterer). Alanna Sith (associate editor), Tom Brevoort (editor).

Creative Conjuring

A magazine article in Dragon #100 discussed three categories of energy that fueled magical powers within the Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game.

• Personal energies allow magicians to cast illusions or use psionics, such as telepathy, astral projection, and mental attacks.
• Universal energies are necessary to fire magic bolts, transform one object into another, dispel magic, or acquire knowledge through divination.
• Dimensional energies come into play when summoning otherworldly creatures, creating objects out of nothing, or raising the dead.

This magical taxonomy wasn't explicit within the comics. For example, Dr. Strange might invoke the name of Dormammu or other extra-dimensional beings when wielding magic that the game described as using Personal or Universal energies instead of Dimensional energies.

To prevent sorcerers from becoming disproportionately more powerful than other heroes in the game, the article set parameters around the number of magical powers they could wield within each of the three categories.

This image of Dr. Strange appeared with the article "Creative Conjuring" by Eric Walker in Dragon #100 (August 1985).

Speaking Volumes

Since newer comics do not include the volume number on the copyright page, as comics of earlier years had, I checked the Marvel Comics Database to see that the latest Defenders series (bringing Iron Fist and Red She-Hulk into the fold) is indeed Volume 4.

Volume 1 was the original run of the Defenders that began in the 1970s, with Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, and Hulk as founding members. The Silver Surfer was the first of numerous heroes to unofficially join the non-team.

Because the issue-to-issue numbering stayed consistent, the series remained Volume 1 even when the title changed to the New Defenders (issues #125-152).

Volume 2 was most notable for giving Samantha Parrington a chance to reprise the role of Valkyrie and work with the Defenders. In this twelve-issue limited series from 2001, she shared the spotlight with six of the most recognized members of the team: Nighthawk, Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer, Hellcat, and Hulk.

Volume 3 brought back Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, Hulk, and Silver Surfer for a dimension-hopping limited series. The ever-dreaded Dormammu was the group's primary adversary during this five-issue adventure from 2005.

Series with variant titles (including Secret Defenders and Last Defenders) were each published as Volume 1 in their own right.

Introducing the Secret Defenders

Well after the original Defenders disbanded, Dr. Strange recruited Ghost Rider, Hulk, and Silver Surfer to do battle against the dreaded Dormammu. In a thought balloon at the end of that adventure, the master of the mystic arts first used the term "Secret Defenders" Dr. Strange #50 (Feb. 1993).

The phrase took hold one month later, with "Suddenly: The Secret Defenders" appearing on the cover of Fantastic Four #374 (featuring Spider-Man, Hulk, Ghost Rider, and Wolverine) and the launch of a new series with The Secret Defenders #1 (starring Wolverine, Nomad, Darkhawk, and Spider-Woman). Much in the way that episodes of Mission: Impossible opened with photos of the secret agents, these two issues each began with Dr. Strange perusing Tarot cards while deciding whose help to enlist.

Far more a non-team that the original Defenders had been, the Secret Defenders boasted a different combination of heroes each mission. The Secret Defenders ended at #25.

Fantastic Four #374 and Secret Defenders #1 both had cover dates of March 1993.

Clea's Finest Moment

Clea made several guest appearances in the Defenders well before joining the team. Relegated to the role of romantic interest and mystic trainee, however, she stayed overshadowed by Dr. Strange. As a result, it is easy to forget that this mysterious woman from another dimension was instrumental in the team's second mission. This somber tale was one of Clea's strongest issues.

Marvel Feature #2 began with an evil sect plotting to bring the dread Dormammu to Earth on Halloween, when the barriers between dimensions were weakest. Detecting the threat, Dr. Strange traveled in astral form to hold off Dormammu in the Dark Dimension. But moving his consciousness to the astral plane left the magician physically unconscious and vulnerable. Dormammu's followers broke into the Sanctum Sanctorum, left Wong badly beaten, and abducted Dr. Strange's body, intending to bring Dormammu into the sorcerer's physical form.

Responding to Wong's call for help, Clea used Dr. Strange's mystical amulet (the Eye of Agamotto) to locate Sub-Mariner and Hulk. Still an inexperienced spell-caster at this point, Clea used hypnosis to prompt Hulk to revert to Bruce Banner, then outlined a rescue plan. Clea also brought a change of clothes so the tattered Dr. Banner and swim-trunk-clad Sub-Mariner could remain incognito until entering the sect's remote headquarters at Bald Mountain.

Banner took tranquilizers to stay calm and not become Hulk prematurely. This cooperation showed Banner's trust in the Defenders to act as superego to Hulk's impulsive id. When time came to transform, Hulk willingly followed Sub-Mariner's lead even without knowing why they were fighting the cloaked opponents.

Near the end of the battle, Clea's magic revealed that Dr. Strange had been drawing energy from Wong to remain in astral form longer than usual and keep Dormammu at bay. As the gateway to the Dark Dimension sealed, trapping Dormammu, Bald Mountain volcanically erupted. Dr. Strange, now conscious within his physical body, flew Clea and Wong to safety, while Hulk and Sub-Mariner smashed out from under the rubble.

Marvel Feature. Vol. 1. No. 2. March 1972. "Nightmare on Bald Mountain." Stan Lee (editor), Roy Thomas (writer), Ross Andru (artist), Sal Buscema (inker), Sam Rosen (letterer). The image of Clea appeared in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Dr. Strange first met Clea during his initial battle against Dormammu (Strange Tales #126-127). Dr. Strange received his cloak of levitation and the Eye of Agamotto at the end of that adventure.