Wong

Behind every great Sorcerer Supreme, there?s a great valet by the name of Wong. At least that?s true for Doctor Stephen Strange, who wouldn?t be nearly as successful as he is without his faithful sidekick and close friend. Together they fight the supernatural forces of evil and entities who are so heinous and ancient, that they can neither be pronounced by the human tongue nor understood by the human mind.

A Mystical Beginning

Wong is the descendant of an ancient Tibetan warrior-monk by the name of Kan, who was drawn into the mystical dimension Kaichek by the sorcerer Vung, servant of Prince Jehan and Princess Shialmar. Kan?s descendants were raised to serve the mystics of the world. They even formed an order in Kamar-Taj in service to the Ancient One Yao, a long-living Sorcerer Supreme.

Wong?s father, Hamir the Hermit, served as the Ancient One?s chief servant. So, when Wong turned four, he was taken from his mother and presented to the Ancient One, to learn to serve, just like his family before him. As a child, he enjoyed learning about the mystic arts, and reading about dragons, such as the infamous extraterrestrial Fin Fang Foom. At age ten, his parents set up an arranged marriage for him later in life.

When Wong became an adult, the Ancient One sent him to the United States to serve Doctor Strange, the Ancient One?s disciple, at the Sanctum Sanctorum in Greenwich Village at 177A Bleecker Street. Because battling mystical threats often distracted Strange from maintaining the Sanctum, Wong did so. He also made sure to keep Strange?s martial arts skills intact by being his sparring partner. When Strange took on the extra-dimensional Clea as his lover, Wong served her faithfully as well.

After Strange hired a woman name Sara Wolfe as his business manager, Wong butted heads with her initially as their duties overlapped, but the two ended up forming a close bond. Despite their chemistry and mutual attraction, Wong had already been arranged to marry another?Imei?and he rejected Sara kindly out of respect of for the promise he had made.

Ancient Arts

Wong is an expert in Kamar-Taj?s martial arts, and is skilled in the use of weapons such as the bo staff.

Although he is not a sorcerer himself, Wong has been trained in the mystic arts. He can perform magic that helps him with duties at the Sanctum Sanctorum. Wong also helps Doctor Strange carry out more complex enchantments.

Forces of Evil

Wong faces off against several mystic and supernatural foes such as Dracula, the N?Garai, and the Shadowqueen. In many instances, he is either saved by Doctor Strange or saves Doctor Strange by allowing Stephen to place his soul in Wong?s body for safekeeping and away from various enemies.

On Strange's Side

Wong and Strange have become peers rather than master and manservant, with a mutual respect for each other. Wong also works for the Avengers in the Avengers Mansion after Strange joins the group.

Wong assists his master in many battles with evil forces, including the Avengers vs. Defenders war. After the Super Hero Civil War, Wong?s master gives sanctuary to the New Avengers and Wong looks after them.

In return for Wong?s faithful services, Doctor Strange looks after his old valet, saving his life many times throughout the years.

A Dedicated Servant

When human worshippers of the demonic Dormammu kidnapped Doctor Strange to sacrifice him and bring Dormammu to Earth, Strange hid his astral form in Wong?s body for safekeeping. Wong and Clea located Strange?s new allies, Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Hulk (Bruce Banner) of the Defenders, and together saved Strange, who reunited his astral form to his body. Thereafter, Wong served the Defenders? needs as they used the Sanctum as a meeting place.

Strange placed himself in Wong?s body for a second time when he was possessed by the cosmic Goddess (Adam Warlock?s ?good? side) and brought to Paradise Omega. He sent his astral form back to Earth to deal with his out-of-control vampiric brother Baron Blood (Victor Strange) by possessing Wong?s body. While possessed by Strange, Wong wore his master?s first cloak of levitation and lesser Amulet of Agamotto. When Victor was destroyed, Doctor Strange released Wong from his control and was saved from the Goddess.

Wong and Clea also helped assist Doctor Strange on adventures, such as when he journeyed to Massachusetts to confront the worshipers of the demon Sligguth. The Ancient One soon died, making Strange the Sorcerer Supreme.

When Wong and Clea tried to aid Strange against the Creator?s sorcerers cabal, they witnessed the creation of an alternate reality where animal-like people took humanity?s place. The temporarily-resurrected Ancient One aided Strange, Clea, and Wong in restoring the universe to normal.

When the Avengers and Defenders were duped by Dormammu and the Asgardian mischief god Loki Laufeyson into vying for the Evil Eye artifact, a team of Avengers invaded the Sanctum. Wong attempted to stall them, but was bested by Mantis.

When bitten by Dracula, Wong hovered on the verge of death before being discovered by Doctor Strange. After uncovering Dracula?s lair and still hoping to save Wong?s life, Strange battled the vampire in the psychic realm, but was bitten and turned into a vampire. However, he defeated Dracula with the help of various gods and his new vampiric powers. With the last of his mystical strength, Strange summoned the power to cure himself and bring back Wong from near-death, purging him of vampirism.

Later, the N?Garai, worshipping Lords of the Golden Dragon, recognized Wong as Kan?s descendant and kidnapped him, sending him to Kaichek for a confrontation with the Shadowqueen. Clea and Strange pursued Wong and aided Silver Fox, the last wizard king, against the Shadowqueen, who threatened to overwhelm them until Wong shot her with an arrow. Because Wong resembled Kan, the Shadowqueen could not bring herself to kill him. Doctor Strange drove the N?Garai from her, allowing her to die in peace. Immediately afterward, the N?Garai manifested in the Sanctum Sanctorum, briefly seizing Wong as a host, but Strange drove the N?Garai back and restored Wong to normal.

One of the worst attacks on the Sanctum Sanctorum was perpetrated by the alien sorcerer Urthona, who, wanting to be Sorcerer Supreme, spirited away Strange?s entire collection of books, as well as Wong and their fellow sorcerer Topaz. Strange teamed up with the inter-dimensional mystic Rintrah and traveled to Urthona?s planet where he took over Rintrah?s body and defeated Urthona while destroying all of his mystic talismans (causing a dangerous imbalance in magical power) and saving a grievously injured Wong. Surviving Urthona?s mutilation, Wong was healed by the empathic Topaz.

The Sanctum Sanctorum then became the Stephen Strange Memorial Institute with Wong and Sara as its directors, with the memories of Strange?s adventures removed from their memories. He would later restore the Sanctorum and their memories when Imei came to New York to be with her betrothed, Wong. Everything went back to normal at the Sanctum while Imei aided Wong in his duties. Once, they assisted Strange against the ?Zomling? remnant of the demon Zom when it ran loose in the Sanctum.

Finally, Wong and Imei announced their engagement and began making wedding plans. Around the same time, Strange lost the title of Sorcerer Supreme when he refused to aid his mystical patrons in the War of the Seven Spheres. Wong still served him but was careful to no longer refer to him as ?master.?

When the Sanctum was besieged by swarms of the demonic Lilin, Strange?s power was stretched to its peak trying to block the building from the demons. However, the Lilin Sister Nil entered and killed Imei with her touch of death. Grief-stricken, Wong blamed Strange for failing to save her. With the ancient Salom‚ having usurped the role of Sorceress Supreme, Wong offered to aid her against Doctor Strange in exchange for saving Imei?s life. Salom‚ complied by bonding Imei?s soul to the demoness Xaos. Wong cared for Xaos as though she were Imei.

While Strange made a promise to help Wong with Imei, there was nothing left of Imei for Strange to save since her soul already passed on. Xaos was eliminated, but Imei?s soul brought Wong into a celestial realm between life and death where the couple was able to share a final goodbye and allow Imei?s soul to continue on. Unfortunately, Wong and Strange?s journey to this realm allowed the monstrous creature Afterlife to follow them back to Earth. But, by harnessing the power of their renewed friendship, they bombarded the creature with goodness, transforming it into its true state, an angelic being. Strange soon reclaimed the Sorcerer Supreme mantle, with Wong assuming his customary duties, as well as learning new skills to acquire data for Strange by monitoring computers and police radio bands.

Strange would save Wong?s life again when his friend was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. The only thing that could cure Wong was Oktid?s Elixir, but Strange was only able to procure a drop of the concoction after being shot by the thief Brigand sent by Nicodemus West, an old jealous colleague of Strange. Nevertheless, Stephen decided to use the one drop to heal Wong of his tumor.

Wong once encountered his childhood hero Fin Fang Foom and aided the dragon against two warring terrorist Hydra factions. When Doctor Strange retired from adventuring, Wong was briefly deceived into serving Strange?s foe Baron Karl Mordo, who impersonated Strange until Strange reclaimed his mission and identity.

When the Hulk led an attack on Manhattan, blaming Doctor Strange and others for the deaths of his friends and family on the planet Sakaar, Strange took Zom?s essence into himself in an effort to match the Hulk?s strength. Zom was eventually driven out of Strange, and Wong helped the heroes Angel (Warren Worthington), Hercules (Heracles), Namora, and Amadeus Cho recapture the creature.

However, possession by Zom weakened Strange, making his magic unpredictable and forcing him to again resign as Sorcerer Supreme. However, Wong, dedicated as ever, continued to act as his servant.