Marvel Universe

Scariest Strange Stories

As a Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Stephen Strange has faced his fair share of demons and nightmarish entities all in the name of keeping reality intact. Here are some of the Sorcerer Supreme’s most harrowing encounters—from this dimension and the next.

STRANGE TALES

Enter Shuma-Gorath

in Marvel Premiere (1972) #10

Hailing from a dimension that is the opposite of ours, tentacled monstrosity Shuma-Gorath made the transition to the prime Marvel Universe to feed off the power of the Sorcerer Supreme. Strange had not yet taken over the title though, so Shuma-Gorath sought out his master, the Ancient One instead. Shuma-Gorath used Strange's own suffering to torture his mentor.

Shuma-Gorath Takes New York

in Mighty Avengers (2013) #2

During the INFINITY event, Black Order member Ebony Maw took control of Doctor Strange and used him to usher Shuma-Gorath back to this plane. The attack brought together a new team of heroes who worked together to defeat the entity through issue #3!

The Darkhold and Dracula Saga

in Doctor Strange (1974) #59

Dracula has been skulking around the Marvel Universe for centuries! Strange had already encountered the bloodsucker (and barely survived) in DOCTOR STRANGE #14. In issues #59-62, the vampire king returned to cause more trouble for the Sorcerer Supreme—and all of Earth. This time, Dracula tapped into the ancient power of the Darkhold, an evil book of black magic.

"Sinister" Strange

in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (1988) #46

What could be creepier than facing off against an evil version of yourself? When Strange left the ongoing INFINITY WAR at Captain America's command, he returned to the Magus’ twisted version of Earth with the Scarlet Witch, Doctor Druid, Agatha Harkness, and Shaman. But this mystical crew was kidnapped by Strange’s dark doppelganger: Necromancer, a mysterious being with ties to Counter-Earth.

Doorway to Nightmare

in Strange Tales (1987) #7

When Cloak’s Darkforce powers became torturous to wield, his crime fighting partner Dagger sought out Doctor Strange for help. It turned out that Cloak’s creeping darkness was the result of tampering by interdimensional villain Nightmare! Strange, Cloak and Dagger got swept up in Nightmare’s realm, leading to an immense battle where light triumphed over darkness.

Doctors Doom and Strange

in Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment (1989)

As a genius megalomaniac and the ruler of a nation, Doctor Victor Von Doom is an intensely powerful force. But he's also an accomplished sorcerer! After proving his magical mettle, Doom sought assistance from Doctor Strange on a quest to save his mother Cynthia's soul from the hell realm of Mephisto. Once there the duo faced all manner of monster, but none more fearsome and duplicitous than Mephisto himself.

Ditkopolis

in Doctor Strange: What Is It That Disturbs You, Stephen? (1997)

When Strange returns to the Sanctum Sanctorum to find Wong missing, he goes in search of him at the temple where Wong once trained as a warrior monk. But this investigation lead him to yet another realm, this one filled with undead oarsmen, massive sea serpents, and the most dangerous denizen of them all—the life-absorbing Electra! She not only controlled everyone there, but the city of Ditkopolis itself.

The Last Days of Magic

in Doctor Strange (2015) #6

They have crossed the dimensions, purging them all of sorcery, one by one. Now the Empirikul are here. When Earth's Master of the Mystic Arts was weakened beyond measure, Strange relied on magical allies (and a new weapon or two) to save a world on the brink of disaster. The terrifying onslaught against Marvel’s magic starts here through issue #11!