Back in August, we took a look at Marvel Premiere #12, featuring the initial chapter of a multi-part “Doctor Strange” adventure by the creative team of co-plotter/scripter Steve Englehart (joined for that single issue by co-scripter Mike Friedrich) and co-plotter/artist Frank Brunner. Having begun their run on the feature half a year earlier by taking two issues to wrap up the extended “Shum-Gorath” storyline they’d inherited from their predecessors — and then following that up in Marvel Premiere #11 with a three-page framing sequence for a couple of classic Strange tales by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko — this was the first opportunity for Englehart and Brunner to show what kind of story they could come up with all on their own.
Our topic today is the second chapter of that same story, which begins right where the first installment left off, as the newly-anointed Sorcerer Supreme of Earth pursues his old foe (and former rival for his new role), Baron Mordo, through the time stream…
Assisting Brunner (who also colored the story, as well as pencilling, inking, and coloring the cover all by his lonesome) on the comic’s interior artwork were the “Crusty Bunkers” — a pseudonym which, as we’ve noted on multiple prior occasions, signified a loose conglomeration of artists associated with the commercial art firm Continuity Studios, usually including one or both of that firm’s founders — Neal Adams and Dick Giordano — and sometimes including Brunner himself.
Dr. Strange finishes up this recap of MP #12 by recalling how, after the defeat of the living gargoyle (and the unfortunate concurrent death of Lilia), he was at last able to reach the Book of Cagliostro when a time-displacement spell Mordo had cast over the tome had the inadvertent side-effect of opening it to the very pages the malevolent mage had been perusing. This allowed Strange to read what his enemy had before him — though, when he did so, “my blood ran cold!”
As helpfully pointed out above in a footnote. Baron Mordo’s last non-reprint appearance had been in Marvel Feature #1’s “The Return!” — a backup story to that issue’s lead Defenders tale which explained how the briefly retired-from-magic Stephen Strange had returned to his old vocation after discovering that Mordo was posing as him and living in his house, the Sanctum Sanctorum. (Mordo had actually managed to fool the faithful Wong for… weeks? months?… before the true master of 177A Bleecker Street finally sent him packing.)
At this point, we leave the purely fanciful realm of the time stream to enter more mundane, though undeniably picturesque territory. And as we’ll see, Frank Brunner and the Crusty Bunkers (whoever they actually were this time around) make this new setting equally as visually convincing as they did the previous one…
As previously noted in our Marvel Premiere #12 post, the real-life historical occultist Count Alessandro di Cagliostro had been having a moment of late at Marvel Comics, having been referenced in several stories in Dracula Lives (and while he’d yet to make an appearance on-panel in that black-and-white comics magazine, that wouldn’t be case for much longer).
Certain that Cagliostro must be the reason that Mordo has come to this particular time and place, Dr. Strange resolves to visit him at his home later that night…
Realizing that Cagliostro’s evident unfamiliarity with Mordo means they haven’t met yet, Strange decides on a new plan; since the real-deal 18th century mage has chosen to absent himself, our hero will lie in wait for his adversary…
That’s a neat timey-wimey bit, as well as a lovely romantic gesture on Stephen’s part (though maybe this isn’t quite the most opportune moment for the latter… just sayin’).
Baron Mordo’s power does indeed quickly vanquish the demon-thing Dr. Strange has set against him (so quickly, in fact, that we hardly have time to appreciate the imaginative quality of Brunner’s character design, as expertly realized by him and the Bunkers). But it doesn’t matter, because the whole thing has been nothing but a diversion, intended to keep Mordo busy while Doc focuses the potent force contained within his amulet — a force he now unleashes…
Whaaaat…just happened? Dr. Strange says that it was “time repeating itself” — but that’s not quite right, since we know that the Cagliostro Doc met a few pages back wasn’t his own self. Whatever just went down, though, it sure was freaky.
Beset on both sides, the Master of the Mystic Arts slumps to the floor in defeat. Proceeding to rub salt in the wound, Baron Mordo gloats over his fallen foe, exulting how he’ll now become ruler of the world; then, turning to Cagliostro, he says that while he remains puzzled about why he was suddenly pulled away in the middle of his earlier battle with Strange, he’s still pretty happy how things worked out: “You make a competent ally!”
Honestly, I’m not at all sure that Sise-Neg’s stated sole reason for masquerading as Cagliostro — i.e., “in order to write my book!” — makes a whole lot of sense. Besides the sheer arbitrariness of his choosing this particular time and place for his task, wouldn’t he be afraid that the real Comte, after returning to Paris from his battle with Count Dracula, would simply trash the manuscript? In the end, however, the sudden surprise of this scene’s big reveal remains effective, and the unexpected enormity of Sise-Neg’s ultimate goal still lands with considerable dramatic impact.
Over the first two chapters of the Sise-Neg Trilogy, we’ve seen the scope of the story escalate from relatively minor concerns, like beautiful but untrustworthy Roma witch-queens and fearsome-looking but hardly formidable living gargoyles, to a more serious threat to the proper course of time’s arrow. But now we’re evidently moving to a whole new level of stakes, as the time-traveling sorcerer from the future named Sise-Neg makes his bid to become, well, God. Will he succeed? And, if he does, what will that mean for the rest of us? Whether you already know the answers to those questions or not, I hope you’ll join me in December for the conclusion of Doctor Strange’s most metaphysical (as well as excellent) adventure.
I didn’t get this 50 years ago but did pick it up sometime later. Another magnificent tour de force of art by Brunner & the Crust Bunkers and fascinating story overall. Many very fine artists have worked on Dr. Strange, each with their own unique flair. But I particularly like Brunner’s work. Dr. Strange’s deja vu moment was highly amusing and eerie.
I also have to grin at thoughts of what comics creators conceived the 31st century might be like. Pure fantasy, as it would have been for anyone in the 11th century attempting to surmise our own time! Reminds me of the 1st story in Miracle Man #1 published by Eclipse Comics, which started not with the actual first modern story written by Alan Moore and exquisitely drawn by Garry Leach but one of Mick Anglo’s stories, as tweaked by Moore, in which the Miracle Family of the 1950s travel in time to the 1980s! Yep, Anglo’s guessing of what life might be like even 30 years in the future was hilariously way off! And now we’re even further ahead in time from the ’80s than that first issues of MM was from the ’50s. At least we’re still here to write about it.
As the kids say, this was a good yarn. A tale well-told. Englehart’s story has real legs and the power to run and carry itself into the wilder corners of Doctor Strange’s universe without falling down or succumbing to plot holes or leaps in logic. Brunner’s pencils, as embellished by the Crusty Bunkers is exquisite, even if you can tell when one inker takes over for another, and the whole book is a pleasure to read. Brunner’s run on Doctor Strange still remains my favorite up until Chris Bachalo took over the book in 2015 and had a colossal effect on my own nascent abilities as an artist in 1973.
All that being said, I missed these issues of Marvel Premier, not latching onto the Englehart/Brunner version of Doctor Strange until the beginnings of his own solo title. Being able to read these stories now; stories I never knew existed, is like finding a long unopened Christmas present under the couch. A wonderful surprise. Thanks, Alan.
Interesting story, but I still think “Finally, Shuma-Gorath!” was the best in this title, with Dr. Strange #5’s “Cloak and Dagger” a second runner up.
Brunner’s solo cover art is a bit wobbly here, whereas he was stabilised by Adams, Giordano, and company’s interior inks.
I still think “sorcerer supreme” sounds like an offering from Domino’s pizza.
I didn’t get any of this run until the TPB came out. I was therefore baffled by the line “Sise-Neg Is Genesis” when it was quoted in a Marvel calendar from a year or two later. But yes, it’s a heck of yarn.
In response to your post on Marvel Premiere # 12, I mentioned that Gardner Fox had used Cagliostro in the Silver Age Hawkman book. It appears he used him in the Hawkman strip in Flash Comics in the Golden Age as well (https://babblingsaboutdccomics4.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/flash-82-the-flash-helps-a-man-with-two-identities-and-hawkman-deals-with-the-cloak-of-cagliostro/). I think Fox also used him in at least one of his historical novels.
I wonder if this wasn’t a concept Fox planned on using if he had remained on the series that Englehart re-purposed? Englehart often has talked about being influenced by John Broome, but this does seem like a “shout out” to Fox.
A bit off the track, a magician form the future is actually a John Broome concept, anyway.
This was the first Dr. Strange book I read at the time, while still in High School. I later went back and collected all the previous 6 or 7 of this run, Shuma-Gorath and all. So concerning the art; I’m always in the camp that Barry Smith’s exposition, composition and attention to detail is tops. But Brunner really comes awfully close here. The use of vibrant, brilliant colors, the pacing, the posing it’s all top notch. The perspective too, like Cagliostro on that high perch or looking down at the streets of Paris. Incredible! I agree too that the cameo of the monster/villan in Cagliostro’s home could’ve used a few more panels. Wow! As for Englehart’s script I see it as one of his finest and that’s saying a lot cause he turned out quality work over and over again. Not just talking about the ebb and flow of time but showing it in that sequence where Doc sees things repeated. The idea of magical energy as some sort of finite amount to divvy up is a bit hokey,, yeah, but it serves the plot here perfectly. I always loved Englehart’s take on Doc’s personality too, spouting out how he is the “Sorcerer Supreme!” and being taken aback that Mordo could have been wrested away, from one as powerful as him. Love the ‘tude. All in all I am glad providence or karma or maybe Sise_Neg? led me to pick up this issue years ago!
The ebb and flow of time, likened to fluid eddies, currents, etc. was explored in Harlan Ellison’s script for the much-celebrated Star Trek episode, “City on the Edge of Forever” in 1967. I’m sure Englehart (and probably everyone else in the comics industry of that time) had seen it.
It strikes me that, in those days before “writing for the trade” became a thing, these comics were able to cover a LOT of ground in a relatively low page count. There have been times when I’ve read a 20-page story and not really had a clue that anything of important had happened until I put it in the context of previous issues in the arc. (Brian Azzarello’s run on HELLBLAZER particularly used to drive me crazy that way.) But here, you get relatively tidy exposition, coupled with some really off-the-wall concepts and great characterization in a plot that shifts gears several times.