View Full Version : Does Doctor Strange belong in the New Avengers?
Alpha Male
10-01-2007, 07:16 PM
I don't like the way Strange is being portrayed in the New Avengers. He's being written as a rank amateur rather than a sorcerer supreme. I don't see none of his classic spells like Flames of Faltine, Crimson Bands of Cytorrak, Bolts of Bishu, etc. Dr. Strange by right should be the most powerful member of the New Avengers. This character as written by Bendis is not Dr. Strange.
Monty_Cristo
10-01-2007, 07:25 PM
shouldn't the question be, "Is Doctor Strange belong in a Bendis-written Avengers?" i'm sure there are writers who are capable of making this cool.
It's been said many times, but Dr. Strange is SOO powerful that it's almost a given you will have to downplay his power, especially in a team book setting. He can literally overcome just about any threat with a wave of his hand... and that makes him a fairly unusuable character unless you tone him down.
Green Gardner
10-01-2007, 07:37 PM
Well sure he belongs. After all, the Sorcerer Supreme is gravely concerned by street crime. Otherwise, he's not getting any.
nuclearman
10-01-2007, 07:45 PM
I think so ... I think he works well in the Avengers .. I think the Avengers have missed having a mystic in their ranks since the scarlet witch's demise.
Alan2099
10-01-2007, 07:47 PM
He fits into the Avengers, but that doesn't mean Bendis is able to actually get anything right with the idea.
DaeJi
10-01-2007, 07:53 PM
Dr. Strange can be written well and still keep his powers, it's just that against the threats the New Avengers are facing he is a bit much if he's not being downplayed. I think setting up limits to magic, like in The Oath, helps out a lot in that.
Or he's a Skrull.
Anyway, no, he should defiantly not be in the New Avengers.
40yearoldnovafan
10-01-2007, 08:02 PM
I absolutely love Dr. Strange as a character. And I would love for him to have his own book. I do not think he belongs in the Avengers. They will continue to downplay his powers in books like Avengers and World War Hulk. He can literally beat anyone easily.
He needs to protect us from things that go bump in the night. HE NEEDS HIS OWN TITLE. Or at least another limited series.
Jimmy
Will.S
10-01-2007, 08:08 PM
I don't like the way Strange is being portrayed in the New Avengers. He's being written as a rank amateur rather than a sorcerer supreme. I don't see none of his classic spells like Flames of Faltine, Crimson Bands of Cytorrak, Bolts of Bishu, etc. Dr. Strange by right should be the most powerful member of the New Avengers. This character as written by Bendis is not Dr. Strange.
If there's any other reason as to why he isn't written as powerfully as before (other than maybe being a skrull) it's because it would defeat the purpose of it being a team book if he does everything for them or is shown to be too overpowering.
I understand it's very weird for Dr. Strange to not show his usual spells, it's raised my eyebrow at least more than once but I'm seeing that he's being used in a way that keeps him grounded with the team at least with tactics like stealth, illusion casting, transportation/teleportation etc.
I thought it was odd to see him on the team and I really disliked his inclusion without having seen his interaction with the team but it's pretty cool so far. This is a great way to have him on a monthly ongoing with his supporting characters as well as acting as an extension from The Oath. Hopefully we'll see the trademark stuff later.
Green Gardner
10-01-2007, 08:29 PM
In all seriousness, yeah I'm glad he's on the team. I mean don't get me wrong. I am constantly annoyed by how his powers are being written, and frankly think that just reflects weak writing. I get that Strange is too powerful for street level, but the fact that it's inconvenient for a particular kind of story isn't a good excuse to pretend those powers don't exist. If you don't think you can use a character at the levels at which they've been well established, don't use them. Downplaying is one thing. I can understand Bendis forgetting about, or even choosing to ignore one particular aspect, like auto shields, and so yes, I'd perhaps be inclined to accept Maya cheap shotting him with a sword. But Strange should not be concerned about a bunch of freaking NINJAS to begin with. Ever.
That said, I like how the CHARACTER is being written, and think he adds something positive to the overall group dynamic. If nothing else, I love the Sanctum Sanctorum setting. And as annoying as I may find it, I will continue to stomach the gimping of his powers as a price of that character driven contribution to the book. And hell, like Will S. says, at least this way we SEE the guy consistently doing something more interesting than jobbing to the Hulk.
Shyft
10-01-2007, 08:36 PM
i like him, but at the moment if he was taken out of NA and Cloak was added in, and the NA moved into Iron Fists Rand Tower, Dr. Strange's major benefits to the team would be more or less negated. Would be good to see some more action from him.
But then that is not to forget his magic so far, the Sanctum, the purity spell, the sleeping spells whilst fighting, helping Echo overcome her mind-washing, using his Astral Form to infiltrate the Raft...It may not be the Crimson Bands of Cytorak, but he IS doing his bit.
Jinxer
10-01-2007, 08:49 PM
They're making Doctor Strange more Doctor and less Strange.
Kirk G
10-01-2007, 09:22 PM
I think we could learn alot by looking at what happened when Publisher Martin Goodwin spun off the splilt books in about 1968 and launched Hulk, Subby, Iron Man, Cap, Nick Fury and Dr. Strange in their own books. The most successful ones were the ones that had an iconic standing, and those who rode the coat-tails of their co-book supporters.
That would account for the "success" of Captain America and Iron Man, also Hulk and Submariner. However, Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD survived only as long as Steranko was drawing it, and once he left, it immediately tanked.
Looking at Dr. Strange, it was almost immediately apparant that they were short an artist, but the pairing of Tom Palmer and Gene Colan not only was pleasing, but also wasn't strong enough to carry the book. Plus, they had to try and inject elements of the superhero into his book by adding a mask, changing his name and changing the masthead to Dr. Strange. Even with all of that, it couldn't support him.
It was years later that someone tried again, and somewhat successfully, to spin another Doctor Strange series. And t hat was after Colan had scored with the Dracula stories as well...
Monty_Cristo
10-01-2007, 09:37 PM
Ian McNee should be a New Avenger. he's a little more down-to-earth/less of a powerhouse.
Jinxer
10-01-2007, 09:44 PM
Ian McNee should be a New Avenger. he's a little more down-to-earth/less of a powerhouse.
you know... I'm LOVING that idea.
EnDwiGast
10-01-2007, 10:55 PM
Doctor Strange is one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes and deserves to be on a team like that.
If instead of being Earth's Mightiest Heroes the title wants to go in the direction of fringe characters they hope people will like if they are included on a well selling team book - then by all means Doctor Strange should be set free and people like Ian McNee should be signed up.
;)
Kyle_Ion
10-01-2007, 11:06 PM
it would be nice if they gave Dr Strange to a really good writer and artist and then they give Dr Strange is own ongoing series where he can use his powers and abilities and knowlege to there fullest potential.
Erik Lehnsherr
10-01-2007, 11:07 PM
It would be funny if they had him job out to one of Spider-Man's enemies or something.
EnDwiGast
10-01-2007, 11:08 PM
it would be nice if they gave Dr Strange to a really good writer and artist and then they give Dr Strange is own ongoing series where he can use his powers and abilities and knowlege to there fullest potential.
I'd like to see that too. But I think that they'd have to find a writer who could really carry a series like that, and one who would commit to writing the series long term. Otherwise we are better off with limited series.
I'm of two minds about this. Dr. Strange is my favorite Marvel character because he's just so unlike the usual superhero crowd and his own storylines tend to be incredibly weird and arcane. When he's in his own series, or at least in his own element (facing mystical threats, not freaking ninjas), he is a terrific character. I'm always happy to see Strange being used when he's written well. Unfortunately, I just don't think that he belongs in a superhero book because he is so utterly NOT a superhero.
As a Doc. fan, I'm delighted to see him in a regular title because it's been a long time since he had his own book. Strange works best in his own book, (though I'll be the first to admit that it's hard to keep consistent quality in his own book. He's had some truly dire storylines, and needs a writer who both understands the Marvel magical universe AND is able to write decent plots.)
On the other hand, I'm quite dismayed by the way that Bendis has been portraying him in NAs. He's doing a good job with Strange's personality, but he is depowering the character to the point of uselessness just so that he can include him in the book.
Everyone constantly says that Strange is too powerful to use in regular (superhero) titles because he can just solve everything with a bit of hand-wavy magic. Well... yes, this is frequently (but not always) true, which is why I think that he shouldn't be used in a superhero book. It forces the writers to have to disable or detour the character somehow. Some writers do this better than others. Bendis is particularly horrible about it in NAs. He is making some basic, and really egregious errors, like "Wah, my Cloak doesn't work!" or 'forgetting' to use utterly basic things like the Eye of Agamotto (which would have prevented the team from being lured into a trap, or which could instantly detect Skrulls, etc.). Dude, unless the Skrulls stole the Eye of Agamotto back in Illuminati #1, there is no reason why Strange wouldn't be using that amulet all of the time. (And even at that, if the Skrulls stole it, there is no reason why Agamotto himself hasn't simply taken it away from them and given it back to Strange, but I digress.)
I strongly suspect that we're going to see even more of this sort of depowering, since Bendis is going to incorporate what happened to Strange in WWH into the NAs Annual. [And by the way, since when is Dr. Strange unable to do magic if his hands are crushed? I think not! This seems to be yet another way to cripple and depower the character to make him easier for superhero writers to work with.]
So it's a dilemma. Strange is a terrific character. Writers want to use him and fans want to see him, but when you put him in a superhero title over a long stretch, it just doesn't work. I completely buy the stated logic for Strange being on the NA team. He felt guilty about staying out of the Civil War, so now he wants to make amends by helping out those in need. That is utterly in character for him. I could even accept that he's holding back on the 'big' magic because he's dealing with non-mystical foes (though this has never been stated and is simply my own rationalization of why he's acting like such a weakling novice). But I simply cannot accept nonsense like, "My Cloak doesn't work!" Why not? Did it get scared?
I think that part of the problem here is the incredibly slow presentation of events that are, per their internal timeline, actually happening over a period of just a few days. The NA storyline may be unfolding over only a few days or weeks, but we as readers have been witnessing Strange acting like a weak novice for months. Plus, I suspect that much of the rationale for how he is acting has not yet been told because it would spoil things like the end of the Illuminati series or WWH, or whatever the heck Marvel is planning in their upcoming magic 'event'. All of those factors become meaningless after a couple of years once the trades are published, but for readers who are following the story now, it is infuriating to see the 'effect' before the 'cause'. Heaven knows I love intricate storytelling and long term story arcs and plotting... but not when the story in the monthly books suffer. As a reader, I shouldn't have to wonder if the reason that Strange has been depicted as such a weak character for the last few months is because of something that Marvel simply hasn't gotten around to publishing yet.
In the Marvel Tarot book, there was mention that 'magic is broken' (was this the usual Marvel hyberole or an oblique reference to Strange's crushed hands?) and that the "Magician" character (the Sorcerer Supreme) is almost always Strange, but sometimes is Ian McNee. Who knows? Perhaps Marvel is getting ready to give Strange the boot for a bit and let some new, less powerful character step up and play Sorcerer Supreme, at least for a while. Tearing apart the old guard does seem to be the in thing at Marvel these days. Since lesser powered magical beings work better in a superhero series, it would have made more sense for Bendis to use someone like McNee as a regular character, rather than Strange. He wouldn't have had to artificially turn Strange into a novice-level magic user. But then... We wouldn't have Strange at all, and that would make me sad, too.
The Scribe
10-02-2007, 01:33 PM
No, maybe for an issue, not as a memeber.
The New Avengers need a better line-up and a new artist.
Finch. :D
I personally think that Doctor Strange works quite well in NA. He's powerfull and versitile enough to be their ace in the hole when seriously big opponents turn up, but unlike say, the Sentry, he's not invunerable.
Shellhead
10-02-2007, 01:45 PM
People either don't remember or don't realize that Doctor Strange had to be downplayed in the original Defenders series. Otherwise, he should have been able to handle nearly every situation himself, especially without having to cope with Hulk's temper tantrums.
In a typical Defenders story, Strange would identify a threat, teleport or otherwise transport the team there, scan things with the Eye of Agamatto and then explain what was going on. After that, he would mostly hover with his Cloak of Levitation and blast things with Bolts of Bedevilment. Sometimes plot devices would be used to explain why he wasn't doing more... like Doc getting knocked out, or gagged, or his hands were entangled, stuff like that. He only got to do more than that when the plot needed something extra to move things along.
So on the one hand, it makes sense that Bendis is relying on gimmicks to tone Doc down, especially for such a low-powered team. On the other hand, the way he is doing it is sometimes disrespectful to the character, which raises a basic question: why bother including Doctor Strange on this team? Fans of his will be annoyed, while non-fans will remain unimpressed.
Monty_Cristo
10-02-2007, 04:38 PM
Doctor Strange is one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes and deserves to be on a team like that.
If instead of being Earth's Mightiest Heroes the title wants to go in the direction of fringe characters they hope people will like if they are included on a well selling team book - then by all means Doctor Strange should be set free and people like Ian McNee should be signed up.
;)
Spider-man or Wolverine? ;)
Will.S
10-02-2007, 05:08 PM
So on the one hand, it makes sense that Bendis is relying on gimmicks to tone Doc down, especially for such a low-powered team. On the other hand, the way he is doing it is sometimes disrespectful to the character, which raises a basic question: why bother including Doctor Strange on this team? Fans of his will be annoyed, while non-fans will remain unimpressed.
I don't think he's using Dr. Strange to intentionally piss off fans though.
He's basically using his own take on Strange that is both new (such as using a new type of language for various spells) and at the same time tries to stay consistent with the last Brian Vaughan mini series by Brian Vaughan.
There's also the issue of accessibility for new readers, not everyone knows every single thing that Dr. Strange can do so while people with hardcore knowledge may groan about certain inconsistencies, new readers still understand that he has vulnerabilities and isn't infallible even with such powerful magic.
Capt USA
10-02-2007, 05:52 PM
I don't think he's using Dr. Strange to intentionally piss off fans though.
He's basically using his own take on Strange that is both new (such as using a new type of language for various spells) and at the same time tries to stay consistent with the last Brian Vaughan mini series by Brian Vaughan.
There's also the issue of accessibility for new readers, not everyone knows every single thing that Dr. Strange can do so while people with hardcore knowledge may groan about certain inconsistencies, new readers still understand that he has vulnerabilities and isn't infallible even with such powerful magic.
but part of the reason that hardcore fans are complaining is because it's not really dr strange being portrayed. Strange is being totally weakened to continue a story line, as mentioned the eye of agammato(sp) is being completly ignored, it would be like a version of captain america without his shield.
Rockscissorspaper
10-02-2007, 06:47 PM
Bendis can't write Strange. One issue he can teleport mofos across the world then in another he can't stop a plane from crashing. The Sorcerer Supreme can't stop a plane from crashing.:rolleyes: And his cloak wouldn't allow him to fly????(not that Strange needs his cloak to fly...)
Strange needs his own series following him and 4 other mages as they keep earth save from supernatural threats. Throw in a dozen or so trainees. I can easily think up years worth of stories.
Will.S
10-02-2007, 07:11 PM
but part of the reason that hardcore fans are complaining is because it's not really dr strange being portrayed. Strange is being totally weakened to continue a story line, as mentioned the eye of agammato(sp) is being completly ignored, it would be like a version of captain america without his shield.
Your comparison about Cap without a shield doesn't hold up with Strange because as long as Dr. Strange still uses magic (in any form) he's not crippled. Since he has a wide variety of magic spells that can be conjured up at any time he doesn't have to solely rely on the established ones and can maintain a fluid more contemporary style.
While I agree that Dr. Strange is written to better suit or sell the story/scene he's in on New Avengers as long as he's doing something else I'm cool. Sure Dr. Strange could have used the Eye of Agamotto instead of the "Pure intention" & "Heart's desire" spells which does the same exact thing as the eye but also has some neat results.
Monty_Cristo
10-02-2007, 07:47 PM
Bendis can't write Strange. One issue he can teleport mofos across the world then in another he can't stop a plane from crashing. The Sorcerer Supreme can't stop a plane from crashing.:rolleyes: And his cloak wouldn't allow him to fly????(not that Strange needs his cloak to fly...)
ees a skrull!
Capt USA
10-02-2007, 08:18 PM
Your comparison about Cap without a shield doesn't hold up with Strange because as long as Dr. Strange still uses magic (in any form) he's not crippled. Since he has a wide variety of magic spells that can be conjured up at any time he doesn't have to solely rely on the established ones and can maintain a fluid more contemporary style.
While I agree that Dr. Strange is written to better suit or sell the story/scene he's in on New Avengers as long as he's doing something else I'm cool. Sure Dr. Strange could have used the Eye of Agamotto instead of the "Pure intention" & "Heart's desire" spells which does the same exact thing as the eye but also has some neat results.
cap without his shield can still fight, and in times when he hasn't had his normal shield, the reason has almost always been referenced, which is kind of my point. I'm perfectly fine with depowering him, but as many have mentioned, at least his staples should be used or given a reason why not (for a time strange was learning the dark arts and the entities who gave him his power wouldn't let him use them)
Will.S
10-02-2007, 10:14 PM
cap without his shield can still fight, and in times when he hasn't had his normal shield, the reason has almost always been referenced, which is kind of my point. I'm perfectly fine with depowering him, but as many have mentioned, at least his staples should be used or given a reason why not (for a time strange was learning the dark arts and the entities who gave him his power wouldn't let him use them)
Well not to imply that Cap is useless without his shield but Dr. Strange has a wider array of magical spells than Cap and his one shield which taking it away is kinda like taking off his left arm or something.
sorry - multi-post! I don't know how that happened.
Your comparison about Cap without a shield doesn't hold up with Strange because as long as Dr. Strange still uses magic (in any form) he's not crippled. Since he has a wide variety of magic spells that can be conjured up at any time he doesn't have to solely rely on the established ones and can maintain a fluid more contemporary style.
While I agree that Dr. Strange is written to better suit or sell the story/scene he's in on New Avengers as long as he's doing something else I'm cool. Sure Dr. Strange could have used the Eye of Agamotto instead of the "Pure intention" & "Heart's desire" spells which does the same exact thing as the eye but also has some neat results.
So long as Strange can do 'any' sort of magic then he's not crippled? Um...maybe, but he's no longer Sorcerer Supreme if he can't do his usual level of magic, is he? If he's reduced to being a character who can only read half-baked spells out of a book just to maybe see if someone is a Skrull, how is he even capable of fighting off a god-level threat like Dormammu? The sort of magic that Bendis is allowing Strange to use in NA is like something out of a Harry Potter novel, but hardly near "Sorcerer Supreme" level magic.
I wouldn't say that those two spells we've seen Strange perform do "exactly the same as the eye" or even anything close to what the Eye of Agamotto does -- which is why, I'm sure, that Bendis resorted to using those spells. Any miscellaneous Marvel magic user could have done those spells, so why is Bendis even bothering to use the Sorcerer Supreme?
The Eye grants Strange some virtually god-level abilities. It 'sees' through any illusion (amongst many other things), and allowing Strange to use it would pretty much nullify the whole 'who's-a-Skrull' mystery. Of course Bendis isn't going to use it because it would screw with his storyline. Those couple of spells he had Strange use were both pretty...but both had gigantic loopholes in them that would easily allow one or more of the NAs to still be a Skrull imposter. But, this isn't some obscure bit of Dr. Strange lore we're talking about here that Bendis could easily ignore. The Eye of Agamotto is as ubiquitous as Strange's Cloak of Levitation. He always has it with him and he relies on it all of the time. It would have been the very first thing that Strange would reach for in this situation he's in now. You don't have to be a 'hardcore' fan to know this. I understand why Bendis isn't referring to it, but at the same time, it's just such a basic part of the Sorcerer Supreme's powers and arsenel that without it, Strange is vastly reduced in scope. Bendis could just as easily have plugged in any number of other Marvel magic users and had them mumble some cute spell.
It's like using Spiderman in a story but stating that he can no longer use his webbing or climb buildings anymore, or using Wolverine but saying that he no longer has adamantium bones or claws. What's the point?
Wonder Dude
10-03-2007, 01:22 PM
I agree that Strange hasn't been used to his potential, generally poorly written and that the Eye of Agamotto would have detected skrulls. (He probably used it unshown and unremarked.) He still had to put on a show to convince the rest that they were not fakes.
Mikl C
10-03-2007, 01:35 PM
Strange needs an ongoing. Or a mystic marvel book would work well.
He shouldn't have time to waste fighting ninjas.
Kyle_Ion
10-03-2007, 04:21 PM
Strange needs an ongoing. Or a mystic marvel book would work well.
He shouldn't have time to waste fighting ninjas.
I agree completely Dr Strange has other things to worry about like Dormammu and others like him, to stop them from invading the realm that earth is in.
I agree completely Dr Strange has other things to worry about like Dormammu and others like him, to stop them from invading the realm that earth is in.
I'm sure if Dormammu had been attacking earth while the New Avengers had to save Echo, Strange would have dealt with that instead.
But things seemingly have been fairly quiet on that front. And fighting those ninjas did actually reveal something pretty darn important, so it's not like Strange was wasting his time.
40yearoldnovafan
10-03-2007, 06:10 PM
Here's the thing. Dr Strange is one of my top five characters. I tend to like heroes who are not the most popular (Nova, Cyclops, Dr Strange, Captain America). On the one hand, I am happy is in the Avengers because we would not see him on a regular basis. He would be here one year and gone the next. Obviously Bendis likes him enough to include him in the New Avengers. And, again, I am happy the good Doctor is not in limbo.
However, you've all expressed the same concerns with the doc in a team book like this. He could cast a spell and wipe the floor with anyone. I mean really, should the Hulk have had a chance against him.
I remember the old Avenger days when Thor was around. He would not be around for the smaller missions - he was just too powerful. He always had a reason to be gone. Now we have Stephen, who is on a completely different level. What do you do with him if you want him around.
I guess you de-power him. Maybe by having him use Zom's power, the magic community will be upset enough to lessen his abilities. For example, Agamoto may not loan his powers to Stephen anymore.
Jimmy
Here's the thing. Dr Strange is one of my top five characters. I tend to like heroes who are not the most popular (Nova, Cyclops, Dr Strange, Captain America). On the one hand, I am happy is in the Avengers because we would not see him on a regular basis. He would be here one year and gone the next. Obviously Bendis likes him enough to include him in the New Avengers. And, again, I am happy the good Doctor is not in limbo.
However, you've all expressed the same concerns with the doc in a team book like this. He could cast a spell and wipe the floor with anyone. I mean really, should the Hulk have had a chance against him.
I remember the old Avenger days when Thor was around. He would not be around for the smaller missions - he was just too powerful. He always had a reason to be gone. Now we have Stephen, who is on a completely different level. What do you do with him if you want him around.
I guess you de-power him. Maybe by having him use Zom's power, the magic community will be upset enough to lessen his abilities. For example, Agamoto may not loan his powers to Stephen anymore.
Jimmy
I think temporarily depowering him isn't a bad option. Since he's a character that relies largely on external sources for power, it's potentially belieavable enough. And he has been in similiar situations before.
Strange is a very intelligent man, and even a fairly skilled fighter h2h. Depowering him a bit and allowing him to demonstrate his value to the team beyond his sheer raw power might be a nice chance of pace.
He can and likely will return to his uber power levels the next time some major magical threat pops up.
Will.S
10-03-2007, 09:52 PM
So long as Strange can do 'any' sort of magic then he's not crippled? Um...maybe, but he's no longer Sorcerer Supreme if he can't do his usual level of magic, is he? If he's reduced to being a character who can only read half-baked spells out of a book just to maybe see if someone is a Skrull, how is he even capable of fighting off a god-level threat like Dormammu? The sort of magic that Bendis is allowing Strange to use in NA is like something out of a Harry Potter novel, but hardly near "Sorcerer Supreme" level magic.
There's 2 types of answers to this:
1) Dr. Strange has already proven many a time that he's the Sorceror Supreme, he doesn't just stop being SS because he doesn't whip out his usual spells or isn't dealing with as epic a threat as Dormammu. I think we all saw how he does with stuff like that recently in World War Hulk anyway and from what I hear Bendis is going to address the whole Zom deal.
2) For new readers, Dr. Strange is basically doing a whole lot of magic stuff so he's pulling his weight and gets across that he's one of their power house guys that can save the NA in a pinch.
I wouldn't say that those two spells we've seen Strange perform do "exactly the same as the eye" or even anything close to what the Eye of Agamotto does -- which is why, I'm sure, that Bendis resorted to using those spells. Any miscellaneous Marvel magic user could have done those spells, so why is Bendis even bothering to use the Sorcerer Supreme?
The Eye grants Strange some virtually god-level abilities. It 'sees' through any illusion (amongst many other things), and allowing Strange to use it would pretty much nullify the whole 'who's-a-Skrull' mystery. Of course Bendis isn't going to use it because it would screw with his storyline. Those couple of spells he had Strange use were both pretty...but both had gigantic loopholes in them that would easily allow one or more of the NAs to still be a Skrull imposter. But, this isn't some obscure bit of Dr. Strange lore we're talking about here that Bendis could easily ignore. The Eye of Agamotto is as ubiquitous as Strange's Cloak of Levitation. He always has it with him and he relies on it all of the time. It would have been the very first thing that Strange would reach for in this situation he's in now. You don't have to be a 'hardcore' fan to know this. I understand why Bendis isn't referring to it, but at the same time, it's just such a basic part of the Sorcerer Supreme's powers and arsenel that without it, Strange is vastly reduced in scope. Bendis could just as easily have plugged in any number of other Marvel magic users and had them mumble some cute spell.
It's like using Spiderman in a story but stating that he can no longer use his webbing or climb buildings anymore, or using Wolverine but saying that he no longer has adamantium bones or claws. What's the point?
The point in having him there is because he's the resident go to guy for magic in the MU. He's obviously powerful enough to pull of practically any spell without questioning how, and his recent mini was so good that people want to see more of the character which includes Bendis who liked The Oath and wants to continue with that.
It's kind of hard to go to a magic user as cool as Strange and would have the same benefits he does, especially after seeing the Mystic Arcana books which are totally awesome but only Ian McNee is the next best thing and MA still has one more book to go.
While I'm not going to disagree with some of your points and they are legitimate ones at that, your already know the obvious answer as to why he doesn't use the Eye. As odd as it really is, Bendis doesn't want to use a quick solve answer to a long term sub-plot. Like you said, if Dr. Strange used the Eye of Agamotto it would have revealed the Skrull sub-plot in a less dramatic way than the way we saw it play out with Elektra but Brian creates similar spells anyway. You also have to think about the alternative, while the spells might not be as powerful as the Eye it would have been worse if he used it and it didn't reveal Spider-Woman's true nature which is still in question because that undermined the Eye's effectiveness.
Spider-Man mentions sleeper cells in the latest issue and I think we got a clue when she was holding her neck throughout the spellcasting. The second time he casts the other spell, she wasn't there for it so the lingering doubt keeps it interesting. It depends on the person, some will accept that there's going to be allowances made for him to work with the story, others won't be able to let it go as easily although I fall somewhere in the middle.
Although I'm still very much glad that hes on the team and prefer for him to stay for the long run.
thronzeblast
10-05-2007, 09:32 PM
This is just my oponion but I think they just put him on the team because let's be honest here if not for strange ironman would have had the new avenger's captured or in jail a long time ago.I difference in power without strange being there is too great.That being said i dont like strange fighting ninja's and having trouble stopping a plane from crashing.
Kyle_Ion
10-05-2007, 10:16 PM
This is just my oponion but I think they just put him on the team because let's be honest here if not for strange ironman would have had the new avenger's captured or in jail a long time ago.I difference in power without strange being there is too great.That being said i dont like strange fighting ninja's and having trouble stopping a plane from crashing.
I agree, I think that if it wasn't for strange they the avengers would be in trouble, so the avengers owe there freedom to strange and the avengers would be wise to stay on his good side or he just might remove his protection that they have.
Babylon23
10-10-2007, 06:46 PM
I have no problem with Strange being on an Avengers team. I've always thought the Sorcerer Supreme should serve as one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
I just don't think he's right for this team. Strange is incredibly powerful, and if you're going to have him on a team, then the threats should be so great that he can't win by himself. Putting him on a team that battles ninjas is a waste, and Bendis has shown that it really doesn't work all that well.
Now, there's always the option of depowering him, but I don't see the point. If power is an issue then find a less powerful mage and use them instead. De-powering Strange just to fit him into the NA team seems like bad writing to me, unless a good explanation is provided.
Having Strange serve in a similar capacity to the way Thor was used is a good idea. Bring him in when the threats are big enough to warrant his appearance, then have him off fighting demons in other dimensions when the team is battling ninjas and the like.
This is just my oponion but I think they just put him on the team because let's be honest here if not for strange ironman would have had the new avenger's captured or in jail a long time ago.I difference in power without strange being there is too great.That being said i dont like strange fighting ninja's and having trouble stopping a plane from crashing.
That's as good a reason as any.
If Strange on the NA is really the only reason to keep the team from rotting away in prison, then it's definately a good idea to keep Strange on the team. There are only so many good stories you can have with the team behind bars.
vBulletin® v3.6.4, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.