Synopsis
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #54 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
Dr Strange senses that there is yet a 3rd act to be added to the Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity War events, and he asks the Orb Of Agamotto to show him the source of his unease. He sees the Goddess (in the golden armour she donned in Infinity Crusade #1) and his mystic senses tell him that she may be more powerful than even Thanos and Magus from those earlier conflicts. He fears that to defeat her he may need to regain his status as Sorcerer Supreme, which the Vishanti deprived him of (#48-49) because he refused to abandon Earth to go help them fight the Trinity Of Ashes (part of the War Of The 7 Spheres).
He still has the spells he learned as Master Of The Mystic Arts (and some artefacts like the Orb) and he now uses them to go to the Vishanti to petition them for his powers back (if only for the duration of the IC event). But he ends up in a cosmic war zone with Agamotto, Hoggoth and Oshtur battling the Trinity Of Ashes (Grief-Savour, Mother Of Pain and Ygmlosvorraich). Stephen Strange realises he can't distract the Vishanti with his request. Indeed it's all he can do to get out of here alive, and hope that the bigger War doesn't affect Earth's universe.
So he decides to take his plea to Eternity. He retraces the route the Ancient One showed him (in Strange Tales #137-138) by commanding his Amulet Of Agamotto to expand into a portal through which he can pass. But that time he had the blessing of the Ancient One, and this time the new dimension treats him as an intruder and its 'golden tentacles' attack him. The small stars which guided him then now attack him too and invade his mind to drive him mad. But he overcomes all this and makes his way to another portal shaped like the Amulet which he knows will take him to his goal. But even here the portal tries to eat him as he hurls himself through it. As before he enters another space with a point of light which expands into an avatar of Eternity.
On that 1st meeting Eternity bade Strange keep silent, but this time the mage speaks out to tell him of the threat he senses from the Goddess. Eternity explains that his rule of silence is because he already knows anything a mortal could tell him. He says he is already aware of the Goddess and she is beneath his notice (as he told Adam Warlock in IC#1). He doesn't even get involved in the War Of The 7 Spheres. But now Dr Strange piques his interest by challenging him to a duel. If DrS wins Eternity will transport him to the Goddess. If he loses then he will be swallowed up by Eternity. The cosmic being appreciates the sacrifice the human is willing to make and agrees. But he won't fight him himself but provide a champion ...
... Dr Strange's mentor the Ancient One. However this is a much younger Ancient One from long before he knew Stephen, and he attacks believing Strange to be an enemy of Eternity. Of course Stephen can't bring himself to use his full (but reduced) might against his friend while the AO has no such compunctions, and won't listen to any explanations which he considers lies. Eventually Strange hits on a desperate plan. Taking some energy from his shields he plucks some shards of time from Eternity and hurls them at his opponent. They pass through the Ancient One's own shields and enter him. Ageing him to the man who knows Stephen as his pupil.
Stephen is glad to see his (now-dead) mentor again even for the brief moments before Eternity sends him back to his own time. Eternity decides not to send DrS to the Goddess (or not exactly) nor to restore his Sorcerer Supreme powers. Instead he gives him a vision of what the Goddess intends (but we don't see it). Strange is shocked and pleads for Eternity's help to stop it. Instead (again) he sends Stephen back home with all memory of what he learned this issue erased.
We see him in his Greenwich Village Sanctum standing before the Orb Of Agamotto and wondering what he was going to consult it about. But then the Goddess appears to him (so Eternity did what he was asked for, sort of) and invites him to join her righteous Infinity Crusade. (Which from IC#1 we know he does.)
Story 2: And now ... Centaurion
Script/pencils/inks Geoff Isherwood. Letters Diana Albers.
In our Annual #3 a minor young criminal Kyllian Boddicker (of Irish descent) was given powers (and tattoos) and a Druidic staff by the Celtic gods Cernunnos, Morrigan and Taranis. Dr Strange noticed and took him on as an apprentice. Now Strange is away and Kyllian's going stir-crazy. He tells Wong he's going out to settle some unfinished business (with the gang he used to belong to who killed his sister).
Meanwhile on Mount Olympus Bellona, Goddess Of War, also seeks some action to possibly get 1 up on Ares who (as usual) hasn't fared well against Thor (in his #462). She gets an omen from Sybilla and goes to consult the seeress who tells her about Kyllian and his relation to the Celtic gods. Bellona reminds us that the Romans adopted the Greek pantheon under new names but (in the Marvel universe) it was the Olympians who aided the Romans against such enemies as the Celts. Bellona decides to send her champion to Earth to kill Kyllian ...
... and he's suddenly faced with an armoured centaur who calls himself the Centaurion.