Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #46 Synopsis by
Rob Johnson
At the end of Infinity War #4 Captain America sent a bunch of mystics back from the energy relay planet to the home dimension to see what they could do about the Magus taking over the Earth, and he asked some telepaths to use Galactus' tech to try to wake Earth's populace from the trance Magus has them in. In #5 we saw the telepaths contacting Sleepwalker for help, and that plotline was continued in his #18.
Now we see Agatha Harkness (and her cat Ebony, who's looking strangely white), Dr Druid, Dr Strange, Scarlet Witch and Shaman materialise in New York surrounded by immobile, insensate folk. Shaman detects no breathing or heartbeats. Dr Druid sees 1 woman who was about to be run over by a car (also now frozen). He wants to move her but his Celtic ritual has no effect. Shaman's magic dust doesn't reanimate her. Celtic spells work best with 3 casters so Agatha joins in but can detect no brain activity. DrS tries to see into her soul and detects some other force helping her fight against the evil that engulfs the world. They also see 2 Moons merging in the night sky, and Miss Harkness senses a 2nd Earth merging with this 1. In truth 2 whole universes are merging, and when it's finished Magus and his Doppelganger army will have complete control.
Then Sleepwalker turns up. Stephen Strange remembers him as an alien visitor/exile who he met during the Infinity Gauntlet event. But Shaman instinctively attacks and Sleepy strikes back. Agatha cautions Scarlet Witch not to join in because she senses no evil in him, but Strange puts up a Shield Of The Seraphim to protect Michael Twoyoungmen. He then questions the alien but he's suspicious and unforthcoming. DrS accuses him of being a minion of Nightmare but Sleepwalker says he fought that being (in his #12), and the Eye Of Agamotto tells Stephen this is true and he urges his companions to trust this guy.
Sleepwalker explains what's been happening. He says his human host has also fallen into stasis (but he doesn't tell them the name Rick Sheridan). Miss H suggests that he might be able to help Prof X and his telepaths, but DrS has realised that they are already working together and it was Sleepwalker he detected in the woman above's mind. Sleepy confirms that he is a conduit for the powers of Jean Grey, Moondragon, Prof X and Psylocke, and that they are trying to free Earth's population from the control of Magus. He came here to investigate why the 5 mystics weren't entranced, but now he returns to the mental task he has been set.
Stephen suspects that this will only be a delaying action and that they must soon return to the others to help defeat the Magus himself. But 1st he wants to check on his wife Clea and other friends at his Greenwich Sanctum. The others follow him there. Outside he sees Wong and his fiancee Imei Chang frozen returning from shopping. Dr Druid uses the spare key Strange gave him (during/after IG) and opens the front door. This is peculiar because there are protective spells that should have needed bypassing 1st ...
... and then a horde of demons rushes out at them, through the doorway and also smashing through windows. The mystics fight back, including Agatha Harkness whose spell proves the most effective of all. DrS thinks he recognises the foes and wonders if the Sa'rpool in the basement has broken open, but they don't seem like Undying Ones or N'Garai (see #41 and DrS(1974)#45). These are all minor demons and it is only their numbers which are a problem.
But then their master makes an entrance claiming to be the real Dr Strange, Master Of The Mystic Arts, dressed like the 'superhero' Strange from DrS vol 1 #177-183. They assume he's 1 of the Magus' Doppelgangers using Strange's old title (and look) rather than his current Sorcerer Supreme. The enemy sends a new wave of demons at them and when Stephen evades them to attack him directly he threatens Imei and Wong with the Sword Of The Ultimate Shadow (never seen before or since). Stephen swoops down to take the blow on his Seraphimic Shield but the magical shock knocks him out. And his companions are all down too.