Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #47 Synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Last issue Dr Strange, Sorcerer Supreme and 4 other mystics (Agatha Harkness plus cat Ebony, Dr Druid, Scarlet Witch and Shaman) were sent back to the home dimension to see what they could do about Magus putting Earth's population in stasis prior to merging the universe with a duplicate which he could then control. They met Sleepwalker who was working remotely with 4 telepaths (Jean Grey, Moondragon, Prof X and Psylocke) back on Galactus' spaceship in the distant dimension, who were working on waking the people up.
But then they went with Stephen Strange to check on Clea and others back in his Sanctum. And there they were attacked by a horde of minor demons working for someone who claimed to be Dr Strange, Master Of The Mystic Arts, and wearing the 'superhero' outfit from DrS vol 1 #177-183. They were all knocked out and now awake to find themselves inside the Sanctum ...
... where still unconscious Stephen is strung up on a stage and the others are mystically bound watching the floor show. The other Strange wakes him with a whip and reveals that he's actually the version from Counter-Earth created by the High Evolutionary on the opposite side of the Sun (Marvel Premiere #1 featuring Warlock). Stephen Strange's history unfolded there much as it did here except that Baron Mordo succeeded in killing the Ancient One, after which Dr Strange killed *him*. He studied the Ancient One's books but never learned how to travel to other dimensions and so never met folk like Dormammu and Nightmare. He donned the 'superhero' disguise as Necromancer, planning to conquer his world. Seeking more power he found a way to reach Eternity, but was easily defeated and absorbed. From within Eternity he watched as Counter-Earth was towed away (as explained in Marvel Two-In-One #63) and put in the Beyonders' museum. And then saw it destroyed by Thanos when he had the Infinity Gauntlet (as revealed in Warlock & Infinity Watch #4).
Nothing daunted Counter-Strange planned to conquer the main Earth if he could get free from Eternity. Which happened in Infinity War #5 when Galactus sent Gamora into Eternity to wake him from *his* Magus-caused coma. When Big G retrieved Gamora C-S managed to slip out with her, taking some of Eternity's mystic energy with him. He wound up in the dimension DrS visited in Strange Tales #133 where Stephen had helped Nazaka overcome her evil sister Shazana to rule the place. Counter-Stephen defeated them both and brought loads of demons from there with him to Earth. He entered DrS's Sanctum and found Stephen's Doppelganger there, and killed him. However he found that Strange's books and artefacts refused to work for him. So he mentally contacted Magus and offered his services. Magus agreed on condition that he killed the Sorcerer Supreme. (Our DrS realises that Magus will of course eliminate C-S once he's served his purpose.)
Counter-Strange strikes with the Vapours Of Valtorr, but our Strange twists that spell to cause a flash of light which appears to obliterate him and his companions but instead transports them (and some air) to an asteroid. Agatha Harkness is in a trance because her soul is in her familiar Ebony still on Earth, and Stephen intends to use that link to get them home again. But on Earth Ebony is running from rampaging demons and their 2 minds have become too confusingly tangled for Agatha to act as an anchor. Even as DrS senses a demon about to kill the cat he blind-jumps his team to Earth before their air runs out and saves the cat/witch combo.
Leaving the others to handle the demons DrS heads back to his Sanctum where he finds his bull-alien student Rintrah trapped in bands of mystic energy. He frees him but is rewarded with a magic blast. This is really a Doppelganger, and it was all a trap set by Counter-Strange who joins in the assault. And the Dop turns out to be a replacement DrS-Dop in magic disguise. But DrS successfully encase his Dop in solid energy. C-S flees out the window followed by DrS. C-S then unleashes his Eternity-energy. But it's too much for a mere mortal to handle and he explodes.
Stephen now rejoins the others, including Miss Harkness back to her normal self. They've rounded up all the demons and now Dr Strange sends them back to their own dimension. (He also intends to restore Nazaka to her throne again.) AH elects to stay on Earth to deal with any leftover demons. DrS creates a portal for himself and the others back to Galactus' ship for the showdown in IW#6.