Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #55 Synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Dr Strange is in the crowd of followers of the Goddess on Paradise Omega planet as she enters the cosmic egg she has created from 30 Cosmic Cubes and descends into the bowels of the planet (in Infinity Crusade #2). The assembled heroes are convinced of the rightness of her cause, but now that she has gone a part of Stephen Strange remembers that he considered her a threat last issue and went to seek Eternity's help (but that cosmic being refused and wiped what Strange learned about her from his memory). That part sends his astral body out of his mortal frame, and in that form he is free from Goddess' spell. He follows the egg down to the centre of the planet where he finds her in a secret sanctuary (as we also saw in IC#2).
Now DrS detects her thoughts spreading out and transforming Paradise Omega, guiding it through accelerated evolution (as the High Evolutionary did (in Marvel Premiere #1) to his Counter-Earth which used to occupy the orbit that Omega does now). Stephen witnesses the rise of humans from cavemen though the civilisations of Egypt, Greece and Rome to the discovery of new continents and religions and then to the Moon landing.
But Strange is drawn to a certain Himalayan monastery where he sees the Stephen Strange of this world asking the Ancient One to heal his damaged surgeon's hands. The story unfolds as on Earth with SS seeing the AO's disciple Baron Mordo asking Dormammu, ruler of the Dark Dimension, for help in killing his master. But this time Dormammu chooses Strange as his follower instead. SS accepts and is granted magic powers (and a costume). He kills the Ancient One and then all other major mystics on the planet. He achieves wealth and influence and prepares to bring Dormammu to this dimension.
However there is 1 last threat which needs to be dealt with, Goddess. A fight ensues which this Dr Strange seems incapable of winning. But our Strange's feeling that Goddess is secretly evil has grown so he merges his astral body with the new Strange to add his power. But at the last 2nd he realises that he's been duped. This new planet hasn't generated a 2nd Dark Dimension to go with it. And in the only Dark Dimension Dormammu isn't in charge, Clea is and the dark lord is diminished. And with his scheme revealed Dormammu allows the illusion of Goddess, fake Strange and an evolved planet fade away.
Dormammu now admits that his plan was to get our Dr Strange to defeat Goddess with Dormammu's added power. He feared that she would become a menace to the Dark Dimension (before he was able to regain control of it). He now asks DrS to willingly become his partner against Goddess. But Stephen will take her possible evil over the known evil of Dormammu so he declines. So the evil lord tries to drag astral Strange into the pocket dimension where he is currently trapped, there to kill him. However DrS counters by starting to pull Dormammu into the human dimension. Dormammu panics because he knows that in his own weakened state Goddess could destroy him there. So he gives up the fight and retreats back 'home'.
Then DrS's astral body returns to his human body, and he forgets all this and becomes 1 of Goddess' thralls again.
Story 2: Sword and staff (Part 2 of 3 of a tale of Kyllian)
Script/pencils/inks Geoff Isherwood. Letters Diana Albers.
Last issue the Graeco-Roman war goddess Bellona sent Centaurion (an armoured centaur) against Dr Strange's latest apprentice Kyllian Boddicker because he was powered by ancient Rome's enemies the Celtic gods Cernunnos, Morrigan and Taranis.
Now a blast from Centaurion's magic sword lays our hero low. But Kyllian touches the symbol of stone on his chest which causes the road to open up to swallow the centaur. And the water symbol causes a fire hydrant to drench him. But the foe bursts free and fires another blast. The gods' voices tell Kyllian to raise the staff they gave him, which absorbs the blast and then Kyllian sends it back to down the enemy.