Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Previously page:- Way back in #12 Dr Strange decided to get serious about the incursions problem. Last issue the Illuminati met with the Great Society to talk rationally about the fact that 1 of their Earths must die to save both of their universes. But the talks broke down rather quickly and they started fighting.
But now we start by flashing back to the end of #14 where Strange offered to sell the whole of his soul for the power of a god. But now we learn that the deal fell through because he didn't have a complete soul to sell!
Last issue Beast and Mr Fantastic fell at the 1st blast from Sun God. Norn reads Stephen Strange's mind and sees darkness. But he seeks the location of the anti-matter bomb that the Illuminati have prepared to destroy the Society's Earth, and discovers that they have left it on their own Earth at the incursion point (next to the Sphinx). The Rider sends Dr Spectrum to deal with it, chased by Black Bolt.
Meanwhile Sub-Mariner impales the Jovian on his trident. But it's not easy to kill a shapeshifter. The Rider matches skill Black Panther, and Sun God dukes it out with Hulk. The Green Giant appears to be winning, but a mega-blast from Sun God turns him back to Bruce Banner.
The other fight is between Iron Man and Boundless. But the speedster removes Tony Stark's armour piece by piece. Norn stands over Dr Strange. Without his (Dr Fate-like) helmet he appears to have a smoking blue skull. He produces from his within his cloak another helmet - 1 belonging to a Black Priest. Donning it he prepares to utter some of the BP's words of power. But Strange speaks alien words of his own.
Another flashback shows us Dr Strange returned to his Sanctum Sanctorum and his servant Wong. It appears (I think) that Stephen lost part of his soul when he started down the dark track the Illuminati chose to defend their world at the cost of others. In particular when he chose to read the Blu'Dakorr, the Blood Bible, in #4. Now he chose to open that book again, and speak words from it.
It is those words he speaks again now, and Norn is easily bested. He rips away Norn's cloak, and magical items fall from it. This time when the (Black Priest) helmet is removed the mystical being is shown to be a teenage male. All his power was in the artefacts he had collected.
Now our 'hero' calls down dark tentacles from a hole in space, which grab the Great Society members and drag them away.