Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1989-11-01 03:06:30 |
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Doctor Strange #12
Issue(s): Doctor Strange #12
Cover Date: Dec 89
Title: "Some Enchantress evening"
Credits:
Roy Thomas & Dann Thomas - Writer
Butch Guice - Penciler
Butch Guice - Inker
Mike Rockwitz - Assistant Editor
Ralph Macchio - Editor
Review/plot:
Dr. Strange has gone with Sara Wolfe and Rintrah to the Stephen Strange Memorial Metaphysical Institute so Sara can pick up some files, and while they're there, Sara and Rintrah eavesdrop on a phone call between Stephen and Morgana Blessing, discussing what to do about Morgana's book now that she's agreed it was wrong of her to publish it.
While he's leaving the institute, Strange finds someone in the lobby claiming to be Amora Incantare, but if we've seen the cover we can guess who it really is. And it'll turn out that Dr. Strange isn't fooled, either. But he plays along, and at the moment both the audience and Rintrah are not aware that Dr. Strange hasn't been bewitched.
Rintrah runs home (magically disguised as a young Bob Dylan) and uses the Orb of Agamotto to summon Clea for help. When Clea answers, Rintrah tells her that Stephen has been "seduced by a sorceress or goddess of some sort", and Clea initially seems unwilling to help, maybe even hurt that Stephen would allow himself to be seduced. She also says that the "One-Ring-Which-Is-Two" would have warned her if Stephen was in danger.
Later, Dr. Strange meets up with the Enchantress and is easily seduced again.
The Enchantress reveals that this is pretty much a straightforward Acts of Vengeance attack, although she has her own designs on Strange's powers.
But then Dr. Strange shows up a second time. The Dr. Strange above is really Rintrah.
Strange battles the Enchantress and the person that she is currently calling the Executioner, but he has trouble since he is "up against a piece of the collective unconscious of countless generations of vikings and Teutons".
So luckily for Dr. Strange, Clea did heed Rintrah's call after all. I like how she says that she's no storybook princess.
Dr. Strange will also say that she's no longer anybody's disciple.
I find it a little weird that the Enchantress uses "By the beard of Zeus" as an exclamation, though.
As Clea and Strange say their hellos...
...we get a preview of our next Acts of Vengeance villain.
Roy Thomas has been dialing back the punny scripting from earlier issues and at this point he's found a nice balance; a Dr. Strange that sounds human without sounding like he's your goofy boss or teacher that's trying too hard to be the funny guy.
Technically, this isn't a proper Acts of Vengeance story, since Strange has encountered the Enchantress multiple times as a Defender, but she's a logical opponent for him and this is her first time in his solo book. I have some misgivings about Butch Guice's art style at this time, but it's actually perfect for a story about the Enchantress in a seductress role.
Quality Rating: C+
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: Note that in the top scan in this entry, Dr. Strange still says that he has no idea why the Hobgoblin might have attacked him. That seems to place this prior to Alpha Flight #78, when the Avengers arrive to tell Strange about Acts of Vengeance. Despite what i say in the comments, i've placed the Enchantress' appearance in Marvel Comics Presents #38-45 prior to this story. See that entry for details.
References:
- It's implied that Sara still has a soft spot for Baron Mordo after the events of Doctor Strange #5-8 (no foonote).
- Dr. Strange gave Clea the "One-Ring-Which-Is-Two in Doctor Strange #3.
- The Enchantress has been on Earth since Thor #403 (thanks to the difficulties in transport due to the longtime destruction of the Rainbow Bridge). In that issue she also turned a patsy into a mimic of the Executioner. It's said in this story that it may or may not be the same guy.
- Thor told Dr. Strange about the fake Executioner, and also that the real one died, in Thor #362. Although he's actually had a number of appearances since then!
- The Curse of the Darkhold back-up for this issue again references Varnae's debut in Bizarre Adventures #33 and the use of the Montesi Formula from Doctor Strange #62, but the big news is that the Montesi that we met in Dracula Lives #6 was only the latest in a line of Montesis that had been given special dispensation to marry so that they could have heirs that would be responsible for handling the Darkhold.
Crossover: Acts of Vengeance
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
Fnord, does the wording of the issue imply that Amora's been on Earth CONTINUOUSLY since Thor 403? Because the Enchantress is the villain in the Wonder Man stories in Marvel Comics Presents 38-45 and at the end of that story she's banished to (probably) another dimension. So if that's the case, Marvel Comics Presents 38-45 has to take place after this story.
In it's one of the scans above. She says that the AoV cabal learned that she was on Earth, and the footnote says since Thor #403. We could interpret that as neglecting to mention a minor inconvenient banishment to another dimension if necessary, but i will try to place the Wonder Man story after this issue.
OK, I guess Amora's dialogue explains why the villains are targeting Strange. It still seems kind of weird, though, since he's not really that involved in fighting their brand of evil.
No-price attempt: Maybe Amora is deliberately avoiding using Odin's name because that might invoke him or get his attention somehow? She's not *supposed* to be messing around on Earth, after all.
Or maybe she's actually an Olympian goddess who moved to Asgard. "Amora" is Latinate, not Indo-European.
