Issue(s): Doctor Strange #42
Cover Date: Jun 92
Title: "Galactus, go home!"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
Geof Isherwood - Penciler
Geof Isherwood - Inker
Barry Dutter - Assistant Editor
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
Dr. Strange has detected the energy pattern from Infinity War. While he's investigating, Nova comes crashing out of the sky, deliberately paralleling the arrival of the Silver Surfer in Infinity Gauntlet.

Strange brings her back to the house, and soon after that Clea shows up, acting catty.

I've never seen so much commentary on Nova's looks before, and it never occurred to me to think of her as being naked any more than, say, the Silver Surfer, or the Human Torch when he's flamed on. I know that the Torch's costume lines are visible, and that the Surfer has occasionally experimented with silver briefs, but it's barely a distinction. I'm also surprised that Nova got so tired just from flying through space.

Anyway, everything important about the Dr. Strange/Galactus Team-Up in Infinity War will happen in the actual Infinity War comic, so that means that the stories in the Doctor Strange and Silver Surfer tie-ins are pure filler. In this case, that means a lot of pointless fighting.

Galactus basically blackmails Dr. Strange into going with him, or else he'll destroy all of Manhattan fighting him. This is not my idea of how an encounter between Dr. Strange and Galactus would go. Dr. Strange should accept and respect the idea that Galactus is a major cosmic entity, and if he shows up at Strange's place, Strange shouldn't be all like, well i'm the Sorcerer Supreme for this dimension, and i am going to look into Eternity's problem, but not because you told me to, so nyah! Galactus shows up and asks for your help, you know it's important, even if he seems to be asking rudely. And Galactus shouldn't need to resort to physical violence and threats to get people to help him. Throughout these tie-in issues, Galactus has reverted to the kind of cosmic goon that he was in the 70s. Very petty, and always getting into snippy arguments with Strange and the Surfer.

After Dr. Strange agrees to help Galactus, Galactus sends him information about the threat they are investigating, but the process overwhelms Strange and he passes out. That's when the Silver Surfer shows up to start the fighting all over again.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Towards the end of Infinity War #1, Dr. Strange was knocked over by a flash of light while using the Orb of Agamotto. This issue begins directly after that. Galactus' decision to seek the aid of Dr. Strange was also shown in Infinity War #1. So unlike some of the other tie-ins with Infinity War #1, this takes place more or less after that issue, instead of concurrently. Silver Surfer #67 continues from the ending here, but it starts with events happening concurrently with events here prior to the Surfer's arrival at the end of this issue.

Clea is said to have "just returned" from the back-up in Dr. Strange annual #2. I've got a fair amount of space between that issue and this one. I'd normally just write that off as time happening differently in different dimensions or in her lingering in the Aggamon's domain longer than we thought. But i have to account for the fact that at the start of this issue, Dr. Strange and Rintrah don't know where Clea is, and Rintrah suggests that she might be "out for the evening". But i assume Dr. Strange loses track of time while he's wrapped up in various things, and the lack of attention he pays to Clea is pretty legendary, so i'm going to allow for her to have been gone for more than an "evening" without Strange noticing. In any event, this should be Clea's next appearance after the back-up. Clea leaves with "Flyx" for Tiboro's dimension during this issue but she'll be back next issue.

References:

• This follows up on events from Infinity War #1.
  
• Nova falling out of the sky is compared to the similar circumstances in which the Silver Surfer arrived at Dr. Strange's house in Infinity Gauntlet #1.
  
• Clea has "just returned" from her back-up in Dr. Strange annual #2.

Crossover: Infinity War

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Actually, Nova's costume is still present as Power Pack #56-58 established(although it acquired red sleeves and pants somehow in issue 57). So I don't know why Clea should be so threatened, it's not like Nova's body is so available, it's actually the opposite. Clea should be more cosmopolitan than this.

One of the things that Ditko did very well, and most writers did not, was depict Dr Strange and other masters of the mystic arts as wise and mature people. They were spiritually developed. Too many times we see Strange act in petty ways more appropriate to teenagers and young adults rather than who he is - an older man with many and vast experiences who triumphed over his earlier greed and pettiness to defend humanity from threats it had no idea existing.

Of course, we do so Baron Mordo and other evil magicians engage in that behavior, but they have obviously fallen and turned their backs on true magic and often simply use the power given to them by the lords of the netherworld.

So I agree on FNORD12's comments on the behaviour of Strange. A Strange-Galactus team up should be extremely cool.