Issue(s): Doctor Strange #55
Cover Date: Jul 93
Title: "World enough, and time..."
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Script
Roy Thomas & Geof Isherwood - Plot
Geof Isherwood - Penciler
Geof Isherwood - Inker
Joe Andreani - Assistant Editor
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
This whole issue takes place while Dr. Strange and the other heroes enthralled by the Goddess are watching her while she's withdrawing from them to prepare her plans and leaving Moondragon in charge. A lingering doubt from what he learned from Eternity last issue causes him to project his astral form, and he investigates Paradise Omega. He (seemingly) finds that it has a retroactive history just like Counter-Earth did. But this planet's version of Dr. Strange, when he found Baron Mordo summoning Dormammu while under the Ancient One's tutelage, replaced Mordo as a disciple of Dormammu instead of warning the Ancient One about it.

We delve further into the history of this alternate Dr. Strange, but it eventually turns out that it's all a trick by the present day Dormammu, communicating from the Dark Dimension. Paradise Omega doesn't really have a retroactive history like Counter-Earth. Dormammu just wanted to get Strange's attention; he's seeking an alliance against the Goddess. But Strange is still under the Goddess' sway, and he says that he wouldn't trust Dormammu anyway (actually the emphasis is flipped the other way).

Dormammu then attacks Strange, but Strange pulls Dormammu into our world. Fearing attracting the attention of the Goddess, Dormammu relents and leaves.

We end with Strange again semi-comatose with the other followers of the Goddess, and the "stand and wait" phrase that Roy Thomas must have used in about 30 books in the past two years (i haven't even tracked all of them, but here's a partial list, although the first isn't by Thomas).

I guess the prominence of the quote is appropriate since standing and waiting is a lot of what heroes do during the Infinity era. A more accurate quote, though, would be "those who stand and wait also have dreams about random alternate realities".

There's an adorable letter published in this issue:

Dear Dr. Strange,

I love your book and I like Wong a lot. I'm 10 years old and have been a fan of yours since last summer. Even though I liked the recent shiny cover, the art recently has been really crummy!

Why can't you get good art like SLEEPWALKER or DARKHAWK? I like those books a lot, too! It would be neat if Darkhawk's little brother with the red hair became Wong's friend or Doc could make electric sparks shoot from his fingertips when he blinks really hard. Those are my suggestions and you may use them if you like. Thanks for the really good stories.

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place at the end of Infinity Crusade #2, as the Goddess is taking leave of her followers.

The Kyllian back-up is covered in a separate entry.

References:

• Takes place during Infinity Crusade #2.
  
• We see a similar-but-different telling of Dr. Strange's origin from Strange Tales #115.

Crossover: Infinity Crusade

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A