Issue(s): Doctor Strange #77
Cover Date: Jun 86
Title: "Khat!"
Credits:
Peter Gillis - Writer
Chris Warner - Penciler
Randy Emberlin - Inker
Carl Potts - Editor

Review/plot:
We check in with Arnie Green, the High Lama that we met in Doctor Strange #66. He learns that as part of a territorial dispute between India and China, the Indian Minister of Defense has addressed the United Nations and said that he's sending soldiers into... well, it's not called Tibet, just like Arnie isn't the Dali Lama, but that's the basic idea. Green reacts with surprising anger, cursing the Defense Minister.

And that curse is the real thing, with the Minister suddenly choking on his military medals.

The still-soulless Topaz finds that hilarious.

Doctor Strange, meanwhile, is dealing with his own tragedy after the death of his friend last issue. Unlike the inexperienced Green, Strange resists his impulses and doesn't try to resurrect his friend. But he is still distraught and in his misery he also thinks about his love life.

I am surprised to see Sara Wolfe included in his thoughts, or that the soulless kiss from Topaz last issue affected him.

When Strange hears about the Indian Defense Minister, he travels to the hospital where he's been taken for surgery, and using his old contacts as a surgeon gets himself into the operating room. In there, he finds that Green has unleashed a demon called Khat.

Strange protects the Minister with the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak...

...but Khat responds by attacking everyone else in the hospital. Strange finds that he has to ignore the suffering of the patients (a Shooter dictated "cant... must..." moment?).

Khat tells Strange that in ignoring the patients and continuing his pursuit of him, he is just like he used to be as a surgeon.

In his current mood, Strange is vulnerable to Khat's insinuations, and he's able to teleport Strange away and even tear his Cloak of Levitation.

But Strange admits his weakness, and says that's what allows him to learn his strengths, and so he's able to fight back against the demon and banish him back to where Green summoned him from. Arnie's disembodied head shows up to apologize, but things aren't wrapped up quite so neatly, with Strange thinking to himself that even though he's admitted his weaknesses and pain, it doesn't mean that the pain goes away.

Khat plays a role similar to D'Spayre in this issue and i'm never a big fan of that kind of "punch the metaphor" story, and a feline demon called Khat is at least as silly as a demon called D'Spayre, but this was nonetheless a competent Doctor Strange tale.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Dr. Strange's Cloak of Levitation is damaged in this issue and won't be fixed until issue #80 (and that story also results in Strange's other talismans being destroyed, something that won't be resolved until the Strange Tales series).

References:

• Dr. Strange considers bringing his doctor friend from last issue back to life using the Orb of Agamotto, which he used in Doctor Strange #4-5 when he himself died, but realizes that he can't really do that ("He knows it wouldn't have worked. To even try would have broken one of his most dread vows.").
  
• The surgeon responsible for the the Indian Defense Minister knows Doctor Strange but hasn't seen him since the accident shown in Strange's origin story in Strange Tales #115.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Where's Jack Russell when you need him?