Issue(s): Strange Tales #114 (Dr. Strange only)
Cover Date: Nov 63
Title: "The Return of the Omnipotent Baron Mordo!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Steve Ditko - Penciler
George Roussos - Inker

Review/plot:
See the comments regarding George Roussos's credit.

So check this out: Dr. Strange, trapped by Baron Mordo, refuses the help of the Ancient One because he needs to start standing up for himself. Totally admirable, right? So what does he do? He takes possession of an innocent woman, Victoria Bentley, to come and rescue him.

When she saves him, he brags "Saved! By the power of my own sorcery!"

And as soon as she's done, he tries to get her out of there because she's in "mortal danger".

Gee, doc, who put her there? I love it though. What a manipulative bastard. Then he reasons that since she's the one who responded to his summons, she must have latent magical abilities herself, but he refuses to teach her anything because the more she learns, the more likely Baron Mordo is to attack her.

We will see more of Bentley, however.

One thing is for sure: Dr. Strange should stop answering his phone. Every time someone calls him it turns out to be Baron Mordo in disguise or some criminal asking for help who's just as likely to shoot him as thank him.

Nice astral battle between Strange and Mordo, which i again include as a scan from the Essentials to show the linework.

As Andrew notes below, this is the first time the Ancient One is called that instead of just "the master".

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 4 - formative Dr. Strange story. First Victoria Bentley.

Chronological Placement Considerations: Spreading out Dr. Strange stories until they catch up with the Human Torch appearances. Everything has to sync up by FF #27.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Essential Dr. Strange vol. 1

You are so right about the linework, Ditko's work is incredible. I was never a Dr. Strange fan but read the early stories in Marvel Collectors' Item Classics and I recall being stunned by Ditko's work, it was so different from what I was used to--Kirby, Buscema, Romita, Curt Swan and so on. (Btw fnord, looks like the Bentley-Strange face-to-face panel is posted twice.)

Fixed the image. Thanks, Shar.

In my reading order, I placed the Dr. Strange stories alongside the Human Torch stories (which I haven't seen yet) for the most part.

I guess this is the first Doctor Strange story that would have to be set at the very least a relatively short time before Fantastic Four #1 (if not after it) since it has the introduction of Victoria Bentley, a character who would make many other subsequent appearances, and who never appeared noticeably older in those later stories.

The Dr Strange Omnibus lists George Roussos as inker on this story. Also, on the 2nd page the Ancient One is referred to by "name" for the first time, instead of simply "the Master."

Thanks Andrew. Regarding Roussos, the GCD has an indexer note saying this: "Inker is obviously George Roussos, though not credited on artwork. Stan Lee notes he was waiting for reader feedback after Strange's first appearances; this suggests Roussos may have inked this episode because of a very last-minute decision to begin running the series regularly."