Issue(s): Untold Tales of Spider-Man: Strange Encounter
Cover Date: 1998
Title: "Strange Encounter"
Credits:
Kurt Busiek - Plot
Roger Stern - Script
Neil Vokes - Penciler
Jay Geldhof - Inker
Gregg Schigel - Assistant Editor
Tom Brevoort - Editor
Bob Harras - EIC

Review/plot: Two criminals steal the Lantern of Lantarr from a museum and wind up under the thrall of Baron Mordo, who is trying to raise enough victims to provide a sacrifice to Dormammu.

Dr. Strange works with Spider-Man to fight the bad guys and rescue the victims.

Some of the victims include JJ, Betty Brant, Liz Allan, Flash Thompson, and Jason. Flash convinces JJ that Spidey is a hero who is helping them escape, but in the end Dr. Strange wipes out their memories.

Betty's jealousy of Liz Allan is getting annoying.

Dr. Strange leaves Spidey with a still active spell that "makes [Strange's] astral form visible to those around him". Not sure of the significance of that. I'm sure there's an issue of Amazing Spider-Man where Spidey sees Strange's astral form, and this sequence is 'explaining' that, but i haven't placed the reference.

There's some good pseudo-Ditko mystical artwork. It's a little too cartoony but still fun to look at.

Quality Rating: B-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Spidey references a number of villains he's recently fought. The most recent he mentions is Hawkeye. Mordo describes himself as weakened after a recent encounter with Strange. We heard in Journey Into Mystery #108 that Dr. Strange and he had another battle during which Strange 'drove Mordo back to the shadows'. Strange does not actually meet Dormammu in this story, and this takes place between Strange Tales #124-125 for him (same gap as Amazing Spider-Man annual #1). This is the first meeting of Dormammu and Mordo.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? Y

My Reprint: N/A