Marvel Reveals the Surprising Way Doctor Strange Comes Back From the Dead

01/18/2023 11:36 am EST

Doctor Strange's time as a deceased hero is about to come to an end. The Marvel event Death of Doctor Strange ran from 2021-2022 and concluded with – you guessed it – Stephen Strange's death. However, the Marvel Universe still needed a Sorcerer Supreme, so Strange's wife Clea stepped up to take on the mantle. Clea stars in the ongoing Strange series from Jed MacKay and Marcelo Ferreira, but Marvel has already announced Strange will end and a new ongoing Doctor Strange series will launch in March with Stephen Strange resurrected. So the only question is how does Doctor Strange come back to life? Luckily, the final issue of Strange answers that question for us.

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Strange #10. Continue reading at your own risk.

Strange #10 comes from the creative team of Jed MacKay, Marcelo Ferreira, Roberto Poggi, and Java Tartaglia. Clea has been dealing with a new threat called the Blasphemy Cartel. The group is in the business of resurrecting dead superhumans – called Revenants – which includes the Prime Revenant, Sentry. However, another figure has entered the scene, named the Harvestman. This is Death's Sorcerer Supreme that also just happens to be Stephen Strange.

Clea and Stephen Strange teamed up to stop Sentry and the leader of the Blasphemy Cartel. Just when it seems the two heroes aren't enough to stop Sentry. With their bodies battered and bloodied, Clea leans in to give Stephen a kiss, which should lead to her death. However, since both represent Life and Death, respectively, something magical happens instead. The opposing forces merge, and since a fragment of Stephen's soul is bonded to Clea's, they unite and turn into one powerful being strong enough to defeat The Sentry and the Blasphemy Cartel.

With the Revenant threat ended, Stephen Strange is granted his life back once again. Separated and back to their original bodies, the happy couple leaves to lead their lives together, with their stories continuing in March's Doctor Strange #1.

Doctor Strange Creators on Launching a New Series

Joining Jed MacKay on Doctor Strange is artist Pasqual Ferry, who is currently illustrating Namor: Conquered Shores and Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow. The series will find Doctor Strange investigating a shocking mystery that promises to strike at Strange's legacy and purpose. The journey that follows will harken back to the iconic hero's psychedelic and otherworldly storytelling, taking readers to places only Strange would dare to go and introducing enemies only he could hope to defeat, including a brand-new threat that Strange shares a personal connection with.

Doctor Strange will also be receiving a revamped costume designed by legendary artist Alex Ross, who will also be the new cover artist.

"After Death of Doctor Strange, after Strange, we open the next act in our ongoing saga of the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange #1!" MacKay proclaimed. "It's been really exciting to have the opportunity to not only continue exploring the magical side of the Marvel Universe with the inhabitants of 177A Bleecker Street, but to follow the lives of the Stranges as the last year and a half has put them through the wringer. Pasqual has been putting together a truly magical book, and I'm super psyched to show people what's in store for Stephen and Clea Strange- and of course, we won't be giving them any time off after recent events..."

"When I started working for Marvel, there were three comics I had always wanted to draw: Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange," Ferry said. "Why Doctor Strange? Because his stories include all the elements I love as an artist—the fantasy, science fiction, and imagination. Above all, the fact that I could look at Steve Ditko's work as a reference really motivates me! When he drew Doctor Strange, all the utopian and imaginary sceneries were incredible. So this is a very special moment in my career, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the character is going to take us with this new narrative. I know a lot of artists, including myself, consider Doctor Strange a challenge, like there is a need to add something new to the character because it offers you that possibility. For me, Doctor Strange is a big challenge, but I embrace it."

Let us know your thoughts on Doctor Strange's resurrection in the comments. Strange #10 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

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