Doctor Strange’s Greatest Power Is Actually His Greatest Weakness

Doctor Strange is one of the most broken characters in comics. The once and future Sorcerer Supreme (Scarlet Witch may hold the title now, but we all know that will change at some point in the next few years) is one of the most powerful humans on Earth, having spent years mastering the magical arts. Strange’s power level has changed a lot over the decades; there was a time not too long ago where he was almost killed by a random Hand ninja, something that seems unthinkable now. He’s gotten a power boost, especially since magic has become one of the most OP powers in comics, and has many amazing abilities. However, the best of them is the most unexpected: his astral projection powers.

This ability allows him to project his astral form from his body. He can’t physically affect anything by touch, but he still has access to all of his magic. It’s one of those clutch powers that has been a key part of the character’s history for decades, and Strange has used it many times to give himself an advantage over his enemies. It’s a power that can be used in various ways, from spying to sneak attacks, but it’s not without its weaknesses. In fact, in 1988’s Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #1, we learn that this amazing power may be a bigger problem for the character than he thought.

Astral Projection Puts Doctor Strange at Great Risk

The Sorcerers Supreme are a superlatively powerful lot and astral projection has always been one of the key powers of all of them, especially Strange. It was a part of the character since the early days, when creator Steve Ditko would create mindblowing Astral Plane scenes. It’s one of those powers that has been used in nearly every Strange story out htere in one of another. In fact, it’s right up there with the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak spell as one of the key Strange powers.

The hero’s popularity has always been something of a yo-yo. He’s rarely been the most popular character around, and he lost his solo series’ a lot over the years. Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme kicked off in 1988, when Marvel was trying to reinvigorate their magical characters after seeing the success DC had with 1987’s Doctor Fate miniseries. The first issue is a pretty standard Doctor Strange comic, and reveals the weakness of Strange’s most useful power.

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In the story, a tired Strange senses an innocent being attacked nearby and sends his astral form out to deal with the situation. However, it was all a trap by Dormammu, who revealed that astral projection was much more dangerous than anyone imagined. The lord of the Dark Dimension wants to take over his body, which is easier when the astral form is projected, and tells the Sorcerer Supreme that if he stays out of his body for a day and a night, he will be unable to get back to his body.

This was a major change to the power of astral projection. For years, it was one of those cool powers that no one really thought too much about, but its weakness makes so much sense. The astral form is basically the soul of a person, and leaving a body an empty husk would definitely be a danger. In fact, in other magical systems, this is a pretty common thing. There have been numerous stories, like Anne Rice’s Tales of the Body Thief, where someone projects out of their body and has it taken over by someone else. Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #1 showed that this OP power had its own dangers, and set up a pretty cool story that would run through the beginning of the series.

Astral Projection Is Formidable but Dangerous

Doctor Strange has become an MCU superstar, but his time in the comics hasn’t gone very well at all, honestly. Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme was the character’s first solo book in a very long time, so creators wanted to do something new with the hero to allow him to succeed. Changing the way astral projection works was a great way to do that, because up until that point, it was the kind of power that made Strange a huge threat. It was honestly kind of a cheat, when it comes down to it.

Astral projection is a power that grew beyond Strange; the telepaths of the X-Men can also do it and even visit the Astral Plane. This change to it made it a power that has some pretty large drawbacks, which is honestly the key to keeping Strange interesting to read about. Too many of his powers make him entirely too OP to lose, and that takes away from the sense of danger that keeps readers invested. Nerfing one of his best powers was a step in the right direction and Marvel needs to remember that in their future use of the character.

What do you think is Doctor Strange’s greatest power? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!