Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #76-78 (1995)

David Quinn had an excellent but short run on Doctor Strange. During it, he broke apart Stephen’s psyche, stripped him of his powers, and made him young again–and with a new costume.

Marvel’s publications lines at the time didn’t support a book like this, with complex narrative, extended character development, and without huge guns and muscles. Quinn began to phase out and Evan Skolnick (also the editor) took a co-writer credit.

In these issues, Stephen and Wong work out their differences due to a lot of horrible things that happened to Wong during the last ten-or-so issues (not going to go into detail here). Together they start working out what to do with the fortune amassed by the (now dissipated) Vincent Strange.

Strange starts busting up the remaining cults of Salome, after having taking his realm back from her last arc.

There’s. also a subplot simmering: Kyllian and Modred are trying to facilitate the return of Chthon. Apparently, the demon will be reborn as Victoria Montesi’s baby. And Paradox (the reborn “Strange” character) is still teamed up with Clea, working to save the Dark Dimension.

Differing artists, Marvel’s impending bankruptcy, and the changing comic book market from “smart books for nerds” to guns-n-muscles all contributed to these threads being undeveloped and this title being cancelled in 1996. Too bad. Quinn has one more issue, #79, and then he’s gone from Marvel forever.

Leave a Comment