Doc Magus in the Multiverse of Madness

 

Someday I’ll manage to cover literally every single aspect of the MC2 and wrap up this blog, but today is not that day. No, for today’s entry I wanted to detail a previously unknown (to me) appearance for Doc Magus aka Dormagus in the Marvel Multiverse. Specifically, Doc Magus in the 616 aka the Main Marvel Universe. Sorry about the clickbait-y title, I couldn’t resist!

 

Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme was a series released from 2016 to 2017 following the Main Marvel Universe’s Doctor Strange teaming up with various other characters who have at some point in their time or reality carried the mantle of the Sorcerer Supreme, including a young Yao who would later be known as The Ancient One, the mentor of Doctor Strange and many others.

 

At the conclusion of the series (Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme #12), Yao is faced with the seemingly impossible task of by completing the Trials of the Worthy in order to obtain The Cup of Eternity which will extend his life (hence the later title of Ancient One) and is aided in this task by Doctor Strange’s team of Sorcerers Supreme. Meanwhile, guided by a book known as The History of the Supremes, the mysterious Merlin (also apparently at one time a Sorcerer Supreme) disappears to recuit more help.

 

With the aid of his fellow Sorcerers the young Yao makes his way through various obstacles until finding himself unable to pierce the magical barrier preventing him from reaching the Well of Longing within which lay the Cup of Eternity. Fortunately, Merlin returns with a large group of Sorcerers Supreme from across time and realities.

 

 

Nestled among this assemblage of Sorcerers Supreme is the MC2’s very own Doc Magus aka Dormagus, alongside such characters as 2099’s Stranger, the Main Marvel Universe’s Clea and Baron Mordo and the future Guardian of the Galaxy’s Krugarr. Using the groups combined magical might concentrated through Merlin who wielded the last Word of God, the magical barrier was broken allowing Yao to go and fulfil his destiny.

 

Before heading into the cave containing the Well of Longing and ultimately the Cup of Eternity, all the Sorcerers present showed their respect to their future master with a bow. Yao apologized for the fact he would never mention this to any of them when he would later meet them in his future. Merlin shortly afterwards returned the Sorcerers to their rightful places.

 

While this is merely a cameo appearance, I do like that Dormagus is represented here as he is the MC2’s own Sorcerer Supreme. This appearance also suggests that perhaps Merlin has read about Doc Magus’ fate in The History of the Supremes. Furthermore, the way Doctor Strange explains to Yao that he lives long enough to teach all of the Sorcerers Supreme present certainly requires exploring. Doctor Strange is probably speaking metaphorically as Dormagus and others such as Krugarr and the Stranger were born after the lifespan of the Ancient One, with his teachings being passed on to future generations, his legacy.

 

Until I stop digging up, digging into and just plain digging these little MC2 related details, I remain

 

frogoat

MC2 Avengers Cameos

Another brief post, this time about the recent cameo appearance of MC2 characters in the pages of the current volume of Amazing Spider-Man.

So, I recently sat down to catch up on the past few months’ worth of Amazing Spider-Man and was pleasantly surprised to finally read the scene I’d been told about in Amazing Spider-Man (vol.  5) #35. For context, Spider-Man has an experimental device that calculates the probability of event transpiring. This device wasn’t very practical until it received a super-charge from an energy burst set off by Miguel O’Hara aka the Spider-Man of 2099. As a result of this burst, Spidey is able to use the device (dubbed ‘The Clairvoyant’ and now loaded with Miguel’s holographic assistant Lyla) to view various scenarios to determine how likely they are to play out favourably.

Written by current Amazing Spider-Man scribe Nick Spencer with guest art by Oscar Bazaldua, it’s here that we get our rather lovely glimpse of several MC2 Avengers: American Dream, Sabreclaw, J2 and, of course, Spider-Girl. Long-time MC2 fans will instantly recognize the shot of the various heroes as being a direct swipe from the cover of Avengers Next #1 by Mike Wieringo.

This isn’t the first time this particular image has been referenced in an MC2 cameo, as we saw when a variety of different worlds were glimpsed in the climax of 2013’s Age of Ultron #10 following the breaking of the space-time continuum via repeated abuse of time travel by the Avengers.

Going back a little further to 2010’s Avengers (vol. 4) #2 we got a similar line up of the MC2’s Avengers roster when the Main Marvel Universe Avengers glimpse realities, which you may have notice seems to be a running theme. Here we see Bluestreak, Sabreclaw, Freebooter, Mainframe, Spider-Girl, J2 and American Dream representing the MC2 version of the Avengers.

I think that’ll about do it for now. Let me know if there is anything you would like to see discussed relating to the MC2!




Until I break the space-time continuum in an unrelated story and therefore potentially give an explanation for why future developments involving the death of a beloved MC2 character can be disregarded in the event the MC2 returns to print someday, I remain




frogoat

Comic Cover Homages

Being a comic fan for a long time has it's ups and it's downs; watching continuity being reset, reboot, re-tooled or retconned can be annoying and down right frustrating, for example. On the other hand, if you've stuck with the medium long enough, chances are you've seen a few iconic first appearances, a few classic moments, maybe even witnessed a great piece of comic history being made. By a certain point, you've seen enough to notice the homages.

 

 I haven't got a great deal to say about this topic right now, but I guess the visuals speak for themselves, anyway.

 

As you can see from the last couple alone, the MC2 is teeming with love and respect for the classics. Fitting, I think, considering the creators are clearly channeling the feel of the Silver Age, the Bronze Age and even the so-called Modern Age. Why, I hear you ask? It's simple: When something is good, it's good!

Until I quit loving comics in general and the MC2 in particular, I remain

frogoat