Real Name: Carlo Strange (see comments)

Identity/Class: Human mutate technology user

Occupation: Criminal scientist; original occupation unrevealed

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Exiles (possible allies, see comments)

Enemies: Iron Man (Tony Stark); everyone else on the planet

Known Relatives: Carla Strange (daughter)

Aliases: "Dad" (as called by Carla); "the Master of Evil"

Base of Operations: His island stronghold;
   formerly his mountain laboratory (location unrevealed)

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#41/1 (May, 1963)

Powers/Abilities: Originally, Dr. Strange possessed a genius-level intellect; but after being struck by lightning, the electrical energy of his mind was greatly increased, and he was then capable of designing and constructing a virtually limitless arsenal of weaponry. He built an ultra-frequency transmitter to make others obey his commands. He created a force-field around his entire island stronghold that was impervious to even nuclear explosions. He designed the powerful S-Bomb, and claimed to have enough of them to destroy all life on Earth. Prior to his getting hit by lightning, he had built some form of "ray gun".

Despite his villainous nature, Carlo Strange cherished his estranged daughter, and he was willing to go to extreme lengths to win back her love and admiration.

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 169 lbs.
Eyes: Green (see comments)
Hair: Brown (see comments)

History:
(Tales of Suspense I#41/1 (fb) - BTS) - The past of Dr. Carlo Strange is largely unrevealed, but he was a mad-scientist-type criminal. For years, Strange devoted himself to a fantastic life of crime (earning the sobriquet "The Master of Evil"), all the while neglecting his daughter Carla.

(Tales of Suspense I#41/1 (fb) ) - When U.S. paratroopers located him in his mountain laboratory, Strange picked up a ray gun to fight them off, but he was struck by a bolt of lightning (see comments); while incapacitated, he was captured and imprisoned.

(Tales of Suspense I#41/1 (fb) - BTS) - However, after the paralyzing effects wore off, Strange discovered that the lightning had increased the electrical energy of his mind, granting him even greater genius (and insanity).

   During his stay in prison, Strange pretended to have fainting spells, and made everyone believe that he was still suffering from the effects of the shock--because of his "weakened" condition, Strange was allowed access to the prison's workshop (...otherwise, he'd have been locked in a maximum security cell and never let out).

(Tales of Suspense I#41/1) - Six months after his lightning accident, Strange built an ultra-frequency transmitter from radio and television parts he smuggled from the prison workshop. After faking another "fainting spell," Strange was carried back to his cell by the guards. He then used the device to take mental control of Iron Man, and commanded the armored hero to free him from prison.

   Weeks later, Strange was reunited with Carla, and he took her to his island fortress. Feeling guilty for having abandoned his daughter for her entire life in favor of his criminal career, Strange decided to make amends to Carla by taking over the world, as a gift for her.

   Dr. Strange detonated an S-Bomb in the upper atmosphere as a demonstration of his destructive power, then he made a world-wide television broadcast, threatening to destroy the entire planet unless every nation surrendered to him within 24 hours.

   Several nations traced Strange's broadcast and launched nuclear bombs at his island, but his stronghold was protected by his virtually indestructible force-field. However, Iron Man approached the island by submarine, and after correctly figuring that the field did not extend below the surface of the water, the hero tunneled into Dr. Strange's base from underneath.

   Iron Man confronted Strange and destroyed the villain's main power generator, which deactivated the force-field, but the backlash disabled his armor as well. As Dr. Strange gloated over his fallen foe, Carla--appalled by her father's despotic plans and evil nature--threw a flashlight to Iron Man; the hero gained enough energy from the flashlight's batteries to recharge his armor, and he slowly made his way back to his feet.

   Although shocked and heartbroken by his daughter's betrayal, Strange told Carla he forgave her, then fled, escaping the island through unrevealed means.

   With the force-field shattered, Strange's accomplices were rounded up by the military, and his island stronghold was dismantled.

   Dr. Strange's current whereabouts are unrevealed... (see comments)

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein and Jack Kirby.

The Exiles (from Captain America I#104, et al) were never specifically identified as his allies. The group was only described as "the most cunning scientists and power-mad military men on Earth." The group looks like the Exiles, and they were identified as such in the Marvel Index I#8A (December, 1979).--Snood
...and the bald guy with the monocle and large scar on his head is a dead-ringer for Baron Wolfgang von Strucker.
--Ron Fredricks

Maybe Dr. & Mrs. Strange planned to name their first-born after the father, but when they had a daughter rather than a son, "Carlo Jr." became "Carla".
I've also seen it proposed on a comics fan site that maybe his actual name was "Karel Stranczek," and that the media only dubbed him "Doctor Strange" for headline purposes (this was at a time when the name of sorcerer Stephen Strange was not that widely known, and only spoken of in hushed whispers).
--John Kaminski

Strange's first name was revealed in his entry in OHOTMU A-Z Hardcover#3.

Doctor Strange has an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook.

In regards to Dr. Strange's eye and hair color: The images in this profile are from a reprint, and some of the coloring differs from the original story. I used Strange's vital statistics from the 1960s Handbook, wherein Strange was also depicted as wearing purplish attire.--Ron Fredricks

Even before he was struck by the lightning bolt, Doctor Strange mentioned he had had a criminal career "for years"--taking Marvel's "sliding time-scale" into consideration, that would seem to imply that he was active even before the Fantastic Four were formed.

And that lightning bolt that just happened to hit him as he was about to fire his ray gun seems kind of convenient--could there perhaps have been some heretofore unrevealed flying electrically-empowered hero (maybe someone like Electro-Man) working behind-the-scenes and helping the paratroopers?

Dr. Carlo Strange's final fate is unrevealed, but it's unlikely he'll ever return (...mostly to avoid confusion with his more famous Sorcerer Supreme namesake (see clarifications))
--Ron Fredricks

However, writer Kurt Busiek would later give this "bargain-basement Dr. Doom" a temporary reprieve from "Comic Book Limbo" with some additional "appearances":

(Iron Man: The Iron Age#1) - While Pepper Potts was reminiscing over Iron Man's exploits, she recalled his battle with Dr. Strange.

(Iron Man: The Iron Age#2) - While at O'Malley's bar (where he was celebrating being hired for his new job as Tony Stark's chauffeur), Happy Hogan saw a television news broadcast announcing the newly-formed group of heroes called The Avengers (which Stark was sponsoring). The report next showed a montage of some of the so-called super-villains the team could be expected to face--pictured were the Eel, Sandman, Radioactive Man, Sub-Mariner, and Dr. Carlo Strange.

--Ron Fredricks

Original profile by Snood. Expansion by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
This guy has no known connections to:

Dr. Strange's S-Bomb has no known connections to:

Carla Strange

Presumably the only child of criminal scientist Carlo Strange, she had been neglected by her father for years when he embarked on his criminal career.

When her father later escaped from prison (with the help on an entranced Iron Man), he felt guilty for abandoning Carla, so he wanted to make amends by conquering the world, then she could reign over it like a queen. Strange took Carla to his force-field protected island stronghold, and ransomed the nations of the planet with the threat of his destructive S-Bomb.

When Iron Man invaded the stronghold and destroyed the island's force-field generator, his armor was disabled in the process. But seeing her father gloating over the incapacitated hero, Carla was appalled by his evil nature; realizing Iron Man needed electricity, she tossed a flashlight to him, so he could use the batteries to recharge.

As Iron Man revived and slowly made his way to his feet, Dr. Strange was heartbroken by Carla's betrayal. But Carla told him that she never wanted the world--she just wanted a normal life... with a normal father she could love; she apologized, telling her father that she loved him once, but now there was just nothing left to love, then begged for his forgiveness.

Although Dr. Strange forgave Carla, he hoped someday she'd understand... and even help him; then Strange bid farewell and fled the island.

Later, when Iron Man asked her how he could thank her for her assistance, Carla requested for the hero to find her father someday, before he could do even more harm to mankind.

(Comment: I'm only assuming she kept her father's surname--since her Dad was known as "The Master of Evil," she might have had her last name legally changed to her mother's maiden-name or something.)

--Tales of Suspense I#41/1

Doctor Strange's ultra-frequency transmitter

A device created by Dr. Strange, it was cobbled together using radio and television parts from a prison workshop. When activated, it could place a person into a hypnotic trance.

After Iron Man performed a demonstration of his powers at a nearby children's hospital, Strange used the transmitter to seize control of the hero's mind, then forced Iron Man to break him out of prison.

Hours later, Iron Man fully recovered from the hypnotic spell, with no memory of his actions, but he vowed to recapture Dr. Strange.

--Tales of Suspense I#41/1

Doctor Strange's S-Bomb

A weapon created by Dr. Strange, it had an explosive yield of 200 megatons.

Strange demonstrated its tremendous power by detonating it above Earth; he then made a world-wide television broadcast and claimed he had more such bombs.

Strange delivered an ultimatum: He gave the nations of the planet 24 hours to surrender to him, or else he would use his bombs to destroy the world.

--Tales of Suspense I#41/1

Doctor Strange's stronghold

Located on a private island in the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere off the U.S. coast, it was where the villainous Dr. Strange and his allies maintained their headquarters for his scheme to conquer the world.

The island featured several ultra-modern structures, and it was protected by a force-field which could withstand nuclear explosions.

But Iron Man destroyed the island's power generator, and the force-field was disabled, allowing a military task force to move in; Strange's allies were taken into custody, but the mad scientist himself somehow escaped.

(Comment: With its futuristic buildings, Dr. Strange's stronghold kind of reminds me of the Beehive/Citadel of Science--perhaps there's some connection?)

--Tales of Suspense I#41/1

images: (without ads)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, cover (Main Image - Dr. Strange; Carla (background))
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p7, pan5 (Headshot - Dr. Strange (wearing prison uniform))
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p8, pan2 (Dr. Strange recalls being struck by lightning in his mountain laboratory)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p13, pan5 (Dr. Strange bidding farewell to Carla)
Iron Man: The Iron Age#1, p22, pan2 (Iron Man destroys Dr. Strange's generators)
Iron Man: The Iron Age#2, p8, pan2 (Dr. Carlo Strange, pictured among other super-villains on television screen)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p13, pan1 (as Dr. Strange gloats over fallen Iron Man (background), Carla notices flashlight)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p13, pan2 (Carla tosses flashlight to Iron Man)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p7, pan6 (in prison workshop, Dr. Strange completes ultra-frequency transmitter)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p8, pan5 (in prison cell, Dr. Strange activates ultra-frequency transmitter)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p9, pan1 (Iron Man hypnotized by Dr. Strange's ultra-frequency transmitter)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p11, pan1 (S-Bomb explodes above Earth)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p11, pan5 (Dr. Strange makes world-wide broadcast threat)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p10, pan5 (helicopter, carrying Dr. Strange and Carla, flies to island stronghold)
Tales of Suspense I#41/1, p11, pan6 (Dr. Strange's island stronghold, protected by force field)

Appearances:
Tales of Suspense I#41/1 (May, 1963) - Stan Lee (editor) & Robert Bernstein [as R. Berns] (writers), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks)
Iron Man: The Iron Age#1 (August, 1998) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Patrick Zircher (pencils), Bob McLeod (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Iron Man: The Iron Age#2 (September, 1998) - Kurt Busiek & Richard Howell (writers), Patrick Zircher (pencils), Bob McLeod (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)

First Posted: 09/04/2001 (?)
Last updated: 11/13/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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