THE CAGE OF CYTTORAK

Classification: Magic Spell

Creator: Cyttorak

User/Possessors: Cyttorak, Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange)

First Appearance: She-Hulk I#3 (July, 2004)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Cage of Cyttorak can imprison a ghost whose earthly affairs don't force him to stay on the Earthly plane. The cage limits the convict's freedom of movement as an ordinary cage would do with a normal human being.

Scope: Abjuration

Casting Time: Unrevealed, likely the time to draw all the symbols on the cage, and more
Range: Touch
Components: A material component, a cage, at least.

Duration: Unrevealed, very likely years.
Primary effects: The area confined by the material cage acquires a restraining quality that affects the ghosts that are summoned inside. The spirit can extend a limb between the bars, but cannot use his incorporeal power to cross the bars or other parts of the cage.
Collateral effects: None

History:
(She-Hulk I#3) - Doctor Strange drew zodiac symbols on a metallic cage and enchanted it with magic deriving from Cyttorak. His purpose was to build a prison that could contain a ghost, as a material prison would do with a live human being.

    Doctor Strange studied the motives of Bailey Briggs' soul and understood that his spirit was free to go wherever he wanted, until the cause of his turmoil would be resolved.

    When Jennifer Walters resolved the mystery about Briggs' death, Doctor Strange summoned Briggs' ghost into the Cage of Cyttorak. Briggs acknowledged that he was staying on Earth for Angie, his lover. Jennifer Walters accused him of two attempted murders, so Briggs' sentence was served in the Cage of Cyttorak instead that in the afterlife.

    The cage and Briggs were placed into a prison.

Comments: Created by Dan Slott, Juan Bobillo and Marcelo Sosa.

Profile by Spidermay 

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Cage of Cyttorak has no known connections to:

• Dyzakk's Cage - a magic spell also used by Doctor Strange against Alaric--Doctor Strange II#31
• a magical Cage conjured upon the power of the Seven Suns of Cinnibus, also used by Doctor Strange to restrain another kind of undead--Doctor Strange II#58
• the Mystic Cage evoked by Xandu to imprison Doctor Strange--Marvel Fanfare I#21/1 
• the red cage made of bars of mystic energy that imprisoned Baron Mordo in the Sanctum Sanctorum--Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#13
• a magical crimson Cage used by Doctor Strange to restrain another kind of undead--Spider-Man Team-Up#6/2
• the Cage spell used by Ziigwan with the Orloktek to trap an elder god--Marvel I#5/1
• or any other "cage" or "Cyttorak" item/spells.

A magical crimson Cage (of Cyttorak?)

(Spider-Man Team-Up#6/2) - Doctor Strange evoked an enchanted, crimson cage to restrain Count Dracula after a battle on the Ethereal Plane

    The cage had bars, shone with crimson light and prevented the powerful vampire from getting outside of the cage. Even if there were bars, the undead Count could not cross the gaps between the bars, because of the eldritch energies flowing there.
    Strange assured Spider-Man that those energies would hold Dracula inside.

    However, Raynee, Dracula's lover, who wasn't a vampire, but was a golem very similar to a human being, could touch the sides of the cage and could cross the magical barrier. When she did so to reach her master and lover, Dracula could use that passage to cross the enchanted side. He grabbed her neck and killed her. The golem woman transformed into clay, and, while Spider-Man was trying to help her, the vampire changed into mist and used the rift in the barrier to escape.

Comments: No name of a spell was given to the cage, nor the "crimson" color was reported. Before Strange imprisoned Dracula, the two had a harsh fight on the Ethereal Plane. There, Doctor Strange managed to restrain the vampire with crimson bands. The bands were very similar to the crimson Bands of Cyttorak, but also in that case no name was uttered.

Appearances:
Spider-Man Team-Up#6/2 (March, 1997) - J.M.DeMatteis (plot), Marv Wolfman (script), Bob McLeod (breakdowns), Tom Palmer (finishes), Tom Smith (colors), Tom Brevoort (editor)

Images: (without ads)
She-Hulk I#3 (July, 2004), page 22, pan 1 (the Cage of Cyttorak imprisoning Briggs)
Spider-Man Team-Up#6/2, page 27, pan 3 (the crimson Cage around Dracula)

Appearances:
She-Hulk I#3 ( 2004) - Dan Slott (writer), Juan Bobillo (pencils), Marcelo Sosa (inks), Chris Chukry (colors), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First Posted: 01/21/2025
Last Updated: 01/21/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com