Type: Divergent Earth
Environment: Earth-like
Usual means of access: Presumably vibrational attunement
Dominant Life Form: Faltinians, humans
Significant Inhabitants: The Ancient One, Baron Mordo, Clea, Dormammu, "Happy" Hogan, Pepper Potts Hogan, the Mindless Ones, Anthony Stark, Dr. Stephen Strange
Significant Locations: The Dark Dimension; Manhatten, New York; Tibet
First Appearance: What If? II#113 (October, 1998)
History: (What If? II#113 (fb)) - One night in the Hamptons, renowned surgeon Dr. Stephen Strange attended a party which also housed a drunk Tony Stark. Stark drunkenly spoke to Strange about his upcoming medical patents and offered to take him for a ride in his lamborghini. Strange at first did not want to until a woman stopped him to thank him for saving her life. Annoyed and arrogant, Strange quickly took Stark up on his offer for ride to get himself away from his fan. Expectedly, the car crashed with the drunk Stark behind the wheel and Strange lost the use of his hands due to permenant nerve damage. Intensely guilt-ridden at costing Strange his career, Stark put his growing company on hold to devote all of his time to repairing Strange's hands. Eventually, Stark and Strange travelled to Tibet to seek out the healer known as the Ancient One. The Ancient One invited the two of them to become his apprentices in the mystic arts, but Strange, thinking him a crackpot, annoyingly complained. Seeing Strange's disinterest, Stark thanked the Ancient One and started to make his leave. On his way out, Stark discovered that the Ancient One's other apprentice, Karl Mordo, was casting a curse on the Ancient One. Stark angrily confronted Mordo, but was cursed with a spell that forbid him from speaking about what he had seen. In order to save the Ancient One, Tony Stark agreed to become the Ancient One's apprentice so that he could stop Mordo. Eventually, Stark had learned enough to expel Mordo from the Ancient One's temple and was appointed Earth's sorcerer champion by the Ancient One himself. He then returned to the United States, along with Strange as his assistant, convinced that the mystic arts held the key to repairing Strange's hands. Once back in the States, Stark began work on an experimental suit of armor to aid him in his mystic dealings.
(What If? II#113) - One night, Stark discovered that the dread Dormammu was planning to overthrow the Earth and was attacked by a servant of Dormammu. After the battle, Stark continued his work on his mystic suit of armor as Strange thought that waiting for Stark to help him was idiotic and that it was time he help himself. Stark's work was interrupted by the arrival of his accountants, Happy and Pepper Hogan, who had him sign a few papers. Once his business was taken care of, Stark entered the Dark Dimension in search of Dormammu. Soon after entering, Stark was attacked by two of Dormammu's minions which he easily rid himself of. Eventually confronting Dormammu himself, Stark donned his newly-made mystic armor and he jumped into battle against Dormammu. Knocking Dormammu to the ground, Stark was surprised when Dormammu cast a spell that rid him of his armor. Dormammu then explained to a now-captive Stark that he had been given an image of Stark's armor by his new friend, who was revealed to be Dr. Stephen Strange, who had grown tired of waiting for Stark to repair his hands. As Dormammu turned toward the Earth, Strange interrupted and reminded him of his side of the bargain. Dormammu then cast a spell that "repaired" Strange's hands as he opened a portal to Earth. After Dormammu had left, Clea confronted Strange and asked why he betrayed his world the way he had. Strange asked how Dormammu was any different than the scum that inhabited the Earth already and Clea showed Strange the Mindless Ones. She explained to Stephen that Dormammu intended to use the Earth to exile the Mindless Ones from the Dark Dimension, allowing them to destroy it. Realizing what he had done, Strange quickly joined Clea in getting Tony Stark's armor back. Strange then donned the armor himself and freed Tony from his captivity. Strange explained to Tony that even though his hands were healed, he wouldn't be much good on Earth as a doctor if everyone was dead. Tony quickly used the Eye of Agamotto to show Strange what Dormammu had really done, which was cast a spell on Strange to drain his lifeforce via invisible serpents that would lend temporary strength while draining his life. Tony Stark quickly re-donned his armor and challenged Dormammu to a battle on the astral plane. Dormammu accepted and while the battle took place, Stark's armor phased from Stark's physical form and grabbed Dormammu's physical form. The armor then hurled Dormammu's physical body into the depths of the Dark Dimension, forcing Dormammu to break his plans for Earth's conquest to retrieve his physical body. Once Dormammu had been defeated, Stark explained to Strange that he could never fully trust him again and that he was sure his armor's technology could cure Strange's hands. Stephen instead opted to stay in the Dark Dimension with Clea as Stark returned to Earth.
Comments: Created by Chris Duffy, Gregg Schigiel, and Ron Boyd.
This Earth diverged from the events seen in Strange Tales I#110 (July, 1963).
Clarifications:
No known connection to:
ANTHONY STARK:
MASTER OF THE MYSTIC ARTS
When Tony Stark drunkenly caused a car crash that cost Dr. Stephen Strange the use of his hands, he was racked with guilt. Stark dedicated his life to finding a cure for Strange, eventually turning to the Ancient One for help. Discovering a plot by the Ancient One's apprentice, Baron Mordo, Stark agreed to stay and study with the Ancient One. Once becoming Earth's sorcerer Champion, Stark returned to Earth to use his newfound abilities to help Dr. Strange. Before he could do so, he discovered a plot by the dread Dormammu to invade the Earth and travelled to the Dark Dimension to stop him. Once there, Stark was defeated by Dormammu with the help of a traitorous Dr. Strange, who had grown tired of waiting for a cure. Strange soon realized the error of his ways, however, and freed Stark from captivity. Once Dormammu was defeated, Stark returned to Earth.
--What If? II#113
DOCTOR STEPHEN
STRANGE
The arrogant Dr. Strange was injured in a car crash involving a drunk Tony Stark, where he lost the use of his hands. After the crash, Strange became an assistant of Stark's while Stark frantically searched for a cure to Strange's injuries. Stark's search eventually took both him and Strange to the Ancient One, where Stark learned the mystic arts in order to save the Ancient One from a plot from Baron Mordo. Upon returning to Earth, Dr. Strange grew tired of waiting for Stark to find him a cure and aided Dormammu in capturing Tony. After he helped Dormammu in the Dark Dimension, Strange was confronted by Clea, who showed Strange the error of his ways. Strange and Clea then freed Tony from captivity, allowing him to defeat Dormammu. After the battle, Strange opted to stay in the Dark Dimension with Clea instead of returning to Earth.
--What If? II#113
images: (not counting ads)
What If? II#113, p2, splash page (Stark and Strange, main pic)
p15, pan5 (Anthony Stark: Master of the Mystic Arts)
p19, pan3 (Dr. Stephen Strange)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Last Updated: 06/30/05
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