(Doctor Strange III#38) - The Institute apparently occupied the entirety of a building at least 8 stories tall; it had its own small parking garage in an attached building.
SARA WOLFE
Real Name: Sara Wolfe
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Executive Director for the Memorial Metaphysical Institute (formerly the Stephen Strange Memorial Metaphysical Institute);
formerly social secretary and business manager for Dr. Strange
Group Membership: None.
Affiliations: Friends with Dr. Strange and many of his allies, including Morgana Blessing, Imei Chang, Clea, Hannibal King, Morbius, Rintrah, Topaz, and Wong.
Enemies: Baron Karl Mordo, Mephisto, Satannish
Known Relatives: Father & mother (names unrevealed, apparently both alive), great-grandfather (name unrevealed, Cheyenne shaman, presumably deceased)
Aliases: None. Surname occasionally misspelled as Wolff.
Base of Operations: Memorial Metaphysical Institute;
formerly Dr. Strange's townhouse,
formerly personal apartment across the street from Strange's on about the 6th to 8th floors
First Appearance: Doctor Strange II#38
Powers/Abilities: While Sara is descended from a Cheyenne shaman she apparently lacks any significant mystical talent; Dr. Strange himself has commented that Sara lacks the mystical aptitude necessary to use the Eye of Agamotto's higher functions. Sara has a B.A. in Liberal Arts, and is a talented manager, accountant, and administrator. She wears corrective lenses, either glasses or contact lenses as she sees fit.
History:
(Doctor Strange II#42 (fb)) - Sara grew up in the mountains in New Mexico.
(Doctor Strange II#39 (fb)) - Sara is a full-blooded Cheyenne. Her great grand-dad was shaman of her clan, and she watched him work magic. While he wanted to teach Sara his craft, she chose another road.
(Doctor Strange III#5 (fb)) - Sara has a B.A. in Liberal Arts. Her parents are apparently still alive.
(Doctor Strange II#38 - BTS) - At some point in her life Sara moved to New York City, and at some point she ended up living in an apartment across the street from Stephen Strange, and subsequently met him on several occasions, becoming friends with him.
(Doctor Strange II#38) - On a Friday night, Sara went out with her date Douglas "Doug" Royce dancing at Hell's Bells, a literary bar on Sixth Avenue, just north of Greenwich Village. Doug begin drinking heavily (unusual for him, as Sara felt he wasn't usually a drinker), leaving Sara alone, and she eventually ran into Dr. Stephen Strange, who introduced her to his date Clea as their next door neighbor and an old, dear friend. The threesome chatted, only to be interrupted by Doug's screams from out front; they rushed out to find him nothing but a pile of ashes. Strange speculated to Sara that Doug was likely struck by lightning (in truth, and unbeknownst to Sara, Doug had been mystically slain by Eye Killers).
(Doctor Strange II#39) - While walking on Water Street (in New York's Chinatown), Sara was run headlong into by Clea. Seeing thugs chasing her, Sara quickly hailed a cab and the two returned to Dr. Strange's home. Sara accompanied Clea in, and Clea locked herself in a study immediately, while Sara waited in the living room, an unexplainable dread preventing her from leaving the townhouse. When Clea emerged, she told Sara she had been being chased by mystic wraiths while seeking Strange's missing manservant Wong. Sara was only somewhat surprised at the magical aspects, and related her own personal family history with magic in turn. When Clea asked her aid, Sara allowed her to cast a spell allowing each to look like the other, and Sara remained in Strange's home while Clea, as Sara, freely walked away from the townhouse and the wraiths.
(Doctor Strange II#42 (fb)) - Sara awoke the next day in her own body, but still in Clea's costume.
(Doctor Strange II#40) - That morning, Strange called from Europe looking for Clea; Sara answered the phone and explained the previous day's events.
(Doctor Strange II#42) - Sara spent that day in Strange's house, ordering out for pizza. Bored, she passed the time cleaning and organizing, noticing that Strange had months worth of unpaid bills, and a near-zero bank balance. Falling asleep in a chair in the study, pizza on a nearby table, she awoke to find a fire burning in the fireplace and Strange returned. Strange magiced her out of Clea's costume and into a dress, and Sara explained what had happened with her and Clea. After Sara confessed also to her discovery of his unpaid bills, Strange took her to his safe and showed her several bars of gold; he then offered her a job arranging his business and social affairs. Needing steady income, Sara agreed, and Strange added a "no more pizza in the study" condition to the agreement, and then left to seek Wong and Clea.
(Doctor Strange II#44) - Sleeping in her apartment (which was across the street and above Strange's home, approximately on the 6th to 8th floor), Sara was woken by what sounded like lightning and looked out the window to see blood-red flames dancing on Strange's rooftop before fading away, leading the building unscathed. She resolved to tell Strange when he returned.
(Doctor Strange II#45) - Strange, Clea, and Wong returned home. Before Sara left to run to the bank, Wong offered to show her around the house on her return (most importantly, showing her where not to go), after which he would run his own market errands.
(Doctor Strange II#45) - Sara returned to the mansion, and found no one present. Uneasy, she went into the basement, where the lights didn't work. She turned to leave, but in a bright flash of light a tentacled N'Garai demon grabbed her (it already held Wong and a repairman) through a Sa'arpool gateway. Clea soon returned and was similarly grabbed, and Strange quickly rushed in. He freed Clea, but the demon pulled Sara and the others through the portal, where they were possessed/controlled by the N'Garai and returned to attack Clea. Strange stabbed Sara and the others through the heart with a Silver Dagger (it broke the control and left them unharmed), and then forced them all into a pentagram, where he drew on the power of their life forces to banish the demon. Wong helped a shaken Sara and the others upstairs.
(Doctor Strange II#47) - When Wong refused to provide Sara with receipts for his purchases (which she wanted for tax purposes), Strange intervened, supporting Wong's concern that some of the materials needed by Strange would raise eyebrows at the IRS. Strange asked that Sara consult with him before submitting any unusual receipts, but then sensed a mystical disturbance and walked away, while Wong prevented Sara from asking after him.
(Doctor Strange II#48) - While Sara and Strange were in a bank, armed robbers burst in. While Sara and Strange lay flat on the floor, Strange mystically placed the criminals in trances. A stranger (Morgana Blessing) entered the bank during this time, screamed, and fainted; Strange aided her as she recovered and then he and Sara left.
(Doctor Strange II#49) - A woman (Morgana Blessing) called for Strange; Sara went to knock at his study but before she could he opened the door saying that he knew it was Sara as neither Wong nor Clea would disturb him there short of a great emergency. After the phone conversation, Strange mystically altered his clothing in front of Sara and left; Sara let Clea know this when she later asked after him.
(Doctor Strange II#53) - A distraught Clea confided in Sara that someone else (Morgana, though Clea did not name her) loved Stephen more than she could, and that she didn't know what to do. When Strange later returned, Sara and Wong witnessed as Clea professed inadequacy as both disciple and lover and then returned to her own dimension, leaving Strange bereft.
(Doctor Strange II#55) - Wong and Sara commiserated outside Strange's door, both unable to help the lovesick doctor. That night, while working late, Sara heard Stephen screaming from upstairs. She and Wong raced upstairs, a thunderous crash came from Doc's study, and the two burst into the room to find Dr. Strange recovering from his heartache, if not yet emotionally recovered entirely.
(Doctor Strange II#75 (fb)) - While they'd previously had a semi-antagonistic relationship, while taking care of Strange as he worked through Clea's departure Sara and Wong began to develop a fondness for each other.
(Doctor Strange II#61 (fb)) - Wong began training Sara in rudimentary self-defense.
(Doctor Strange II#56) - When Morgana Blessing and a camera crew arrived to interview Stephen, Sara formally introduced herself to Morgana, identifying herself as a longtime fan of Morgana's writing. As the crew adjourned to the drawing room for the interview, Sara and Wong wondered why Stephen would agree to be a public interview. After the three crew members were revealed as evil wizards and fled, Wong and Sara returned and watched over Morgana and Strange's body as he defeated the trio astrally. After he awoke, Sara watched as he and Morgana agreed to a platonic relationship as friends, and she and Wong left them to converse in peace.
(Doctor Strange II#57) - Strange's phone begin ringing incessantly and crowds began gathering out front of his house, all people interested in becoming Strange's new disciple. Sara dealt with the calls as best she could, and eventually Strange returned and magiced the crows into leaving. Later, Sara entered the hall to find Wong and Stephen in discussion with Jimaine Szardos; she teleported away and Strange asked Sara to book a hall for three days later, and to place a newspaper ad saying he'd be speaking there on disciplehood. Three days later, her Village Voice ad had filled The Bottom End, and Strange ushered Sara and Wong out before speaking. As they waited outside, the whole building shook, and Sara opened the door to find it empty. However, the people and Strange soon returned; he magiced them to depart and leave him alone, and then wondered to Sara and Wong (also present were Jimaine and Margali Szardos) how so many knew of Clea's departure.
(Doctor Strange II#58) - With Strange and Wong, Sara saw the Szardos women into a cab bound for the airport (first inviting them to keep in touch), and conversed with Strange about his considering springing for first class airfare to Europe for the two. Later, she received a letter from an attorney handling Doug Royce's estate, asking her to meet him after dark. Disturbed, she sought out Strange, and watched as Strange and Wong sparred, both men's martial skills impressing her. That night, Strange accompanied her to the appointment in the Dakota Apartments, but Strange quickly engaged the man there in combat, placing Sara in a protective mystical sphere. However, he soon realized the man was not dangerous and set Sara free; the man was vampire private investigator Hannibal King, and he was looking into Royce's death. Disturbed by the concept of vampires, Sara sat as the two males agreed to work together.
(Doctor Strange II#59) - Sara laughed at the concept of Dracula, but Strange and King impressed upon her their seriousness, each relating tales of their past encounters with him. King then related a past encounter he'd had with Douglas Royce and the Eye Killers in explaining why he'd sought out Sara, but they were interrupted when the Owl Killers flew threw the window, and Strange pulled himself, Drake, and their foes into a gateway he created with the Amulet of Agamotto, leaving Sara behind. They returned shortly minus the Owl Killers (with King now in a humanoid bat form), and King said he'd follow them shortly back to Strange's townhouse.
(Doctor Strange II#60) - Sara and Wong discussed Strange's perpetual "weirdness" as Strange sat comatose in a chair (astrally contacting the Avengers), and Strange awoke and asked Wong to get the door, where King was about to arrive. Sara left them to discuss their work.
(Doctor Strange II#61) - Mystically disguised by Strange via a magic amulet to appear to be him, Sara hailed a cab to Penn Station where she boarded a train through New Jersey. She was grabbed on the train by two thugs who'd followed her; one grabbed her amulet and the spell broke, revealing her as Sara. She kicked one in the jaw and elbowed the other (thanks to Wong's self-defense training), then ran for help to the conductor, who pursued the two.
(Doctor Strange II#61-63 - BTS) - Sara returned to New York City.
(Doctor Strange II#63) - Sara and Stephen attended a martial arts (Kiai-Jutsu) demonstration together, Wong having told them how impressive it would be. On the way there, they interrupted a three-on-one assault, and Strange saved the person being ganged up on by magicing the others' clothes away. After the show they went backstage, where, Strange, with Sara, invited the star, Akira Nitobe, back to his home, and his daughter Kiko promised to join them later. Sara spent the evening with the two men, but the evening ended when Kiko arrived beaten and bruised, having been raped. Sara, Stephen, and Akira accompanied her to the hospital, and Sara remained with her while the two men went to seek her attacker; Kiko died soon thereafter.
(Doctor Strange II#65) - Sara completed Strange's taxes, getting him a $37 refund for the year. Morgana Blessing came visiting, and Sara declined an invitation to go out with her and Strange for lunch. A few hours later she heard a loud noise on the roof and went up to find Strange half-conscious there, having been beaten and flown back. Strange asked Sara to call Morgana and insist she attend a certain seminar, and then lapsed unconscious again.
(Doctor Strange II#66) - Three holy men were visiting the mansion, and after they left in a Rolls Royce to join Strange, Sara asked Wong to take in a movie with her. Wong demurred, saying "this must not be" as "some of us have duties in this life." When the holy men and their new High Lama were ready to leave the next day, Sara arranged a special charter flight to Bjarghan, and accompanied Strange and Wong to JFK to see them off.
(Doctor Strange II#67) - Sara, believing she and Wong shared a romantic connection, continued to question Wong, who continued to rebuff her. Dr. Strange noted the discord, but did not understand the reason, and Sara chose not to enlighten him.
(Doctor Strange II#69) - With Strange absent in Europe, Wong and Sara shared the house amidst frequent awkward silences.
(Doctor Strange II#70 (bts)) - Strange returned from Europe.
(Doctor Strange II#70) - Two men from the Pentagon (General Hoyt Emerson and Lieutenant Olson) called at Strange's, citing national security. Considering it an emergency, Sara knocked at Strange's study (costing him 24 hours worth of work). She showed Strange to the military men, and they insisted she leave the room. She returned when the General received a phone call, and heard him discuss the mystical theft of a nuclear missile. Strange entered the General's mind and then traveled astrally, and Sara made Olson and herself coffee while they waited. Eventually both awoke and Strange teleported away, leaving Sara to bring the General coffee as well. Eventually Strange returned, and by phone the General learned that the missile and other missing items were restored, though Strange refused to tell them what had really happened to them while they were missing.
(Doctor Strange II#71) - Strange spent several days in a mystic hemisphere preparing for a trip to the Dark Dimension, and Wong and Sara handled his daily affairs. On the last day Morgana Blessing called, Sara having forgotten to cancel her and Strange's lunch date, but Strange's voice called them all to an enormous room within his home, and he explained himself to both before teleporting away. Sara and Morgana retired to the kitchen for coffee.
(Doctor Strange II#72) - With Strange away, Wong and Sara spent much time together; Wong reported to Sara that Stephen had contacted him and would be in touch again in seven days. Wong then confessed to Sara that he'd grown fond of her, and after she confessed the feeling was mutual, Wong told her they could go no further because he was promised to another.
(Doctor Strange II#75 (fb)) - The conversation continued with Wong confirming that he was engaged, and a crying Sara telling Wong he didn't have to talk about it and they could go back to being friends.
(New Defenders I#146) - In Strange's absence, the Defenders and some companions (Angel, Beast, Cloud, Gargoyle, Iceman, Candy Southern, Nancy Turpin, Valkyrie) asked to stay at the townhouse, and Sara and Wong greeted them and showed them to their rooms.
(New Defenders I#147, 149, 151) - The Defenders stayed only a few day, in and out at that, before returning to New Mexico.
(Doctor Strange II#74) - When someone banged on the front door, Sara went to open it only to have that someone (the alien Beyonder, though neither Sara nor Wong could know that) ghost through it into the atrium. He grabbed her and shouted he needed to see Strange, and Wong came to her aid; he then froze both in their places and forced them to watch while he confronted the Orb of Agamotto. He soon fled from the Orb, leaving Sara and Wong frozen in place until Strange returned. After the two related their stories, Strange went in pursuit of the stranger, leaving Wong and Sara in an uncomfortable silence.
(Longshot I#6) - Sara and Wong aided Strange in helping the near-comatose Ricochet Rita, who Strange had brought to his home for treatment (with Rita's parrot, Wifferdill). When Rita began to recover after hearing Longshot's voice over the phone, Strange left, taking Rita and Wifferdill with him.
(Doctor Strange II#75) - Sara was working on the monthly books, making unaccustomed errors, when Strange interrupted, asking what was wrong and reminding her that they were friends long before they were employer-employee. Sara unburdened herself and talked about the development of her unrequited love for Wong, moving from early antagonism to tenderness while they were caring for Stephen when Clea left him, the abrupt end after the three visiting monks left, and the conversation in which Wong told her that he was engaged. Wong then entered the room and proceeded to tell Sara that as the latest in a thousand year family line which has served mystics, he was obligated to marry a pre-chosen bride when she came of age. Unwilling to understand this cultural difference, Sara angrily stormed out.
(Doctor Strange III Annual #3) - After Sara threw out a particularly persistent salesman, Strange, Wong, and Sara sat down to a dinner which Stephen invited Baron Mordo to join via a televised presence. Mordo attempted to attack them and tried to hypnotize Sara, but was easily stopped by Strange, and then Mordo attempted to enter the townhouse via the television and Sara stopped him by using the remote control to turn off the TV (as it was Strange's gateway, he could not stop Mordo from using it). Strange then told Sara that something could be learned from anyone; from Mordo (and the salesman) they could learn persistence.
(Doctor Strange II#76) - Sara was present when Wong and Stephen attempted to help the mystic Topaz, who related a story of being unable to feel. They were interrupted by Patricia Berenson, who came seeking help for her husband, and when Strange went to help him Sara stayed with Patricia. Sara received the phone call reporting that Patricia's husband had grabbed a police officer's gun and fatally shot himself, saying the name Iuriale as he died.
(Doctor Strange II#77) - Topaz began staying at the townhouse, but behaved emotionally erratically; Sara scolded her at dinner when she laughed after witnessing a man on TV fall ill, after which Topaz began crying and Sara comforted her.
(Doctor Strange II#78) - Hearing dramatic crashes from Stephen's study, Sara rushed out and found Strange in the Chamber of Introspection with Topaz, and led him back to the study where she witnessed him unmend his broken and out of control Cloak of Levitation.
(Doctor Strange II#79) - As Stephen returned from Marseilles, Sara was on the phone with Morgana Blessing, who was seeking him; Strange arrived and made a date with Morgana and ordered both Wong and Sara to take the night off due to recent stress. That night, Sara attempted to invite Wong out socially with some friends to a Richard Gere movie in an attempt to mend their friendship, but Wong put her off, saying he should never have mentioned his betrothal to her. Immediately after she left she heard a roaring noise and turned back to see the townhouse rocket into the air, with Wong and Topaz inside. Morgana showed up immediately, dressed in Strange's clothing, and then fainted.
(Doctor Strange II#80) - Sara accompanied Morgana to the hospital in the ambulance, and was mentally contacted by Strange, who revealed that he'd been injured in a fight and was possessing Morgana. Strange asked Sara to take the Eye of Agamotto from Morgana and then asked permission to cohabit Sara's body; while possessing her he commented that she lacked both aptitude and training to use the Eye's higher functions. Strange then directed Sara to where his body was in surgery, revealing his astral form to the operating doctor upon arrival. A surgically masked Sara observed the operation from within the operating room, using Strange's abilities to destroy mystically enlarged bacteria which erupted from Strange during surgery. Strange/Sara took over the surgery, but he suffered a panic attack and fled her body very early on, causing Sara to collapse. The doctor (with Strange's help) took the Eye and finished the surgery successfully while Sara waited outside; afterwards she and Strange's astral form reunited, she reclaimed the Eye, and they prepared to depart only to be confronted by an alien being (Rintrah).
(Doctor Strange II#81) - The alien revealed himself as Strange's potential new disciple, and Strange chose to inhabit Rintrah's form as they proceeded; Sara left in angry tears while the other two departed to rescue Wong and Topaz.
(Strange Tales II#1/2) - The townhouse returned, albeit damaged, as did Strange, Rintrah, Wong, and Topaz. Wong was seriously wounded, and Sara found herself unable even to look on the ruins of his face, but witnessed as Topaz, now emotionally healed herself, healed him. Sara and Rintrah took Wong upstairs to rest and recover.
(Strange Tales II#2/2) - Sara watched over Wong, forcing him to rest; Strange visited briefly but rain leaking through the damaged roof convinced him there was a magical problem, and he departed.
(Strange Tales II#3/2) - With Wong on his feet, Sara and he debated Strange's highly closed-off actions as the doctor refused all food and liquid and most conversation after having to kill an innocent to protect the world. Topaz moved out of the house during this time. Strange demanded a globe and closed himself in the study, Rintrah noting that Strange was conflicted. When Strange yelled "no" from his study, the three rushed in to find the globe displaying a world map, and Strange distraught that in defeating the alien who'd taken the townhouse he'd been forced to destroy his talismans, freeing many evils on the world (as displayed on the globe). The demon Khat and several brothers attacked from within the globe; Sara fled but suffered a long slash from one's claws across the left side of her face, and Strange decided he needed to leave his friends to protect them while he dealt with the evils he'd unleashed. He cast a spell of forgetfulness causing Sara and Wong to know him only as the non-magical Dr. Stephen Sanders, and left them in charge of the fully repaired townhouse which was now the Stephen Strange Memorial Metaphysical Institute.
(Strange Tales II#3/2) - Apparently Strange had healed Sara's facial wound, as she had no subsequent scar.
(Doctor Strange III#1 (fb)) - Strange's spell made the world believed he was killed in final battle with the Beyonder.
(Doctor Strange III#9 (fb)) - Morgana Blessing showed up at the door demanding to see Stephen, and Wong and Sara had to tell Morgana that he was dead.
(Doctor Strange III#1 (fb)) - Sara and Wong attended Strange's funeral wherein he was buried at Crestview Cemetery.
(Doctor Strange III#9 (fb)) - Stephen's will provided the Institute's funding.
(Doctor Strange III#10 (fb) - BTS) - Sara was the one who named the Institute after Stephen.
(Doctor Strange III#10-11 (fb)) - In dealing with Stephen's estate Sara sold a building which, unbeknownst to her, contained his cryogenically frozen brother’s body.
(Strange Tales II#17/2) - "Dr. Sanders" returned to the Institute, still being run by Sara (as Director) beside Wong and his betrothed, Imei Chang. Sanders was shown to his regular room, where he modified his spell so as to no longer affect Sara, Wong, and Imei. Sara and Wong's memories were restored, and they rushed to Strange's room for a joyous reunion.
(Strange Tales II#18/2) - Sara and Wong resigned from the Board of Directors of the Institute, which moved out of the Townhouse to bigger quarters uptown. When Imei described Strange as "scary," Sara replied "you ain't seen nuthin' yet." When Strange cried out from his study the three rushed in to find Strange on the floor. While Strange gave only a vague explanation of what happened, he then formed a gateway and vanished, as Sara commented "well, here we go again."
(Doctor Strange III#5 (fb)) - Sara's resignation was apparently refused, as she remained active with the Institute as Executive Director.
(Doctor Strange III#1) - Sara went to Strange's study to announce dinner was ready, only to have Stephen open it just before she got there. She informed him that the Institute's move was going well; after Strange left the dinner with Wong and Imei (he was not feeling well), Sara and Wong commented on how Strange was more emotional than he had been, more tender.
(Doctor Strange III#2) - Sara and Wong heard unusual noises from Strange's study; investigating, they found Strange possessed by Dormammu. He froze them in place and departed, after which they could move again, leaving the two to speculate on Stephen's fate.
(Doctor Strange III#3) - With Stephen restored and Clea joining them, the next morning at breakfast with Strange, Clea, Wong, and Imei, Sara observed that Strange and Clea were wearing matching rings which the two explained mystically tied them together. Sara then had to run to the Institute to sign grant forms.
(Doctor Strange III#5) - Sara walked from Strange's to the Institute, only to have Stephen fly down midway and join her. He accompanied her to the Institute, explaining he was considering abandoning the "Dr. Strange is dead" ruse. At the Institute he was introduced to paranormal researcher Dr. Corbett, and exposed a fraud named Wally. Strange left when Sara had an appointment, but the appointment turned out to be with Baron Mordo, who trapped her soul in a Sphere of Containment. Mordo later confronted Strange, who was tricked by Mordo into trapping Mordo inside the Sphere with Sara (Mordo had sold his soul to demons and needed Stephen's protection; by tying his fate to Sara's he got that protection).
(Doctor Strange III#6) - In the Sphere, Sara slapped Mordo for trapping her, and awaited Stephen's rescue of her. Mordo seemed almost apologetic, commenting that his mother's name was Sara. From inside, they watched as Satannish, Mephista, and Strange contested for them outside
(Doctor Strange III#7) - With the Sphere in Satannish's custody, Sara and Mordo conversed with the demon, who explained they were chips in his game with Mephisto and destroyed a demon who suggested Mephisto and Satannish were once the same. Mordo confirmed his hatred of Stephen, saying that destroying him would be worth his soul, a soul no one ever cared about, neither his parents nor the Ancient One. Meanwhile, Rintrah and Topaz retrieved Sara's comatose body from an Institute storeroom and returned with it to the townhouse.
(Doctor Strange III#8) - While her body sat at the townhouse next to Mordo's (guarded by Topaz and Rintrah), Sara blamed Mordo for their predicament, only to have Mordo break down and agree, saying that ever since he learned his family's history (mom never loved him & helped his granddad kill his dad; Mordo was only born as a tool to spy on the Ancient One), he's been completely alone. Nearly in tears, he hugged Sara. Later, when Satannish and Mephisto battled for the Sphere and things looked drear, he freed Sara so she would not share his fate. Topaz used her healing powers to reintegrate Sara, and she was awake as Strange recovered from his battle with the demons and Mordo. Topaz departed.
(Doctor Strange III#9) - While Strange fumed about a magazine cover article proclaiming that Morgana Blessing had written a book about him, Sara inquired after Mordo's fate, but Strange just said he would pay. Sara then read the magazine.
(Doctor Strange III#10) - As news crews and crowds gathered outside the townhouse, Sara dealt with them by promising that Strange would make a public statement later that evening. In the wee hours of the night, Strange returned with Morbius the Living Vampire and Strange's own vampiric brother, Vic, in tow.
(Doctor Strange III#11) - Sara watched as Strange enclosed Vic in a mystical cocoon, and Morbius fled as dawn approached. Stephen explained to the others (Sara, Wong, Imei, Rintrah) that years ago Vic had shown up in New York at Steve's door, the pair had fought, and Vic had then been hit by a car in the streets out front, after which Stephen had him cryogenically frozen. Meanwhile, Strange's new celebrity had him receiving endorsement offers which Sara turned down, but to her surprise Stephen agreed to appear on Hour Thirteen, a live talk show which debunked psychics; Strange explained to Sara that he wanted to be publicly "debunked." With Rintrah, Imei, and Wong, Sara watched the show (which also had Morgana Blessing as a guest)and witnessed as the Hobgoblin attacked and power went out; not long after, Strange returned home with Morgana in tow, the two reconciled.
(Doctor Strange III#12) - Due to Strange's adverse publicity, Sara closed the Institute, intending to open it again later under a new name. Rintrah and Stephen accompanied her to the Institute to retrieve some important files, and when Mordo came up in conversation, Sara commented wistfully that she was sure Mordo had finally learned his lesson. Strange left, and when Sara realized she had lots of work to do, Rintrah did as well.
(Doctor Strange III#13) - Morgana Blessing called with two gifts for Stephen - a first copy of the book, and a puppy. Excited by the puppy (which Rintrah quickly confirmed was not a mystical being of any sort), Sara brought Morgana and it to Strange, who was romantically ensconced on a couch with Clea. When Imei took the puppy to play with and Clea and Morgana's conversation turned icy, Sara went downstairs to where Mordo was caged. Despite knowing that she shouldn't visit him she still wanted to, and after he tried to explain his earlier action he kissed her hand, calling himself an "admirer." As she retreated back upstairs, he told he his first name was Karl.
(Doctor Strange III#14) - While Stephen was out retrieving a kidnapped Clea, Sara showed Morgana around, showing her Stephen's brother Vic. Stephen and Clea returned, and Morgana departed after commenting on a mysterious memory of meeting Stephen while he was thought dead. While Clea and Strange retired, Sara went to bed herself after an awkward conversation in which Rintrah tried to share with her the sexual customs of his species; Sara said she had things on her mind.
(Doctor Strange III#16) - On her way to the Institute, Sara dropped by Strange's home where he, Clea, Rintrah, and Morgana Blessing were present. Clea was mystically trapped due to a hate spell put on her, and Sara made some catty remarks about Morgana, who Sara learned had recently publicly stated her intentions to woo Stephen from Clea. Sara soon apologized, saying the triangle was none of her business. Using Morgana as a conduit, Strange cast a spell which allowed all present to see the location and activities of the missing Victor Strange.
(Marvel Fanfare I#52/2) - Seriously concerned about something, Strange returned from the Institute to his townhouse, brushing past Sara and Wong in his front room without a word.
(Doctor Strange III#38) - The Institute apparently occupied the entirety of a building at least 8 stories tall; it had its own small parking garage in an attached building.
(Doctor Strange III#21) - The Institute was renamed the Memorial Metaphysical Institute and reopened in its new building, and Sara began new extrasensory perception testing (observed by Stephen), which proved fruitless. He left when a swarm of Mindless Ones appeared outside, asking Sara to call the townhouse and notify Rintrah. Sara took a taxi instead and once she arrived Rintrah went to Strange's aid, and Sara went downstairs and found Wong with Karl Mordo. Wong returned upstairs, and Mordo, insisting she call him Karl, offered to give his word, as a European nobleman, to aid Strange if she freed him. Sara hesitated, but declined. Returning upstairs, she was present when Strange returned from the battle and when he left for the Dark Dimension.
(Doctor Strange III#22) - With Strange still gone and the Orb of Agamotto glowing up a storm, Sara hesitantly accepted Mordo's offer, using a mystic phrase that Strange had taught her for emergency use to open the cell's bars. Once free, Mordo confessed he'd always had a problem keeping promises, confined Sara in the cell, and left.
(Doctor Strange III#23) - Dr. Strange freed Sara from the cage, and she confessed her foolishness. They went outside, where Mordo was battling Dormammu, and Strange took advantage of Mordo's distraction to recapture him. Mordo asked Sara to free him, as he was fighting Dormammu for the Earth's sake, but Sara told him she'd claw his eyes out if he opened his mouth again. However, Strange's subsequent fight with Dormammu resulted in Mordo's becoming free again, and Sara demanded that he help Strange and Clea for Earth's sake, but Mordo instead offered to serve Dormammu, saying it was better to serve than to "languish in dungeons at the mercy of every sorcerer or scullery maid who happens by." While Dormammu and Mordo departed together, taking a captive Strange and Clea with them, Sara momentarily collapsed.
(Doctor Strange III#24) - Sara told Wong, Imei, and Rintrah what had happened. While Wong was angry, Imei sympathized with her emotional response to Mordo, and Rintrah attempted to go to Strange's aid, only to be confronted by Mordo, who declared himself the dimension's new Sorcerer Supreme. Sara angrily cursed him, rejecting him as being as much of a monster as Dormammu through being a boot-licker to him. Her words struck home and he left to seek an alliance with Umar against Dormammu, even paraphrasing Sara's words to Dormammu at their moment of confrontation (though Sara would not know the effect her words had).
(Marvel Comics Presents I#79/4) - At Sara's insistence, she and Stephen attended a movie together, the slasher flick "A Sleepless Night on Sequoia Street." On the way home in a cab, they discussed the possible effects of that horror and violence on children and adults, concluding that people needed to keep their reality separate from their fantasy. That night, Strange dreamed that the movie's villain "Eddy" had killed Sara and attacked him, but it turned out to be Nightmare, and Sara's death just an illusion.
(Doctor Strange III#36 (fb)) - During the Infinity Gauntlet conflict, Sara was part of the half of the universe's population to be blinked out of existence, though she would be unaware of this when restored.
(Doctor Strange III#36) - Sara attended a party in Stephen's honor, beside Clea, Topaz, the Scarlet Witch, Morgana Blessing, Victor Strange, Rintrah, Wong, and Imei. After Morgana and Wong slipped away, Rintrah commented on how good it was to have Sara back (referring to the Infinity Gauntlet event, but covering by saying he meant "back from the Institute"). Wong and Imei announced their wedding date (six months hence), but Pip and Gamora teleported in, announced their intentions to kill Adam Warlock, and departed with Dr. Strange, leaving the remaining guests on their own.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#103/4) - Rintrah invited Sara to accompany him to Shakespeare in the Park at Central Park's Belvedere Castle; when she arrived at Strange's he summoned tea and sugar for Sara, and disguised himself, but spilled the tea. Strange scolded Rintrah, saying he may not be ready for outside; Sara felt Stephen was being much too harsh over spilled tea, but said nothing. When they arrived there was an immense line, and so instead they chose to sit on tall rocks and watch over the walls. When a young boy fell from the rocks Rintrah cast a spell to save him, but dropped his disguise spell in doing so. As people pointed at him, he pretended to be a part of the play, reciting several lines before running off. With his disguise reinstated, he asked Sara not to tell Dr. Strange about this, and she agreed.
(Doctor Strange III#38) - Clea began working at the Institute, and Sara showed her around on her first day there. While testing a presumed psychic named Joanne, another testee, Mr. Barrie rushed in claiming he was having wide-awake nightmares, and Clea and he both saw a gate begin to open (Sara and Joanne did not see this). He suicidally leapt from the 7th floor window, and Joanne screamed and rushed out; Clea used magic to rescue the now-fainted Barrie. They returned to Stephen's home, encountering two other "nightmaring" people on the way, and again Clea could see mystical effects while Sara could not. They told Stephen and Rintrah, and when Strange turned the TV on to CNN he instead saw a horror host named Roadkill (and his cat Splatt), and the two emerged from the TV to attack Strange; while Sara checked on the stunned Stephen, all present found themselves transported to Nightmare's realm. While Clea and Rintrah fought Nightmare, Sara brought Strange to consciousness; he drove Nightmare off and returned them all home. Rintrah was concerned for Sara's well-being (Sara was okay, but curious about "Fear Lords" mentioned by Nightmare), but while Rintrah looked to her the TV spoke to Strange, with Horror TV network owner Skirra Corvus challenging Strange to meet him. Leaving Rintrah to look after Sara, Strange and Clea departed.
(Doctor Strange III#39) - Strange returned to the manor and told Sara he and Clea had battled the Straw Man; Strange hung his portrait in the front room. Clea's thoughts were on the Dark Dimension and Umar and Mordo, but when she said Sara's thoughts might be there too, Sara replied "not particularly." Wong and Imei then returned to report it was pitch black in midday outside, and Strange, Clea, and Rintrah exited to battle various Fear Lords. When the three won out, Sara ushered them back in. Sara observed as they tried to investigate further through the Orb, and when the sleeping Wong and Imei suffered identical nightmares, Strange declared that the Dweller in Darkness was coming after humanity. Strange continued to observe the Orb, only to then be pulled into it.
(Doctor Strange III#40) - The hero Daredevil phased through the mansion's roof and into the living room, and told them that a bright light had brought him here. While Clea spoke to him, suddenly the Straw Man emerged from his portrait, and telepathically told all present that the world was in danger of being frightened to death. Clea, Rintrah, Daredevil, and the Straw Man soon departed together.
(Doctor Strange III#43) - After Clea failed to show up for work at the Institute, Sara went to Strange's seeking her. Despite hearing a weird hum from a first floor room, she went upstairs to find Rintrah working with the Orb of Agamotto. The Orb began bulging and tentacles burst forth attacking him; Clea came in quickly and banished them though the Orb vanished as well. Clea showed Sara and Rintrah that her home Dark Dimension was engulfed in blackness and asked Rintrah's help, but he declined, saying he couldn't help while Strange was off with Galactus. Clea left, and Sara comforted Rintrah regarding his role in the Orb's vanishing.
Comments: Created by Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Green (inks).
Sara also appears in a fantasy of Dr. Strange's in Doctor Strange II#55, wherein she and Wong are retrieving him from an asylum. Needless to say, this is only a fantasy, and not the real Sara. Similarly, Marvel Comics Presents #79/4 presents a dream murder of Sara, which was also not really her.
As an being lacking superpowers or magical abilities, Sara naturally stood on the sidelines during a lot of fights, and witnessed Strange go off to do something and then did not appear again until well after that particular threat was resolved. While his return, and any conversation about that event, are frequently unshown, Sara was a good friend and trusted companion to Strange. It can probably be safely assumed that whatever the weird events of the day were, Strange told Sara the full story (or a close approximation) later. Similarly, in many cases Strange leaves and Sara is not present when he returns; clearly that return should be assumed even if not noted here! If Strange or someone remained absent for an extended period, that is noted herein.
I feel a need to note that though Sara had a habit of wearing feather earrings during most of volume II (as seen in her close-up head shot above), she gave that up by volume III, and even semi-ironically makes fun of herself for wearing them at one point. Over the years there has been some social commentary in the greater critical comics community on the perceived tendency of comic book North American Indians to wear feathers and fringe, and presumably her no longer wearing these reflects a sensitivity to this.
Profile by SQUEAK.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Sara Wolfe has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
Doctor Strange III#11, p4 (actual), pan1 (main image)
Doctor Strange II#75, p13 (as numbered), pan1 (head)
Doctor Strange III#38, p6 (story page), pan5 (Institute)
Appearances:
Doctor Strange II#38-39 (December, 1979 - February, 1980) - Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Jo Duffy & Al Milgrom (editors)
Doctor Strange II#40 (April, 1980) - Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Green & Ricardo Villamonte (inks), Jo Duffy (editor)
Doctor Strange II#42, 44 (August, 1980, December, 1980) - Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Jo Duffy (editor)
Doctor Strange II#45 (February, 1981) - Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan & D Hands (pencils), J Novak & Gaff (inks), Jo Duffy (editor)
Doctor Strange II#47 (June, 1981) - Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Jo Duffy (editor)
Doctor Strange II#48-49, 53 (August, 1981 - October, 1981, June, 1982) - Roger Stern (writer), Marshall Rogers (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Doctor Strange II#55 (October, 1982) - Roger Stern (writer), Michael Golden (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Doctor Strange II#56 (December, 1982) - Roger Stern (writer), Paul Smith (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Doctor Strange II#57 (February, 1983) - Roger Stern (writer), Kevin Nowlan (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Doctor Strange II#58-60 (April - August, 1983) - Roger Stern (writer), Dan Green (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Doctor Strange II#61 (October, 1983) - Roger Stern (writer), Dan Green (pencils), Rick Magyar (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Doctor Strange II#63 (February, 1984) - Carl Potts (writer, pencils, & inks), Al Milgrom & Ann Nocenti (editors)
Doctor Strange II#65-66 (June - August, 1984) - Roger Stern (writer), Paul Smith (pencils & inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Doctor Strange II#67 (October, 1984) - Roger Stern (writer), Steve Leialoha (pencils & inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Doctor Strange II#69 (February, 1985) - Roger Stern (writer), Paul Smith (pencils & inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Doctor Strange II#70 (April, 1985) - Roger Stern (writer), Bret Blevins (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Doctor Strange II#71-72 (June - August, 1985) - Roger Stern (writer), Paul Smith (pencils & inks), Carl Potts (editor)
New Defenders I#146 (August, 1985) - Peter Gillis (writer), Luke McDonnell (pencils), Art Nichols (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Doctor Strange II#74 (December, 1985) - Peter Gillis (writer), Mark Badger (pencils & inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Longshot I#6 (February, 1986) - Ann Nocenti (writer), Arthur Adams (pencils), Whilce Portacio (inks), Louise Jones (editor)
Doctor Strange II#75 (February, 1986) - Roger Stern (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Mark Badger (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Doctor Strange II#76 (April, 1986) - Peter Gillis (writer), Chris Warner (pencils), Mark Badger (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Doctor Strange II#77-81 (June, 1986 - February, 1987) - Peter Gillis (writer), Chris Warner (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Strange Tales II#1/2-3/2 (April - June, 1987) - Peter Gillis (writer), Chris Warner (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Strange Tales II#17/2-18/2 (August - September, 1988) - Peter Gillis (writer), Richard Case (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Doctor Strange III#1-3 (November, 1988 - March, 1989) - Peter Gillis (writer), Richard Case (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Doctor Strange III#5-8 (July - October, 1989) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writer), Jackson Guice (pencils), Jose Marzan Jr. (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Doctor Strange III#9-14 (November, 1989 - February, 1990) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writer), Jackson Guice (pencils & inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Doctor Strange III#16 (April, 1990) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writer), Jackson Guice (pencils), Jackson Guice & Tony DeZuniga (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Marvel Fanfare I#52/2 (August, 1990) - Dean Allen Achreck (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Art Williamson (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Doctor Strange III#21-22 (September - October, 1990) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writer), Jackson Guice (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Doctor Strange III#23 (November, 1990) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writer), Jackson Guice (pencils), Mark McKenna (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Doctor Strange III#24 (December, 1990) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writer), Jackson Guice (pencils), Doug Hazlewood (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#79/4 (1991) - Robert Campanella (writer), Steve Geiger (pencils), Mark McKenna (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Doctor Strange III#36 (December, 1991) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writer), Dan Lawlis (pencils), Andrew Pepoy (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#103/4 (1992) - James Felder (writer), Larry Alexander (pencils), Jonathan Holdredge (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Doctor Strange III#38-40 (February-April, 1992) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writer), Geof Isherwood (pencils), Jim Sanders III (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Doctor Strange III#43 (July, 1992) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writer), Geof Isherwood (pencils & inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Doctor Strange III Annual #3 (1993) - Sholly Fisch (writer), Sandu Florea (pencils & inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
First Posted: 08/04/2009
Last updated: 08/01/2009
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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