Summary
- Doctor Strange finally reveals what happened during the 5,000-year War of the Seven Spheres and it may spell doom for him in the present day.
- The Vishanti blocked Doctor Strange's memory of the war and he only discovers the truth in Doctor Strange #6.
- General Strange, Doctor Strange's persona during the war, is back and the ghosts of the War of the Seven Spheres are haunting him in the present day. Dark things are expected to come.
Warning: contains spoilers for Doctor Strange #6!
One of the oldest plot holes in Doctor Strange lore just received a satisfying conclusion. Doctor Strange fought in the War of the Seven Spheres, a conflict that lasted 5,000 years; yet when the war ended, Strange returned and never talked about it. In Doctor Strange #6, the answer is at long last revealed – and it may spell doom for the Doctor in the present day.
Doctor Strange #6 – written by Jed Mackay, drawn by Juan Gedeon, colored by KJ Diaz and lettered by Cory Petit – is set over the course of the entirety of the war, with the issue showing Doctor Strange’s struggle to become the warrior needed to win the conflict. Eventually, he sheds the title of Doctor, assuming a new one: General.
Doctor Strange Was Gone 5,000 Years--But It Was Like He Never Left
The storyline currently running in Doctor Strange will explore the ramifications of the War of the Seven Spheres – nearly 30 years after it was first mentioned. In the mid-1990s, Doctor Strange underwent a bizarre metamorphosis, appearing as two different people. These duplicates were revealed to be filling in for Strange while he was away fighting a grand cosmic war. The real Doctor Strange returned, seemingly unscathed by the war. Strange rarely talked about it, leading fans to wonder what exactly occurred during the War of the Seven Spheres. No Doctor Strange ever revealed more about the conflict, and no other creative team would touch the story – until now.
The Vishanti Blocked Doctor Strange's Memory for Good Reason
As depicted in Doctor Strange #6, the reason Doctor Strange never discussed the War was because he did not know about it. The issue ends with Strange back in the Sanctum Sanctorum, asking the Vishanti, his allies in the War, about the conflict; he has no memory of the last 5,000 years. Over the course of the issue, readers witness General Strange bonding with his soldiers over the years. Eventually, the Trinity of Ashes, the War’s antagonists, sue for peace, and the Vishanti accept. However, the Trinity imposed one condition: that General Strange die. Surprisingly, the Vishanti agree to this term.
General Strange was a fierce warrior, so feared by the Trinity they wished him destroyed – a measure the Vishanti considered prudent as well. However, they informed the Trinity of their promise to return Strange to his own time and place once the war was over. The sides reached a compromise: General Strange was magically extracted from Strange and imprisoned in a crystal; Doctor Strange was then returned to New York, as if he never left, with no memory of the 5,000 years conflict or his General persona. When asked, the Vishanti are coy about what happened, saying there were “complexities.”
Now, in the present day, the ghosts of the War of the Seven Spheres, so long forgotten, are coming back to haunt Doctor Strange. The Trinity of Ashes returned, and so has General Strange. Doctor Strange #6 provided readers with a tantalizing glimpse ofthe General, and it seems likely more of his exploits from the thousands of years of War will be explored in future issues. The War of the Seven Spheres, a long-time dangling plot thread in the history of Doctor Strange, has finally been resolved – but now that it has come to light, the revelation portends dark things to come.
Doctor Strange #6 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!