Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #56: Review

Aug 1993

Roy Thomas, Geof Isherwood

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Story Name:

Blood relations

Review & Comments

Rating:

Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #56 Review by Rob Johnson (December 24, 2022)

The main story of this issue is a tie-in to Infinity Crusade #3. It happens early in that issue in a break during Dr Strange and Moondragon's spying on Avengers Mansion. (It opens with an exact copy of a conversation in that issue.)

Victor Strange used to call himself Baron Blood but Morgana Blessing says since the original villainous BB reappeared (in Marvel UK's Knights Of Pendragon #10-11) he changed his name to Khiron. This is the 1st time we've heard that name, and since this is his last app it's the last time.

Kyllian will be back next issue in the main tale, but we never see Bellona and Centaurion again. Sybilla will reappear in Avengers vol 6 #2.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #56 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

In the cathedral on Paradise Omega Dr Strange is allowing Moondragon and other followers of the Goddess to view (without sound) in the Orb Of Agamotto the gathering of heroes in Avengers Mansion. Heather Douglas leaves to mentally inform Goddess what they've seen, and the others follow her. Left alone DrS can indulge some personal impulses as long as they don't conflict with Goddess' plan. He uses the Orb to check up on his house in Greenwich Village and finds Wong and his fiancée Imei Chang there. Turning up the sound he hears the news they're watching and realises that his vampire brother Victor is still killing people.

Because he's not needed at them moment Stephen Strange sends his astral body to his Sanctum where he finds that Imei and Wong have already left. We see that they've gone to Victor Strange's lover Morgana Blessing. Stephen has the same idea. When the duo get there Morgana attacks them with a stake thinking it's Vic. They calm her down then Dr Strange arrives and takes over Wong's body. Morgana tells them that Vic has been continuing his vampire hero role, draining the blood of violent criminals caught in the act, supplanting it with blood from her fridge and the occasional sip from *her* neck. But since crime stopped (due to the Goddess) he's been hunting those he knew had committed crimes earlier. Stephen realises that's how he got round Goddess' edict, because he thought he was doing good. Morgana says she tried to stop him in case he killed an innocent man but they argued and he moved out.

Stephen as Wong leaves Imei with Morgana and catches a cab back to his house where he dons his original plain Cloak Of Levitation and Amulet Of Agamotto. On a hunch he flies to the now-ruined building where Victor's dead body was originally stored. True enough Khiron is there with the unconscious body of a man he says he saw shoot someone last week. Vic and 'Wong' fight until the man revives and starts speaking in Spanish. Vic realises that the killer had spoken English so he had just been about to kill an innocent who just looked like the guy. Morgana turns up with the stake, and Imei trying to stop her. Vic grabs the stake and kills himself with it. Morgana tries to kill herself with a knife but this time Imei *does* stop her. Stephen as Wong says he'll bury his brother himself. But he feels the pull of the Goddess.

Story 2: Stand-off (Part 3 of 3 of a tale of Kyllian Boddicker)

Script/pencils/inks Geoff Isherwood. Letters Diana Albers.

Last issue Kyllian defeated the Centaurian sent by Graeco-Roman war goddess Bellona. Now she comes to rescue him. Her enemies are the 3 Celtic gods that empower him, but she realise now that he is just a lad and possibly she can *use* him rather than oppose him. She leaves with her champion and returns to the prophetess Sybilla whose vision set her on this path originally. But she doesn't wait for the next vision which shows her kissing Kyllian.

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