One of the perks of being a Sorcerer Supreme is that you get a lot of cool toys to play with. Which basically means Doctor Strange is what would happen if Batman became a deadly magician. With a bevy of weird mystical gadgets at his disposal, this Master of the Mystic Arts can conjure his way out of any situation, no matter what the dimension and without the cumbersome burden of having to wear a utility belt glorified fannypack.
As we've seen, Doctor Strange has some amazing superpowers. But most of those would never be possible without the various amulets, books, cloaks and sticks of chewing gum he has laying around his house. While some come in more handy than others, and a few are just downright bizarre, there's little doubt that inside all those display cases of the Sanctum Sanctorum is where the real magic happens.
Here are Doctor Strange's 15 Best and Weirdest Mystical Artifacts.
15. Dragonfang
A strong contender for mystical artifact with the coolest sounding name, Dragonfang is an awesome magical sword Doctor Strange once kept in a forgotten corner of his house. Virtually indestructible, this weapon is capable of destroying mystical barriers, redirecting energy blasts, allowing its wielder to change their attire at will, absorbing magic when in contact with blood, and remaining invisible while seathed. Also, it's literally made from the fang of a dragon -- which makes Valyrian steel from Game of Thrones look like a butter knife.
Like a lot of the artifacts in Strange's keep, Dragonfang has made the rounds. It was originally carved by a wizard from the tusk of an extra dimensional dragon (awesome, we know). Eventually, it fell into the possession of the Ancient One, who in turn passed it to Doctor Strange. When the Asgardian goddess Brunnhilde (also known as Valkyrie) joined the Defenders, the Sorcerer Supreme gifted the blade to her. She later died during the events of Ragnarok and Lady Sif aka lover of Thor picked it up until she too met her demise. Brunnhilde has since been resurrected and reclaimed her magical sword, which, thanks to Doctor Strange's generosity, has been chopping down Asgardian adversaries ever since. So if you're looking for the perfect gift for that warrior princess in your life, Dragonfang will do quite nicely.
14. The Sash of Doctor Strange
And here you thought that yellow sash around his waist was just good fashion sense. Well like pretty much everything about the Master of the Mystic Arts, nothing is as it seems. And while most other aspects of the character have been refashioned in some form or another since his debut back in 1963, Doctor Strange's sash has remained seasonably in style.
Where Spidey has his webs and Batman his Batarangs, the Sorcerer Supreme has his sash. Sure, sashes are a pointless accessory more often than not. They don't hold up pants, they look like something a pirate would wear, and their tails are ripe for snagging. However, the enchanted Sash of Doctor Strange can extend ten times its normal length and be used to grasp faraway objects. Which means if he ever finds himself falling off a cliff without his Cloak of Levitation, Strange just need point his hips in the right direction and let his sash do all the work.
13. A Tarot Deck
Not just any Tarot Deck mind you, but the first one in existence. Some may not believe in the divine powers of teratology, but they've probably never had a reading with Doctor Strange. After all, it sure came in handy when he lost many of his magical abilities during the Secret Defenders series. Not to mention prove that tarot cards are a must have for any fantasy superhero league.
When Strange renounced the various mystical beings (like Valtorr and Ikonn) behind his best spells, he had to find alternative means to get his magic on. Fortunately, like any good magician, he had a few cards up his sleeve. When the Sorcerer Supreme would foresee a new danger approaching, he'd subconsciously meld with his Tarot Deck to determine which superheroes could best handle the incoming threat. When the day was saved, everyone would go their separate ways, and the cards would pick a new ideally suited team for the next adventure. As an added benefit, Doctor Strange could blame the Tarot Deck when confronted with the awkward situation of letting Captain America know he wasn't good enough for their team.
12. The Darkhold
The Book of Demonicus. The Tome of Oshtur. Il Libro di Cagliostro. Doctor Strange has quite the extensive library of magical books. At one time his mystical card catalog included the most vile book in all the Marvel Universe.
From Merlin to Blade, Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian, many of the greats have crossed paths with the Darkhold. Anyone keeping up with the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series is well aware of what this “Book of Sins” can do. Written by the Elder God Cthon to unleash centuries of arcane knowledge on the world, the indestructible Darkhold contains every known form of dark magic, and is credited with having created pretty much every monster you can think of including vampires, zombies, werewolves and Taco Bell.
Merely flipping through its sinister pages is enough to corrupt a reader's soul. Luckily, Doctor Strange is too powerful to let it get the better of him, as we saw during Doctor Strange #62 when the Sorcerer Supreme reverse engineered the Darkhold's spells to destroy Dracula, along with all the other vampires of Earth. Bet you didn't know Stephen Strange was also a kickass vampire hunter.
11. The Talisman of Abraxas
You know who can be a real jerk? Namor the Sub-Mariner. That guy's made a career of doing douchey things like invading the surface world and trying to mack all over the very married Sue Storm. He's arrogant and self-righteous to a fault, even quitting the Avengers because he didn't want to take orders from a woman. Though as it turns out, he may not be to blame for that infantile moodiness after all.
Due to his hybrid nature of being a half human, half Atlantean merman, Namor is vulnerable to oxygen imbalances from remaining too long in either water or air. This can trigger manic-depressive mood swings. The result is a temper that even the Hulk finds a bit much -- a horrible trait for one of the strongest superheroes in existence. Which is why it's a good thing Doctor Strange at one time had the oddly convenient Talisman of Abraxas on hand. As we found out in Marvel Team-Up #8, this amulet has the miraculous powers to assuage Namor's volatile personality. Sure, in the next issue, Namor throws the gift away like the jerk he is and then goes and picks a fight with the Thing, but it just goes to show that Doctor Strange has the right artifact for any occasion.
10. Axe of Angarrumus
When you have a house filled with mystical artifacts, choosing which one to use can get overwhelming. Sometimes though, Doctor Strange just goes with whatever's in arms reach and hopes for the best. Such was the case during the The Last Days of Magic story arc. It all came to a head when he was stripped of his mystical powers during an invasion of the magic-hating Emirikull, and found himself naked in Central Park without a way to defend hmself.
Unable to use his usual sorcery skills, Doctor Strange needed more conventional means to chop down the competition. Luckily, when he was astrally projected into the park, some of his belongings went along for the ride and were eaten by the Een'Gawori. Inside one of these magic-consuming slugs he found the long forgotten Axe of Angarrumus. Looking as if he had stolen it straight from the set of The Lord of the Rings, Strange originally discovered this lethal blade in a witch's crypt at the center of the Moon (because where do you keep your enchanted axes)? Having long had a affinity for blades, the ax ended up being the perfect tool for Doctor Strange to slice his way through some very uncool inter-dimensional creatures.
9. The Book of Cagliostro
As we saw in the Doctor Strange movie, books are at the center of the mystical teachings at Kamar-Taj. But one in particular plays a major role; though while it's only appeared a handful of times in the comics, the Book of Cagliostro has earned a worthy spotlight on the big screen.
First appearing in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #8, Il Libro di Cagliostro is the work of an 18th century magician coincidentally named Alessendro Di Cagliostro. He's actually a real person, who was an occultist Freemason and possible physician of Benjamin Franklin. (That's right, the same founding father that slept with Doctor Strange's girlfriend.) In the comics, this dude led quite the mystical life, going toe-to-toe with Dracula on several occasions, obtaining immortality, and learning the wisdom of the time-traveling 31st century sorcerer Sise-Neg. He then penned an autobiography of his experiences, along with a number of black magic spells only ever seen in the Darkhold and the secret to time travel. The book was passed down through his subsequent heirs until Doctor Strange came into possession of it and used it to go back and witness the Big Bang. Though if we were him, we'd probably have used it to stop Benji bifocals from getting it on with his lady.
8. A Barbed Wire Baseball Bat
Many of Doctor Strange's most bizarre and awesome mystical artifacts have appeared over the last few years, namely in his latest series, Doctor Strange Vol. 4. It's telling that its first story arc is called The Way of the Weird. We've already seen the ax from the one that follows in The Last Days of Magic. But it's not until issue #11 in the one-off, The New Face of Magic, that we start to have some real spellbinding fun. Think The Walking Dead meets Ghostbusters.
One of Stephen's newest powers is the ability to see the invisible otherworldly bacteria that use humans as their host. Since in this new series he's been stripped of all his usual conjuring abilities, the Sorcerer Supreme must take a more hands on approach to getting the job done. Does Doctor Strange bashing in the heads of interdimensional space slugs with a barbed wire bat remind you of anyone? Having come out in the fall of 2016, there's little doubt where the inspiration for this latest artifact came from. But we're not complaining. Because when there's something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? Doctor Negan Strange.
7. An Apple
The otherworldly relics kick it up a notch in the next issue of Doctor Strange Vol. 4. Issue #12 begins the Blood in the Aether storyline, and is the moment Stephen Strange truly stops being the Sorcerer Supreme and starts being Batman. Panel after panel, he pulls out a slew of crazy gizmos. First, there's the green lightsaber he uses to fight off Mister Misery, the magical being Doctor Strange created in his cellar by mixing black magic with pain (long story). Then there's his new cape that can envelop Doc in a protective shield. But the best of these has got to be his magic apple.
When we find Doctor Strange nonchalantly chomping away at an apple, we should know better than to think he's just got a tasty piece of fruit in his hands. Luckily, when Baron Mordo shows up at his door, we get to see this red delicious in action. Without missing a beat, Strange throws his half-eaten apple at Mordo, which then grows around him and ensconces the evil sorcerer in a full fledged apple tree. The fact Mordo easily breaks free is of little importance. All that matters is that the creatives at Marvel are finally giving the people what they want -- namely, magical produce.
6. Chewing Gum
Amazingly, a magical apple is not the weirdest thing to come out of Doctor Strange's mystical arsenal from issue #12. That honor goes to a piece of chewing gum. One that, when chewed to the right consistency, freezes everything it touches. All the while keeping your breath minty fresh.
Sure, a wave of the finger or the utterance of a word used to be all the Sorcerer Supreme needed to save the multiverse. But in this new world of a powerless Doctor Strange, it's the small and sticky things in life that count. So it's a good thing the Winterfawn Tree of Aukland is still putting out, because how else would you stop the real life manifestation of your own misery? After all, magical fruit and a baseball bat can only take one so far. For that extra, longer lasting savior, a stick of bubble gum will do the trick.
5. The Wand of Watoomb
The Wand of Watoomb, despite its ridiculous name, is no joke. This one-foot long horned rod gives its user near omnipotent powers. It can amplify, gather, focus and absorb mystical energy as a conduit for opening dimensional portals, controlling the elements, healing, shielding against mystical attacks, firing lethal blots of energy, and helping to reshape the reality of the universe. What's more, it's incredibly easy to use, with even the most inept in the ways of magic able to expertly wield it's devastating force.
Watoomb is a benevolent mystical being who passed along many of his abilities into this awesome baton. There's actually six of them across all the dimensions, with one currently residing with Doctor Strange, though he's never really used it for himself. The Wand of Watoomb is an iconic artifact that even appeared in the JLA/Avengers crossover as one of the six objects representing the Marvel Universe. Not surprisingly, we ranked it as one of the most powerful objects in existence. It debuted in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2, and has been possessed by the evil warlock Xandu, Doctor Doom and Iron Man. The Wand also made a brief cameo in the Doctor Strange movie, but hopefully in future films, we will get more than just a glimpse of this amazing artifact.
4. The Cloak of Levitation
There's not really much mystery behind what this thing does. The Cloak of Levitation allows Doctor Strange to fly at a breezy 25 miles per hour when the mood strikes him. But there's a lot more to this red cape than being able to move at the speed of a bicycle. It can respond to his thoughts and even be used as a third set of hands, though that just sounds dirty. If Strange is incapacitated, the cape can fend off attacks as well as act of its own free will, which basically means Doctor Strange is wearing the magic carpet from Aladdin around his neck.
The Cloak is one of Doctor Strange's trademarks, and in the comics, it was given to him by the Ancient One as a sign of his mastery of magic. Which is odd, because being a Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange doesn't really need a magical cape to fly. You would think that a simple spell would do the trick. Or he could just phase into an astral state and float around all day. But then again, that would take a lot of concentration, and it's far easier to let the drapery on your back do all the work. It's worth noting that the Cloak was at onetime refashioned into a “Kimono of Levitation” and later the far more foreboding “Overcoat of Levitation.” But whatever they're calling it over at the House of Ideas, this mystical fabric is a security blanket worthy of the Sorcerer Supereme.
3. The Book of Vishanti
We enter now into the most esteemed areas of the Sanctum Sanctourm, containing the artifacts that have helped Stephen Strange earn his rep as one of the most powerful beings around. The Book of Vishanti contains some of the multiverse's mightiest spells and is the best line of defense against black magic. The book is marked with the “Seal of Vishanti”, which is the same symbol that adorns the large window atop Strange's home, revealing the importance of this work.
The Vishanti are a triune of inconceivably awesome beings who have been protecting the universe for untold eons. Imagine slightly less powerful versions of David Copperfield and you'll get the picture. Their ranks include the gods Agamotto, Oshtur, and Hoggoth. A few millennia ago, they decided to pen a tome hat could offset the evil magic of the Darkhold. The Book of Vishanti has been owned at various points by the first-ever vampire Varnae, Cleopatra, and the god Marduk. Eventually, the Ancient One came into possession of it and later bequeathed it to Doctor Strange. Using this book, the Sorcerer Supreme can conjure pretty much any spell he could ever need. For example, on page 456, you'll find an invisibility spell. On page 2,342, a banishment spell. And in Appendix XII, an amazing recipe for chicken shwarma.
2. Orb of Agamotto
Of all the Vishanti, Strange's main man is Agamotto. This all-seeing god has created some of the most important magic objects of the past eternity. Being an avid collector of all things Agamotto, the Sorcerer Supreme has been fortunate to own several of them. Take a stroll into the Sanctum Sanctorum's Chamber of Shadows and you'll find one of the best: the Orb of Agamotto. Or as we like to call it, the coolest entertainment system ever put together.
This large crystal ball allows Strange to monitor the universe and other surrounding dimensions. With the ability to livestream other planets and pinpoint magic users anywhere (save for those powerful enough to block him), Doctor Strange has a front row seat to the greatest reality show on Earth. And if catching up on the ethereal dirt of the universe gets boring, he can use the Orb to teleport to other dimensions or even project his voice anywhere in time and space. Which seems like an awesome way to trick Iron Man into believing he's talking to the voice of God. Or, again, stop Benjamin Franklin from sleeping with his girlfriend.
1. Eye of Agamotto
So what's better than the Orb of Agamotto? How about the Eye of Agamotto. Well, not his actual eye, but a relic imbued with an amazing array of party tricks à la Motto. The Eye is Doctor Strange's go-to mystical artifact and the source of many of his powers, which is why he keeps it close at heart by wearing it around his neck within the aptly named Amulet of Agamotto.
The Eye was given to Strange, along with Cloak of Levitation, by the Ancient One in 1963's Strange Tales #115. Listing all its capabilities would be near impossible, since we don't think anyone really knows them. But it can see into the past, see through any lie, deception or illusion, freeze time, rewind time, and expel unstoppable energy blasts. While wearing it Doctor Strange ranks among the best telepaths in town, is able to lift objects weighing thousands of pounds into the air telekinetically, and can open dimensional portals to travel through time and space. Think of it as a tiny wearable version of the Orb, only a whole a lot more epic. So much so that an astral version of itself accompanies Doctor Strange when he enters others planes of existence, which nearly no other artifact can do. And anyone who's seen the Doctor Strange movie knows about the other secret this precious relic holds.
Simply put, the Eye of Agamotto is Doctor Strange's most prized possession. Unless you count Wong. Which we totally do.
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Did we get all of Doctor Strange's best artifacts? Are they any other weird ones we missed? Tell us in the comments.