Warning! Minor spoilers for Savage Avengers #24 ahead!
The budding friendship between Conan the Barbarian and Doctor Strange puts the Sorcerer Supreme’s friendship with Iron Man to shame. The bond between the two has grown throughout the course of Savage Avengers, with Stephen Strange connecting with Conan on a level that Tony Stark cannot match.
The Savage Avengers has provided an outlet for Conan to bond with or fight unlikely characters from the Marvel Universe. Part of this title’s central appeal is wondering how these interactions will go and who will show up next issue. Conan has teamed up with the Rhino to fight Spider-Man, has overpowered Ghost Rider's penance stare, and has picked up, used, and broken the Punisher’s firearm.
The bond between Doctor Strange and Conan takes center stage in Savage Avengers #24 by Gerry Duggan and Patch Zircher. Even though Strange once quipped that he and Tony Stark are “awesome facial hair bros,” inspiring a meme to this effect, his connection to Conan runs deeper than that. As the Earth’s protector against all hostile mystical forces, Strange has seen the savage and absurd, whereas Tony Stark's encounters are more run-of-the-mill. The strangeness of the Sorcerer Supreme's world is something the Cimmerian can relate to better than most, as he encounters plenty of weirdness in his own adventures. After all, his rogues' gallery includes everything from the cannibal-wizard Kulan Gath to the massive spider-god Zath to the Changeling, an alien shapeshifter who crash-landed on Earth. Conan has even encountered an ancient symbiote, which has since bonded to him.
The events that the Sorcerer Supreme has witnessed have given him a dark sense of humor that really shines during his banter with the gruff barbarian. His repetition of Conan’s preferred curse for Kulan Gath, “@#$% you, wizard,” feels natural when Strange utters it to his foe, resonating like a verbal fist bump with his friend. His arcane knowledge and grave responsibility have also ensured that Doctor Strange, like Conan, is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. For Strange, there is a dark place that he is willing to go in dire situations and Conan the Barbarian can connect with him on that level. The sorcerer’s Faustian service to Doctor Doom in the 2015 crossover event Secret Wars is a good example of this and is reminiscent of Conan’s own willingness to battle alongside whoever serves his interests. The sorcerer and barbarian excel at attempting to use others to their mutual benefit.
It also seems natural that Conan would take to Doctor Strange, as he is from a realm where sorcery is commonplace. He has seen magic users of every type. Given his belief that the strongest should survive, teaming up with a Sorcerer Supreme to take down Kulan Grath is right in line with the barbarian’s sensibilities. Even though he has proclaimed himself to be “no friend to Kulan Gath or any sorcerer,” it is obvious that he and Strange are kindred. As someone who is frequently challenged by magic users, Conan has developed an innate understanding of it, even seeing through Mephisto's lies and deceptive magic. The sorcerer-and-barbarian duo’s familiarity with magic rivals Stark’s understanding of technology, meaning that they are able to connect on a level that Iron Man and Strange never will.
Connecting over their dark sense of humor, their willingness to align with questionable allies, and their status as the best at what they do, this bond is something to be savored. Though still in its infancy, the strong friendship between Doctor Strange and Conan the Barbarian has been far more interesting and natural than the Master of the Mystic Arts' interactions with Iron Man.