Warning! Spoilers for The Death of Doctor Strange #2 by Marvel Comics below
In order to create a backup version of himself to be reawakened in the event of his death, Doctor Strange messed with Marvel's timeline in a big way. In a new preview for The Death of Doctor Strange #2 by Marvel Comics, the new/old Sorcerer Supreme revealed he created a temporal remnant of himself as a contingency plan should he be killed. Strange kept the backup version of himself secret from everyone - which undoubtedly will have some impact on the current timeline.
In The Death of Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme has been murdered, with the killer still unknown. After being stabbed to death, the barrier surrounding the Earth that kept magical threats at bay has disappeared, leading to the planet being invaded by numerous magical forces. With sorcerers and spellcasters on Earth questioning what to do next, a version of Doctor Strange from the past emerged from a portal and told them that since he's been released, something terrible was about to happen. Now, Marvel Comics is teasing the series' second issue, where the new/old Doctor Strange reveals how he came to be.
In a brand new preview of The Death of Doctor Strange #2 by Jed Mckay, Lee Garbett, Antonio Fabela, and VC's Cory Petit, numerous magical threats begin to set up their rule in different parts of the world. Meanwhile, back at the Sanctum Santorum, Doctor Strange apologizes for the "strangeness" of his entrance. Doctor Voodoo, Zelma Stanton, and Bats confirm that it's actually Stephen Strange, but from the past. Strange notes his future self has been murdered, while his villains wonder what kind of trickery he has created.
Doctor Strange tells Wong he has one week to solve the case and stop the new magical threats. He reveals that many years ago, he severed one week from his personal timeline. After cutting a week off his own life, he hid his temporal remnant away from everyone in secret as a precaution should he be killed. In Strange's words, he created a remnant to ensure "that my affairs were put to order..." in the event of his death.
It's pretty surprising Strange would keep his temporal remnant hidden from his closest allies like Wong, but to ensure that nobody messed with his contingency plan, he kept it a secret. With magic users taking over the world in his absence, the new Doctor Strange will need to figure out how to stop them in seven days. Doctor Strange should also hope that by bringing his temporal remnant to the present day, that he didn't somehow fracture his own timeline in an unbreakable way. The Death of Doctor Strange #2 by Marvel Comics is in comic book stores on Wednesday.