As Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange has achieved many remarkable feats throughout his career. However, perhaps his greatest accomplishment was when he saved Doctor Doom's mother from Marvel's version of the devil, Mephisto. This is an epic, must-read story that leads both Strange and Doom, literally, to hell and back.
In Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment by Roger Stern and Mike Mignola, Strange had defeated Doom in a tournament created by the Vishanti and was crowned Sorcerer Supreme. However, the conditions of the trial state that Strange now owes a boon to Doom due to him not being incapacitated during the Vishanti’s challenge. At first, Strange is horrified by this, but Doom assures him that this favor will be a personal matter, instead of one of conquest. Though skeptical, Strange shadows Doom as they return to his homeland Latveria and they begin their weeks of training.
While they are training, it’s revealed that Doom's mother sold her soul to Mephisto in order to save her people from the oppressive former ruler of Latveria, but was killed in the process. After they finish their preparations, they then teleport to Hell to retrieve Doom’s mother’s soul and are immediately attacked by demons. As the two fight, they become separated by a sand storm conjured by Mephisto, leading to a one-one encounter between Mephisto and Doom. Mephisto then offers Doom’s mother’s soul in exchange for Strange’s, an offer Doom accepts.
Doom then reunites with and incapacitates Strange in order to fulfill Mephisto’s offer. In return, Mehpsitio returns Doom’s mother back to life. However, she is horrified by her son’s actions and refuses his help in disgust. However in a shockingly tragic twist, Strange then realizes Doom had placed a device that would free him from Mephisto on his body. After engaging the device for Strange, Doom attempts to escape Hell with his mother's body. While escaping, Doom shoots Mephisto with an antimatter bullet, seemingly destroying him.
Strange and Doom make their way back to Earth, but are once again stopped by Mephisto who is not only unphased by that antimatter bullet, but has grown into a giant. As Mephisto attempts to drag them back to Hell, Strange has an idea and begins speaking a spell. Suddenly, a light comes from the body of Doom’s mother and shoots into Mephisto, severely hurting him. Strange explains that her soul is now redeemed after rejecting Doom’s rescue, and now she is free. The two then fight off the severely damaged Mephisto and escape back to Latveria.
After returning to Latveria, Doom refuses medical attention from Strange, claiming that he needs no-one and instead retires to his private chamber. Strange begins to wonder if Doom had planned for his mother to reject his rescue all along. In the final panel, readers see Doom looking over Latveria after finally achieving his lifelong dream of saving his mother, he is now free to continue in his villainous ways.
Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment is an amazing comic that should be considered essential reading for any Marvel fan. Not only does it show readers the origin of Doom, but it also shows how far he will go to achieve any goal. It also gives a lot of insight about Doom's character, specifically that he does, in fact, need help and even love from others, even though he so often claims he doesn't. Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment is a comic that longtime fans and new readers alike can enjoy.