Science and sorcery have had a tense relationship in comic books since the beginning. Although some characters, notably Doctor Doom, have managed to make the two work together, most geniuses prefer one over the other. Some have even risen to become their world’s foremost expert of their art – including Doctor Strange, Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, and Doctor Hank Pym, the Scientist Supreme.
Although Strange’s title is well known to Marvel fans, many may not know of Pym’s special status in the Marvel Universe. While not as well known or celebrated as Reed Richards or Tony Stark, Hank Pym’s accomplishments and unique perspective on science has earned him the title of “Scientist Supreme” from none other than Eternity himself, the living embodiment of the entire Marvel Universe!
Pym learned about his special standing when he used his Pym Particles to grow into the “Macro Universe” and commune with Eternity himself. According to Eternity, Pym was science’s “mage.” Unlike Reed Richards (“The Explorer”) or Tony Stark (“The Engineer”), Pym used science to create effects nearly indistinguishable from magic – for no other reason than he wanted to.
Seen from this perspective, Pym’s abilities truly are extraordinary. As Ant-Man and Giant-Man, Pym learned how to shrink and grow to unimaginable sizes. He designed equipment to let him talk to and control animals. He created an artificial intelligence that could think at levels beyond human capabilities. He even used his mastery of quantum physics to construct pocket dimensions that gave him limitless space and the ability to transcend vast distances.
Perhaps Pym’s most “magical” creation was his “Infinite Avengers Mansion” which he used as the headquarters of his Mighty Avengers. This mansion was literally the size of several continents and contained millions of rooms. Each of its doors led to various corners of the universe, allowing the Avengers to confront threats anywhere on Earth, the moon, the Skrull empire, and various other planets. It was also housed in a separate dimension, allowing it to transcend limits of normal physical construction. To top it off, it was self-cleaning, which relieved Jarvis the butler to no end.
Once Pym gained greater confidence in his abilities, he was even able to use his “super-science” to take down magical threats. Once, while battling a villain who gained control of the Darkhold, a book containing several powerful dark magic spells, Pym hit on a unique solution. Realizing the spells would only be effective if they could be read properly, he used a modified Ant-Man helmet to hijack the language centers of the villain’s brain so he couldn’t read the spells.
So, Pym is remarkably gifted in creating scientific miracles, but how do Pym’s skills stack up against his “supreme” counterpart Doctor Strange? Unlike Pym, Strange is very “old school” preferring to use arcane spells in his battles instead of cutting-edge technology. He also tends to employ magical relics – such as the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation – as his tools in battle. And where Pym regularly builds his headquarters from scratch, Strange inherited his Sanctum Sanctorum, which is a museum of ancient magical treasures and portals to weird dimensions.
In recent years, however, Doctor Strange has begun to move his magic into the “modern age.” After being instructed by a dwarf from Nidaveallir, Strange gained a special “Sanctum Machina” where he forges his own new magical weapons. These include the “Scalpel of Strange,” a sword-like device that can slice through the fabric of reality with the surgical skill to open dimensional gateways. Strange has also created magical gauntlets and armor to grant him additional protection, essentially making him magic’s answer to engineers like Tony Stark.
Like any good scholar, Strange is also always studying and open to learning new types of magic. This was particularly well shown when he temporarily lost his powers and decided to learn new forms of magic by traveling the galaxy and studying under alien sorcerers. He was aided by a traveling “arcanologist” named Kanna who specialized in finding magical alien artifacts and bonding scientific technology to magic.
Given all of this, it seems that both Strange and Pym are comfortable skimming the line between magic and science. But which of these practitioners would have the edge in a fight? While many heroes have underestimated Hank Pym over the years, considering him a second-rate hero who couldn’t even settle on one costumed identity, Strange shouldn’t underestimate Pym’s super science.
Not only has Pym shown he can alter a magic user's brainwaves, hindering their spell-casting abilities, he’s also just as adept at creating portals as Strange is (albeit of a non-magical variety). This would make it very difficult for Strange to simply banish Pym with a wave of his hand. Pym is also highly adept at trickery – he once fooled the advanced android Ultron into believing he could summon an army of Avengers from every corner of time and space when he was, in fact, only using an army of ants equipped with image inducers. True, Strange’s Eye of Agamotto might be able to pierce some of these illusions, but the fact that Pym regularly fools geniuses indicates he may know a way around even this spell.
In the end, however, Doctor Strange still has the edge for one unfortunate reason – despite his greater self-confidence and improved self-esteem, Hank Pym remains a man haunted by his troubled past. Although he’s done a lot of good with his science, Pym is also responsible for creating Ultron, an android who constantly threatens the human race with mass genocide. Pym’s issues extend to his personal life – he’s villainized to this day for striking his wife (while unknowingly under the influence of mind-altering chemicals), and has been labeled a wife beater.
This gives Pym an Achilles’ heel that Strange could easily (albeit reluctantly) exploit. One of Strange’s spells mimics the effects of Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare, causing the recipient to be overwhelmed by the spirits of those he or she wronged. He once used this spell to bring the World Devourer Galactus to his knees by confronting Galactus with the trillions of souls he destroyed. Should Strange use this spell against Pym, Doctor Hank Pym would collapse under the weight of his guilt, leaving him unfocused and unable to stand up to Strange’s other spells. It’s a move that strikes at an opponent’s character more than his power, but it would likely be the most devastating move Doctor Strange could use against his counterpart.