How powerful the MCU’s Doctor Strange is compared to the comics

Doctor Strange is one of the most powerful characters in the MCU, but his powers are not exactly identical to those in Marvel Comics. Doctor Strange’s MCU timeline is a bit shorter than that of most other prominent heroes like Thor, Hulk, and Captain America, after his solo film debut in 2016 was followed by just one sequel so far. Doctor Strange was also featured in Avengers: Infinity Warbut not so much in Avengers: Endgame as he was one of the victims of the Snap, which was only undone in the final act of the film.

Doctor Strange didn’t have much screen time to demonstrate the extent of his powers – but he still proved himself to be one of the MCU’s most powerful superheroes. Doctor Strange’s comic book counterpart, meanwhile, has been a core member of Marvel Comics since 1963, after debuting in Strange Tales #110 and receiving his nickname from the title of the anthology series. With that in mind, it’s clear that Strange from the comics had a bigger stage to demonstrate his powers, but whether they’re more powerful than their live-action counterpart is another question.

Doctor Strange’s powers in Marvel Comics explained

Doctor Strange is a naturally gifted sorcerer

Just like in the MCU, Doctor Strange is one of the most powerful figures in Marvel Comics. The Sorcerer Supreme’s story mirrors that of Benedict Cumberbatch’s live-action version, with a rise to power similar to that of the Sorcerer Supreme. In this position, Strange is often approached by other Marvel heroes to face challenges that are insurmountable to anyone unfamiliar with magic, other dimensions, and the tools needed to deal with some of Marvel Comics’ most powerful beings, such as Death or the Tribunal. Alive.

Doctor Strange owes the vast majority of his powers to his talents in sorcery. Although anyone can become a sorcerer through practice, Strange demonstrates a particular proficiency in the arcane arts. These talents are vast, as Strange explores the powers of godly interdimensional beings, of which there are countless. Strange also possesses some of the most powerful artifacts in the Marvel Universe, which he, once again, demonstrates a particular talent for wielding. Unlike other Avengers, Strange does not possess superhuman physiology – although he is capable of mimicking this with his magic.

Invocations

Among the most recognizable of Doctor Strange’s mystical arsenal is their ability to channel the powers of divine beings from other dimensions. These supernatural spells are typically among the most powerful and are usually credited to the entity that bestowed them on your behalf. These invocations have taken numerous forms, but the most recognizable include:

• The Crimson Bands of Cyttorak: A powerful binding spell that has been deployed against the likes of Hulk.

• The Winds of Watoomb: channels a powerful current of air normally used to repel opponents or other dangers or to strengthen the Shield of the Seraphim.

• Shield of the Seraphim: Summons shields that can protect against physical and mystical threats, even as powerful as a supernova.

• Images of Ikonn: Normally summons multiple illusory duplicates of Strange, although it can be summoned for other illusions.

• Faltine Flames: Summons mystical flames.

These powers make Strange functionally as strong as the beings he summons. These are the types of powers that allow him to take on some of the most powerful entities in the entire Marvel universe, including Hulk. Invoking the powers of these beings rarely results in a transaction, though not all of Marvel’s extradimensional entities are willing to give up their power for little more than recognition. Strange’s main patrons are the virtuous Vishanti, who willingly aids Strange in his role as Earth’s defender.

Eye of Agamotto

Doctor Strange possesses the Eye of Agomotto (one of three in Marvel Comics), which can only be wielded by pure-hearted sorcerers, implanting only “White magic.” The eye can increase Strange’s powers, although its main function is to issue a “all revealing light“that can pierce any illusionincluding shape-shifting Skrulls. Its purity as an artifact of the Vishanti (specifically, of Agomotto himself) also helps to weaken infernal beings, undead and entities from the Dark Dimension.

Chronokinesis

One of the most powerful abilities in Strange’s repertoire is his ability to manipulate time. Strange trivialized many calamitous events from Marvel Comics, such as the splitting of the Earth, by manipulating time. He has traveled through time, thrown others through time, frozen Earth’s time stream, and performed time loops, among other feats. What’s most notable about Strange’s manipulation of time in Marvel Comics, however, is that he does this without the use of the Time Stone.

Functional Immortality

Doctor Strange once overcame Death himself after the Ancient One’s death, confronting the entity and accepting its inevitability as another experience the soul must face. This recognition gained from Strange the ability to avoid death by natural means such as disease and age, meaning he could live 600 years or more. He is not, however, immune to fatal blows from external forces, nor to deprivation of things necessary to sustain typical human bodies, such as food, water, and oxygen.

Flight (Cloak of Levitation)

Doctor Strange can fly using magic or, as is more often the case, with his Cloak of Levitation feature.which remains one of the mainstays of his typical attire. The cape is a sentient enchanted cloth that can be directed independently of Doctor Strange, as has been seen several times in the MCU. The cloak is not indestructible, but it also offers a measure of protection as a shield thanks to its magical properties.

Energy Manipulation

While the ability to release energy blasts is something of a mainstay among Marvel heroes through various means, Doctor Strange’s magical energy blasts vary enormously in their power. While they can often be a quick form of offense in a difficult situation, seemingly requiring no incantations or rituals to trigger, Strange has also proven himself capable of destroying entire planets. For the most part, though, Strange’s energy blasts match Iron Man’s in being damaging but not always fatal.

Astral Projection

One of Strange’s most iconic abilities is his ability to exist in an intangible form on the Astral Plane. While in this form, Strange requires no food, water, or sleep, and typically ignores the constraints of physics in the real world while still allowing him to interact with it. This allows him to travel in the “speed of thought“traverse the cosmos, become invisible, or perform other feats of which your physical body is incapable. This, however, leaves your physical body vulnerable on the material plane.

“Psychic” Abilities

Strange is capable of typical psychic abilities abilities including teleportation, telekinesis, and telepathy. While these abilities are familiar to powerful psychics like Jean Grey, Doctor Strange’s psionic powers derive from his magic. He is able to read and dominate minds – even having done so with Scarlet Witch – and teleport himself and others across immense distances at will. This teleportation is so powerful that Strange has traveled to other dimensions at will.

Ban

Strange can banish anything or anyone he wants to other planes of existence – within reason. Although Strange has proven capable of banishing his adversaries from the scene on numerous occasions, he can only do so with beings whose powers pale in comparison to his own. This at least places some restrictions on an ability that might otherwise be unfathomable – although the number of entities that surpass Doctor Strange’s power is still decidedly small.

How the MCU’s Doctor Strange’s Powers Compare to the Comics

The MCU makes some significant changes to Strange’s powers

So far, the MCU’s Doctor Strange has been relatively comedicly accurate in his arc. More recently, he wielded the Darkhold to help combat the threat of the Scarlet Witch, who already appears to have suffered a “heavy toll“in your soul in the form of your third eye. Doctor Strange has proven himself capable of some incredibly mind-bending feats – although it’s questionable whether they measure up to their comic book counterpart.

Both versions of Doctor Strange have also demonstrated the ability to use more mundane forms of magic such as transmutation and conjuration, although they are rarely used in high-stakes situations. MCU Strange also uses the Mirror Dimension, which is an original MCU feature and is not deployed by Doctor Strange in Marvel Comics. The MCU’s Doctor Strange will likely demonstrate even greater powers in subsequent appearances – but as it stands, the live-action and comic book counterparts are far from equal.

MCU Doctor Strange vs Comics Doctor Strange Who is more powerful?

A version of Strange demonstrated greater mystical ability

Given that the MCU’s Doctor Strange still has further to go in his MCU arc, the cinematic universe’s more linear narrative presumably means that the full extent of his powers have yet to be demonstrated. Strange’s greatest feats of strength in the MCU were largely thanks to external artifacts like the Time Stone and the Darkhold, which allowed him to single-handedly defeat Earth-838’s Dormammu and Thanos, respectively. Although his comic book counterpart fought these entities himself, Marvel Comics’ Doctor Strange has demonstrated greater power overall.

This is largely due to his ability to control time independently of the Time Stone. The abilities granted to him by the Eye of Agamotto, however, are not currently available to his live-action counterpart. Additionally, Marvel Comics’ Doctor Strange has demonstrated incredible abilities, such as destroying a planet and overcoming the Big Bang. Still, there’s plenty of room for live action Doctor Strange to unleash his greatest powers in the next Avengers films and one as yet unconfirmed Doctor Strange 3.