The ominous fate of the Sorcerer Supreme also marks the return of the MCU antagonist in a dramatically different role than what fans are used to.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Death of Doctor Strange #1 available now from Marvel Comics.
Throughout his comic book history, Doctor Strange has clashed with an array of villains. In The Death of Doctor Strange #1, by Jed MacKay, Lee Garbett, Antonio Fabela and VC’s Cory Petit, one may have found the power they needed to take his title, along with his life. After Strange is killed on his doorstep, various heroes and mystics around the world feel the reverberations, including Thor, Magik and Wong.
Many of the most powerful sorcerers arrive at the Sanctum Sanctorum to see the proceedings with their own eyes, including two longtime villains: Baron Mordo and Kaecilius. While the latter was Strange’s adversary and conduit for Dormammu in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he plays a much different role in the comics. Strange’s death marks his first appearance in years, and rather than seeking revenge on the Ancient One, he is merely a servant to Mordo.
Portrayed on-screen by Madds Mikkelsen, Kaecilius was a formidable foe to not only Doctor Strange, but the former Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One. Driven by the loss of his wife and child, Kaecilius sought refuge in the mystic arts looking for an answer to bring his family back from death. After initially training under the Ancient One, he questioned why Earth could not be a focal point for other dimensions, which could also reunite him with his family. Learning the Ancient One was actually channeling energy from the Dark Dimension, Kaecilius was outraged and staged an uprising with his disciples, known as the Zealots. They stole the Book of Cagliostro to unlock the powers of the Dark Dimension to allow the evil-being Dormammu passage to Earth. In the end, his corrupt spirit was absorbed into the Dark Dimension for all of eternity, leaving Strange to defend Earth against Dormammu.
Kaecilius’ comic counterpart first appeared in 1965’s Strange Tales #130 by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and Artie Simek. Rather than being a force to be reckoned with, Kaecilius was nothing more than a minion to Doctor Strange’s long-time rival, Baron Mordo, who also appeared in the film. While he started as a mentor to Strange during his journey, he became disillusioned by the Ancient One’s selfish acts. By the end of the film, he set himself on a journey to reclaim the mystical powers that he felt were being selfishly used, leading him down the path of his comic inspiration. Similar to the movie, it was actually Mordo who became the conduit and servant to Dormammu, not Kaecilius.
For those who were introduced to Kaecilius on screen prior to reading the comics, the dramatic difference in character may be surprising. He’s relegated to being nothing more than a goon to a more powerful character, doing his bidding like an attack dog. As Wong lashes out and accuses Mordo of murdering Strange, Kaecilius steps in between them, defending his ‘master.’ While their appearances are similar on both page and screen, the character himself possesses wildly different personalities. Mikkelsen’s Kaecilius is driven by loss, anger and has the ability to manipulate and lead people. The Kaecilius of comics, however, has none of that, sharing more similarities to Dr. Frankenstein’s Igor than an adversary to the Sorcerer Supreme.
In the wake of Doctor Strange’s death, there are more questions than answers. Who will take the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme? Was Strange’s murder a ploy to gather the most powerful mystics like Brother Voodoo and Baron Mordo together for a larger purpose? Without Earth’s protection spell and Strange to defend it, how will the remaining masters of the mystic arts defend the world against simultaneous interdimensional invasions? From the reveal on the issue’s last page, the group may have the help of Strange after all, who seemed to have a contingency plan all along.
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