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Warning: contains spoilers for Doctor Strange of Asgard #1, on sale now!
A forthcoming showdown between Thor and Doctor Strange is answering one of Marvel’s most intriguing hero versus hero questions. While a hypothetical match-up between Odinson and the former Sorcerer Supreme is not exactly at the forefront of fans’ minds, it nevertheless opens up some cool possibilities. In the forthcoming Doctor Strange of Asgard #4, Stephen finds himself caught in a spat between Thor and Loki–and he is on Loki’s side!
Marvel has released a first look at its June-shipping titles, including Doctor Strange of Asgard #4, which will be written by Derek Landy and drawn by Carlos Magno. The five-issue miniseries, part of the company-wide One World Under Doom event, follows Doctor Strange as he attempts to prove himself worthy of being the Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard. The solicitation for Doctor Strange of Asgard #4 reads as follows:
Doctor Strange of Asgard #4 (2025)
Release Date:
June 4
Writers:
Derek Landy
Artists:
Carlos Magno
Cover Artist:
Geoff Shaw
Variant Covers:
N/A
ASGARD’S MOST WANTED! Doctor Strange has been covering up a murder in an attempt to solve it. But Thor and Sif don’t see it that way! Stephen scrambles to get to the bottom of the mystery and clear his name – with some help from Loki and Clea!
The issue’s primary cover, by Geoff Shaw, drops Doctor Strange right in the middle of a fight between Thor and Loki, and Strange knows he is out of his element!
Does Loki Have a Hand in Doctor Strange and Thor’s Fight?
Since losing the title of Sorcerer Supreme to Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange has been seeking new sources of power, a quest that has brought him to Asgard, and into constant contact with Thor. Doctor Strange and Thor have been steadfast allies over the years, and never has one threatened the other. Indeed, most of Doctor Strange’s dealings with Asgardians have been with or through Loki, and the trickster was at the center of Thor’s first meeting (of sorts) with Stephen in Strange Tales #123. When Strange came to Asgard in issue one, Thor gave him a warm and gregarious welcome.
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Yet now that alliance is seemingly coming undone, thanks to Doctor Strange’s coverup of a murder investigation. While this may seem like a trivial thing to put the two at odds with each other, it points to a difference in attitudes between them. Thor is blunt and to the point, a straight shooter who wears his heart on his sleeve. Doctor Strange, in contrast, is far more strategic and calculating. If there was a reason Stephen was keeping the investigation secret from Thor, then it was a good one.
There is also another possible reason behind Strange and Thor’s falling out: Loki.
There is also another possible reason behind Strange and Thor’s falling out: Loki. Marvel’s solicitation mentions Loki helping clear Doctor Strange’s name, yet does not explain why he is doing so. Loki does not do the right thing just because he is usually playing some deeper game. If Loki is somehow tangled up in Doctor Strange’s murder investigation, then there is a good chance the trickster was involved. The solicitation did not say who was murdered, or how, and questions surrounding Loki’s involvement must wait until the issue hit stores.
Who Would Win in a Fight: Thor or Doctor Strange?
Thor is the Stronger of the Two, But Doctor Strange Can Outthink Him
Regardless of the reason Thor and Doctor Strange fight, the results promise to be explosive. Doctor Strange’s command of magic is far beyond Thor’s, despite the latter being a magical being himself. In Doctor Strange of Asgard #1, it is revealed that the realm is saturated in magic, right down to the bricks in the roads. This environment poses a challenge to Doctor Strange, and Thor could take advantage of this fact. Yet Doctor Strange thinks a few steps ahead of his opponent, and could have a failsafe in place to stop Thor.
A showdown between Thor and Doctor Strange has never happened in the entirety of Marvel history, making this issue historic—that is, assuming the two even come to blows.
A showdown between Thor and Doctor Strange has never happened in the entirety of Marvel history, making this issue historic—that is, assuming the two even come to blows. They are reasonable men, and great heroes with a lot of mutual respect for each other. Both Doctor Strange and Thor are committed to fighting for the greater good, and an alliance between them could spell disaster for certain parties throughout the Marvel Universe. It is possible someone, maybe even Loki, is manipulating the situation to keep Doctor Strange and Thor from joining forces.
Doctor Strange of Asgard #4 is on sale June 4 from Marvel Comics!
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