Marvel Reveals Codename of New Sorcerer Supreme, & It’s So Much Darker Than “Doctor Strange”

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ultimate Black Panther #10! For years in Marvel Comics, the title of Sorcerer Supreme has been synonymous with Doctor Strange, but now, that is no longer the case, especially in Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe continuity of Earth-6160. The Ultimate Universe has been steadily introducing variants of classic Marvel heroes and villains, and now, it has introduced its own Sorcerer Supreme. While this universe’s Sorcerer Supreme isn’t Doctor Strange, they are a seriously hardcore replacement.

In Ultimate Black Panther #10 by Bryan Hill and Carlos Nieto, Wakanda is in the grip of a brutal war with practically the rest of Africa (at the very least, Wakanda’s neighboring countries). Ra and Khonshu (aka Moon Knight) are members of the Maker’s Council, which is the shadow government that secretly rules the world. Their province is all of Africa, but the one country Ra and Khonshu could never gain control over was Wakanda. However, after Wakanda’s discovery of vibranium went public, Ra and Khonshu radicalized the countries they do have control over, hoping to finally make Wakanda theirs.

Since Black Panther is fighting literal deities, he’ll need all the help he can get. Black Panther has already partnered with Killmonger and Storm (who were fighting back against Ra and Khonshu even before joining T’Challa), but he still needed something – someone – to really give him an edge over Ra and Khonshu. So, Black Panther sends Killmonger and Storm on a mission to find the Sorcerer Supreme. The two completed this mission in the previous issue, but it’s not until this one that fans actually see her power, and learn her real name: Inan the Godkiller.

Inan the Godkiller Debuted in Ultimate Black Panther #9

Aside from the fact that she was held prisoner by the Maker in a top secret H.A.N.D. facility, fans don’t know anything about Inan the Godkiller. She is someone who is shrouded in mystery, as she’s an original character within Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe as opposed to a variant of someone fans are already familiar with. Indeed, the reveal that the Ultimate Universe’s Sorcerer Supreme (or, Sorceress Supreme) is Inan actually put to rest a number of fan theories that have been rampant online since the start of this new continuity.

Some thought the Sorcerer Supreme would turn out to be Agatha Harkness – especially after the release of Ultimate Black Panther cover art featuring Inan – while others thought this character might be Nico (even though she was already introduced in Ultimate X-Men), and some simply thought Inan was a gender-flipped Stephen Strange. While everyone with one of these fan theories was unfortunately wrong, the truth about the new Sorcerer Supreme’s identity is way cooler.

Inan is literally called ‘Godkiller’, and she’s already been shown wielding magic powerful enough to puppet humans with a mere whisper, summon giant sea creatures on a whim, and heal those with potentially fatal injuries. There’s a reason the Maker considered her dangerous enough to lock in a high-security prison, and fans are already seeing evidence of her insane power. But, the title ‘Godkiller’ leaves a lot to live up to, and fans should be excited to see Inan earn that incredibly badass codename themselves.

What Happened to Doctor Strange in the Ultimate Universe?

Marvel Could Be Setting Up a Potential Power-Struggle Between Inan and Stephen

While the introduction of an original Ultimate Universe character to fill the role of the new Sorcerer Supreme is exciting, readers are left with the logical question: what happened to Doctor Strange? Interestingly, the Ultimate Universe does have a variant of Stephen Strange, but it’s revealed in Ultimate Invasion that the Maker imprisoned Stephen, and even stole the Eye of Agamotto to keep for himself. While Stephen’s whereabouts are currently unknown, the little fans do know about his situation offers an interesting possibility for a future storyline.

If the Maker stole the Eye of Agamotto from Doctor Strange before imprisoning him, that implies Stephen had already become Sorcerer Supreme in the Ultimate Universe. Unlike how the Maker neutralized other heroes in this reality (like Spider-Man or Ant-Man and the Wasp), he seemingly didn’t prevent Stephen from becoming the Sorcerer Supreme before taking him down. Could this mean that Doctor Strange will return in the Ultimate Universe? And when he does, will that create a power-struggle between Strange and Inan?

While it’s too early to tell if Doctor Strange will want to reclaim his position as Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme in the Ultimate Universe, the main takeaway from this latest development is the fact that Marvel just got an all-new Sorcerer Supreme with Inan the Godkiller. And, as her codename and exhibitions of power have already proven, Marvel Comics‘ new Sorcerer Supreme is seriously hardcore.

Ultimate Black Panther #10 by Marvel Comics is available now.