A while back, somebody asked when I was going to talk about Clea. And my response was “they’re over.” Because Clea, although she is most certainly Stephen Strange’s most notable and notorious love affair, belongs in Strange’s past (at least romantically – she’s still a powerful sorceress and good friend). They were good for one another at the time, but there’s too much water under the bridge now to get back together, regardless of how sexy a platinum blonde she might be. The “bring back Clea” crowd is one motivated by little more than nostalgia, and I think by now people know what I think about nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. (HINT: I am not fond of it.)
However, there’s no reason Strange shouldn’t have a lady friend. He’s an urbane, dapper sort of fellow, the sort who in times past would be called a “real gent.” Men like that (when they are straight) can do quite well with a certain sort of woman who likes her men smart and talented (in more ways than one). And luckily, Brian K. Vaughan was good enough to kickstart a relationship between Dr. Strange and Night Nurse (who, as we all know, should properly be called “Night General Practitioner And Surgeon” but that was too long and didn’t fit on the business cards).
And it works. Night Nurse is tough and intelligent, and definitely older than the average Marvel Comics Girlfriend ™ and she can use a bobby pin to pick a lock and cut a bullet out of someone’s shoulder and all of this is just great. She is a class act who fits Strange well – they’ve both been around the block a bit and are both ready for that easier, simpler sort of relationship one only gets in one’s forties or later, the type where nobody has any patience for drama so nobody wants to create some.
Similarly, from a storytelling perspective, Night Nurse is a great fit because she is a classic explanatory/exposition target. If a writer needs to explain why magic can’t do something Strange needs to do, Night Nurse is right there – she’s smart but unlike most people in Strange’s world she’s not familiar with all the rules. And apart from being a storytelling tool, it can also be a plot hook –
– because sometimes, in the right situation, ignorance of the kind that Night Nurse has is actually the greatest protection you can have against the Eldritch Horrors From Wherever. Not being privy to the secrets of the occult world means that the secrets of the occult world will tend to overlook you. Not having to pay attention to the ebbs and flows of magical tides means that you get the chance to pay attention to that strange man in the nondescript Honda parked down the block who’s been staring at your friends for twenty minutes.
(And yes, most of this also applies to Wong – but come on, was there ever more natural a teamup than Wong and Night Nurse? I think not.)
Top comment: Someone should follow Matt Murdock around saying to every woman he meets “Do not date this man. You will end up insane or, more likely, end up in a pine box.” — Lister Sage
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Damn you! I’m not supposed to go “Squeeee!”
It’s unmanly!
Heh, I will admit to missing Clea. But I’m not one of the “bring her back!” crowd. Honest!
I do think that Night Nurse was an inspired addition, so anything that involves her gets a thumbs up from me.
Added bonus, you can use her to make Simpsons references.
“Who is that with you, Strange?”
“That’s Night Nurse, the crime SOLving nurse!”
I’m sure wackiness and awkwardness will ensue when Clea gets shot by an anti-magic bullet.Actually, they’re all too grown-up for that…Still, no mortal man is comfortable when the current and the ex start talking!
Her name is Nurse Peculiar!!!!
Speaking for myself, I’m not in the “bring Clea back” crowd, I’m not in the crowd that thinks of her as Strange’s girlfriend, I only asked because, for most of the Dr. Strange comics I’ve read (chiefly just those few that also happen to include one or more of the X-Men), there was Strange, his manservant Wong, and his first-student/then-assistant Clea. Thus, unless there was some reason she’s out of the picture (and “dated Strange and had a bad breakup, and now she’s ruling Dormammu’s Dark Dimension–hey wait, then what’s Dormammu doing about that?” counts as a reason) any complaints about a lack of female characters being mentioned for the book (and addressing that by mentioning only a new character and a reason why Nico from Runaways isn’t being considered–Clea hasn’t been mentioned by name in any of the writeups yet) should at least mention why the main female presense for the bulk of Strange’s run in comics gets absolutely no mention–not even as “hey, there’s this other *really* powerful magical character in the Marvel Universe, who already has long-standing ties, both good and bad, to Dr. Strange!”
“And yes, most of this also applies to Wong – but come on, was there ever more natural a teamup than Wong and Night Nurse? I think not.”
Marvel Holiday Special. Wong + Fin Fang Foom. They kung fu’ed the hell out of some Christmas attired Hydra agents…
The one reasons we should bring Clea back is I want to know more about her father, Orini. Maybe we could reveal that Orini was half-human and thus Clea is a quarter human. It could work.
While Sir Humphrey, Creaky, and Miss Mordo draw comparisons to House MD’s interns, Night Nurse is more like one of Dr. Who’s companions. The ones who don’t need their hand held even though they know jack all about all the time-space stuff that’s second nature to the Doctor.
Of course if there was ever any sort of tension between the two, Night Nurse has the best comeback: “Well at least I can still do surgery!”
And then she’d discover that magically she sounds like Tom Waits for a week.
Brilliant idea, just exceptional as all of this have been. however, just a few gripes. Whoever the artist is for that picture obviously has no idea what the hell they are doing when drawing antything concerning medical procedures. To make this quick. One, bullets that look like that rarely come out in such good condition, unless they’re made by Doom and that’s beacause Doom can do anything he wants to. Two, the forceps are completely wrong for bullet extraction. Three, which is the most important one, no one with medical training would ever pull down their mask using BLOOD COVERED gloves. Brilliant idea though Doctor Strange having a ladyfriend of his own age woh can also practice medicine. Lots of pathos and envy about in that storyline. WHY THE HELL WON’T THEY PAY YOU TO WRITE COMICS ALREADY??????
And she has a stonking Reggae hit written about her; and you can’t go wrong with that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6oYyG0KcvQ
“Well at least I can still do surgery!”
Although he obviously doesn’t practice medicine anymore, wasn’t Stephen’s nerve damage healed once upon a time (which means he could do surgery, even if he’s out of practice)? Or am I misremembering?
Kind of off topic, but the “bring back X” nostalgia part did bring an interesting question to mind.
Did Marvel Zombies ever bring back Gwen Stacy? It appears to me that if Marvel ever did bring her back, this would be the arc to do it in.
Why would Gwen Stacy show up in Marvel Zombies? She’s already dead by the time the Hunger Virus hits that Marvel Earth…
Night Nurse also represents the mortal MD side of Strange…
I was thrilled with Vaughan’s use of Night Nurse in THE OATH, and I was sincerely hoping to see that tidbit reflected here. Good show.
which means he could do surgery, even if he’s out of practice
Uh, yeah. Not something you want to hear while the anaesthesia takes effect. “Admittedly, I am a bit rusty, but the spleen should still be where I remember it…”
Dr. Strange–at least from the Thomas/Colan Strange Tales era on–has always had a refreshingly more-or-less adult approach to relationships. Strange, like Matt Murdock and Tony Stark, should always be involved with some interesting woman (although not in the soul-crushingly tragic manner as Matt). Night Nurse fits the bill for me; to follow the House analogy, she’d fit the Wilson position–and in fact she’d be even more of Strange’s Dr. Watson than Wilson is to House, since she would be the reader’s POV character. And her character, thus far, has been pretty sketchily defined. She could be an awesome character if properly developed.
But where has it been established that she’s significantly older than the average Marvel girlfriend? I’d place her at around 30 (and not much older than that, maximum), which I’d say is the age of most of Murdock’s and Stark’s relationships. Granted, most Marvel characters are in their teens and twenties, so I guess she seems older in comparison, but I wouldn’t say she’s middle-aged, as Strange is (or seems to be, if you go for the theory that he’s already been practicing magic long before FF #1, and is much older than he appears).
I loved it when NN appeared in Strange’s life recently. They were great together – these two 70’s icons finding a familar comfort with each other.
I have all four issues of “Night Nurse” from 1973. The redhead was HAWT.
“But where has it been established that she’s significantly older than the average Marvel girlfriend? I’d place her at around 30”
I think that depends on how much experience and training she had before deciding to treat the superhero community. If she’s licensed (and I assume she is), she would have had to complete a residency after leaving medical school which would have ended when she was about 29 or 30. So, if she was practicing for a few years as a surgeon (or doctor) before she became Night Nurse and then met Strange a few years after that, she’d be somewhere in her mid to late 30s, or possibly older.
Of course she could have become Night Nurse right after completing her residency, and the touching her mask with bloody gloves might be an indication of her inexperience, instead of just an artist’s mistake, but I doubt it.
AL Baroza: Someone should follow Matt Murdock around saying to every woman he meets “Do not date this man. You will end up insane or, more likely, end up in a pine box.”
Matt Murdock is the poster boy for why superheroes should only date other superheroes. Because the only memorable relationship DD’s had that didn’t end tragically was Black Widow.
solid snake: While it’s nice that you know these things, I can’t understand how you got past those eyes. Lovely.
“superheroes should only date other superheroes.”
Well, they could just use common sense.
For instance, if you know you’re kidnap prone, don’t ever wear high heels.
Kris: Unfortunately some villains aren’t going to just attack the love interest directly, such as in the web comic you posted. Read the recent Mr. Fear arc in Daredevil for a great example of a villain royally fucking over the hero through his significant other from a distance.
Again, ladies, don’t date Daredevil.
I’m just gratified that my preferred defense, ignorance, is finally being recognized for good thinking. If you don’t know what that black squiddy darkness with all the fangy tentacles is lurking over there, it can’t hurt you!
“Although he obviously doesn’t practice medicine anymore, wasn’t Stephen’s nerve damage healed once upon a time (which means he could do surgery, even if he’s out of practice)? Or am I misremembering?”
I think his hands were ruined again when he summoned Zom in World War Hulk.
It’s like Profossor X’s legs, they get healed, they get hurt again, it’s his thing.
They were messed up as of the Oath.
Wow, why in the hell would anyone write a story in which Stephen Strange’s nerve-damaged hands get fixed up? That amazes me.
Well, maybe he could cast certain spells better if he could wiggle his fingers more precisely… 🙂
The thing that seems obvious and poignant to me about the relationship potential with night nurse is that she reminds him of what he lost, what he gained, etc. She’s what he could have been if his life had zigged instead of zagged.