There have been a lot of Sorcerer Supremes, and not all of them have been glowingly wonderful people. Some of them have been venal. Some have been downright evil. Some were crazy. You don’t have to be admirable or upstanding to protect all reality. You don’t even have to be all there. Sometimes, this has consequences.
About seventeen thousand years ago, the Sorcerer Supreme of the time went mad with loss when an army destroyed the Edenic village where he grew up. He determined that he would recreate his home as best he could outside reality itself – creating a pocket dimension with its own small amount of mass, a pocket dimension that appeared, from the viewpoint of anyone in it, to float above the universe entire. Eventually that Sorcerer Supreme died, and that should have been the end of it.
Of course, this was not the case. The pocket dimension, a creation of magic, began to siphon magical energy out of the universe and collect it. Very slowly, of course – just a tiny drip in the side of a dam, metaphorically speaking. But it very, very slowly grew. What was originally the size of a small village common grew and grew; now, it is about the size of New York’s Central Park. (And “park” is very appropriate – the energies tend to create an environment that reflects the viewer’s preferences for an idyllic setting. It’s really quite pretty.)
And with growth in size comes an increase in growth rate – it’s getting bigger, faster, all the time. It’s not at a crisis level yet, but left unchecked it will eventually go that route. What that one Sorcerer Supreme has created is, in effect, a magical equivalent of what the positive-matter universe is doing to the Negative Zone – gradually consuming it to form a new realm. Of course, this is all long-run stuff, millions of years ahead at the very least. But it’s still a problem.
Practically nobody knows about it – until someone finally notices it. That’s when word spreads, and fast.
But that’s not the real issue. The real issue is this: magical energies, when left untended and to their own devices, have a jarring tendency to gain consciousness and sentience where previously there was none such. It takes a very long time and has to happen spontaneously, but given enough time, eventually it will happen. This is where many powerful magical entities are born. And in that sense, the Park isn’t just a refuge – it’s an egg, waiting to hatch a new cosmic/magic force. A force that could be molded by someone powerful and egocentric enough, and unfortunately the thing about magic is that there are a lot of powerful and egocentric individuals involved in its practice.
Things such as the Park are how magical wars begin. Doctor Strange cannot allow that to happen.
Top comment: I have this weird vision of you writing all of these different challenges for Strange concurrently, and by the end of your run as the writer he curses your name for making his life so outrageously difficult. — Quixim
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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: why hasn’t Marvel or DC hired you yet?!
Very cool stuff
The worst part is (from Strange’s standpoint), this sounds like something Dr. Strange can’t just detonate and be done with it, even if it’s not yet sentient, because of how much energy it has-and the fact that it’s not clear if doing that would actually stop the place from just regrowing over time. But on the other hand, what would it be like if it did become conscious? Would it be able to regulate itself, or would it basically become the Magical Galactus?
I want Magical Galactus now.
Is this gonna end with Wong becoming the Ranger Smith of a magical Jellystone Park? Because watching him Kung Fu basket stealing bears would be awesome.
MGK, these pitches are really cool, but have you considered posting a full script for a single issue? I’m really interested in seeing how you would flesh out some of these concepts in a story format, or what kind of feel you have for the characters’ voices.
Over the last couple days, I’ve stumbled across one of your “Why I should write Dr. Strange” posts, which led me to the others, and your “Why I should write the Legion” series.
I’m sold. If you told me tomorrow that you were writing either of these books (or better, both), I would go out and get them. And I don’t generally have the disposable income for comics, especially as most of them seem to have become lately.
But these stories, the tastes you’ve given us… I want more. I want more, because I’m just imaginative enough to see how good they could be, and remember you well enough from your days on Livejournal (Sages, in particular) to know how well you’ll handle them.
Also, does whatever’s gestating in this “magic egg” dream?
Egg Hunt!
I like how this is a concept you can do anything with, or nothing with, or whatever-all inbetween. I can totally see Strange going like “And over here is the Park Outside of Eternity.” Sir Humphrey: “Most idyllic, master.” Strange: “Quite. It’s going to eat our entire reality three thousand years from now, you know.”
Yeah, or it could be like lancing a blister growing over a major artery. Do it wrong and that tiny dribble turns into a gysering leak, and you’ve just turned a pretty little wart into a massive stab wound.
It would be interesting if only because you’ve got all these random magical creatures billowing out of the ether that Strange (or others) have to deal with as well. I mean, do you just “solve the problem” and let the magical menagerie perish? Do you make a little Noah’s Ark? I imagine whatever does come out of there isn’t going to like the idea that Strange wants to nuke it. This could easily be a setup for future Strange villains.
And, assuming Strange does finally wipe the pocket dimension off the face of reality, there’s still the matter of the scar it leaves behind. Potentially a gateway for future menaces – like the Cthulhu horror from the earlier post – to sneak in.
“This is how Big Bangs happen.”
So a magical Annihilation War?
DO WANT!
If the park/egg grew from a tiny drip (to use your metaphor) of magic in could Strange just (just?) set something up to slowly dribble the magical energy out. To keep the bucket from overflowing you slowly drip water out of it.
I suppose a problem is the rate of incoming drip has grown so you couldn’t keep up with it with just a drip out. Unless he set up multiple drainage drips. Putting off the problem for now and leaving it to some future Sorcerer Supreme. Who would now have several “parks” to deal with.
You don’t have to be admirable or upstanding to protect all reality. Who said the current one was?
The more I read these, the more I am convinced that you should indeed write Dr. Strange. I never really cared for Dr. Strange before, but your scenarios are just too damn interesting.
Original content?
On MY internets?!
Tragically, I don’t see Marvel hiring you at present, because I don’t think they’re as interested in cool ideas like this as they are Stuff That Will Tie In To Their Latest Crossover Event. Plus, your Dr. Strange is too much like the classic heroic competent version, and they don’t want that.
(Sorry, feeling a tad cynical about the editorial Powers That Be at Marvel right at the moment.)
So, the universe would have accepted Mordo as Sorcerer Supreme, and the Ancient One made a moral choice? Interesting.
ChastMastr: I’m with on on that. Killing off Mini Marvels? For Super Hero Squad? Bullshit. And it’s not like DC is any better. Oh, well. All that means is that more of my money goes to more of the indy comics companies.
You know, like Iron Fist, we knew there were people who held the title in the past, but we’ve never seen their stories.
It’s a self propelled system. Every major magician wants to be Sorcerer Supreme because he gets the best toys. And whomever is Sorcerer Supreme does the best job he can for two very good reasons. Reason One is the ever popular enlightened self interest. As someone once said “You can’t destroy the world! That’s where I keep all my stuff!” Second, the Sorcerer Supreme attracts enemies. A poor Sorcerer Supreme is an ex Sorcerer Supreme. And by ‘ex’, I mean, in a best case scenario, dead.
Shouldn’t it be Sorcerors Supreme? Unless they’re cutting an album.
Oh, and blahblahblah, so creative, I would totally buy this, marry me, why hasn’t someone hired you yet, and other such scintillatingly singular comments.
*Sorcerers. Well, hello, mouth, I’m foot. I think we’re going to be good friends.
Can we just turn that into an acronym or something at this point?
I have this weird vision of you writing all of these different challenges for Strange concurrently, and by the end of your run as the writer he curses your name for making his life so outrageously difficult.
No dogs allowed?
Lockjaw can go wherever he damn well pleases!
Jokes aside, another great idea.
And nobody (not even the Sorcerer Supreme) can tell Rex themotherfucking Wonderdog where not to pee, right?
So, “No dogs allowed, other than Rex”.
Danny the Street?
A park outside eternity?
So… it’s kinda like the gazebo that Atlez / Atleza lived / worked in in the Infinity Abyss series (hey, Strange was even there)? Except it’s a full park?
Not only would I read your Dr. Strange comic…I NEED to read your Dr. Strange comic.
C’mon, just a little Doc Strange? To take the edge off….
@guayec: Let’s hope so, or I demand every single Park Board Commissioner that voted for that law be thrown out of office immediately – if not sooner!
I said this to a friend the other day after you unveiled “Creaky” to us, but somebody just needs to back a dump truck full of cold, hard cash up to your place and just dump it on your lawn. We’d all be the better for it.
As a side note, I agree with Tenken347. Post a hypothetical script for an issue! It would be incredible 🙂