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mygif

I dig the concept. I’ll even take the liberty of suggesting a name for this arc: How about “The Doctor’s Wives”? 🙂

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mygif

One day, I just know some writer will read this series as he’s preparing to do a Dr. Strange and suddenly there’ll be idea-theft.

It may be awesome.

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mygif

1: “Doc’s response is inevitably to shrug and say “not really, but if you like.”” is how every conversation between them goes, isn’t it? At least, those not summarizable with a pair of long-suffering sighs and exhaled “damnit, Victor”s?

2: if you get one on entry based on what you expect, then Reed knows the trick because he gets sorted to see Tum every time. Because, after all, it must be science, really, and that’s what a good workspace for science looks like.

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mygif

So what happens when Tor manifests? Is the Sanctorum suddenly filled with old pizza boxes and empty beer cans?

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MonkeyWithTypewriter said on November 2nd, 2011 at 10:56 am

A friend once asked why no one ever just attacks Dr. Strange’s house. My answer was that people have broken in, but if the Doc or Wong isn’t there to guide you, things could get ugly.

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mygif

The bit about Reed Richards puts me in mind of Ponder Stibbons in Making Money, in which he commends a graphic analogy on aiding understanding, “while being wrong in every possible way”.

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mygif

“If we must be forced to coexist with one another in the same mystical spacetime, let’s get one thing straight: I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to hear you… and kindly remove that plate of spaghetti from my Dread Altar of the Vishanti.”

“Tsk… it’s not spaghetti, it’s linguine!”

(ZZZAAAPPP)

“Now, it’s garbage.”

(Ideally for the purpose, Vincent Price and Peter Cushing would probably be more appropriate than Matthau and Lemmon, but the same general personality dynamic should apply.)

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RobotKeaton said on November 2nd, 2011 at 11:40 am

I read this as Santa Sanctorum, and I think you should consider doing that story too.

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FifthSurprise said on November 2nd, 2011 at 11:43 am

This is like The Odd Couple where the Sanc and Tum are the personifications of the roles of the Sanctum. Which are representations of the two aspects of the Odd Couple. Who are actually disembodied aspects of the Sanctum Santorum.

My brain hurts.

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mygif

You know, with all of Kevin Feige’s/Marvel Studios’ talk of a Dr. Strange film, I’d love to see an entry in this series called “Reason #1 I Should Write the Dr. Strange Movie.”

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mygif

I can picture the Doc literally in the middle of an argument between his two houses and being like “Psh. I’m going to watch the Mets game.”

And Strange is definitely a Mets fan seeing as the Yankees are comprised of dark forces.

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mygif

Y’know, this idea reminded me a lot of a manga series called xxxHolic, where one of the main characters (Yuko the Space-Time Witch) owns a Sanctum-esque antique shop that incarnates as two girls named Maru and Moro (though they were never developed in the story to actually have personalities beyond fun-loving, more’s the pity). Reading this kinda makes me see some wasted potential there :T Good to see the “Why I Should Write X” posts back, by the way.

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Mecha Velma said on November 2nd, 2011 at 2:53 pm

Life lessons never take when given to Spider-Man. If they did, he’d have gotten over his uncle’s death years ago. This is why he was always such a cry-baby in the movies.

This is a good idea. I’ve always been fond of living houses, but I’ve rarely seen it done well.

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mygif

You know, thanks to that asshole from Pennsylvania, every time I see mention of Dr. Strange’s house, I initially read it as Sanctum Santorum.

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Cookie McCool said on November 2nd, 2011 at 3:14 pm

Take that back, T.Shock. Say what you will about the rest of the Yankees, but Derek Jeter is a nice young boy and we’re all very proud of him.

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Sean D. Martin said on November 2nd, 2011 at 3:30 pm

It’s been a while. So glad to see another entry in this series. More! More often!

They’re especially enjoyable for the asides that show you’d really have a handle on the characterizations of the other folks. (With Spider-Man it never takes. Reed has to have a scientific explanation. Hell, even that the Doc drops in the subconscious suggestions. Well, of COURSE he does. It just makes so much sense.)

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mygif

One angle implicit in your description is that the stuff in Sanc is more or less stage magic. It’s probably really, really good stage magic, good enough to fool almost anyone, magicians included. But anything significant, important, powerful or dangerous is stashed in Tum. Now it might seem odd at first glance, but the wards and protections on the props are very similar to the ones on the real stuff. You don’t want the intruder in Sanc to stop and think, “That was too easy”. Maybe the protections in Sanc have a few more warnings and lean a smidge heavier on the light and sound effects. But if you don’t have the requisite chops in the Mystic Arts (and damned few do) and insist on pushing past the warning levels, Sanc will still kick your ass thoroughly. Despite the personality differences, these two have very similar tool kits at their disposal.

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mygif

I’m with RobotKeaton. I was just trying to figure out which one would be the little brother in the relationship.

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mygif

In this setup, the two are very much the representations of two sides of Stephan’s life. Sanc is the Superhero side, where he chats with his spandex clad friends and discusses the thwarting of criminals. Tum is the Sorcerer Supreme side, where he deals with more abstract and delicate mystical matters that are less likely to be resolved with a punch to the face.

And story dealing with these two being brought into open conflict has to be a proxy war between the two demands on Strange’s time and the resolution has to come from himself. As is fitting for a good story hook.

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Jason Barnett said on November 2nd, 2011 at 7:59 pm

I like the part about Spidey best, though I’m not sure if it’a comment on his seeming confidence in battle or on his complex over how much responsibilty he has for something.

Honestly thes rest I’m not sure about. I never expected the Sanctum Sanctorum to be all that spooky, at least nothing besides the library and his study.

I have a question. Will you do something with Galactus. I mean he seems kind of like an eldritch abomination sort of thing, and his origin from the universe that the current on replaced in the last bang/crunch/bang cycle kind of makes him from a different dimension. So why isn’t he something the Sorcerer Supreme should have to deal with

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mygif

@Cookie

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Mets or Red Sox fan (Cubs fan, actually), but let’s be honest, the Doc is definitely a Mets fan despite Yankee Stadium (the old one) being more magical.

@Jason

Regarding Spider-Man, it certainly has to be the latter as he doesn’t strike me as supremely confident (as opposed to Cap or Tony). Why has Strange’s “inception” never worked? Spidey can’t run from a fight no matter his level of experience or confidence against an opponent because the last time he did that, his uncle died.

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Jason Barnett said on November 2nd, 2011 at 10:49 pm

@T.Shock

Spidey’s kind of an interesting case. Peter Parker isn’t the most confident guy in the world. And as Spidey he often doubts himself. But if he was really lacking in confidence as much as it seems sometimes would he really devote as much thought as he does to smack talk?

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Jason Barnett said on November 2nd, 2011 at 11:15 pm

oh, and T.Shock, I think MGK has declared the Doctor a Phillies fan

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mygif

Brendan McCarthy’s Spider-Man: FEVER has some beautiful moments between the Web-Slinger and the Doc. Very funny, sweet and twisted.

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mygif

And now, I am picturing the Doctor and his entourage going to IKEA. Why yes, hilarity most definitely ensues.

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Dr. Creaux said on November 3rd, 2011 at 8:28 am

@Tales to Enrage – I think Tor only manifests when it’s “TIME FOR GO TO BED”.

Dr. Creaux

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mygif

Y’know, come to think of it MGK, you should really do an essay on Spidey a la the ones you’ve done For Supes, Luthor, and Lois.

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mygif

I read that as Santa Santorum and then got grossed out.

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Snap Wilson said on November 3rd, 2011 at 5:18 pm

With all the great import outlets in NYC, there’s no way that Doctor Strange shops at fucking Ikea. None whatsoever.

Also, I can’t help thinking of Cleveland residents reacting to a demon invasion: “Oh, of course! Isn’t this just typical!”

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Evil Midnight Lurker said on November 4th, 2011 at 4:47 am

@Snap: there’s certainly *one* resident of Cleveland who by this time regards demon invasions as both typical and boring.

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mygif

I second the “no shopping at Ikea” sentiment. We’re talking about a guy who knows where to find the best burritos in New York (“There’s a place in Queens that does the great yam burritos”). Doc won’t settle for particle board.

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mygif

the thing with spidy is less that he’s actually confidant and more that he runs his mouth because the alternative is panicking.so he probably knows damn well when he’s in over his head, he just knows if he admits it to himself he’s going to freeze and get himself killed.

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mygif

@Stig: I’m reminded of an issue of Silver Surfer or Infinity Watch or something, where Surfer and Adam Warlock drop in on the Sanctum Sanctorum uninvited for help with some cosmic crisis; after checking behind a couple of doors, trying to find Stephen or Wong, they decide to sit quietly and wait for help to find them.

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mygif

Simulacrum Sanctorum vs. Sanctum Sanctorum

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mygif

“Dammit Hawkeye. I told you not to touch anything.”

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