What's On The Other Side...

I had hoped to have my in-depth review of New Avengers # 5 up today, but alas, real-world responsibilities (and the post's growing size) prevented that from coming to pass.

However, all is not lost, as this entry really should be made first anyway (and, I was looking to have made this post several days ago, anyway... so, really, I've just shunted the whole publication schedule a little).

The reason for this post needing to come first is that it shows (and I will also be linking back to it form my NA # 5 review) what is to come after the events of that issue, thus helping me in some of my theories.

So, here is what we can expect in a month or so.

And just for the sake of tradition, I'll pull up this hoary old image to create the mood:

"Greetings, my friends.
We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I
are going to
spend the rest of our lives..."
... while reading comics.

"Official" graphic for this feature; "doctored" image from the cover to Strange Tales # 156
(original art by Marie Severin)

=============

Alrighty then.


First, let's see what's looming on the horizon


And by LOOMING, I truly mean that...

SHUMA GORATH!

INVADERS NOW! #4 (of 5)
Story by CHRISTOS GAGE & ALEX ROSS
Written by CHRISTOS GAGE
Penciled by CAIO REISS
Cover by ALEX ROSS
Variant Cover by HOWARD CHAYKIN
You've seen the Invaders go up against Nazis, super-villains and mutant monsters...but you've never seen them take on an elder god. Shuma-Gorath -- "He Who Sleeps But Shall Awake" -- has set his sights on our world, and only the greatest heroes of World War II can stop him...quite possibly at the cost of their own souls!

For anyone NOT following the INVADERS: NOW mini-series, it seems to have a mystic-menace angle, with the first issue featuring the N'Garai demons and the golden age Vision being all "there is a mystic menace that is tied to our collective pasts"...

So, it is by only a small surprise that by issue 4, the shit really hits the fan with the appearance of Shuma Gorath; "He who sleeps but shall awaken".

Last seen being defeated (off-panel) by Doctor Strange in the "KNIGHTS 4" series (issues 25-27) the ancient evil has again returned.

I have long believed that this is ALL part of a mystical war undercurrent that has been brewing for years (I won't go into it again, but it revolves around a bunch of teaser stories from several years ago, wherein such events as we're seeing now in New Avengers were foretold to be coming).
With events like the Chaos War, the New Mutants in Limbo, Vampires in X-Men and much much more... the Marvel Universe is looking very "magical" as of late.

So, perhaps.
Just perhaps... the baddie behind it all in New Avengers will ultimately be shown to be someone like Shuma Gorath, or one of his emissaries.

---

As for the New Avengers and Doctor Strange and Doctor Voodoo, we'll see them in the next issue of New Avengers (# 6) but it looks like one -or both- of them might not be the same

NEW AVENGERS #6
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by STUART IMMONEN
The shocking battle for our dimension comes to a shattering conclusion; and not everyone will survive!! Who will make the ultimate sacrifice to save us? Marvel fans will not want to miss this startling chapter in Avengers history.

My theory is that Doctor Voodoo, having lost his brother's spirit (Daniel Drumm perhaps being the one who makes the "ultimate" sacrifice) will go rogue and be all "Lawful Neutral" or "Neutral Evil" (to use classic D&D alignment terms).
Notice how Voodoo has his face all in shadow? And Strange's face is HALF shadowed?

Doctor Strange is looking to get a bad hand thrust upon him.

---

After the events of New Avengers, Doc is outed with the rest of the Illuminati and will have to deal with the mess of the Infinity Gems in the pages of the next arc of (adjectiveless - "classic") AVENGERS, starting with # 8.

AVENGERS # 8
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
The Story: The return of the Illuminati! Marvel's super-secret brain trust has reunited because someone is trying to put the Infinity Gauntlet back together. Who is it and will the Avengers be able to stop them in time? And what does any of this have to do with the Red Hulk?

This could very well be the tipping point for Doc, and sends him off to that "space adventure" in the HULK titles (as shown here in a previous post entitled; "Strange-us Quo - or- Future Doc"- [HERE]

Because, by the very next issue, Doc is supposedly channeling the evil ZOM energies that he absorbed from 'World War Hulk' - and which started the whole mess of his losing the title of Sorcerer Supreme.

INCREDIBLE HULKS #619
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by PAUL PELLETIER
Cover by CARLO PAGULAYAN
A CHAOS WAR TIE-IN!
As the onslaught of the Chaos King threatens existence itself, a terrible secret from the past makes Marlo Chandler, Rick Jones's wife, the most important mortal on the planet. The Incredible Hulks race their most demonic enemies across the country to reach Marlo in time -- but can they handle the revelations she brings? Plus: the return of Doctor Strange's darkest side!

---

So, if Marvel truly DOES co-ordinate things during their editorial retreats, and it's not just naked slip-n-slide contests, with Quesada and crew butt-sliding across beer-fountain slides of all of our hard-earned money, then perhaps this is a well-woven tapestry, leading to something...

But what that might be... Doc becoming a "ronin"-type sorcerer, masterless and beholden to no one... or slowly ascending to his former place as Earth's Sorcerer Supreme... I have no idea.

All that is for sure is that Doctor Strange isn't being killed off... yet.