In 2016’s Doctor Strange film, the Sorcerer Supreme made a bargain with Dormammu but one he made in the comics makes his MCU bargain look pathetic. In 1989’s Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #8, Mephisto and Satannish, two of Marvel’s most powerful demons, were fighting for the soul of Baron Mordo, a battle that threatened to destroy Earth. With no other options, Strange drove a hard bargain between the two demons–and it far sures his MCU one.
Audiences met Doctor Strange for the first time in 2016, when his feature film, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, debuted in theaters. In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Doctor Strange forces Dormammu into submission, using the Time Stone to continually reset the clock, trapping both him and Dormammu in a time-loop; Doctor Strange only released Dormammu when the latter agreed to call off his invasion of Earth. In each instance, before engaging Dormammu, Doctor Strange would say “I have come to bargain.” The bargain Strange made with Dormammu was a big one, forcing the lord of the Dark Dimension to eventually flee. It was a great show of power on Strange’s part, but when a battle between the demons Mephisto and Satannish threatened to destroy Earth, Strange forced them into a deal in a brutal fashion.
In the story, titled “Mephisto Waltz with Satannish Verses,” Baron Mordo, in a bid to gain power, sold his soul to both Mephisto and Satannish. When the two demons, unaware of Mordo’s scheme, show up to collect his soul, they immediately begin to fight. Mephisto agree to Strange’s , and they depart that reality.
Doctor Strange Drives Hard Bargains
The deal Doctor Strange made with Dormammu is absolutely pathetic next to the one he forced on Mephisto and Satannish. The mere idea of fusing two beings into one against their will, even for ones as despicable as the two demon lords, is extreme, but shows just how high the stakes were for Doctor Strange. Erasing someone’s identity is far worse than sticking them in a time loop. What is truly brilliant about Strange’s plan is he plays to Mephisto and Satannish’s egos, even going so far as to say as such. Both demon lords are extremely proud, with enormous egos, egos that would have been lost had Strange’s spell been allowed to continue its course.
In a true test of power, both Mephisto and Satannish could have easily overwhelmed the Sorcerer Supreme. In the face of such power, the deal Doctor Strange forced on them becomes even more impressive, making his MCU bargain look downright pathetic.
