OUT OF THIS WORLD "Plague!"

Even when (believe it or not) created for benevolent purposes...

...a deliberately-contagious virus unleashed on the world is no laughing matter!

OK, how can we read other peoples' thoughts in our own dreams, as happens on pages 2 and 3?

Beyond that deliberately-deceptive plot element, this tale from Charlton's Out of This World #6 (1957) written by Charlton mainstay Joe Gill and illustrated by future Spider-Man and Dr Strange co-creator Steve Ditko hangs together fairly well!

Would someone deliberately-conceive and implement a biological weapon (whether for good or evil) today?

Some Reich-wingers believe the recent (and possibly retiurning) coronavirus epidemic was deliberately-engineered by Communist China!

What do you think, dear reader?

Please Support Medical Comics and Stories

Visit Amazon and Order...

Steve Ditko Archives Volume 3

Mysterious Traveler

(which reprints this tale!)
Paid Link

Before Doctor Strange Was...Doctor Droom!

Before any other heroes (including Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four)...

...this MD-turned sorcerer protected the Silver Age Marvel Universe from mystical menaces!*

BTW, note the guy in panel 3 is the guy in the first panel...but that ain't mascara around his eyes!

Keep reading...

Wait a second...

"My Eyes! They're becoming slanted!"

"I have given you an appearance suitable to your new role!"

What sort of "reverse racism" is this?

Did writer Stan Lee, penciler Jack Kirby, or inker Steve Ditko theorize only an Asian-looking person could manipulate magic?
At least they didn't give him any sort of cliched Chinese/Japanese speech pattern...

The good Doctor's strip lasted five issues, including this one from Atlas' Amazing Adventures #1 (1961)

Many of the elements were reused in the origin of Dr Strange, (who was created by the guy who inked this tale, writer/artist Steve Ditko!)

Perhaps Steve looked at this concept and said "Well, this part works, but this one sure as hell doesn't!" and reworked the concept.

At any rate, "Doctor Droom 2.0" aka Doctor Strange turned out to be one of the longest-lasting characters at Marvel, and Droom disappeared, never to be seen again.

Hah!

Fooled you!

In the mid-1970s, reprint editor Roger Stern decided to revive the character to host a horror anthology, but with some modifications, like a costume (Droom always wore street clothes), eliminating the whole "asian look" aspect, and making him a descendant of Druids (hence the name change)!

Here's his revamped reintroduction from Marvel's Weird Wonder Tales #19 (1976)

Dr Druid became an ongoing guest-star in the Marvel Universe, even briefly leading the Avengers, and helming his own miniseries....where he was killed off!
But, with Marvel rebooting their entire multiverse several times over the past decade, the good Doctor is, in fact, alive again, and living in retirement, assisting Doctor Strange upon occasion.

Medical Trivia: Though Droom's medical credentials were never specified, Druid received his MD from Harvard and completed a residency in psychiatry.
Note: We were caught by the Dreaded Deadline Doom due to preparing for our nephew's nuptuals this weekend, so we're re-presenting this feature about one of Marvel's less-known medicos because we didn't want to disappoint our fans...who are increasing in number again!
*Note: this doesn't count Timely/Atlas/Marvel's Golden Age characters, none of whom were being published in 1961!

Please Support Medical Comics and Stories

Visit Amazon and Order...

Hellstorm

by Warren Ellis

(TPB which contains the complete 1990s Doctor Druid miniseries where he dies)

Before Doctor Strange Was...Doctor Droom!

Before any other heroes (including Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four)...

...this MD-turned sorcerer protected the Silver Age Marvel Universe from mystical menaces!*

BTW, note the guy in panel 3 is the guy in the first panel...but that ain't mascara around his eyes!

Keep reading...

Wait a second...

"My Eyes! They're becoming slanted!"

"I have given you an appearance suitable to your new role!"

What sort of "reverse racism" is this?

Did writer Stan Lee, penciler Jack Kirby, or inker Steve Ditko theorize only an Asian-looking person could manipulate magic?
At least they didn't give him any sort of cliched Chinese/Japanese speech pattern...

The good Doctor's strip lasted five issues, including this one from Atlas' Amazing Adventures #1 (1961)

Many of the elements were reused in the origin of Dr Strange, (who was created by the guy who inked this tale, writer/artist Steve Ditko!)

Perhaps Steve looked at this concept and said "Well, this part works, but this one sure as hell doesn't!" and reworked the concept.

At any rate, "Doctor Droom 2.0" aka Doctor Strange turned out to be one of the longest-lasting characters at Marvel, and Droom disappeared, never to be seen again.

Hah!

Fooled you!

In the mid-1970s, reprint editor Roger Stern decided to revive the character to fill out a horror anthology, but with some modifications, like a costume (Droom wore street clothes), eliminating the whole "asian look" aspect, and making him a descendant of Druids (hence the name change)!
Here's his reintroduction from Marvel's Weird Wonder Tales #19 (1976)

Dr Druid became an ongoing guest-star in the Marvel Universe, even briefly leading the Avengers, and helming his own miniseries....where he was killed off!
He'll not doubt, rise again at some point!

Medical Trivia: Though Droom's medical credentials were never specified, Druid received his MD from Harvard and completed a residency in psychiatry.
*Note: this doesn't count Timely/Atlas/Marvel's Golden Age characters, none of whom were being published in 1961!

Please Support Medical Comics and Stories

Visit Amazon and Order...

Hellstorm

by Warren Ellis

(TPB which contains the complete 1990s Doctor Druid miniseries where he dies)

Halloween Hospital Horrors DOCTOR STRANGE "Origin"

Easily the best-known super-heroic MD, both in costume and in his secret identity...

...Stephen Strange, created by plotter/artist Steve Ditko and scripted by Stan Lee, has been a mainstay of Marvel Comics since his debut in Strange Tales #110 (1963)!

(Stan Lee wrote the final scripts and was commonly credited as the sorcerer's creator or co-creator until a letter resurfaced that was sent to fan and academic Jerry Bails before the release of Strange Tales #110, in which Lee mentions the upcoming character and says: "'Twas Steve's idea." )

Trivia: You'll note Doc's not wearing his red Cloak of Levitation, nor the Eye of Agamotto!

That's because he wasn't gifted (by the Ancient One) the Cloak or the Eye until Strange Tales #127 (1964)!

Doc remained in Strange Tales (which was retitled Doctor Strange as of #169 [1968]) until its' cancellation as of #183 (1969).

He continued as a guest-star in various comics until 1971, when he became a regular in The Defenders and the lead feature in Marvel Premiere.

The Sorcerer Supreme finally regained his own title in 1974.

Since then, he's always had an ongoing title, with the current version running 416 issues.

Recently, Stephen regained the total use of his hands, and returned to practicing medicine while still serving as Earth's primary mystic defender, resulting in all sorts of ethical and practical dilemmas...

...involving his priorities as either healer or warrior wizard...

...and problems when the two careers overlap...

...(Talk about serious multitasking)!

The series ended unexpectedly, and now Doc is the Headmaster of a Xavier's School for Gifted Students-style academy for teen sorcerers in the new series Strange Academy!

Whether Strange still retains the delicate manual dexterity he re-acquired is unknown...

Please Support Medical Comics and Stories
Visit Amazon and Order...

Doctor Strange

Surgeon Supreme: Under the Knife
(featuring the complete 6-issue series)