Warning: Contains Spoilers forNew Avengers #2!
One ofMarvel’smost powerful heroes is still being totally underserved in the MCU, and her latest appearance with theAvengersjust made it crystal clear. As a god-tier sorcerer with extraordinary abilities,Clea Strange has more than earned her spot in Marvel Comics’ brand-new New Avengers lineup, especially as she swiftly takes down their biggest threat.
New Avengers #2, written by Sam Humphries, with art by by Ton Lima, follows the immediate fallout of the team’s disastrous first run-in withthe Killuminati, evil clones of Illuminati heroeslike Doctor Strange, Professor X, and more.
Though the growing New Avengers lineup struggles with these freshly created foes, Clea shows up to give the team a desperately-needed helping hand.
Clea’s Magical Takedown Of Black Bolt Proves Marvel Could Do A Lot More With Her Character
New Avengers#2; Written By Sam Humphries; Art By Ton Lima; Color By Rain Beredo; Lettering By VC’s Joe Sabino
A large evil clone of Black Bolt proved to be the most dangerous of the Killuminati, but Clea used her immense powers to take down the Avengers' adversaries' biggest weapon with ease. Since the group of twisted villains also has a variant of her own husband, Clea Strange has officially joined the New Avengers to put a stop to the clones.
Jackal’s villains almost seemedmore dangerous than the team’s hero recruitsin the first issue ofNew Avengers, but Clea’s badass introduction just blew every other character out of the water. WhenClea single-handedly shields herself from the Black Bolt clone’s roar and portals his head off, her display of power is awe-inspiring, even for a veteran like Bucky Barnes.
By handlingthis powerful new Black Bolt variant, Clea proves that the team will need her if they want to stand a chance against the rest of the Killuminati. Clea’s energy and charisma alone make her a worthy addition toNew Avengers, and it’ll be exciting to see how she uniquely fills the Sorcerer Supreme role in the revamped team.
Clea Strange’s grand entrance inNew Avengers#2 is yet another example of her character’s raw power and swagger as a sorcerer, and it proves that Marvel could seriously be doing more with the character. After her prominent rolein Jed MacKay’s Doctor Strange comics, Clea’s been somewhat relegated to the sidelines, butNew Avengerslooks to finally change that.
From Discarded Daughter To Sorcerer Supreme Of The Dark Dimension: Clea’s Marvel History
So Much More Than Just Doctor Strange’s Wife
The MCU hasthe amazing Charlize Theron in the roleof Clea, an Academy Award winner and bona fide action superstar herself, but she’s had less than a minute of screen time since her 2022 debut in the mid-credits scene ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Yet In both the comics and cinematic Marvel universes, Clea has leading hero potential.
First introduced in 1964 as a lowly disciple of Dormammu during Doctor Strange’s first trip into the Dark Dimension inStrange Tales,Clea’s true powers have been revealed over many decades of Marvel Comics lore, and perhaps there’s still more to come. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko,Clea once thought of herself to be powerless, but eventually became a master of the mystic arts.
Doctor Strange eventually began mentoring Clea after taking her in. However, Clea’s secret origins in the Dark Dimension later reveal thatshe is the daughter of the villain Umar, and niece of Dormammu. Though she was initially discarded by her powerful family of interdimensional warlords, Clea’s maternal relation to the Faltine gives her incredible powers and super-charges her mystical abilities.
After years of studying under Strange, and her powers growing more and more, Clea worked to becomethe Dark Dimension’s own Sorcerer Supreme. Stephen and Clea were already spiritually tied but officially became husband and wife along the way. However, Clea’s growing power once put a wedge between them, and they suffered a turbulent separation.
Marvel’s New “Guru Strange” Is Totally Unprepared To Face The Full Wrath Of Clea
A “Secret” Weapon Against The Killuminati
Their relationship was forgotten for a brief period, and Stephen died several times, butDoctor Strange and Clea eventually reunited to become Marvel’s most magical power couple. Writer Jed MacKay called Clea “the greatest of all Doctor Strange characters”, andher massive upgrades in his 10-issueStrangeseriesprove it, once Sorcerer Supreme of both Dark Dimension and Earth simultaneously.
Since losing his Sorcerer Supreme title to Doctor Doom in last year’sBlood Huntcrossover event,Clea’s husband has been in Asgard, so his corrupted re-appearance in the form of the Killuminati’s Guru Strange strikes a nerve. Once she meets the New Avengers,Clea outright states that she can be more ferocious without Stephen around, and she proves it instantly.
With Bolt already off the table by Clea’s hand,the rest of the Killuminatishould be watching their backs, especially Guru Strange. Promising to send this twisted variant to “one hell after another”, Clea Strange sentences her husband’s clone to eternal torment. Clea’s fully capable of following through on that powerful promise, and she’s already angry enough to do it.
Marvel’s latest take on the New Avengers team hasalready been dubbed Earth’s Deadliest Heroes, and since she’s empowered by the Dark Dimension’s magic, Clea is a perfect fit for the lethal lineup. Though she is firmly on the side of good, Clea has an established dark side, and it can finally be let loose as she tackles the Killuminati.
Clea Strange’s Massive Magical Potential Absolutely Should Not Go To Waste In Marvel Comics
New AvengersIs A Major Step In The Right Direction
AsClea joins an Avengers rosterfor the first time ever, she instantly makes it clear that Marvel should have included her in one a long time ago. With her immense powers as Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension, sometimes said to be even more powerful than Doctor Strange himself, Bucky is desperate to have her on the new team.
While she interacts with more characters in the Marvel Universe in her deadly Avengers adventure, the publisher can ensure that Clea’s devastating power doesn’t go to waste, and maybe the MCU should take note.
With her major role in Doctor Strange comics on hiatus duringDoctor Strange of Asgard, Clea’s excitingNew Avengersdebut finally brings her back into the fold. She mostly appears alongside Stephen, butNew Avengersdemonstrates how Clea easily stands apart from the other half of her iconic power couple, and Marvel could utilize her as a standalone hero more often.
As Clea moves forward with the New Avengers, she’ll have a pivotal role inassembling the team’s other recruits, like the Hulkand Eddie Brock’s Carnage. While she interacts with more characters in theMarvelUniverse in her deadlyAvengersadventure, the publisher can ensure that Clea’s devastating power doesn’t go to waste, and maybe the MCU should take note.
