Clea
Clea is a humanoid being of the Dark Dimension. Since meeting the human sorcerer Doctor Strange in 1964, Clea has been his stalwart ally, undermining the efforts of Dormammu, Strange's enemy and ruler of the Dark Dimension.
Biography
Meeting Doctor Strange
Clea first witnessed Doctor Strange enter the Dark Dimension in 1964, invading so as to prevent Dormammu from attacking Strange's dimension. She initially wrote him off, believing that none could stand up to the might of Dormammu, but his incredible magic ability quickly impressed her. Still, she tried to warn him not to fight Dormammu, but he disregarded her.[1] She explained to him that his victory would spell doom for the people under Dormammu's rule, as it was only through his magical barrier that the vicious Mindless Ones were kept at bay. Strange heeded her warning, but nonetheless felt an obligation to his own world to defeat Dormammu. Dormammu heard of Clea's meeting with Strange, and though she was actually trying to keep Strange from fighting him, he nonetheless saw it as an act of betrayal, and restrained her, forcing her to watch his supposed victory over Doctor Strange. Strange and Dormammu fought, exerting Dormammu's energy to the point that his barrier blocking the Mindless Ones gradually wore away. Dormammu tried to erect an emergency barrier, but his power was too exhausted. Strange helped him, and the two were able to force the Mindless Ones back once more. Dormammu cursed Strange for his assistance, and begrudgingly admitted that he was in his debt. In return, Strange insisted that Dormammu never bring harm to Clea or invade Earth. Dormammu agreed, but nonetheless vowed that he would avenge this defeat. Strange offered to bring Clea with him back to Earth, but she declined. Nonetheless, she appreciated Strange's valor, and told him she would never forget him.[2]
Dormammu's revenge
Some time later, Clea noticed that Dormammu was behaving strangely: sitting stoically in his throne for long periods of time. She consulted her father, Dormammu's closest disciple, but he told her nothing was the matter. Nonetheless, Clea felt a premonition that reminded her of when she had met Doctor Strange, and she feared that he was in danger. Indeed, Dormammu had aligned with human sorcerer Baron Mordo to defeat Strange and thereby end Dormammu's debt to him, allowing him to invade Earth. Dormammu was focusing intensely on granting Mordo some of his power in order to make him a match for Strange's potent magic.[3] Clea felt her own, less formal debt to Strange for having saved her, and knew she had to find a way to help him, even if it meant suffering Dormammu's wrath. She took a special device from Dormammu's belongings and used it to weaken the barrier holding back the Mindless Ones, allowing them to break through and storm Dormammu's throne. The distraction forced Dormammu to quickly erect a new barrier, taking his attention away from Mordo and draining some of his magic for the time being, and giving Strange the upper hand in his flight from Mordo on Earth.[4]
Dormammu soon learned of Clea's betrayal and trapped her in magical confinement, where she would remain until she could witness firsthand Doctor Strange's defeat at Dormammu's hands.[5] Strange and Mordo's confrontation was soon at hand, and Dormammu placed Clea before the magical screen granting her sight of the battle on Earth. Mordo did not defeat Strange as quickly as Dormammu would have liked, and he soon grew impatient and banished everyone to another dimension.[6] Dormammu fought Strange one-on-one in a duel designed to test each participant's skill and wits rather than raw magical power.[7] Strange eventually won by playing into Dormammu's overconfidence. As a consequence for losing the battle, Dormammu agreed never to attack Earth. As Strange returned to Earth, Dormammu contacted him once more and showed that he had Clea imprisoned. Since Dormammu was still beholden to his oath not to harm Clea per se, he instead banished her to another, unstated dimension, daring Strange to try to find her.[8] Strange searched for Clea, but it was a very strange occurrence indeed that ultimately saved her. Dormammu challenged Strange within the realm of Eternity, casting a spell on the latter in an attempt to prevent interference. Eternity broke through Dormammu's spell and confronted him, angry that he had attacked it. The two fought, and Dormammu's body was destroyed in the ensuing cataclysm. With Dormammu's powerful magic released, Strange returned to the Dark Dimension and returned all those he had banished—including Clea and Baron Mordo. Clea emerged from her dimensional prison, and she and Stephen were overjoyed to see each other once more. The two said farewell, but Clea knew that their paths would cross again some time in the future.[9]
References
- ↑ Strange Tales #126b: "The Domain of the Dread Dormammu!" (November 1964) Lee, Stan (w), Ditko, Steve (art), Simek, Artie (let).
- ↑ Strange Tales #127b: "Duel with the Dread Dormammu!" (December 1964) Lee, Stan (w), Ditko, Steve (art), Rosen, Sam (let).
- ↑ Strange Tales #132b: "Face-to-Face at Last with Baron Mordo!" (May 1965) Lee, Stan (w), Ditko, Steve (art), Simek, Artie (let).
- ↑ Strange Tales #134b: "Earth Be My Battleground." (July 1965) Lee, Stan (w), Ditko, Steve (art), Simek, Artie (let).
- ↑ Strange Tales #136b: "What Lurks Beneath the Mask?" (September 1965) Lee, Stan (w), Ditko, Steve (w, art), Simek, Artie (let).
- ↑ Strange Tales #139b: "Beware...! Dormammu Is Watching!" (December 1965) Lee, Stan (w), Ditko, Steve (art), Simek, Artie (let).
- ↑ Strange Tales #140b: "The Pincers of Power!" (January 1966) Lee, Stan (w), Ditko, Steve (art), Rosen, Sam (let).
- ↑ Strange Tales #141b: "Let There Be Victory!" (February 1966) Lee, Stan (w), Ditko, Steve (w, art), Simek, Artie (let).
- ↑ Strange Tales #146b: "The End--at Last!" (July 1966) O'Neil, Dennis (w), Ditko, Steve (art), Simek, Artie (let), Lee, Stan (ed).