The most powerful Doctor Strange variants in Marvel comics are the basis for the versions in Multiverse of Madness. But which is the strongest?

A dark and twisted version of Doctor Strange appeared in What If...?, acquiring dark magic to ultimately become one of the most powerful variants of the Sorcerer Supreme in the MCU multiverse. Now it's clear there will be even more variants in the trailers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, They appear to be based on the most powerful variants of Doctor Strange in Marvel Comics.

These powerful variations of Doctor Strange exist both in standard Earth-616 continuity and across the broader multiverse of infinite realities and dimensions in the comics. Some of them explored white magic to its powerful limits, while others indulged darker - and sometimes sillier - paths to becoming supreme in magic, an outcome that may be happening in the upcoming movie as well.

Updated on April 27th, 2022 by Darby Harn: The trailers for Multiverse of Madness keep hinting at more and more Doctor Strange variants. At least one of them seems to be a possible version of the Black Priest, one of the most powerful versions of the character from the multiverse of the comics. The movie could reveal others and there are many to choose from in the comics, including variants of Doctor Strange that are combinations of iconic Marvel characters like The Punisher. 

Carlo Strange

Doctor Strange isn't actually the first Doctor Strange in Marvel Comics. That distinction goes to Doctor Carlo Strange, whose powers were significant thanks to his skill in science and technology but he wasn't actually a sorcerer at all.

The first variant of Doctor Strange was an inventor who created laser guns and devices that amplified his mental acuity. He preceded Stephen Strange by only a few months in Marvel Comics, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #41 in 1963.

The Necromancer

The Necromancer, also known as the Doppelganger Doctor Strange, shares all the same powers and abilities as the Sorcerer Supreme. He has extraordinary knowledge of ancient mystical arts and access to unimaginable power in order to wield them.

The Necromancer appeared in some of the best Doctor Strange comics of the 90s and could appear in the upcoming movie. He's a variant of Doctor Strange from Counter-Earth who killed Baron Mordo instead of helping him, sending him down a dark path.

Strange 2099

Strange 2099, or Jeannie as she was also known, emerged a hundred years into the future in one of Marvel Comics' darkest timelines. The Sorceress Supreme has numerous magical powers, including immunity to changes in the timeline by actions in the past.

But her basic abilities, including the casting of illusions and magical healing, are not as advanced as the Earth-616 Doctor Strange. At the time she appears in the comics, she hasn't had the degree of instruction that Stephen Strange or others have, though she is naturally very gifted in magic.

MC2

The MC2 alternate universe of Earth-982 looked forward into the future of Marvel Comics by a few decades. Doctor Strange was no longer the Sorcerer Supreme, but he was still a Master of the Mystic Arts. He maintained his powers from Earth-616 and used them when he came out of retirement and reformed the Defenders to face his successor, Doc Magus.

Doc Magus actually defeated Doctor Strange in this confrontation, showing that the older sorcerer had lost a step or two when it came to the mystical arts in this universe.

Sir Stephen Strange

Sir Stephen Strange belongs to the 1602 reality of Earth-311, where the Marvel Universe exists in an Elizabethan setting. He has all of the same powers and abilities as his contemporary version and used his powers to achieve a brief communion with the comic book version of Uatu The Watcher.

This gave him rare insight into the multiverse and the danger facing his reality. He used his knowledge to help save his world but at the cost of his own life. He was killed for treason by King James, though it wasn't exactly the end for Strange.

Punisher Strange

There are some wild variants of Doctor Strange in Marvel Comics and one of them is Punisher Strange. He has all of Doctor Strange's mystical abilities, though Frank Castle doesn't have the Sorcerer Supreme's experience, requiring the spirit of Strange to guide him.

He does have the Punisher's unrelenting and unfettered appetitive for violence, making him one of the most powerful variants of Doctor Strange. This version of the character emerged out of the 2015 Secret Wars, one of the best Marvel Comics events.

Ultimate Doctor Strange

The Doctor Strange variant in the Ultimate Comics universe of Earth-1610 seems to be more powerful in general than his father. Stephen Strange Jr. is able to wield a variety of powers without even using any magic, including astral projection and hypnotism.

Virtually every power his father Stephen Strange Sr. had was accomplished through magic, or in the case of his skills as a martial artist, intense training. He is less skilled than his father when it comes to the mystical arts, as he hasn't had a lot of training, but he possesses a great natural aptitude for magic.

Ducktor Strange

Ducktor Strange, the Mallard of the Mystic Arts, hails from the same reality as Howard The Duck. This variant of Doctor Strange appears to have all the same abilities as the Earth-616 Strange. He also has the added natural ability his avian physiology grants him.

Simon Strange proved his enormous skill in the mystical arts when he used magic to move people from Duckworld, Earth-791021, to the main Marvel universe of Earth-616 through the Nexus Of All Realities.

Croctor Strange

Ducktor Strange isn't the only anthropomorphic variant of Doctor Strange in the comics. Croctor Strange joins the rarified ranks of one of the best Loki variants, Alligator Loki, as a crocodile version of Strange. Croctor Strange appears to have all of the same powers and abilities as his human counterpart in Earth-616, with the addition of his reptilian attributes.

Croctor Strange originates from the same universe as Spider-Ham, and with that character making it to the movies, it's possible that the cold-blooded variant of Doctor Strange could as well.

Clea

Clea is one of the most powerful Doctor Strange variants in the comics, as she's not only a disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme but also a powerful being from the Dark Dimension of Dormammu. She's able to harness the Flames of Faltine to increase her natural ability even more.

Clea has been the Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension and is now the Sorcerer Supreme in Earth-616 after the death of Doctor Strange in current comics. Her extraordinary skill in magic made her the ideal choice to take over for him.

Strange-Thing

Strange-Thing, a powerful amalgamation of Doctor Strange and Man-Thing, shares the extraordinary abilities of both characters. Not only does Strange-Thing rank as one of the most powerful magicians in the Marvel Universe, but as the guardian of the Nexus Of All Realities on Earth grants him the ability to displace reality and cross dimensions.

This version of the character comes from Earth-1298, where he helped stop the Goblin Queen from harnessing the power of the Nexus for nefarious means.

Right Hand Of Doom

Though the variant of Doctor Strange who serves as the Right Hand of Doom in 2015's Secret Wars is ostensibly similar in power to his Earth-616 version, he actually contributed to the creation of Battleworld along with God Emperor Doom. He also had the power and potential to become God-Emperor himself in this collapsed version of the multiverse but passed on the chance.

This suggests that the Right Hand of Doom was of terrific power. It wasn't enough to save him from the wrath of Doom, though, who killed him for betraying the throne.

Disciple Of Dormammu

The Doctor Strange in the What If..? animated series turns to dark magic to save Christine's life. In issue #18 of the What If..? comic book series, Stephen Strange goes down a similarly dark path. Strange achieves enormous power as the disciple of Dormammu, but most of all he loses all of his scruples.

This variant of Doctor Strange murders Baron Mordo, even after his healing of Strange's injured hands. He releases Umar, the sister of Dormammu, from her dimensional prison and conspires with her against his dark master, bringing this Strange close to the power of the dark entities.

Black Priest Doctor Strange

The Black Priest Doctor Strange is able to perceive and witness the multiverse on a scale similar to The Watcher in Marvel Comics, far beyond that of the regular Sorcerer Supreme. With The Words, he is also able to alter reality simply by speaking.

The Black Priest seems somewhat similar to the zombie-like Strange that appears in the trailers for the upcoming movie, and the Black Priests themselves could be the villains. Their order destroys universes to try and save the entire multiverse from becoming unstable.

Dr. Strangefate

Dr. Strangefate combines the mystical powers of Doctor Strange from Marvel Comics and Dr. Fate from DC Comics. The two magical characters feature many of the same powers, but Dr. Fate has the ability to naturally travel between parallel worlds, making this variant incredibly powerful.

What's more, this variant of Doctor Strange, who emerged from the Amalgam Comics crossover in the '90s, is actually Charles Xavier. With the mental power of Professor X, this fusion of three classic characters is one of the most powerful in comic books.

NEXT: 10 Characters Confirmed Or Likely To Appear In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness