History Headscratchers / DoctorStrange2016

*** On the question of what they're for and why they appear, my best educated guess is that the magic circles- arrays, mandalas, whatever word you want to use- are something along the lines of channelling devices: something that helps to lock, anchor or guide magical energy to where it needs to go, sustaining the flow or sealing it where it is. Think Dormammu's sigil on the foreheads of those who draw power from the Dark Dimension, maybe even compare to how the triquetra appears on Mjolnir in {{Thor}} after Odin enchants it, reappearing when the enchantment is triggered: magic is either being channelled or held in place, with the help of a symbol. It would also make sense that a sorcerer might need to use something to help hold magical energy in place, since we know they need relics to hold immense amounts of power for them. You can also say that's why the green arrays from the Eye of Agamotto remain throughout the final confrontation- the magic creating the time loop is being sustained by them.

** Perhaps but then what was the justification for the Ancient One interacting with the Dark Dimension? She's using its power to live forever while also saying "don't mess with the Dark Dimension." Crossing lines set by your mentor as a matter of accomplishing some greater good, sure, that's an acceptable choice one must make in times of duress and possible loss of life (and Mordo finding a difference of values with Strange's violation is seeing things overly black-and-white, that is agreeable). But for the sole purpose of outliving one's lifespan? That benefits no one but the person doing so -- the same person who is saying no good could come of summoning its power and pointing to Kaecilius as an example of someone who didn't do what she told him (and also bear in mind she's not telling anyone she's doing this, painting her use of the power as either selfish or regrettable due to their hypocrisy). Again, fractured from the top and a key failing in how Mordo perceives the importance of what he was taught vs. the one who taught it to him (magic is not as restrictive as the Ancient One taught him, the rules she laid down not necessarily reflecting the reality of using it and it is not as dangerous to experiment with as she claimed).

* Ahem. ''Why the bloody hell do the warnings come '''after''' the spells!?'' That's a sure-fire way to cause some serious accidents. Strange nearly destroys time because he doesn't ''know'' that can happen! All I can imagine is that it's a security measure meant for the exact purpose it's put to in the film; if someone's too eager for power to actually read the whole thing and just casts the spell, they get HoistByTheirOwnPetard. Which of course means that someone just non-maliciously studying magic is likely to kill themselves if not make some big messes in the process ''of'' killing themselves before they figure that out. Though the curriculum at Kamar-Taj is implied to be about that lethal, given how [[SinkOrSwimMentor the Ancient One]] ''[[DieOrFly strands Strange on Mount Everest]]'' because he can't quite grasp how to use his Sling Ring.[[note]]Oh, and I put in front of everything because that's where Strange suggests that's where warnings belong.[[/note]]

*** The film does not take place before ''Iron Man 3'', as that film took place circa 2012-2013, as evidenced by the characters mentioning that their meeting on New Years Eve 1999 happened 13 years prior, while ''Doctor Strange'' begins no earlier than 2016, as shown by an award on Strange's wall before his accident dated 2016, and a close up shot of his watch on the day of his accident shows the current date as February 2, 2016.

*** The film does not take place before ''Iron Man 3'', as that film took place circa 2012-2013, as evidenced by the characters mentioning that their meeting on New Years Eve 1999 happened 13 years prior, while ''Doctor Strange'' begins no earlier than 2016, as shown by an award in Strange's wall before his accident dated 2016, and a close up shot of his watch on the day of his accident shows the current date as February 2, 2016.

*** The film does not take place before ''Iron Man 3'', as that fit took place circa 2012-2013, as evidences by the characters mentioning that their meeting in on New Years Eve 1999 happened 13 years prior, while ''Doctor Strange'' begins no earlier than 2016, as shown by an award in Strange's wall before his accident dated 2016, and a close up shot of his watch on the day of his accident shows the current date as February 2, 2016.

*** The film does not take place before ''Iron Man 3'', as that fit took place circa 2012-2013, as evidences by the characters mentioning that their meeting in on New Years Eve 1999 happened 13 years prior, while ''Doctor Strange'' begins no earlier than 2016, as shown by an award in Strange's wall before his accident dated 2016, and a close up shot of his watch on the day of his accident shows the current date as February 1, 2016.

[[folder: Misplaced FridgeBrilliance and/or GeniusBonus entry]]
* I'm pretty certain that I read something on one of these pages[[note]]Side question: what's the correct term for a group of the pages (Main, Fridge, YMMV, etc.) that are all about a specific works?[[/note]] that explained why Strange took issue with Thor calling him "wizard" that had to do with the origins of the word. Was it deleted for whatever reason, am I looking in the wrong place, or what?
** I don't know what happened to it, but I do know that it was a misunderstanding of the etymology of "wizard" - it just means "one who is wise" like how "drunkard" means "one who is drunk" or "dullard" means "one who is dull.
[[/folder]]

** Because Strange can just trap him in time again. That's the whole point of the entire climax.