Line #55 Recap/DeathBattleS05E07DoctorStrangeVsDoctorFate


1	->'''Wiz:''' The art of magic is a perplexing thing. Only those with the right knowledge, talent, and willpower can truly claim to be the most powerful wizards of all.\
2	'''Boomstick:''' Like ComicBook/DoctorStrange, the sorcerer supreme of Marvel Comics.\
3	'''Wis:''' And ComicBook/DoctorFate, DC's defender of cosmic order.
4
5	Marvel and DC return for another round in their eternal duel in the seventh episode of season five, the chosen weapons of this match being their premiere mages, protectors against threats far beyond mortal comprehension. The hosts will match the blessings of gods against the embodiment of godhood itself, circumstance and effort against the chosen vessel of fate, for Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate, neither a stranger to the mysterious crafts which compose magic, must now face one another for the honor of being crowned the winner of [[TitleDrop a death battle]].
6
7	To start off the episode, Wizard and Boomstick look at the life of Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange, an acclaimed neurosurgeon who was as arrogant as he was skilled. Born in the 1930's as the eldest of three children, Stephen's tendency to watch over his siblings fostered an interest in medical practice, an interest that only grew as he continued his studies and lost siblings and parents alike. Strange became hardened by the loss of his family, and self-absorbed to match; his concern for others extending only to his patients' bills. Regardless, his talent in neuroscience earned him a large bank account and prestige the world over until he was caught in an untimely car accident. While Stephen survived, the damage wrought upon his hands was irreparable; his nerves became caught in a state of permanent trembling, thus taking from Strange the capacity for delicate motor procedures, such as the surgery through which he forged his wealth. Too vain to accept another line of work, he burnt through his fortune in search of a treatment, spending the last of his money to reach the Tibetan monastery where he met an ancient sorcerer christened the Ancient One. The Ancient One refused to heal Strange's fractured hands in lieu of offering to teach him the ways of the mystic arts. An encounter with the Ancient One's rogue pupil Karl Mordo turned out to be the factor causing Strange to relent, becoming the newest practitioner in the ways of magic. Strange would be taught under the watchful eye of the Ancient One and even consult him for guidance even after establish his own haven in the Sanctum Sanctorum; for many years the two kept in touch, even into the age of superheroes that populated the planet. It would be in this new era when the Ancient One was taken by servants of the extradimensional demon Shuma-Gorath; sacrificing his corporeal form to prevent Shuma-Gorath's invasion of earth, the soul of the Ancient One would bestow upon Strange his mantle of sorcerer supreme, the undisputed greatest commander of the mystic arts in all the world.
8
9	Over the years of the Ancient One's tutorship and even well after venturing out on his own, Strange has accumulated a wide variety of spells and artifacts that channel the mystic arts. To recount this list in its entirety would be unfeasible, but fortunately, Strange has something of a go-to collection of enchantments in his repertoire; traditionally dependent on invoking the cosmic or otherworldly deity who controls the power in question. Such an array of spells would include the [[DoppelgangerSpin Images of Ikonn]], [[{{Hellfire}} Flames of the Faltine]], [[InstantKnots Crimson Bands of Cyttorak]], [[ShockAndAwe Bolts of Balthakk]], among other less fanciful abilities; these range from molecular transmutation to interdimensional travel and his signature astral projection, through which Strange expels his soul out of his physical form. As his role of sorcerer supreme requires him to protect the planet against all manner of mystical threats, Strange is accompanied by all manner of paraphernalia to provide an extra boost in combat. The sapient Cloak of Levitation, traditionally seen as the cape that permits Strange to fly, is one such example, as is the Eye of Agamotto, an amulet that bestows Strange with further abilities such as the despoliation of illusions and absorbing vast amounts of magical energies.
10
11	Courtesy of his experience in the mystic arts and the assortment of skills he has acquired over the years, Strange is among one of the Marvel universe's key defenders, with a wide selection of feats to his name. When the cosmic being Adam Warlock used the Infinity Gem of Space to banish Strange to the vast reaches of the cosmos, the sorcerer used a counter-spell to return him to Warlock in a matter of seconds. As a generous estimate, Strange traveled to a void in the universe where even the largest of galaxies are but faint glimmers of light; with a guess of traveling across the void in a few seconds, Strange's best speed feat is one clocked in at speeds of over 4 septillion mph, far exceeding the speed of light by an astronomical margin. While Strange's magical prowess is of a strength that enables him to burst stars, the immortality bestowed upon him is an even greater boon; the Vishanti, a trio of deities whom Strange regularly invokes the names of, recruited him to fight in the War of the Seven Spheres, a cyclical conflict lasting upwards of five millennia, and only aged a year once the fighting had ceased. While impressive as his list of accomplishments may be, there is a key flaw that can be exploited; use of the mystic arts takes a toll on an unfit body, and Strange, though an accomplished martial artist despite his disability, is still only a man without the aid of magic. But Strange, being but a man, has proven they can accomplish so much more in the right hands.
12
13	->'''[[WesternAnimation/DoctorStrangeTheSorcererSupreme Dormammu]]:''' Who are you?\
14	'''{{WesternAnimation/Doctor Strange\|TheSorcererSupreme}}:''' I'm Doctor Strange, sorcerer supreme! (unleashes the Bolts of Balthakk upon Dormammu)
15
16	From Strange, the hosts move on to his competition, Doctor Fate, the superhero identity of Kent Nelson. Accompanying his father on an expedition to the Mesopotamian Valley of Ur in 1920, Kent stumbled upon Nabu, an ancient immortal and a lord of order, a being of godlike power formed by the creation of the universe. Nelson's father was accidentally killed by poisonous gases escaping Nabu's tomb, but the lord of order took the boy under his wing in atonement, teaching him the secrets of the universe as filtered through the lens of magic. To aid him in his growth, Nabu accelerated Kent's growth, rapidly aging him into a young adult and bestowed upon him a set of three relics; the centerpiece being the Golden Helmet of Fate. It is through this that Nabu's spirit resides, and by putting on the helmet, Kent's soul merges with his, bestowing upon him the identity and powers of Doctor Fate, Nabu's champion in their never-ending battle against the lords of chaos.
17
18	The Helmet of Fate is at the core of Doctor Fate's powerset, yet the other two gifts Nabu bestowed upon the young Kent are of an almost equal importance; the Cloak of Destiny, which grants Kent flight and an improved physiology, and the Amulet of Anubis. With the Amulet, Nabu's powers are amplified further, and also grants him protection against enemy magic and psychic powers. The Amulet also houses its own pocket dimension which houses the souls of those who have donned the helmet before him. With Nabu's training, Kent discovered a plethora of magic techniques; teleportation, illusion casting, astral projection, molecular control, hypnosis, all but a small sampling of the abilities Fate has on display. So immensely powerful is Nabu, that Kent himself has said any feat he wishes to achieve, he can accomplish with only a though. In times of extreme crisis, the wills of a man, woman, and Nabu can merge to assemble the True Fate, a being of apocalyptic proportion that can effortlessly overpower other lords of order; luckily for Kent, Inza Cramer, his wife and an occasional vessel of Nabu when Kent himself is incapacitated, is satisfactory enough for meeting the True Fate's requirements.
19
20	Having a nigh-omnipotent god to be a vessel for has served Nelson well. Though chronologically 70 years of age, Kent has accomplished much in that timeframe; Nabu moreso, being as old as the universe itself. The lord of order's helmet, made of the quasi-mystical nth metal, can withstand speeds on par with the expansion of the universe, even rebounding off the edge and surviving the impact. In addition to this, the combined powers of Nelson and Nabu have seen them, demolish a planet by hurtling it into a star, surviving in an alternate reality in which nothing can exist, and with the aid of the Spectre, the very embodiment of nothing less than the wrath of God, held together the collapse of his home universe. Perhaps Fate's most impressive accomplishment of all, however, is surviving [[ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths the obliteration and subsequent rebirth of the entire multiverse]]; as Nabu and the lords of order reside in a dimension above the multiverse, Kent is one of the few superheroes who escaped oblivion. It should go without saying that Doctor Fate is one of the heaviest hitters of the DC universe, and he is indeed an almost overwhelming foe. However, the helmet is the vessel through which Nabu operates and that without it, Kent is stripped of the source of his power; while not completely helpless, still having basic telekinesis and the Cloak's physical enhancements, Kent's expertise in the ways of magic is reduced drastically. In addition, the True Fate is an entity of apocalyptic proportions, but if allowed to exist for too long, Kent, Inza, and Nabu would all be obliterated by the sheer power it holds, thus condemning it as a last resort. Fate, both in the literal and metaphorical, is on Kent's side to ensure this and other disasters fail to befall him, ensuring his status as the archmage of his reality and its defender against chaos and the beings it stands for.
21
22	->'''[[Series/{{Smallville}} Doctor Fate]]:''' Your fate is utterly binding.\
23	'''[[Series/{{Smallville}} Clark Kent]]:''' Who are you?\
24	'''Doctor Fate:''' (eyes glow gold) Let me show you, friend. (raises his free hand, enveloping himself and Clark in a cloudy dimension)
25
26	With both combatants having undergone a complete study, the battle to come is fast approaching. One advertisement for the Blue Apron cooking service later, and now, it's time for a death battle!
27
28	All is silent in Greenwich Village, where the Sanctum Sanctorum resides. Doctor Strange, the sorcerer supreme, peruses his collection of tomes and relics when a blinding golden flash fills the sanctum halls. From an ankh hovering in the air emerges Doctor Fate, vessel to the lords of order. Rubble falls from the ceilings as Nabu's voice booms from Kent Nelson; he decrees two archmages within the same reality is one too many, and so have arrived to establish his dominance. The neurosurgeon is unintimidated by Nabu's display of power, forming mandalas of emerald light in his hands as he accepts the challenge.
29
30	'''FIGHT!'''
31
32	Though the first move of the fight is Strange hurling the Bolts of Balthakk at Fate, the lord of order vanishes into the ether. Instead, it is Fate who earns the first blow, teleporting around the sorcerer supreme and hammering him with magically charged punches and kicks. As the Ancient One's protégé rebounds off the wall, a diving stomp knocks him into the air, where the Cloak of Levitation halts his descent. Strange soon recovers and ensnares Kent in a glowing runic circle, calling the Flames of the Faltine upon him. Stephen watches in amusement as his new foe is consumed by the inferno, but once more does Nelson vanish, taking the fire with him. He reappears and conjures several massive spires that burst from the ground, forcing Strange onto the defensive. The master of the mystic arts outspeeds the erupting pillars, opening a portal behind Kent and channeling magic energies through the Eye of Agamotto.
33
34	As he throws a fist towards the lord of order, the pair find themselves in the New York City of an alternate reality; a newswoman delivering a report staring alongside her attending crowd at the two strangers coming to blows. The sorcerers charge at one another, and this time, Fate takes the initiative, gripping hold of Strange and bringing the two deep beneath the oceans. Strange takes a moment to regain consciousness, but once he does, the sorcerer supreme bursts out the waves, reciting an incantation that swallows the pair whole within the tides then out to a spaceport found in the farthest expanses of space. Fate looks around his surroundings in confusion before barreling towards Strange and catching him with a knee strike, finally bringing the two to Strange's home universe; only, rather than the Sanctum Sanctorum, the spellcasters have arrived at the Bifrost Bridge as it rests before the splendor of Asgard. With another incantation from Stephen, their surroundings become utterly smashed and the lord of order has had his fill of dimension hopping. A labored grunt gives way to Fate leaping towards Strange, who flies towards Nabu in kind. The sheer energy from their collision warps both mages to Muspelheim, the realm of fire, where they arrive atop the back of Jormungandr.
35
36	Sans Cloak, Strange engages in banter with his foe before the Cloak ensnares itself around Fate, attempting to strip him of his helmet; by the time Kent shakes off the mystical cloth, he has also inadvertently separated himself from Nabu. The curator of the Sanctum Sanctorum continues to belittle his foe, who promptly cuts him off with a jab to the face. In response, Strange summons the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, wrapping Nelson in blinding red streams, but this fails to sway the vessel, who telepathically calls the Helmet of Fate to him; from the lava beneath Jormungandr, the nth metal arises and rests itself gently upon Kent's cranium. The lord of order's magic surging through him once again, Fate bursts out of the Bands, and chooses now to unleash his trump card. Nabu taps into the souls of Kent and his wife, merging them with his own to awaken the True Fate. Countless stars and galaxies pass through as the lord of order's form as the True Fate fills the realm of fire with a blinding orb of light.
37
38	Seeing the ultimate state of his enemy alone proves to be too much for Strange, channeling the Shield of the Seraphim to block the energy emanating from Fate. Stephen relents, admitting he stands no chance against defeating Fate in the physical realm before sending his astral projection out. The magic filling the realm passes through Strange's soul as he enters the Helmet of Fate, his arrival heralded by Nabu's agonized screaming. The dimension in which resides Nabu's soul, Strange gazes upon the pyramid in which Nabu's physical form rested. His intrusion is noticed by Nabu, who calls upon the souls of Kent Nelson and Inza Cramer, and together, the three blast Strange with simultaneous rays of magic. The power surging from the trio proves to be too much for Stephen as his soul fractures, leading to the ultimate shattering of his astral form. In the physical world, Fate withdraws his true power, watching wordless as Strange's paling body crumbles to dust.
39
40	'''K.O.!'''
41
42	With Strange's demise, the hosts jump into the post-match conclusion. Both sorcerers held tremendous strength through their expertise in magic, such that finding any limit would be impossible; further, both combatants ''do'' have abilities which would end the battle in an instant. However, Wiz points out that ''DEATH BATTLE!'' searches for the '''most likely''' outctome, and in more pragmatic fields, Fate simply outclassed Strange. The War of the Seven Spheres alone gave Stephen five millennia to practice and hone his skills, but as Nabu has existed since the beginning of the universe itself, he, and by extension Kent, would have a far greater pool of experience to draw from. In addition, Fate casts his spells with a thought to contrast Strange, for whom the majority of his magic requires complex gesticulations and verbal commands; thus, sealing his mouth and restraining his hands hinders Strange's fighting potential greatly. While the Eye of Agamotto could inform Strange of Fate's key weakness, this would prove to aid him little; even in the event that the Helmet of Nabu is removed from its owner, Fate has several contingency plans set in place to protect itself and its wearer. In addition, Nelson would still have some form of magical prowess and an enhanced physiology without Nabu's assistance which, though only a slight help, is still more than what Strange would have on his own. With their magic artifacts, Fate still triumphs over Strange, even in speed; the Helmet of Fate's travel to the edge of the universe and back lasted a year in total, putting its fastest known speed at 28 decillion times the speed of light, enough to outspeed Strange undoing Adam Warlock's banishment outside the Milky Way at least 4 quintillion times over and depending on the actual size of the universe, further still. In essence, the hosts summarize, Strange is merely a man borrowing power from the gods, whereas Fate is a god borrowing the form of a man. Despite how impressive these masters of the arcane are, these differences ultimately proved to be the deciding factors leading up to Fate's victory.
43
44	->'''Boomstick:''' [The fight] left Stephen stuck with a Strange twist of Fate.\
45	'''Wiz:''' The winner is Doctor Fate!
46
47	[[Recap/DeathBattleS05E08RyuVsJin Next time on Death Battle...]]
48
49	----
50	!!''Doctor Strange vs. Doctor Fate'' contains examples of:
51	* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: A large majority of Strange's spell names such as the Flames of the Faltine and the Rings of Raggadorr, which Boomstick takes a particular umbrage to.
52	* BadassBoast: Fate is, to put it bluntly, unimpressed by what Strange has to throw at him in the fight.
53	-->"Fool, you are merely a doctor. I am a '''god'''."
54	* BigWhat: Boomstick is left dumbstruck at the revelation that the Helmet of Fate - alone - reached the "velocity of god" and bounced off the edge of the universe. "What does that even mean?!"
55	* TheCameo: Through Strange's and Fate's dimension hopping, they head to Asgard and Muspelheim in the former's own reality, but they also stumble on [[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime April O'Neil reporting on the Statue of Liberty]] and [[Film/ANewHope Fig'rin Daan and the Modal Nodes jamming at the Mos Eisley cantina]]. In Asgard, there's also the constellation of Chuck Norris and Segata Sanshiro locked in eternal battle.
56	* HiroshimaAsAUnitOfMeasure: Strange's star-bursting is measured in gigatons of TNT and compared to the Tsar Bomba to give an idea as to how vast his destructive potential is.
57	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Strange trying to destroy Fate via astral projection. Since astral projection requires the soul to exist outside the body, he had some out if he left the True Fate be, but instead, confronting Fate on his home territory resulted in his ''total'' demise.
58	* SeriesContinuityError: Boomstick suggests his mundane father abandoned him after describing how Kent was adopted by Nabu, but in previous episodes, he described his father as [[Recap/DeathBattleS02E04IvyValentineVsBlackOrchid a zombie pirate]] and [[Recap/DeathBattleS05E06LeonKennedyVsFrankWest abusive towards him]].
59	** However, Screwattack's Top 10 Boomsticks list (which Boomstick hosted) reveals that Boomstick had 13 stepfathers by the age of 4. So, the zombie pirate could be one of his several stepfathers, while his biological father may be a relatively normal guy
60	* ShoutOut: Boomstick laments not having any sort of parental figure in his life, showing the relation between [[WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet Jim Hawkins and John Silver]] would serve as a fair substitute.
61	* TalkToTheFist: When Strange gets a little cocky after managing to remove Fate's helmet, Kent quickly shuts him up with a punch to the face.
62	* ThereCanBeOnlyOne: What triggers the duel; Fate takes great offense at sharing the title of "Sorcerer Supreme" with Strange.
63	* TheWindowOrTheStairs: Strange finds himself in this position when confronted with True Fate. He can either continue trying to fight a futile battle resulting in his death or he can risk losing his soul to create his astral projection and take the fight inside the helmet of Nabu in an attempt to beat Fate. He picks the option with the seemingly highest chance of victory but... see HoistByHisOwnPetard.

Context Recap / DeathBattleS05E07DoctorStrangeVsDoctorFate