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Edited by Mrph1 on Jul 29th 2024 at 3:09:00 PM
I suppose so. Making villains (especially ones that are supposed to be ultra powerful) look like losers has never sat well with me (for obvious reasons)
I'm willing to admit I'm just really weird though. It's certainly an iconic ending that'll never be forgotten.
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I think my preferred ending would've been the exact same trick, only with more focus put on how horrifyingly painful it would be for Strange to suffer death millions of times over, and how he's completely willing to go through it to save the world.
Edited by GNinja on Nov 26th 2019 at 11:56:09 AM
Kaze ni Nare!It's kind of weird to hear because if anything I feel like the ending makes Dormammu look more menacing. Doctor Strange loses straight-up in the climax as he realizes he's outmatched and thus has to think on his feet and pull out clever gambits involving time loops like himself in the comics.
As the dialogue itself points out:
"You will never win!"
"No. But I can lose over...and over....and over again. And that makes you my prisoner."
I've always said Strange is a character who works best already established as this Master of the Mystic Arts figure. No one is interested about him as a novice, and the ending of Doctor Strange exemplifies that (and indeed, in every appearance of his since he has been shown as the legit Master of the Mystic Arts). His wit kept up too, like with him running the world's finest Gambit Roulette to stop Thanos.
"All you Fascists bound to lose."That’s the thing about Dr Strange
He’s usually outclassed by his foes so he has to trick them or be more clever
Forever liveblogging the Avengers![]()
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To me a villain is threatening not just based on what they do but how the film portrays them. Yes, objectively, the ending doesn't make Dormammu look bad at all. But I think the framing and the tone of the scene does.
But then, I'm one of those people who finds the lighthearted jokey tone of a lot of the MCU tiring. You know, a crazy person who hates fun.
That description just makes me want someone to outsmart the hell out of him honestly.
Edited by GNinja on Nov 26th 2019 at 12:12:32 PM
Kaze ni Nare!I do hope that Multiverse of Madness touches on Strange's potential guilt over how the sole eventual successful outcome of the battle against Thanos resulted in not just the (temporary) deaths of half the universe but also the not-so-temporary deaths of Tony and Natasha, while also bringing up his oath.
Self-serious autistic trans gal who loves rock/metal and animation with all her heart. (she/her)Villains have outsmarted him multiple times in the comics
Of course, at the end of the day he has to win or the earth will be taken over by a demonic overlord forever
But yeah, he’s had his setbacks and been punked by villains
In the most recent Dr Strange comic on unlimited, Dormamu outwits Strange and tricks him into feeding Galactus a magical planet that makes Galactus ally with Dormamu
Strange will find some way out of this but Dormamu got him good
Edited by Bocaj on Nov 26th 2019 at 7:25:07 AM
Forever liveblogging the AvengersThe Last Days of Magic. ![]()
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. It's a solid arc but they have barely even established magic. Too soon to kill it off.
Also, Doctor Strange is thoroughly outclassed physically and magically by his antagonists, so he relies on his wits and then you say you want him to be outsmarted? How's he supposed to win?
Edited by Gaon on Nov 26th 2019 at 4:56:09 AM
"All you Fascists bound to lose."![]()
Generally, when I see a character who has a specialty, I want that specialty to be tested. If someone is strong, I want to see someone else who's stronger. If someone is smart, I want to see someone smarter. To see them handle the problem in a way they're not used to. Get them out of their comfort zone.
Edited by GNinja on Nov 26th 2019 at 1:03:16 PM
Kaze ni Nare!![]()
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That. Strange's whole shtick is that he is a Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond who can and usually will steamroll most of the supers on Earth or many other planets; but he is called upon to fight foes who can and will flatten him in a direct confrontation, so he uses his wits and trickery. There is a definite strand of Cosmic Horror inherent in Strange's stories; where he is hilariously outclassed in direct confrontations and even with favorable fields is usually unable to win more than a draw or stalemate that lets the universe spin on a little longer.
This is then reflected upon the rest of the marvel universe; where the guy who could take on 95% of Earth's supers at the same time and win handily, is busy in his own adventures as the proverbial Puny Earthling-probing the darkness by candlelight and always one step away from a Fate Worse than Death.
Edited by ViperMagnum357 on Nov 26th 2019 at 8:07:13 AM
Honest question: doesn't it kind of undermine the eldritch cosmic horrors he's facing if he can just outsmart them all the time?
I'm reminded of Dresden Files, where even though Dresden is normally fighting creatures that are objectively far stronger than him, he always wins through cunning or manipulating the world's magic systems. The end result to me is that his rogues don't feel all that impressive, because for all their power he still wins in the end. It's worse in some ways because they have a titanic advantage. They SHOULD beat him based on the discrepancy in power, yet they can't. With a character who's around his level it makes sense why Strange can beat them regularly. But if everything he fights is comically overpowered, they SHOULD win sometimes, right?
Edited by GNinja on Nov 26th 2019 at 1:31:03 PM
Kaze ni Nare!Once the universe was blown up on Strange’s watch and he had to entreat the embodiment of Eternity to restore it
Guy loses sometimes but generally, exceptions excepted, when the fate of the world is at stake he needs to win because that’s how superhero narratives work
The bad guy can’t succeed in blowing up New York, that’s where everybody lives
Forever liveblogging the AvengersThe only problem with Doctor Strange being outwitted by a smarter opponent is then you need a new way for Strange to win in the end if he can't outwit his foe, and that only really leaves being stronger. Which is kind of a crappy resolution.
You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!

I saw the Thor and Darryl thing that came with the Blu-ray and I kind of like it more than the actual movie.
Self-serious autistic trans gal who loves rock/metal and animation with all her heart. (she/her)