Doctor Strange Secretly Deserves the Gruesome Reason He Was Killed

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Death of Doctor Strange #4

In the latest Marvel Comics installment chronicling the murder mystery surrounding the death of Doctor Strange, fans learn who killed the Sorcerer Supreme and why the villain did it. The violent act of Doctor Strange’s death included not only the murder itself but the removal of his hands. As the mystery is unraveled before fans’ eyes, it becomes apparent that while the murder of Doctor Strange was gruesome, Stephen Strange secretly deserved it. 

In The Death of Doctor Strange #4 by Jed MacKay and Lee Garbett, an alternate version of Doctor Strange has lent his assistance in tracking down his variant’s killer. After breaking down all the variables, Strange comes to the conclusion that it was long-time Doctor Strange villain Kaecilius who committed the murder. Not only did he kill Doctor Strange for the sheer pleasure of taking out an enemy, but he did so for another, more villainous reason as well. 

Kaecilius killed Doctor Strange, then cut off his hands and transplanted them onto his own body. Kaecilius did this as a way to steal Doctor Strange’s powers and wield them as his own, and while that is a gruesome fate, it is one that Doctor Strange deserves as he practically did the same thing himself. One of the main amulets and sources of power Doctor Strange uses in battle is the Eye of Agamotto. While fans initially assumed the Eye of Agamotto was just the name of the magical artifact created by the ancient magical entity Agamotto, that is not actually the case. As it turns out, the Eye of Agamotto is literally Agamotto’s gouged-out eye that is used as a source of power, and Doctor Strange has been wearing it around his neck for years. 

The disturbing Eye of Agamotto revelation came in New Avengers #5 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen. In the issue, Iron Fist gets possessed by an ancient demonic force and steals the Eye of Agamotto, taking it to another dimension. Come to find out, the mastermind behind the whole thing was supposedly the Ancient One, and with this act of evil sorcery and deception, the truth behind the magical artifact is revealed, letting fans know the disturbing truth behind the magic source. 

Since Doctor Strange knowingly wore a literal eyeball around his neck to enhance his abilities, he deserved having the same thing happen to him when Kaecilius wore his severed hands to achieve the villain’s own power enhancement. The reason Doctor Strange was killed was disturbingly gruesome, though the amulet that ensured his own survival for years originated in the same manner without Doctor Strange giving it a second thought. Doctor Strange secretly deserves the gruesome reason he was killed because he practiced the same dark sort of magic himself.

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