10 Marvel Comics You Must Read Before Phase 3
7. The Eternity Saga
Film: Doctor Strange (November 4, 2016)
Audiences are a little tired of origin stories, so while we’re not advocating spending half the movie on Stephen Strange’s failed medical career and journey into the mountains, we’re probably going to need something. After all, this film isn’t just introducing Strange but the entire supernatural realm of the MCU.
What better way to indoctrinate audiences than to immediately immerse them in the impossible realms of magic? Steve Ditko and Stan Lee’s The Eternity Saga offers battles in different dimensions against the fire-headed demon Dormammu, Dr. Strange overcoming physical plights, and chases across the globe, all the while seeking counsel from the living entity Eternity. These were the larger than life ideas that early on separated Dr. Strange from the rest of the Marvel Universe, and they’re the things that could make his film stand apart.
Director Scott Derrickson has already cited the surreal imagery of Into Shamballa as an inspiration, and he would also do well to address how mysticism relates to science as touched upon in The Oath. Still, the epic masterpiece of The Eternity Saga offers interesting characters, incredible settings, and a unique story.