In his bid to redress the balance, Strange has been failing to stem the tide, skirmishing against agents of chaos he unleashed. Eventually he realises the only recourse is to take the fight to chaos itself. And to combat that war, he will need an army.
Strange Tales #11-14 (1988) - Doctor Strange
Pencils: Richard Case, Dan Lawlis
Inks: Randy Emberlin
After checking in on Rintrah left minding the temple, Strange and Kaluu's world tour takes them to Glastonbury, home of King Arthur and a very muddy festival. They've come to recruit earth spirits, little gremlin like creatures to serve as their army. There's a long tradition of the likes of woodland spirits and fairie folk in UK titles such as Captain Britain, so this ties in fine. Topaz suddenly reappears fairly inexplicably, trying and failing to tempt Stephen back to the side of light.
Next stop in England, Stephen checks in one of his many old flames, Victoria Bentley, his now fully staffed demon army in tow.
In one of his lowest blows yet, Strange forcibly steals all of Victoria's magic during an embrace. The final battle is at hand, and the Doc needs all the strength he can get, with little regard to consequences. Lawlis provides some refreshingly open fill-in art on this breather issue (#12).
One of the things that stood out about Gillis' writing is that he displayed little to no interest in needless fight scenes. If action was called for, he would go all out (and often giant sized), but conflict was never glorified. The epic battle here between demonic forces is casually sidestepped in favour of some magical hocus pocus conjured up by Doc and Kaluu. The duo ascend (or descend, depending on your perspective) to a higher plane, where Strange leeches more power, this time from a long haired minor deity/douchebag.
All it costs Stephen is everything, including his own sense of identity.
Strange Tales #15-16 (1988) - Doctor Strange
Pencils: Richard Case
Inks: Randy Emberlin
It's only fitting that Gillis spends the rest of the series exploring the ramifications of Strange's descent into black magic and mad godhood. How does Doc reconcile having betrayed everything he believed in for the greater good? Anything less would've felt like a cheat.
Following Stephen's ascension to an ultimate plane and ultimate power, it falls on Kaluu to bring him back down to Earth, very carefully, so as not to break his mind, or indeed the universe. Kaluu, Rintrah and Enitharmon take a catatonic Strange back to the farmhouse he was born in, in a bid to jog his memories. There's some fascinating glimpses of his pre-surgeon days. Stephen's seemingly idyllic upbringing belies an emotional distance and deep loneliness at his core. An unknown woman named Alice appears to be at the heart of it, but as Kaluu quips, "Maybe it's his sled." It transpires that the only girl he truly loved (or obsessed about) was someone he saw in passing and didn't have the guts to talk to. It's a wonderful reversal for the girl in every port sorcerer, laying bare his all too human vulnerability he tries hard to conceal. #16 is probably my favourite of all PBG's Strange stories.
Strange Tales #17-18 (1988) - Doctor Strange
Pencils: Richard Case
Inks: Randy Emberlin
We're firmly into the epilogue of this mighty dark magic saga, where Gillis restores Dr Strange's familiar status quo. Kaluu and Stephen part as unlikely friends. One lesson learned from this dark period in his life is that he needs friends and human companionship as much as anyone else. So he reverses the mindwipe on Sara and Wong, while reclaiming his Sanctum.
Next, he travels back to England to make amends with Victoria Bentley, who he finds catatonic as a result of his magic thieving violation. Despite it all, Victoria is still in love with Stephen, even though he loves another. Strange returns her magic and they reach a reconciliation. It's a satisfying final resolution, providing Stephen some closure.
Strange Tales #19 (1988) - Doctor Strange
Pencils: Richard Case
Inks: Randy Emberlin
The final issue is more of a standalone filler, although enjoyable in its own terms. Doc comes to the rescue of an old man protecting his grandkids from a monster in an isolated cabin. There's a cool if predictable twist to this sleight tale.
And that was it for Strange Tales vol 2, as Cloak & Dagger and Doctor Strange were returned to their own titles. Unbeknownst to Gillis, his time at the helm was drawing to a close...
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