Strange Tales #1
Strange Tales vol. 2 #1 marks the revival of one of Marvel's oldest anthology titles as a dedicated split-book pairing two of the publisher's street-level and supernatural headliners: Doctor Strange and Cloak & Dagger. The issue picks up the threads of two simultaneously canceled solo series and drops both sets of characters into rich, ongoing storylines that would define their Copper Age characterizations — Strange struggling with the cost of his victory over Urthona while dangerously depleted of his most powerful artifacts, and Cloak & Dagger confronting a mysterious spiritual cult in India. It also serves as the first issue to present Rintrah — the green minotaur apprentice introduced in Doctor Strange #80 — as a regular supporting cast member, cementing the character's place in Strange's inner circle for years to come.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Marvel canceled both Doctor Strange vol. 2 (after issue #81, February 1987) and Cloak and Dagger vol. 2 (after issue #11) in part to free up publishing slots for Jim Shooter's New Universe initiative; rather than lose either property entirely, editor Carl Potts shepherded them into a combined split-book format under the revived Strange Tales banner. The Cloak & Dagger half was written by Bill Mantlo with art by Bret Blevins, while the Doctor Strange half was scripted by Peter Gillis with pencils by Chris Warner and inks by Randy Emberlin — two distinct creative teams sharing a single 36-page book at a cover price of $0.75. The cover itself was a collaboration between editor Carl Potts and Bret Blevins, credited jointly under the portmanteau signature 'Carlbret.'
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published April 1987 (on-sale December 30, 1986) as Strange Tales vol. 2 #1, the first issue of a 19-issue run that ended in October 1988.
- A true split book: the Cloak & Dagger story ('Daddy!' Part 1 of 2) was written by Bill Mantlo with art by Bret Blevins; the Doctor Strange story ('And Have Not Charity!' Part 1 of 2) was written by Peter Gillis with art by Chris Warner and Randy Emberlin — each story running approximately 11 pages.
- The Cloak & Dagger story continues directly from Cloak and Dagger vol. 2 #11; the Doctor Strange story continues directly from Doctor Strange vol. 2 #81, picking up the Sanctum Sanctorum aftermath and Strange's depleted magical arsenal.
- First full appearance of the Lord of Light (Nathan Tyler), the cult leader whose disciples call him the Resplendent One — he is connected to Dagger's past in a way that drives the India-set storyline.
- First appearance of Martin Fein, a new supporting character introduced in the Doctor Strange half of the book.
- Rintrah — the extradimensional green minotaur apprentice created by Peter Gillis and Chris Warner, who debuted in Doctor Strange vol. 2 #80 — appears prominently in the Doctor Strange story alongside Sara Wolfe, Topaz, Wong, and Clea; this issue also reveals Topaz's nature as an empath.
- The issue was edited by Carl Potts, with Jim Shooter serving as editor-in-chief; the cover is credited to both Potts and Blevins under the joint signature 'Carlbret.'
- The issue has been reprinted in Cloak and Dagger: Lost and Found (2017), Cloak and Dagger Omnibus vol. 1 (2019), and Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange vol. 11 (2024); the Doctor Strange stories from the entire 19-issue run were also collected in the trade paperback Dr. Strange: Strange Tales (2012).
Cast · 14 characters
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Topaz is revealed as an empath.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).