Strange Tales #183

The cover of this 1976 Marvel issue says it all — Baron Mordo looms triumphantly over a fallen Doctor Strange, one hand outstretched with crackling mystical authority while Strange crumples beneath him, his crimson Cloak of Levitation trailing dramatically to the ground. The bold cover copy promises "The Shocker You Never Thought You'd See," and Jack Kirby and Chic Stone deliver the tension in full, making Mordo's gloating proclamation — "Today the victory belongs to Baron Mordo!" — feel genuinely unsettling. With Stan Lee and Steve Ditko handling the interior story, Strange Tales #183 is a fine showcase of Marvel's mystical corner at its most dramatic.