Wanda Maximoff can be considered Marvel Comics’ most famous sorceress, but she isn’t the sole possessor of mystical powers. Clea, introduced the same year, stands out as a superhuman spellcaster and illusionist, deserving readers’ attention.
She was first introduced as a damsel in distress to be saved by Doctor Strange in the Dark Dimension before she became her disciple and lover. Endowed with vast magical powers and knowledge, Clea dedicates much of her life to fighting oppression, on Earth or in her dimension, with Strange and as part of the Defenders. She fought many menaces (including her own family), led the rebellion in her dimension, took over as the new ruler, and became the Sorceress Supreme of The Dark Dimension.
Despite those prowesses, Clea appeared sporadically in Marvel Comics for a long time and was mostly used in service of other characters, mainly Stephen Strange. Her origins started to be explored only ten years after her debut, and it took many more decades before the character was offered a real chance to shine away from Strange. She had to undergo numerous tribulations, but her fate started to change in the noughties. She finally became a main character in her ongoing series in 2022, completing her transformation from the “mysterious silver-haired girl” into the Sorceress Supreme we know today.
Who is Clea? Her Origins and History in Marvel Comics
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Clea made her first appearance in Strange Tales #126, released in August 1964. Lee didn’t name her for nearly two years, leaving Clea without a moniker for her first dozens of appearances. During this time, she was simply the “captive female” or the “mysterious silver-haired girl.” What mattered most was the intriguing way the character was presented in the colorful pages of Doctor Strange.
Two years after her debut, Dennis O’Neill, a newcomer at the time, had the privilege of naming her Clea in Strange Tales #146–the last issue drawn by Ditko. He picked the name as a reference to one of the novels in Lawrence Durrell’s literary Alexandria Quartet,
So, who exactly is Clea? Clea is the daughter of Prince Orini of the Dark Dimension and the Faltine fugitive Umar, as well as the niece of the supervillain Dormammu, Lord of Chaos and warlord of the Dark Dimension, whom her father loyally served. Clea’s mother, Umar, abandoned her after her birth, leaving her to be raised by Prince Orini, and she grew up unaware of who her mother was. Clea actually learned of her heritage quite late, in Doctor Strange #71-73, while leading a rebellion against Umar.
Clea encountered Doctor Strange during one of his first visits to her homeland when he came to stop Dormammu from conquering Earth. Unafraid of doing what she judged was right, Clea betrayed Dormammu and came to help Stephen Strange in his fight against the Warlord, and the two developed a relationship.
From there, Clea becomes a longtime ally and partner of Doctor Strange and uses her powers to protect her people and assist human sorcerers on Earth.
Clea and Doctor Strange, a Powerful Magical Relationship
After their encounter in the Dark Dimension, Clea spent many years by Stephen’s side. Though often depicted as a damsel in distress during this time, she possessed her own agenda and personality. Occasionally, she even rescued Stephen Strange.
When Stephen became the new Sorcerer Supreme, he invited Clea to be his official disciple in the mystic arts. As he guided her in developing her mystical potential, their relationship transformed, eventually blossoming into a romantic relationship. Together, they embarked on several adventures with the Defenders. After some conflicts, separation and battles for Earth or the Dark Dimension, the couple ‘wed’. As Clea cannot be legally married to Strange due to being from the Dark Dimension, the couple exchanged vows (and rings), forming a mystical union that bound them together forever.
Their journey, however, didn’t become easier after their union. Both experienced profound spiritual events and confronted numerous obstacles and challenges in their respective realms that tested their relationship and kept them apart. Despite periods of separation, they never severed their connection and opted to remain friends. When death came knocking at his door, Stephen Strange chose his wife as his successor, elevating Clea to the position of the new Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. In tribute to him, she also chose to adopt his last name, becoming Clea Strange (in Strange Vol. 3).
In the world of comics, where death is only temporary, Stephen manages to come back to life, starting another chapter in their relationship.
Clea’s Powers And Abilities
Due to her magical nature, Clea has physically enhanced abilities and a natural talent for magic. It is for this reason that Doctor Strange chose to train her in the ways of magic.
Possessing a more resilient physiology than a human being, Clea can resist blows and energy bursts without being hurt. She can fly as well as levitate while meditating or casting spells, and she can gather magic from either Earth’s magical fields or the Dark Dimension.
As Clea said herself, she is the “rightful Queen of the Dark Dimension! My Mother is Umar the unrelenting, her brother is Dromammu the Dreaded One and, through the Flames of Regency which seethe and simmer always about my head, their power is likewise mine!” (in Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme (1988) #5). At her strongest, she can rival her mother and uncle and has defeated the Enchantress in a single magical combat.
Among the feasts and various spells Clea can create, she can shoot magical energy bolts, create shields for protection, and communicate telepathically, especially with Doctor Strange. Clea can teleport, open portals to different places, and even create or give life. Clea can also rearrange molecules, move things with her mind (telekinesis), manipulate the ground (geokinesis), and scry to see events. She’s also skilled in necromancy, controlling the dead and using spirits for tracking and binding demons to her soul.
This wide range of powers, abilities, and knowledge make her one of the most powerful magic users in Marvel Comics.
Best Clea Comics
We don’t have a reading order dedicated to Clea, but you will find most of her appearances in the Doctor Strange Comics. Following are a selection of comics highlighting her best appearances throughout the years. Don’t hesitate to make some recommendations in the comments!
- Strange Tales (1951) #126-127, her first appearance
- Strange Tales #146, the issue where we learn her name!
- Doctor Strange (1968) #171-183
- Doctor Strange (1974) #5-9, for her origin and a little bit more!
- Doctor Strange (1974) #67, Clea has a new outfit!
- Doctor Strange (1974) #69-74 is the story where Clea herself learns about her heritage
- Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme (1988) #1-9, with Stephen and Clea’s marriage happening in issue #3
- Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme (1988) #12-16, #21-26, #39-47
- Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme (1988) Annual #2
- Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme (1988) #48-54, #67, #67, #73-78, #83
- Doctor Strange Annual (2016) #1
- Doctor Strange (2018) #13-17
- Death of Doctor Strange (2021) #1-5
- Strange (2022) #1-10