Clea (Earth-616)

Origins[]

Clea was born to Prince Orini (son of Olnar, the former ruler of the Dark Dimension) and the Faltine fugitive Umar (sister of the Dreadful Dormammu). Clea's birth was very traumatic to Umar and the experience scarred her even more when she learned she had lost the ability to revert to her Faltinian form. She abandoned Clea with Orini and became violent, picking a conflict with her brother. In her weakened state, however, she was defeated by Dormammu and banished to another realm.^[4][5]

Clea grew up unaware of who her mother was and worshipping Dormammu, who her father served loyally.^[4]

Meeting Strange[]

Conquering Planet Earth was part of Dormammu's plans, and, during one of his attempts, Doctor Strange was asked by the Ancient One to travel to the Dark Dimension and try to stop him. Once there, he was seen by a curious Clea, who decided to follow the "human creature". Impressed by him, she sought to save his life by trying to dissuade him from facing Dormammu, but was unsuccessful, as Strange was ready to give his own life to stop him.^[3] Soon, Dormammu imprisoned Clea for her betrayal, planning to punish her after battling Strange. However, during the duel between Strange and Dormammu, the Mindless Ones, that were being kept in check by Dormammu, escaped, forcing Strange and Dormammu to work together to contain the creatures. Now in Strange's debt, Dormammu was forced to comply with his desires to release Clea and not invade Planet Earth.^[6]

Sometime later, Clea aided Strange again from afar and was once again imprisoned by Dormammu.^[7] He forced her to watch as Strange and his nemesis Baron Mordo fought each other, with Strange taking several blows from his foe, but eventually the tides turned and Strange got close to defeating Mordo. Afraid his puppet would lose, Dormammu decided to enter the battle himself.^[8]

Despite its many challenges, Strange was able to win the fight, but when Dormammu returned to the Dark Dimension, he contacted Strange and made him watch as Clea was banished to another dimension.^[9] With time, Clea was rescued and Dormammu dealt with by Eternity, leaving the Dark Dimension without a ruler.^[10]

Dimension Hopping[]

With Dormammu gone, Umar was released from her long exile and decided to succeed where he had failed, so she too cast Clea to another dimension, in the hopes of luring Strange to defeat him.^[11] Strange overcame several of Umar's traps and rescued Clea, but in the end the Ancient One convinced him that she would only be safe if she were sent to another dimension yet again, making him watch as Clea was sent away from him one more time.^[12]

Coincidentally, in this new dimension, Clea ran into none other than the Dreadful Dormammu, but history repeated itself as Strange found a way to reach her and defeated Dormammu.^[13]

Finally realizing that Earth was the only safe place for her, Strange helped her get an apartment in New York, so she could start her life anew.^[14] However, Clea lost her powers on Earth and began missing the Dark Dimension.^[15] Hoping to regain her magic abilities, Clea spent countless hours studying in the Sanctum Sanctorum's library, until Stephen Strange became the new Sorcerer Supreme and invited her to become his official disciple in the mystic arts.^[16] The two grew close^[17] and she joined him on many of his adventures, even helping the Defenders on a few occasions.^[18][19]

In one of their adventures, Clea's soul was corrupted by the evil Silver Dagger and she was transformed into an energy being with increased magical prowess. She attacked Strange, intending to kill him, but, with the help of Marie Laveau and Spider-Man, Strange was able to free Clea from the evil influence and return her to her normal form.^[20]

Still, Clea's love for Stephen appeared to be much stronger than his affections towards her and,^[21] after learning that the people of her native realm wanted her to become the new ruler (after Dormammu had disappeared),^[22] she decided to return to the Dark Dimension. In spite of Strange's professions of love and him begging her not to leave, Clea mystically departed, resigning her discipleship in the process.^[21]

Ruler of the Dark Dimension[]

Back in the Dark Dimension, she joined the rebellion to dethrone Umar^[23] and learned she was her mother during the fight. After confronting her father, Clea and Umar battled one-on-one, with Clea emerging triumphant and finally becoming the new ruler of the Dark Dimension.^[24] She banished Umar and Orini to another dimension, and asked Stephen to remain as her consort, claiming she needed him, but he turned down her offer, telling her his duties were to Planet Earth and that she had more than proved she had no need for his powers nor his wisdom.^[25]

Despite their bitter goodbye, however, Clea and Strange met again rather soon, and Strange confessed he was done trying to move past love and wanted to embrace it. Since they couldn't be legally married (due to Clea's status as an extradimensional being), Strange and Clea began wearing magic rings that were actually only one and were therefore mystically connected for all eternity.^[26]

Clea couldn't stay on Earth for long periods of time though, as her home dimension was constantly facing the threat of Dormammu, and, every time, the rebellion was counting on her to restore balance.^[27][2] Clea and Stephen's relationship suffered from all the time they would spend apart, and, during one of Clea's visits to Earth, she stumbled upon Stephen apparently dallying with other women, which broke her heart.^[28] The two didn't see each other for a while, but Clea still cared for Stephen and, after his fight against the Empirikul left his power levels significantly decreased, Clea appeared in the Sanctum to suggest that they severed their bond, hoping that doing so would remove some magic burden from Stephen and allow him to tap into his full potential with the little power he had left. She even crafted a magical document that, when torn, would nullify any magical contract, but they ended up using it to tame a monster that was threatening Wong. With that taken care of, Stephen told Clea that he was not ready to annul their marriage and, therefore, the two remained connected, but as friends.^[29]

Death of Stephen[]

At some point, Stephen saw himself with no alternative but to ask for Mephisto's assistance to save reality. Mephisto agreed to help him, but, in return, Clea would lose any memory of Stephen and their time together. He paid her one final visit and asked her if she thought they could ever be together again, thinking she would say "no". As she said "yes", Stephen was heartbroken, as the deal with Mephisto had already been settled and she started to lose her memory.^[30] Shortly after, however, Stephen was killed and all the magic spells he'd cast and deals he'd settled lost their effect, allowing Clea to remember him once again.^[31] Together with a Temporal Remnant of Stephen, Clea found Stephen's murderer and even had the chance to say goodbye to her husband, when he was briefly revived. Before being claimed by Death again, Stephen told Clea he was a fool for ever letting her go and left her with the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation, claiming there was no else he could trust.^[32]

Clea Strange, Sorcerer Supreme[]

Clea became the new Sorcerer Supreme of Earth and adopted the last name 'Strange' in honor of Stephen. Then, she asked Wong for help in bringing Stephen back, deciding to cast a spell that would warn her of necromantic activity, on the off chance that he'd return to life by himself.^[1] Due to this spell, she ended up fighting a few undead superheroes and villains and clashing with Death's servant, the Harvestman,^[33] who was later revealed to be Stephen.^[34]

At first, Clea was heartbroken that Stephen had been back the whole time and chosen not to tell her, but after hearing that he was trying to earn a new chance at life by helping Death stop the return of dead people, Clea calmed down and starting plotting how to help him.^[35] Their final obstacle was the undead Sentry, and they were gravely injured during their fight. Despite knowing touching Stephen would have terrible results due to his new nature as a servant of Death, Clea decided to kiss him, wanting their lost moment to be one of love. Unexpectedly, they fused together into a new being, Strange, and were able to defeat the Sentry and the Blasphemy Cartel, who were behind the whole thing. Feeling Stephen had done his part, Death returned him to life.^[36]

Clea returned the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme to Stephen, and the two lived together in the Sanctum Sanctorum. She swore to kill Aggamon for murdering a refugee, and he mysteriously died that night.^[37] They found that Nightmare had also been attacked while investigating a child who would not wake.^[38] These attacks made Umar and Tiboro nervous, and so they got married to protect themselves. Clea attended the wedding, where she met their heir: her unborn half-sister. The child was abducted by the perpetrator of the attacks, General Strange, an amalgamation of Stephen's memories from the War of the Seven Spheres.^[39] Clea followed the General to his base at the Strange family farm, hoping to kill him so her husband would not have to. Her gambit failed, and he attacked her with an indestructible construct containing her sister.^[40] Through their familial bond, Clea freed the girl and named her Donna after Stephen's sister.^[41]

Faltine-Hybrid Physiology: Clea is half-Faltine and half-Dark Dimensional mortal,^[42] having enhanced attributes innate to her physiology:

• Superhuman Durability: Clea's body is much more resistant to conventional physical injury than a human being. She can withstand great impacts, exposure to temperature extremes, and powerful energy blasts that would severely injure or kill a human being with no injury to herself, such as Sentry's optical blasts.^[36]
• Flight/Levitation: Clea can fly at high speeds without external means, and she can levitate herself during meditation or while she's casting a spell.^[1]
• Magic Negation Immunity: Clea can harness magic either from Earth's magical fields, or from the Dark Dimension, so spells like "Sands of Nisanti" (a spell that prevents anyone within a certain radius from using magic for a period of 3 minutes), doesn't work on her, since she can choose to use either her Dark Dimension magic, or her Faltine magic.^[43]

Sorcery: Clea trained in the ways of magic under Doctor Strange^[16] and eventually became the Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension and Earth, possessing vast magical power and knowledge.^[32]

• Magical Energy Bolts: Clea can harness magic energy to project energy bolts while battling with her enemies.^[42]
• Magical Energy Shields: Clea can harness magic energy to erect shields to protect herself and her friends from physical or magical attacks.^[42]
• Thoughtcasting: She can communicate telepathically, sharing a special rapport with Doctor Strange due to their connection.^[42]. Clea can also plant telepathic suggestions in the minds of others, alter their memories and determine if they're lying.^[42]
• Teleportation: Clea can teleport herself and others to various locations and other dimensions.^[42]
• Portal Conjuring: Clea can open portals from one place to another, for easier locomotion between two or more places. Clea can use this power as a fight strategy, as she used against Revenant Thunderstrike, cutting off his arms with the portals open in different places and shutting it down quickly.^[1]
• Creation/Life Granting: Clea created Ardina, the female counterpart of Silver Surfer. She performed this ritual with little to no effort.^[44]
• Molecular Rearrangement: Clea is capable of rearranging molecules, which she has used to alter her clothing.^[29]
  • Transmutation: Clea used this power to turn the Blasphemy Cartel agents into snakes. They couldn't communicate while in this state, but Clea said they were conscious and screaming.^[43]
• Telekinesis: Clea is capable of levitating and moving objects with her will. Clea can use her accurate telekinesis while fighting against the Blasphemy Cartel, stopping the bullets in mid-air.^[43]
• Geokinesis: Clea has been shown to be capable of manipulating the ground and creating gripping hand-shaped rocks.^[45]
• Scrying: Clea can cast a mystic sphere to scry events or cast images in front of others, as she did to show to the Avengers the threat of The Three Mothers and the Peregrine Child.^[46]
• Banishment: Anyone who dares to annoy Clea is sent to exile in the Dark Dimension.^[34]
• Necromancy: Clea have certain control over the dead, conjuring spirits and demons to attends her wishes.
  • Tracking Spirit Conjuring: Clea once conjured a spirit to track the location of the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation.^[46]
  • Demon Soul Binding: Clea has claimed that her people had the culture of binding demons to their souls, so she used the Eye of Agamotto to link a demon used by Blasphemy Cartel into her soul. While battling with Revenant Shadow Knight, Clea released the demon to buy her time to create the spell capable of exorcising the revenant.^[1][47]
• Spells and Phrases: Clea can cast various spells due to her own mystic potential, as well as her training under Stephen.^[42]
  • Flames of the Faltine: Clea can innately control the powerful Flames of Faltine, raising her already formidable magical abilities to even higher levels.^[42]
  • Smoke Detector: Clea cast this spell to detect necromantic energy manipulation over the globe, detecting the exact place where it is being used.^[1]
  • Crimson Bands of Cyttorak: Clea conjured the crimson bands of Cyttorak, a powerful binding spell, to bind the Harvestman.^[45]
  • Images of Ikonn: Clea used this spell to conjure a dozen images of herself, intending to confuse the revenant Shadow Knight.^[1]
  • Stymphalian Hurricane: Clea used this spell to reflect all bullets fired at her back at her enemies.^[1]
  • Dire's Scourging Ray: Clea used this spell as a mystical energy projection, capable of obliterating the body of an agent of Blasphemy Cartel, killing him instantly.^[1]
  • Sarnio's Storm of Swords: Clea conjured these mystical energy constructs in the shape of a sword against the revenant Thunderstrike.^[45]
  • Stone Prison of Umar: Clea conjured this spell, that belongs to her own mother, to turn Blasphemy Cartel agents into pure stone, totally unable to move or speak.^[43]
  • Balthor's Battering Ram: Spell used to break through locked doors.^[43]
  • Burning Compass of Cyndrion: Clea can use this location spell to track people. ^[34]
  • Spines of Sal-Gotah: Clea used this spell to physically restrain Dr. Thaddeus Paine.^[34]
  • Citadel of Cyriont: Clea invoked this spell as a barrier in form of a building to protect Stephen from a Revenant Goliath's assault.^[35]
  • Talons of Tarkhiz: While Clea was fighting the Revenant Prime, she tried to cast this spell, but she was interrupted and strangled by Sentry, so the effect of this spell remains unknown.^[36]
  • Spell Creation: The revenant Shadow Knight is shown to be resistant against many kinds of spells, so Clea needed a new one, strong enough to exorcise the revenant. Being well-gifted in mystic arts, Clea was capable to create, with great concentration, a new spell.^[1][47]
    • Revenant Exorcising Spell: Clea created a spell able to exorcise revenant spirits. This spell was created and first used while Clea was battling the revenant Shadow Knight.^[47][35][48]

• Mysterium: Clea is vulnerable to the anti-magic metal known as mysterium.^[49]