- "Don't you see? Mordo lied to you! He's using you! This spell won't make you human gain. It'll kill you, just like the rest of us -- and with you, the whole world!"
- ―Jennifer Kale
| "Weep for the Soul of Man..." | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Doctor Strange | |
| Title: | "Weep for the Soul of Man..." |
| Volume: | 2 |
| Number: | 41 |
| Cover price: | .40 |
| Cover date: | June, 1980 |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Credits | |
| Chief: | Jim Shooter |
| Writers: | Chris Claremont |
| Pencilers: | Gene Colan |
| Inkers: | Dan Green |
| Cover artists: | Bob Layton |
| Cover inker: | Klaus Janson |
| Colorists: | Ed Hannigan |
| Letterers: | Diana Albers |
| Editors: | Jo Duffy |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | Doctor Strange #40 |
| Next: | Doctor Strange #42 |
"Weep for the Soul of Man..." is the forty-first issue of the second Doctor Strange ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The story was Written by Chris Claremont with artwork by Gene Colan and inks by Dan Green. It was colored by Ed Hannigan and lettered by Diana Albers. The story was edited by Jo Duffy. This issue shipped with a June, 1980 cover date and carries a cover price of .40 cents per copy.
"Weep for the Soul of Man..."[]
Doctor Strange encounters Clea. Or does he?
Doctor Strange's soul is adrift in a Limbo dimension. He sees Clea, who beckons him onward, but this is all just an illusion. It is actually Death awaiting Doctor Strange with open arms. Strange senses the mark of the ankh upon his brow and knows he is mortal danger. Evading Death, he forces his corporeal form to awaken, where he had been close to drowning in the Okealachobee River. Now he must confront Baron Mordo who has taken control of the Man-Thing and is conducting a ritual to open the Chaos Gate, which will release a Chaos Demon upon the Earth.
Baron Mordo is ready to get this party started!
Within Baron Mordo's temple, the evil sorcerer has thirteen mystically attuned victims bound to obsidian slabs as part of a ritualistic sacrifice to summon forth the Chaos Demon. The Man-Thing stands by his side as does Jennifer Kale, who is bound in chains.
Jennifer Kale tries to talk some sense into the Man-Thing. Yeah... good luck with that.
As Karl Mordo begins the ritual, Doctor Strange appears and begins fighting him. The Chaos Gate begins to open and the three-finger clawed hand of the Chaos Demon emerges. It begins siphoning the life energy from all of the bound captives, reducing them to a skeletal state. One by one, the demon claims a new victim, but Strange is too preoccupied with Mordo to stay the entity.
The spirit of Ted Sallis - still locked within the husk of the Man-Thing re-asserts some measure of control and breaks free of Mordo's dominance. He pushes the Chaos Demon back through the dimensional aperture, which creates a whirlwind of mystical energy that threatens to pull him within. Doctor Strange, having temporarily stayed Mordo's efforts, grabs the Man-Thing before it can be sucked into the portal. Mordo however, is not so lucky and the gate closes. As the ritual had been interrupted the Chaos Demon is forced to relinquish the life energy it had taken from its victims, and everyone is resurrected.
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
- Alfeo Spinosa (In flashback only)
- Andy Kale
- Clea (As an illusion and also in flashback)
- Jaxon
- Joshua Kale
- Julian Phyffe (In flashback only)
- Madeleine St. Germaine (In flashback only)
Organizations
Races & Animals
- Demons
- Faltinians (In flashback only)
- Homo Magi
- Humans
- Swamp monsters
Locations
- France (In flashback only)
Items
Vehicles
- Boat (In flashback only)
- Convertible (In flashback only)
Powers
Miscellaneous
Notes & Trivia[]
- Doctor Stephen Strange was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in the third story from Strange Tales, Volume 1 #110 in July, 1963 titled "Dr. Strange - Master of Black Magic".
- This issue carries the approval stamp of the Comics Code Authority.
- This issue is cover code number 02914.
- The tagline to this issue is "Maelstrom at the Center of Time!"
- This issue is reprinted in black and white in Essential Man-Thing, Volume 2, released in August, 2008 and in Essential Dr. Strange, Volume 4, released in June, 2009. It is reprinted in color in the Man-Thing Omnibus hardcover collection in October, 2012 and in the Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange, Volume 8 hardcover collection released in May, 2017.
- The events of this issue take place after the events of Man-Thing, Vol. 2 #4.
- This issue includes flashbacks to Stephen Strange's encounter with the Man-Thing and his battle against Baron Mordo. These events took place in Doctor Strange #38, Doctor Strange #39, Doctor Strange #40, and Man-Thing, Vol. 2 #4.
- Reference is made to Clea's search for Wong. Wong was abducted in Doctor Strange #38.
- Stephen Strange invokes the name Hoggoth in this issue, who is one of the elder mystical beings of the universe. Known for his hoary hosts.
- Reference is made to Dormammu, who is Doctor Strange's nemesis and the ruler of the Dark Dimension. He is the uncle of Clea.
- Reference is made to the Vishanti, which is a book of powerful magic spells. It is classically considered "white magic".
- Death is quite verbose in this issue. Typically she remains silent.
- Baron Mordo makes reference to Dracula in this issue.