The Sanctum Sanctorum is as iconic to theDoctor Strangefranchise as any lair or base in superhero history. This mystically enchanted domain of the paranormal isn’t just Strange’s home, or a treasure trove of mythical objects,but a robust weave of complex magic with direct ties to the Sorcerer Supreme’s patron gods.This supernatural sanctuary is far more than a home base; it’s a bastion for the occult.
InIncredible Hulk#24, writtenby Phillip Kennedy Johnson, with art by Kev Walker, readers are given a good look inside the mysterious home ofStephen and Clea Strangeas Bruce Banner and his young ward, Charlie Tidwell, come searching for Strange’s assistance.
While Clea leads the duo through the Sanctum Sanctorum, Charlie gawks in awe of the vast assortment of occultish objects that riddle the inside of the Sanctum. However, Charlie specifically calls out Doctor Strange’s window, naively wondering why it’s shaped so weirdly. Little does Charlie know that even a window is more than it seems.
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Incredible Hulk #24;Written By Phillip Kennedy Johnson; Art By Kev Walker; Color By Matthew Wilson; Lettering By VC’s Cory Petit
Before Doctor Strange’s timeas Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme, the sacred ground on which the Sanctum Sanctorum was built had been bathed in horrific mythical energies from time immemorial. Throughout history, Indigenous shamans would perform spiritual rituals, colonists would slaughter pagan witches, and Satanic cultists would sacrifice in the name of their lord. Before Doctor Strange came to acquire the estate, the Sanctum Sanctorum was considered a cursed mansion, overflowing with profane evils. However, this home became the perfect stage to construct protection wards and channeling spells to both defend Earth from the threats beneath and to harness their incredible powers.
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Outside the mansion,the Sanctum Sanctorumpresents as a simple, antique home, built in a bygone age of Victorian architecture and funky-colored roofs; inside,the manor is a multi-level maze that shifts and warps under the immeasurable powers of Strange’s collection of occultish trinkets.Not even time runs in a straight line within the mythical home. From enchanted furnaces that contain the Flames of the Faltine to entire bathhouses meant purely for the dead, the Sanctum Sanctorum truly is a storehouse for the world’s most dangerous oddities. However, this abode’s most important artifact is its most unassuming: the third-floor window.
The Sanctum Sanctorum’s Seal Of The Vishanti Protects The Earth From Constant Mystical Threats
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While the ornate window affixed to the Sanctum Sanctorum is certainly an eye-catcher, in truth, it’s known as the Seal of the Vishanti. While the MCU has briefly touched on these all-powerful gods, the comics have told a richer version of the tale.The Vishanti area collection of three magical entities who banded together to create a wellspring of mystical powerto safeguard the Earth. First was Oshtur, one ofthe few surviving Elder Gods. Next was Hoggoth, the last surviving deity of an alien pantheon. And the final was Agamotto, Oshtur’s son andthe first Sorcerer Supreme.
The Seal of the Vishanti doesn’t just connect the Sorcerer Supreme to their patron gods, but it casts an all-consuming protection spell that wards off the endless profane powers trying to seep into this world from foreign realities beyond.
The Seal of the Vishanitserves to channel the trio of gods’ masterful magic and even commune with them when necessary. Remember, the grounds on which the Sanctum was built were cursed with demons and foul black magic. The artifacts Strange has guarded inside his home are, many times, native to unpredictable realms and evil entities. The Seal of the Vishanti doesn’t just connect the Sorcerer Supreme to their patron gods, but it casts an all-consuming protection spell that wards off the endless profane powers trying to seep into this world from foreign realities beyond.
Without The Sanctum Sanctorum Or Its Protector, The Earth Is Doomed
If The Mystical Manor Falls, Disaster Ensues
While the Sanctum Sanctorum is important in its own regard, it is nothing without a powerful sorcerer to guard over its often unpredictable inhabitants and the unseen world that threatens the sanctity of life on Earth. DuringtheDeath of Doctor Strangeevent, by writer Jed Mackay and artists Lee Garbett and Kaare Andrews, Doctor Strange was murdered, leaving the Sanctum behind without its guardian. In his absence, the warding spells and mystical seals that bound the wicked were broken, as droves of violent otherworldly creatures poured through the Sanctum’s once-preserved walls.
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Without its master, the Sanctum became worthless, as new extradimensional threats seeped into Earth-616,terrifying even the monstrous warlords like Dormammu, who fled in the wake of the dangersthat were to follow. Meanwhile, similar warding spells across New York City fell in Strange’s absence, leavingstreet-level heroes like Spider-Manto clean up the mess. As Marvel has confirmed with this latest issue ofIncredible Hulk, the Sanctum Sanctorum is more than just a home; it’s a powerful artifact, protected and preserved by the only Sorcerer Supreme capable of managing its many contained threats: Doctor Strange.
