Sam Raimi is no stranger to comic book movies, as proven by his latest venture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the newest entry in the blockbuster franchise, and it truly lives up to the madness in its title. A lot of that comes from Marvel's weirdest comic origins, which show off some of its most powerful characters.
In recent years, direct inspiration from comic books have been plentiful in Marvel movies. Disney+ shows like Loki and WandaVision have lots of Easter eggs for diehard fans, and Multiverse of Madness does as well. These ten moments in the film feature plot points that are taken straight from the comics, either in form or function.
10 A Monster In New York City
Multiverse of Madness wastes no time forcing its characters into high-stakes action sequences. Early in the film, Doctor Strange answers the call to defend a teenage girl in New York City from a ginormous, tentacled creature. The creature is named Gargantos, after a sea creature connected to the Sub-Mariner Namor.
However, the monster's design seems more inspired by Shuma-Gorath, an iconic Doctor Strange adversary. In the comics, Shuma-Gorath is a Lovecraftian entity whom Strange is forced to kill, eventually inheriting its role. Fortunately for MCU Strange, this smaller version of the creature is a lot easier to kill.
9 Familiar Faces In Kamar-Taj
An early setpiece in the movie's first act is Wanda Maximoff's attack on Kamar-Taj. This location in Nepal was featured in the first Doctor Strange film as the training grounds for Masters of the Mystic Arts. During this sequence, avid comic book fans may recognize one particular sorcerer-to-be in Wanda's opposing army.
This is Rintrah, recognizable for being a giant, green, half-man-half-bull. In the comics, Rintrah is a recurring character in the Doctor Strange comics, eventually becoming a sorcerer's apprentice to Stephen Strange. It's possible Rintrah will continue to appear in future MCU films, though it's unlikely he'll ever ally with Wanda.
8 The Multiversal Montage
Later in the film, Doctor Strange and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) find themselves quickly falling from portal into portal through the multiverse. This scene may go too fast for casual viewers, but diehard viewers willing to slow it down will notice some pretty key references to the comics. The question is, which of these will appear in later films?
One universe that Strange and Chavez fall through features the Living Tribunal, who have been referenced in previous MCU titles such as Doctor Strange and Loki. Another depicts the Savage Land, which houses prehistoric dinosaurs and plants. There's even a universe that depicts the two as animated comic book characters.
7 The Sands Of Nisanti
It wouldn't be a Doctor Strange film if there weren't fascinating spells that originate in the comics. One of those spells becomes a key plot point during Strange and Chavez's visit to the Sanctum Sanctorum in an alternate universe. There, they come across Karl Mordo, a Variant of Strange's nemesis in the first film, Baron Mordo.
It's moments later that Strange and Chavez realize they've been lured into a trap. After drinking Mordo's tea, the two quickly pass out as Strange realizes they've fallen victim to the Sands of Nisanti. In the comics, the Sands of Nisanti is a spell that depowers magic users, but in this movie it's used to drug Strange and Chavez.
6 Identifying Strange's Reality
While prisoners of the Illuminati, a variant of Christine Palmer refers to Strange's reality as Earth-616. Strange makes a quip about the ridiculousness of numbering universes, but this is no random number. 616 is often used in the comics to refer to characters or planets in the canon Marvel universe.
This isn't even the first time that Strange's home universe has been referred to as 616. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Mysterio claims that he is from Earth-833, and that Peter Parker lives on 616. It's later revealed that Mysterio was lying, so how much does he really know about the multiverse?
5 The Illuminati
One of the most anticipated scenes in Multiverse of Madness finds Strange coming face-to-face with the Illuminati. In the comics, the Illuminati is a secret organization of the strongest and smartest heroes in the world. Its usual line-up includes characters like Tony Stark, T'Challa, Namor, and Steve Rogers.
However, in this alternate reality, its lineup is much different. It does feature two of the Illuminati's recurring members from the comics in Reed Richards and Charles Xavier. The other members include Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel, King Black Bolt, Captain Peggy Carter from What If...?, and Karl Mordo.
4 Professor X's New Look
Patrick Stewart makes a triumphant return to the role of Charles Xavier in Multiverse of Madness, his first foray into the MCU. However, this is a different Professor X than the one fans are familiar with from the X-Men films. In fact, this variant of Professor X has more ties to the comic books in his design.
When Professor X first appears in the film as a member of the Illuminati, he's not in the wheelchair seen in Stewart's previous iterations. He is seated in his yellow Hoverchair that appears in the comics, as well as in the 1997 animated series. Hopefully, this means that a Mutants movie in the MCU will take more inspiration from the comics.
3 Mount Wundagore
A lot of the film's action, especially the third act, takes place on Mount Wundagore. Wong leads Wanda here in search of the original text of the Darkhold, after a Master of the Mystic Arts sacrifices herself to destroy it. In the comics, however, the location has a lot more to do with the Darkhold and the Scarlet Witch.
In the comics, Wundagore was the birthplace of Wanda and Pietro. It also later became the home base for the High Evolutionary, a scientist whose goal is to create a superpowered race of men. Hopefully, a future MCU movie returning to this location will be a good opportunity to reintroduce Wanda, having atoned for her sins.
2 Strange's Family Secret
When Earth-616's Stephen Strange encounters his variant from What If...?, he is asked to prove his authenticity. This moment becomes pivotal for Strange, as he reveals a huge detail about his past. Strange recounts his memory of his younger sister Donna, who drowned when she was a teenager, leaving Stephen wracked with guilt.
This story is pretty accurate to Strange's backstory in the comics. There, it's also confirmed that Stephen grew interested in studying medicine after helping Donna after an accident. Unfortunately, his inability to save her life still haunts him many years later, even as he saves countless lives across many alternate universes.
1 A Visitor From The Dark Dimension
Marvel's post-credits scenes have become a ritual now, as fans await to see what the next adventures of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be. The mid-credits scene of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is quite a doozy. Strange encounters a woman played by Charlize Theron, who takes him to the Dark Dimension.
Comic book diehards will recognize this character as Clea, the niece of Dormammu, Strange's enemy in the first Doctor Strange. In the comics, she later becomes Strange's romantic interest, though she occasionally is his enemy. Fans can expect their relationship to be the focus of Strange's future MCU appearances.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently in theaters.