Clea

Clea is a fictional character, a sorceress appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is the disciple and lover of Doctor Strange. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126 (November 1964).

Clea is a human-appearing being and maternally related to the other-dimensional Faltine race of energy beings. The daughter of Umar and the niece of the demonic tyrant Dormammu, the noble Clea has been, sporadically, ruler of the Dark Dimension, the mystical realm to which Dormammu had been banished and which he subsequently conquered. She was ranked 28th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.^[1]

Publication history

The character was introduced during a story arc in which Doctor Strange confronted Dormammu for the first time. Clea remained nameless for several issues, referred to only as the "captive female", or the "mysterious silver-haired girl". It was later noted that her father is Dormammu's closest disciple.^[2] However, it was not until two years later that her name was eventually revealed.^[3]

Initially, nothing indicates that Clea and Umar are related to or even know each other.^[4] Indeed, Dormammu's sister mimics her brother's tactics and goes after Clea as a way of hurting Strange. Later, it was revealed that Umar was her mother, and that her father was Orini, a disciple of Dormammu and ruler of the Dark Dimension.

In 2004, Clea appeared in the Witches series along with Jennifer Kale, Satana, and Topaz.

Brian Michael Bendis has described Clea as: "...the mistress of the Dark Dimension and...Strange’s ex-girlfriend/wife. She was trained by Strange, right there in his home. She was his prized pupil. She was to Strange what he was to the Ancient One [Strange’s instructor in the mystic arts]. But as Mistress of the Dark Dimension she hasn’t been on this plane of existence a lot lately. And who’s going to take her serious [sic] in those pants?" ^[5]

Fictional character biography

Clea observed Doctor Strange in the Dark Dimension, impressed by his courage. She warned Strange against facing Dormammu, and Dormammu punished her for her betrayal. Strange forced him to release her, however.^[6] She became Strange's only ally in the Dark Dimension, and soon became a captive of her uncle.

Umar took Clea hostage and nearly killed her. The Ancient One sent Clea into a pocket dimension to save her from Umar.^[7] Clea was found and freed by Doctor Strange, and went to live on Earth with him.^[8]

Clea was later captured by Silver Dagger. Doctor Strange's spirit cohabited in her body so that they could defeat Silver Dagger.^[9] Umar then attacked Clea on Earth, and Clea battled her.^[10]

Clea helped save herself from being sacrificed by Dormammu, and came to believe Morganna Blessing loved Strange more than she did.^[11] Clea and Strange later helped lead a rebellion in the Dark Dimension. Clea discovered that Umar was her mother, and Clea defeated Umar in a mystic battle. Clea revealed to the inhabitants of the Dark Dimension that her mother didn't care for her subjects at all and was willing to endanger them to defeat Clea. The population became convinced that Clea should be the ruler and the "Flames of Regency" appeared on Clea's head. The Flames of Regency made Clea powerful enough to defeat and banish Umar and her father Orini from the Dark Dimension, and Clea took the throne of the Dark Dimension.^[12]

Clea and Strange exchanged vows and became one according to the laws of the Dark Dimension.^[13] Several months later, Dormammu returned to the Dark Dimension and claimed the throne again. Clea was held hostage to lure in Doctor Strange, but Strange and Clea managed to escape Dormammu and arrived near Umar. Umar tried to kill Strange, but found out that her spells hurt both Clea and Strange. Clea revealed to her mother that she had married Strange. Umar confessed that she didn't want to hurt her daughter and assisted Doctor Strange and Clea in defeating Dormammu. Umar and her new lover Baron Mordo claimed rulership over the Dark Dimension, but promised Clea that they would not abuse their powers. Clea reluctantly agreed and returned to Earth with Strange.^[14]

Some time later, the Faltinean Flyx appeared to her and told her that Umar and Mordo betrayed her trust. Clea and Flyx gathered an army to defeat Umar and Mordo, but Flyx revealed himself to be Dormammu in disguise. He absorbed the powers of Umar and Mordo and Clea remained in the Dark Dimension as leader of the resistance against Dormammu.^[15]

Doctor Strange told the Illuminati of how Clea left him to lead the rebellion in Dark Dimension.^[16]

Clea returns and it is revealed that she has been hiding out in Odin's hall thanks to Valkyrie, who comes to ask a favor of her to restore the recently deceased Annabelle Riggs to life. After performing a spell to resurrect her, which causes Annabelle and Valkyrie to share a body, Clea leaves with them to possibly join the Defenders team.^[17]

Powers and abilities

Clea is the Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension, possessing vast powers involving the manipulation of the forces of magic for a variety of effects. She has exhibited such abilities as transmutation, forming and throwing magical bolts of concussive energy, magically constructed animate beings, conjuring objects and energies, teleporting, telekinesis, levitation, mesmerism, thought-casting, controlling others' minds, casting illusions, and the tapping of extra-dimensional energy by invoking entities or objects of power existing in dimensions tangential to Earth's through the recitation of spells. Presumably, she is capable of replicating any spell performed by her former mentor, Doctor Strange. As she is descended from the Faltine race of beings, it is suggested that she can generate her own mystical energy, like Umar and Dormammu, and draw upon it to fuel her magic. She also possesses greater strength and body density than that of a normal Earth human. Her age is indeterminate and the rate at which she ages is unknown, having lived for centuries but having the form and demeanor of a twenty-year-old woman. Clea has defeated the Enchantress in single magical combat, and armed with the Flames of Regency, at the peak of her magical abilities, even rivalled her mother Umar in raw power, thus exceeding that of Doctor Strange himself.

Clea possesses vast knowledge of magical lore through extensive studies of sorcery under Doctor Strange, who also trained her in hand-to-hand combat.

Other versions

1602

In the alternate-reality miniseries 1602 (set in American colonial days), the Clea of the Earth-311 is the wife of English court physician Dr. Stephen Strange. When Strange dies, she opens a portal and goes back to her own world.^[18]

Earth X

In the alternate-reality series Earth X, Clea is revealed to have betrayed Doctor Strange and to have killed him at the behest of her lover Loki, becoming the Sorceress Supreme of that reality. Her treason is discovered by Bruce Banner and she is quickly taken away by Thor and imprisoned in Asgard.

Eventually, Doctor Strange (feeling regret at his apparent emotional neglect of her) travels to Asgard with Xen (an Asian team of super-beings), to free her. He succeeds and attempts to rekindle the love between them, but Clea rejects him saying that he still does not understand her.^[19]

Strange (2005)

Clea is introduced as somewhat of a guardian figure, who spends all her time playing babysitter for Doctor Strange and giving him a lot of "tough love".

Ultimate Marvel

In Ultimate Marvel Clea appears as the former wife of Stephen Strange who tried to raise their son Stephen Strange Jr. away from magic, blaming it for the loss of her husband. This Clea appears to have no magical background or be related to any magical beings.

In other media

Television

• Clea, along with Doctor Strange, make a quick cameo in the background of the X-Men animated series episode "Nightcrawler", when Rogue, Gambit and Wolverine are shown at a ski resort. Strange is wearing warm clothes with a coat over a sweater that bears his trademark sorcerer insignia and Clea stands beside him wearing casual clothes that bear the color scheme of her character (pink, purple, white hair).

Film

• In the 1978 TV film Dr. Strange, Clea, played by actress Eddie Benton, appears as an ordinary woman with no magical powers and a last name, Clea Lake. She becomes a pawn of Marvel's version of the sorceress Morgan le Fay (from the legends of King Arthur). To save Clea and thwart Morgan's plans, Dr. Strange must enter the mystical world, wherein the battle between good and evil is played out on a magical level.
• In the animated direct-to-DVD movie Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme, Clea is mentioned by Wong as a potential student for Doctor Strange as they enter the Sanctum Sanctorum mansion at the end of the movie, but is not actually seen.

Video games

• Clea appears as a non-playable character in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Marabina Jaimes. She can be seen in Sanctum Sanctorum. She has special dialogue with Doctor Strange. A simulation disk starring Doctor Strange has Clea being protected by him from Baron Mordo while in Mephisto's Realm.
• Clea appears in the MMORPG Marvel Heroes, voiced by Kari Wahlgren.
• Clea appears in the mobile game Marvel: Future Fight.^[20]

References

External links

• Clea at Marvel.com
• The Unofficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Master List
• The Grand Comics Database
• Clea at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe