Christine Palmer

"There are other ways to save lives."

- Christine Palmer to Doctor Strange

Christine Palmer is a surgeon and former colleague of Doctor Stephen Strange, who helps him anchor his humanity. She's a former girlfriend of Strange until they broke up due to his egotistic personality but still remained friends. She's helped Strange through after his accident left him without the use of his hands until she could not watch Strange keep ruining his life as he left to Kamar-Taj. Palmer operated on Strange after a battle with Kaecilius and reunited with him after not seeing him for a while. Later Palmer performed surgery on the Ancient One but could not save her.

Dating Stephen Strange
"We are not friends, Christine. We were barely lovers."

- Stephen Strange to Christine Palmer

Christine Palmer began working at Metro-General Hospital, where she developed a relationship with colleague Stephen Strange but later broke off the relationship due to his ego. Despite this, she remained Strange's closest friend and continued to work alongside him, even helping him come up with new surgical techniques.

Seeking Second Opinion
"I think I found the problem, Doctor Palmer. You left a bullet in his head." "Thanks. It's impinging on the medulla. I needed a specialist. Nic diagnosed brain death. Something about that doesn't feel right to me." "We have to run."

- Stephen Strange and Christine Palmer

When Strange was performing surgery one day, Palmer came to him to get his opinion on a patient Nicodemus West had claimed was deceased which she didn't feel right about. Strange then figured out that the patient was in fact still alive so the two rushed to stop West who was going to harvest the patients organs. Palmer and Strange stopped West from killing the patient and Strange went to perform surgery on the patient with Palmer assisting him. Palmer helped Strange successfully removed the bullet from the patient which he had to do by hand. Palmer and Strange then told the family of the patient that he was alive.

The Strange Policy
"I have a very strict rule against dating colleagues." "Oh really?" "I call it the Strange policy."

- Christine Palmer and Stephen Strange

After saving the patient, Palmer told Strange that he didn't have to humiliate West in front of everyone which Strange arrogantly stated that he didn't have to save the patient either. When Palmer told Strange that she needed a second opinion on the patient, Strange told her that she needed a competent one which led to Palmer telling Strange that he should be her neurosurgeon on call as he could be doing more work in the ER. Strange declines, stating that his work will save more lives. Palmer says the real reason is that he won't get any fame, which is all he cares about.

When Strange asked if she and West were sleeping together, Palmer informed Strange of her strict policy she came up with which would be known as the "Strange policy" named after Stephen Strange who she was in a relationship with previously. After learning about the policy, Strange sarcastically stated that he was glad something's was named after him. Strange told Palmer that he was talking at a Neurological Society dinner later that night and he invited her to join him which she declined. Strange thought Palmer loved coming to his talks believing they had fun to only find out that he only had fun as it was all about him.

Rejected Assistance
"There are other things that can give your life meaning." "Like what? Like you?" "And this is the part where you apologize."

- Christine Palmer and Stephen Strange

When Strange was found after his car crash, he was brought to Metro-General Hospital where Palmer stayed by his side as he went into surgery that lasted eleven hours. When Strange woke up, Palmer was by his side and informed him about his injuries saying that no one could of done better which Strange believed he could of. While Strange recovered in hospital, Palmer stayed with him and looked after him until he was able to leave. As Strange tried different operations and numerous rehabilitation techniques to heal his hands faster, Palmer always stayed with him and watched as he went through the many operations. Palmer came to Strange in his apartment and tried to convince him to stop trying to fix his hands a second he had spent all his money. Palmer tried to tell him that there were other things that could give meaning to his life. However, Strange did not want to move on but instead focus on finding other ways of healing his hands. Palmer then started to leave Strange as she couldn't watch him suffer any more when Strange, in his anger started to have a go at Palmer saying that she is pitying him as she loves a sob story which Strange saw himself as. After being hurt by what Strange had said, Palmer couldn't go on trying to helping him so she's left Strange and stayed out of his life. When Strange was training at Kamar-Taj, he sent Palmer e-mails but she never replied.

Operating on Strange
"Just a little higher. Please be careful with the needle." "Stephen? What am I seeing?" "My astral body." "Are you dead?" "No, Christine, but I am dying."

- Doctor Strange and Christine Palmer

Palmer was still working at the hospital after Stephen Strange left for Kamar-Taj. After being stabbed by Lucian, Strange used a Sling Ring to get to the hospital so Palmer could operate on him. When Strange arrived he demanded to see Palmer and asked her to operate on him alone. Palmer was shocked to suddenly see Strange and was confused by his random presence and the clothes he was wearing. Palmer then began to operate on Strange as he passed out and entered the Astral Dimension. Palmer was bewildered and horrified when Strange's Astral appeared to assist with the operation on himself. While Palmer was confused on the whole situation, she still managed to calm herself and operate on Strange who was dying. As Palmer operated, Strange helped her by displaying the veins inside his body to guide her when she was injecting him. Strange then left Palmer and continued to fight Lucian who had followed Strange leaving Palmer unaware of anything that was going on. When Strange and Lucian were fighting it caused some of the equipment around Palmer to move and even herself. When Strange's heartbeat stopped Palmer then shocked Strange's body causing his Astral form to release a shock wave hurting Lucian. Strange then returned to Palmer which frightened her and he told her to up the voltage and shock him again which caused Lucian's Astral form to explode, killing him. Palmer then checked on Strange's body to only be scared even more when he awoke.

Reuniting with Strange
"Oh, so you joined a cult?" "No, I didn't. No, well, not exactly. They did teach me to tap into powers I never even knew existed." "Yeah, that sounds like a cult." "It's not a cult." "Well, that's what a cultist would say."

- Christine Palmer and Stephen Strange

After saving Strange's life, the two catch up as Palmer stitches him up. Strange apologized to her for the way he acted and treated her before he left and that she deserved to be treated better. Palmer than asked Strange where he has been since he left which he informed her that he went to Kamar-Taj and met the Ancient One and learnt to tap into powers which he never knew existed making Palmer believe that Strange had joined a cult. As Strange was leaving, Palmer asked what was going on so Strange told her about Kaecilius and that he needs to leave through a portal in the closet which Palmer continued to not believe him. When the two entered the closet, Palmer was bewildered by the giant portal that she thought Strange was lying about. Strange entered the portal and Palmer watched in confusion as Strange left the hospital through the portal into a different location and then the portal disappeared. Palmer then turned around to only to be startled by a mop that fell o the ground as the portal closed causing her to scream.

Treating The Ancient One
"Christine!" "Are you kidding me?"

- Doctor Strange and Christine Palmer

Later, when the Ancient One was stabbed and thrown from a great height by Kaecilius she was brought to Metro-General Hospital with Doctor Strange who had just been at the hospital causing Palmer to be exhausted when hearing Strange calling her name again due to the previous incident she hadn't just experienced with him. When she saw Strange come in with the Ancient One, she straight away went to go assist in the operation. Palmer was apart of the operation team trying to revive Ancient One but the operation was unsuccessful.

Strange's Amend
"You said losing my hands didn't have to be the end. That it could be a beginning." "Yeah. Because there are other ways to save lives." "A harder way." "A weirder way."

- Doctor Strange and Christine Palmer

After the Ancient One's death, Palmer went to go wash her hands noticing the Cloak of Levitation hovering by itself but she ignored it as she couldn't take any more magical things. As Palmer and Strange washed their hands, Strange reached out and held Palmer's hand as she comforted him. Strange told Palmer that he had to go and that she was right about the lose of his hands being a beginning for him. An announcement called for Palmer to report to the ER, so she kissed Strange goodbye and left.

Personality
Palmer is a kind and caring person who puts other people before herself. She went out of her way to help Stephen Strange after his accident damaging his hands by helping him recover and trying to get him to move on with his life even though he pushed her away and treated her badly even prior to his accident. Palmer always to try and see the good in people and help them. She is also not afraid to stand up for herself and is one of the only people who can stand up to Strange's arrogance.

When Palmer found Strange after not seeing him for a while and bleeding out, she remained calm and continued surgery on Strange even though she was continually frightened by Strange's Astral form randomly appearing and objects around her moving due to Strange and Lucian fighting which she could not see.

Abilities

 * Expert Physician: Palmer is a trained doctor and is one of Metro-General Hospital's best surgeons and is able to perform successful surgery without having knowledge of what caused the injury. She is also very sharp, despite not being a specialist, she felt something off when her fellow doctor, Nicodemus West, diagnosed a patient with brain death prematurely.

Allies

 * Stephen Strange - Former Colleague, Ex-Boyfriend, Love Interest, and Patient
 * Metro-General Hospital
 * Nicodemus West - Colleague
 * Ancient One † - Patient

Trivia

 * In the comics, Christine Palmer is the third Night Nurse, originally from a Midwestern suburb, with no connection to Doctor Strange. Thought the first character, who took that mantle,, had a pivotal role in the 2007 comic book limited series, Doctor Strange: The Oath.

Behind the Scenes

 * Kevin Feige commented they used Christine Palmer over Strange's traditional love interest because, "We wanted a grounded character. We wanted a character that was a connection to Strange's life in New York City, in the normal world. Somebody that could be his anchor to the real world, to his present in the beginning of the film, and by the time he re-encounters her, wearing that, someone who can comment on his transformation as a character."
 * Georgie Carter was a stand-in for Rachel McAdams in the role of Christine Palmer.