| For alternate versions of the Destruction of the London Sanctum, see Destruction of the London Sanctum's Event Hub |
- "The London Sanctum has fallen. Only New York and Hong Kong remain now to shield us from the Dark Dimension."
- ―Ancient One to Doctor Strange[src]
The Destruction of the London Sanctum was the first stage of an Summoning of Dormammu orchestrated by the Zealots in their quest to summon Dormammu.
Background[]
- "The Sanctums protect the world. And we sorcerers protect the Sanctums."
- ―Karl Mordo to Doctor Strange[src]
Thousands of years ago, a sorcerer known as Agamotto formed the Masters of the Mystic Arts as a league of magic practitioners dedicated to protecting Earth from any inter-dimensional threats.
To aid his disciples in their mission, the Sorcerer Supreme traveled to three different places of power and erected three sanctums that would generate a protective shield around the Earth. The sorcerer then charged his disciples with guarding the three sanctums.
By the year 2016, the three places of power had evolved into the cities of Hong Kong, New York City, and London. The Masters of the Mystic Arts had also evolved, its ranks expanding to include members such as Karl Mordo.
It was around the same time that Kaecilius, a member who joined in order to understand why his wife and unborn son died, became disillusioned and persuaded several other Masters to join him in his quest to seek the answers the Ancient One, the current Sorcerer Supreme, had denied them.
Remembering a ritual that would allow him to summon the entity Dormammu, Kaecilius and the newly formed Zealots stole it from the Book of Cagliostro despite the Ancient One's warning. Several months later, Kaecilius managed to decipher and perform the ritual, which granted both him and the Zealots complete access to the Dark Dimension, before preparing to launch a series of attacks on his former allies.[2]
Destruction[]
- "Uuuh… okay. Okay. I… time-out. I… I came here to heal my hands, not to fight in some mystical war."
- ―Doctor Strange[src]
Making their way to London, the Zealots infiltrated the London Sanctum and engaged in a fierce battle with its protector Sol Rama. Sensing that the battle was lost, Rama attempted to escape through the portal leading to Kamar-Taj only to die after being impaled by a Space-Time Shard wielded by the Brunette Zealot.
Kaecilius then proceeded to cause a massive explosion that destroyed the Sanctum and ripped through Kamar-Taj, sending new member Stephen Strange through the portal leading to the New York Sanctum.[2]
Aftermath[]
- "You defended the New York Sanctum from attack. With its Master gone, it needs another, Master Strange."
"No. It is Dr. Strange. Not Master Strange, not Mr. Strange, Doctor Strange. When I became a doctor, I swore an oath to do no harm. And I have just killed a man! I’m not doing that again. I became a doctor to save lives, not take them."
"You become a doctor to save one life above all others: your own." - ―Ancient One and Doctor Strange[src]
Eventually, Kaecilius, and two other Zealots attacked the New York Sanctum, killing its guardian, Daniel Drumm, in the process and they proceeded to hunt down Stephen Strange, who was a new recruit at Kamar-Taj. He managed to strand the Blonde Zealot and Lucian to different locations on Earth with the Rotunda of Gateways, and eventually disarmed Kaecilius using the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. They succeeded in bringing Dormammu to Earth after destroying the Hong Kong Sanctum, but Strange trapped Dormammu in a time loop and convinced the being to leave Earth.[2]