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"The language of the Mystic Arts is as old as civilization. The sorcerers of antiquity called the use of this language "spells," but if that word offends your modern sensibilities, you can call it a "program"; the source code that shapes reality. We harness energy drawn from other dimensions of the Multiverse to cast spells, to conjure shields and weapons, to make magic."
Ancient One to Stephen Strange[src]

Magic is the practice of harnessing various forms of energy to manipulate one or more aspects of the infinite realities that are present within the Multiverse. It encompasses many different activities, including astral projection, divination, spell casting and teleportation, and includes the practices of many cultures and religions, as well as many books and writings from ancient times. Depending upon the individual, some sorcerers study and practice their power by certain belief systems, such as Shamanism, Voodoo, Wicca, or any number of other practices from cultures around the world.

Magic Sources

"You think you know how the world works? You think that this material universe is all there is? What is real? What mysteries lie beyond the reach of your senses? At the root of existence, mind and matter meet. Thoughts shape reality."
Ancient One to Stephen Strange[src]

Magic is divided into three different categories: Personal energies, Universal energies and Dimensional energies. Supposedly, all magic is built on the concept that all realities can be reshaped by tapping into the existing power that is found in either themselves, the Universe, or other dimensions.[1]

Personal energies are those derived from the life force of the sorcerer. Personal energies can only be used to power abilities developed through mental studies and are thus limited to mental abilities such as astral projection, hypnotism, telekinesis, and telepathy. However, because it is known that the continual use of such energies will fatally deplete the individual by consuming their life force, sorcerers must also learn to harness external forces through meditation techniques and trained willpower. It is known that the students enrolled at K'un-Lun are trained to harness an internal force known as Chi as a means to strengthen their own minds and willpower, as well as their physical capabilities to varying degrees.

One of the easier sources that a sorcerer can draw power from are the Universal energies of their home dimension. Universal energies can be used for conjuration, transmutation and teleportation purposes and are commonly used in battle to create shields and weapons of energy. Universal spells usually require specific gestures and/or words in order to be activated. Some Universal energies can also be used by astral bodies who contain a dimensional anchor in the form of an artifact or an individual. For example, the Ancient One was able to force Stephen Strange's consciousness to safely travel throughout the Multiverse and to return to their physical world by using herself as an anchor.

Lastly, Dimensional energies are those that are drawn from other planes of existence throughout the multiverse or are bestowed upon a sorcerer from one or more extra-dimensional entities. These entities must be entreated by the sorcerer(s) using ritualistic spells and possibly a promise, contract or sacrifice of some method. For example, Kaecilius and his followers promised to give Dormammu access to the Earth Dimension in exchange for eternal life and superior power. Once their agreement had been made, Dormammu proceeded to bestow his power unto the Zealots. However, the Ancient One has proven that some such Dimensional energies can be channeled without the awareness or participation of the entities involved as she successfully managed to siphon power from the Dark Dimension for hundreds of years without any allegiance or loyalty to Dormammu.

Most sorcerers, especially those that harness extra-dimensional energies, such as the Masters of the Mystic Arts, train in the art of spell-casting, which was explained by the Ancient One as being conceptually similar to the computer programming and codes of computer sciences. Achieving specific magical effects can require certain words, gestures, or rituals of some sort, while others may require the use of relics and other items imbued with supernatural power. Furthermore, these effects can be accompanied by the appearance of sigils, glyphs, runes, and mandalas, wether in the form of projected constructs of energy or inscribed onto a physical surface, location or object. Some uses of magic primarily manifested through the use of verbal incantation or chanting, such as the rituals of the Book of Cagliostro regarding contacting Dormammu, with some incantations on Earth being of Latin or Sanskrit origin. Alternatively, Asgardian sorcerers, such as Loki and Frigga, were capable of solely relying on mental concentration in order to practice their mystical abilities.

Magic Schools

Due to the fact that all creatures have an inherent connection to the Multiverse, this subsequently means that all creatures, especially those with the mental capabilities to learn of its mechanisms, have the potential to wield these powers through study and practice. Nevertheless, all sorcerers, natural-born or not, are required to study the sciences of the forces that are channeled, not only as a means to better understand them but also as a means to better control them.

History

Asgardian Magic

Taking Power

Odin takes the power of Thor away from him

"Your ancestors called it magic and you call it science. Well, I come from a place where they are one and the same thing."
Thor to Jane Foster[src]

Asgardians are well aware of magic and have studied it for millennia. The Asgardian people do not see their magic as some elusive "mystical energy," they instead consider it to be an advanced field of science and part of every living being. Their transportation, architecture, weapons and even medical care are based upon using a blend of magical forces and technology. Their society features many legends about magical creatures and sorcery. Individuals such as Frigga, Heimdall, and Loki are able to tap into otherworldly forces to gain abilities beyond that of their fellow Asgardians through sorcery. Similarly, a various kings of the Asgardian people are capable of wielding the Odinforce, which was connected to the user's own life force and was named after Odin, its most notable wielder. Asgard was also home to many relics, weapons, and artifacts that do contain many magical properties before it was destroyed by Surtur.

Eldritch Magic

Doctor Strange Final Trailer 04

The Ancient One demonstrates Eldritch Magic

"I control it by surrendering control? That doesn't make any sense."
"Not everything does. Not everything has to. Your intellect has taken you far in life. But it will take you no further. Surrender, Stephen."
Stephen Strange and Ancient One[src]

The Eldritch Magic[2] utilized by the Masters of the Mystic Arts, is light-based magic that produces sparks and fiery energy in a yellow/orange color palette that is capable of gives off not only light, but also warmth. Being highly versatile, it can be used to generate constructs of tangible energy, such as melee weapons and shields, as well as to cast spells by conjuring specific formations and geometric patterns with the fiery energy. While many of these arrays of intricate holographic symbols commonly appear as disks projected in front of the caster's hands, others can appear as rings or bands that surround the caster's arms. Similarly, certain spells can manifest as an aura of arcane energy that emanates from the hands and forearms of the caster.

Additionally, this form of dimensional energy can be channeled into one's own body to bypass physical disabilities and limitations through sustained concentration, which allowed Jonathan Pangborn control over his body despite his paralysis and for Stephen Strange to make the proper gestures with his hands to cast magic despite their severe nerve damage. Without providing continuous conscious effort to maintain the effect, such disabilities resume, as Strange's damaged hands still shook when the Sorcerer Supreme was not utilizing magic to control and steady them.

Other beings in the galaxy, like the Ravager sorcerer Krugarr, are adept in this type of magic.[3]

Chaos Magic

This section requires expansion
"Your children, and Vision, and this whole little life you made? This is Chaos Magic, Wanda, and that makes you the Scarlet Witch."
Agatha Harkness to Wanda Maximoff[src]

Chaos Magic is an extremely powerful and presumably rare form of magic, as its wielder, Wanda Maximoff, was deemed to be a mythical being known as the "Scarlet Witch" by the witch Agatha Harkness. Maximoff, born with latent magical abilities, had her powers drastically augmented by the Mind Stone. Although her powers only revolved around telekinesis, telepathy, and energy manipulation initially, an intense fit of grief after failing to reawaken Vision caused Maximoff to release the full extent of her magic. Maximoff unwittingly used Chaos Magic to build a house, completely transform the town of Westview, and conjure an illusion of Vision. Within the reimagined Westview, known as the "Hex," Maximoff can warp reality to her every whim, create objects out of nothing, manipulate time, teleport people, transform objects, and manipulate the natural elements. Maximoff's powers seem to be influenced by her emotions, as various objects in her home changed on their own as her mental state started to deteriorate.

Dark Dimension Magic

Dark Dimension Magic

The Zealots practice magic from the Dark Dimension

"Master Kaecilius, that ritual will bring you only sorrow."
Ancient One to Kaecilius[src]

Dark Dimension Magic is a magic that is forbidden by the Ancient One, (whom however used it to expand her lifespan so she could live longer to keep an eye on other members of the Masters of the Mystic Arts). The reason why she forbade this magic was that channeling energy from the Dark Dimension would open oneself to Dormammu's influence. The effects of using this spell include having a symbol burned on the user's forehead and an expanded lifespan to the point of near-immortality, which can further extend to amplify the user's health, vitality, and overall physical capabilities to potentially superhuman levels, with the Ancient One being unfazed by the freezing temperature atop Mount Everest, surviving for almost an hour after falling from several stories before succumbing to her wounds and overpowering several Zealots without effort.

However, any user who did not fully understand the Dark Dimension would gradually become a Mindless One, potentially condemning the user to an eternity of suffering. When Kaecilius and his fellow Zealots used stolen pages of the Book of Cagliostro to contact Dormammu and channel energy from Dark Dimension, Dormammu's influence over them (which marked the skin around their eyes dark purple and outlined silver and cracked, signifying their eventual transformation into Mindless Ones) allowed them to warp reality and even conjure Space Shards as weapons.

During her time on the run, Nico Minoru began to channel energy from the Dark Dimension, enhancing her and the Staff of One's power.[4]

Darkhold Magic

An ancient book of spells and unspeakable power, it has been sought after by the Red Skull, Daniel Whitehall, and Nick Fury.[5] The book itself is made of dark matter and has been known to utilize dark matter in its spells.

Types of Magic

Asgardian Magic

  • Illusion Manipulation: Loki[6] and Frigga[7] can generate hazy, holographic images used to create illusions. They have both used this ability to either make decoys of themselves or another person or to project themselves into another location to speak to someone, similar to astral projection. Loki was also able to use illusions to alter his appearance, usually altering his Asgardian armor into human clothes to blend in, as well as disguising the Scepter as a walking cane with a glowing handle. Through illusion, Loki was also able to disguise himself as both Odin and Captain America and was able to make Thor appear as Sif. Later, Loki made it appear as if he had cut Thor's hand off and stabbed him. Similar to this, Loki was able to make wine look like several purple snakes.[8] Loki was even able to project his illusions over his entire cell to make hide the fact that he was disheveled and that he had destroyed the room in anger over Frigga's death. Frigga was able to fool the Dark Elf sorcerer Malekith with a projection of Jane Foster during the Sacking of Asgard. Loki's illusions could also allow him to mesmerize people with visions, such as when he made Valkyrie relive her defeat by Hela and the loss of her fellow Valkyries simply by placing a hand on her head.[9]
  • Presence Concealment: Loki can use magic to make himself and others imperceptible to whoever he wants, allowing them to be completely unseen and unheard. He was able to remain unseen by Heimdall, an impressive feat very few could accomplish and he was also able to walk through a S.H.I.E.L.D. base completely undetected. However, this was not true invisibility, as his reflection was shown in a mirror at the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility, while neither Nick Fury nor Erik Selvig could see or hear him.
  • Telekinesis: Loki can also move objects using only his mind, usually accompanied by a green flash. He was able to telekinetically enhance the force of his throwing daggers, [6] and upon hearing of Frigga's death, he unleashed a telekinetic blast that sent everything in his cell flying away from him.[7]
  • Enchantment: Odin enchanted Mjølnir so that only those who the hammer deemed worthy of its power could lift it and use its powers.[6] The enchantment made it impossible to lift Mjølnir through brute force alone, as not even Hulk was able to lift it.[10]
  • Transdimensional Perception: Heimdall possesses sensory capabilities far beyond that of any Asgardians, which made him the gatekeeper to Asgard. His sight itself extends itself to all of the Nine Realms, and his hearing is so precise that he heard the Warriors Three and Sif conspiring against Loki before he decided to passively help them. Heimdall is able to hear other Asgardians calling him from other realms, such as Earth, Jotunheim or Vanaheim. Despite his phenomenal ability, however, his senses have been deceived for a degree by Loki and the Dark Elves.[6][7] Wielders of Gungnir are able to control the Destroyer from anywhere within the Nine Realms, as they are able to see through its 'eyes' despite being in a separate location.[6]
    • Transdimensional Communication: When Heimdall was called upon by Thor from Sakaar, he was able to allow Thor to temporarily see his own surroundings on Asgard, and to thus communicate with him as if they were in the same place. While doing so, Thor's eyes can turn his irises into orange-colored ones just like Heimdall's.
  • Odinsleep: A powerful rejuvenative sleep magic that Odin uses to heal himself and recharge his powerful abilities including the Odinforce and his immortality.[6]
  • Mind Control: Lorelei possesses a unique ability that Sif described as Sorcery: an inhumanly persuasive voice that allows her to enthrall men. This ability is usually effective through voice, but if Lorelei's victim proves to have a higher will capable of resisting her power, she is able to strengthen the enthrallment through touch.[11] Loki seemed to demonstrate a similar ability when influencing the thoughts and decisions of Erik Selvig through his speech, all the while being imperceptible to the latter.[6]
  • Dark Energy Manipulation: Some Asgardians are able to channel esoteric energy that allows them to summon the Bifrost Bridge and transport people across space at will, though at the cost the of the health of both the conjurer and the traveler. Due to the great difficulty and strain of this power, Asgardian's used the mystical structure of the Bridge on Asgard to travel using the Bifrost effortlessly and harmlessly, acting much like a mystical relic that channeled energy safely for sorcerers to sustain magic that would normally beo to powerful to sustain. In the times that the physical structure of the Bifrost was destroyed, both Odin and Heimdall had been shown to channeled dark energy to transport others, with the former sending Thor to retrieve Loki on Earth and the latter sending Hulk to Earth to warn it of Thanos' imminent arrival.[10][12]
  • Death Transference: After Frigga's death she, as well as the other fallen Asgardian warriors, were given a grand funeral ceremony and at the end Odin slammed Gungnir on the ground, and the bodies of the dead transformed into a glittering mist that flew up into the night sky.[7] Upon dying, Odin himself transformed into golden energy and flew into the sky.[9]
  • Conjuration: Loki demonstrated being able to cause the Casket of Ancient Winters to appear and then disappear into thin air in a warped, swirling blur of motion when he used it to freeze Heimdall.[6] He later appeared used this skill to make his daggers suddenly appear in his hands when attempting to attack Doctor Strange. Hela also demonstrated such an ability, allowing her to make her various weapons, her armor, helmet, and eventually, metallic structures, appear or vanish with little effort, her power being drawn from and amplified by the realm of Asgard itself. [9] On the Statesman, Loki had the Tesseract hidden on his person until he made it appear in his hand when Thanos attacked his people, before materializing a dagger in a failed attempt to kill him.[12]
  • Clairvoyance: Frigga was able to detect Thor when he attempted to covertly spy on her, knowing it was her last day alive. However, due to her ability to see with more than eyes, she was able to detect Thor's presence as well as deduce the fact that he had arrived from the future.

Eldritch Magic

  • Eldritch Whip: The Masters of the Mystic Arts are able to conjure fiery lines they can use as whips or lassos for combat. They constantly emit sparks, evoking a serrated appearance, and generate more force than the user normally can produce alone. This allows a user to effortlessly restrain and drag humans with the rope or strike someone with enough force to send them flying across a room. However, more powerful sorcerers can resist the whip's strength if it is used on them, allowing a skilled sorcerer to turn the whip's great force back on the user to effortlessly disarm them. This was evident when the Ancient One was unfazed by the Zealots that entangled her ankles with the whip, while she then proceeded to effortlessly pull those who were holding the other end of it to the ground with a tug of her leg.[1] Also, a sufficiently strong entity can overcome it, as Thanos was able to clench the Gauntlet even while restrained by thousands of Eldritch Whips without much effort to disperse the replicas of Strange.[12]
  • Tao Mandalas[14]: Sorcerers can use their fiery energy to form holographic Mandalas, religious and magical symbols used as shields or melee weapons.[1] During the Battle of Titan, Doctor Strange was able to conjure multiple Mandalas to serve as a platform for Star-Lord to reach Thanos. The size and shapes of these magical symbols could vary when conjured, as Wong was able to project a shield that was large and wide enough to block off an entire city street and Strange was able to conjure a spherical barrier around himself, Iron Man and Spider-Man that was strong enough to protect them from an entire ship collapsing around them. [12] During the Battle of Earth, the Masters were able to conjure large mandalas to protect their allies from the Sanctuary II bombardment.[15]
  • Portal Creation: Using the Sling Rings, sorcerers are able to create fiery portals of various sizes to another location on Earth or throughout the Multiverse. The size and duration of these portal could be consciously controlled by the sorcerer generating it, as Strange was able to make several portals small enough for him to reach through and grab things on the other side, which allowed him to seamless grab various books from Wong's library. Alternatively, the various sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were capable of collectively making portals to various places on Earth and even to other planets such as Contraxia that were large enough to fit entire armies through. [1][15] Portals could even be made to physically move by sorcerers, as the Ancient One directed a portal she conjured to collide with and engulf her, therefore returning her from the Mirror Dimension after she first battled the Zealots and Doctor Strange sent a portal into the path of both Thor and Loki to not only prevent the latter from attacking him with his daggers, but to send the duo to Odin's location.
    • Locator Spell: Using a strand of Thor's hair, Doctor Strange was able to use a spell to find the location of Odin on Earth and create a portal to his location.[9]
  • Illusion Manipulation: While explaining the Infinity Stones to Bruce Banner and Tony Stark, Wong generated a holographic display of the cosmos and the stones by conjuring Eldritch Magic formations.[12] The Ancient One also used the same skill to show Bruce Banner the dangers of taking an Infinity Stone from a timeline.[15]
  • Telekinesis: The Ancient One was able to influence objects and people with mere gestures, as seen when she moved the body of Hulk towards Bruce Banner's astral form to return it to his body. While using this ability, a golden mist appeared around the object she was influencing.
    • Wind Spell: Doctor Strange was able to create glowing bands on his arms, which then emanated a large wave of golden light to clear the street of New York City of smoke and debris after Ebony Maw's Q-Ship landed in Greenwich Village. The wind was able to redirect the smoke out of the street and up into the sky. [12] Strange would later use this spell, this time manifesting as golden mists generated from his hands, to hold back the lake outside the Avengers Facility from rushing into the battlefield after its foundations were breached, gathering the water into a funnel and pushing it away. [15]
  • Enchantment: Due to the strain of sustaining certain magical effects, various researchers of Eldrich Magic have resorted to imbuing objects and even entire structures with magical properties and abilities. This resulted in the creation of Relics, such as the Wand of Watoomb or the Sling Ring. Examples of magical structures created by sorcerer's include the Orb of Agamotto and the three Sanctums scattered across the world.
    • Warding Spell: To protect the Time Stone, Doctor Strange put a spell on the Eye of Agamotto preventing anyone from trying to remove it. When Ebony Maw attempted to take the Eye from Strange, the amulet glowed brightly with Eldritch Magic, burning his hand severely.[12]
  • Eldritch Sword: During the Battle of Titan, Doctor Strange was able to conjure a fiery sword to battle Thanos at close quarters.
  • Energy Blasts: During the Battle of Titan, Strange was able to infuse the ground beneath him with energy to generate powerful streams of fiery energy that ricocheted off several floating boulders to attack Thanos. [12]
  • Duplication Spell: While battling Thanos, Doctor Strange was able to create dozens of duplicates of himself to surround and attack him. However, Thanos was able to use the Infinity Gauntlet to destroy all the copies and reveal the real Strange.[12]
  • Earth Swallowing Spell: During the Battle of Earth, Strange opened up numerous chasms in the earth, producing glowing purple tendrils of energy that forcefully lifted up Thanos' soldiers and dragged them into the ground before resealing themselves and vanishing.[15]

Chaos Magic

  • Reality Manipulation: To be added

Astral Dimension Magic

Dark Dimension Magic

  • Dimensional Warping: After performing the ritual to contact Dormammu and tap into the powers of the Dark Dimension, Kaecilius and the Zealots were able to manipulate space without being in the Mirror Dimension. This allowed them to warp and twist the landscape of the Mirror Dimension, as well as the inside of the New York Sanctum. They could also run on walls and ceilings, completely disregarding gravity. In addition, their momentum seemed enhanced to the point where they could easily send someone flying with their attacks, especially while defying gravity. Additionally, Kaecilius was able to use his abilities to defy time manipulation, resulting in him removing himself from the Eye of Agamotto's influence so as to stop Doctor Strange from restoring the Hong Kong Sanctum.[1]
  • Space Shard[2]: Space Shards are blades made of space that are warped into a glass-like material. These weapons can be summoned relatively quickly from space, and just as easily dissolve back into space (causing spacial ripples that appear as crystalline projections). While they can physically interact with the world as a very sharp blade, they have unique properties. For example, while Doctor Strange was pierced by a Space Shard, which subsequently resulted in cardiac tamponade and cardiac arrest, his clothes were completely undamaged and after mild stitching was done to the wound, Strange had apparently recovered fully. [1]
  • Immortality: The Ancient One achieved near immortality by drawing power from the Dark Dimension to extend her life span beyond typical human terms. However, this form of immortality only suppresses the aging process, meaning that she can still be fatally injured. She was notably resilient enough to not be killed instantly by falling from a great height after being stabbed through the torso by Kaecilius. Furthermore, she lasted several minutes afterward to be brought into an operating table, just so she could astral project and watch the snow fall outside before her clinical death. [1]

Eye of Agamotto

  • Time Manipulation: When the Eye of Agamotto is wielded by someone possessing the necessary knowledge and skills, it is able to control the flow of time through the Time Stone, be it on a small or massive scale, notably to turn back something to a previous state, to accelerate its time in order to apply changes that have not happened yet, or to lock it in a time loop, resetting its state until the wielder chooses to cease its effect.
    • Time Slip: Another application of time manipulation that can be performed by a highly skillful user is to put a target within a time slip where a reverse effect of time won't affect that target. Using this method, one can revive a person who died through conflict by reversing the time around them, and then enact the time slip so that once the spell is broken, it won't redo their death. This method was used when Doctor Strange put Wong into his time slip while reversing the destruction of the Hong Kong Sanctum and as a result, Wong's previous death was avoided.[1]
    • Precognition: Using the Eye, the Ancient One was able to review all possible futures ahead of her in her long life, notably remarking on Doctor Strange's possible futures. When using Time Magic for the first time, Strange's inexperience and ignorance with the spell caused a fracture in time to appear before him, showing multiple versions of the same event happening.[1] While preparing for the Battle of Titan, Doctor Strange was able to see over 14 million possible futures to see if he and his allies had any chance of defeating Thanos. Of the millions of futures, Strange only saw one where they were able to beat him.[12]

Transmutation

  • Matter Transmutation: During his meeting with Thor, Doctor Strange was able to turn a cup of tea into a mug of beer after Thor said he does not drink tea. The mug, which Thor suddenly found in his hand in the place of the teacup, was also able to magically refill itself, much to the pleasant surprise of Thor.[1] When Bruce Banner crashed into his Sanctum, Strange caused his civilian clothing to rapidly transform into his sorcerer garb. During the Battle of Titan, Strange transformed a singularity sent by Thanos into multitudes of blue butterflies. [12]

Darkhold Magic

  • Infinite Knowledge: The Darkhold appears to contain infinite knowledge and it speaks to its user in their native language. Using the knowledge of the Darkhold, Joseph and Lucy Bauer were able to build the Quantum Particle Generator in order to create matter out of thin air.[16] It also gave Eli Morrow the knowledge to create containment boxes capable of containing spiritual entities, and even gave him the ability to create matter with his own hands.[17] Using it seems to have a probability of causing the creation of a portal to Hell, as was the case when Aida's use of Project Looking Glass created one.[18][19]
  • Corruption: The Darkhold has the ability to make its user obsessed with it and corrupt anyone like it did with Joseph and Lucy Bauer.[17]
This section requires expansion

Magic Items

The reason for objects and structures with magical properties is explained by Karl Mordo as sorcerers imbuing objects with magic in order for said objects to take up some of the strain when sorcerers are unable to, due to some magic being too powerful to sustain. Magical objects from Earth are called Relics.

Trivia

References

External Links

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