- "The Runes of Kof-Kol."
"The Runes of Kof-Kol?"
"Oh, it's just a standard spell of forgetting." - ―Doctor Strange and Peter Parker[src]
The Runes of Kof-Kol is a spell used to erase people's memories.
History[]
Full Moon Party at Kamar-Taj[]
- "We used it for much less. Do you remember the full moon party in Kamar-Taj?"
"...No."
"Exactly." - ―Doctor Strange and Wong[src]
The Runes of Kof-Kol was cast by Doctor Strange in the aftermath of a full moon party held in Kamar-Taj, causing all sorcerers to forget about the event, including Wong.[1]
Multiversal Crisis[]
Peter Parker's Request[]
- "You changed my spell. You don't do that! I told you, and that is why! That spell was completely out of control. If I hadn't shut it down, something catastrophic could've happened."
- ―Doctor Strange to Peter Parker[src]
In 2024, a video depicting Spider-Man allegedly murdering Mysterio during the Battle of London, as well as footage of Mysterio exposing Spider-Man's identity as Peter Parker was released by The Daily Bugle, turning his life into turmoil.
That fall, Parker, along with Ned Leeds and Michelle Jones, were not accepted to MIT due to the controversy. In order to fix this, Parker visited the New York Sanctum to ask for Doctor Strange's help.
The spell fails
Strange took Parker downstairs, where he cast the spell. Strange mentioned that the entire world was about to forget about Spider-Man's true identity, including him. Feeling confused and distressed, Parker requested for Strange to exclude his loved ones from the spell, leading the spell to become unstable.[1] However, while the spell was only intended to affect their native universe, the reactivation of the connection between their timeline and the Multiverse caused the Runes of Kof-Kol's effect to reach infinite universes.[2]
The spell is contained by Doctor Strange
As a result, the spell caused individuals from other universes who knew of Spider-Man's true identity to be brought into theirs. Strange later shrunk and trapped the spell, before he kicked Parker out of the Sanctum for not attempting to plead his case with MIT first, and for interfering with the spell. Strange contained the spell in the Macchina di Kadavus.[1]
Multiversal Visitors[]
- "That little spell that you botched where you wanted everyone to forget Peter Parker's Spider-Man? It started pulling in everyone who knows Peter Parker's Spider-Man, from every universe, into this one."
"The Multiverse is real? Wait, I thought you said you stopped it."
"No, I contained it. But it appears that a few of them slipped through." - ―Doctor Strange and Peter Parker[src]
As Spider-Man disrupted the spell, many visitors from different universes who knew Spider-Man was Peter Parker, including Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Lizard, Sandman, Electro, Eddie Brock, Venom and two Spider-Men, were taken from their respective universes and brought into Strange and Parker's universe. Doctor Strange tasked Spider-Man with finding these visitors and enchanted his suit to be able to teleport them to an underground prison.[1]
Tear in the Universe[]
The spell opens a rift in the Multiverse
- "Can't you just, cast the spell again? But the original way, before I screwed it up."
"We're too late for that." - ―Spider-Man and Doctor Strange[src]
During the Battle at Liberty Island, the Macchina di Kadavus was destroyed by Green Goblin and the original spell was unleashed, causing purple tears in reality showing bright white figures of various villains of Spider-Man from different universes. Doctor Strange initially attempted to close the rifts with his magic to prevent the beings from entering his universe, which was not enough. Instead, a second spell using the Runes was needed.[1]
Second Spell[]
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Strange begins to cast the second spell
- "Anyone who knows and loves you, we... we'd have no memory of you. It would be as though you never existed."
"I know. Do it." - ―Doctor Strange and Spider-Man[src]
Since the original spell had been unleashed, recasting it without the modifications would not repair reality. Instead, a second spell was required, in which everyone who ever knew Peter Parker would forget him. As soon as Strange began to cast the spell, the tears in reality began to close.
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The spell is completed
As the second spell was cast, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Lizard, Electro, Sandman, Eddie Brock, Venom and the Spider-Men were returned to their universes. Once the spell was finished, everyone in the world forgot about Peter Parker's existence, as well as his identity as Spider-Man. Those who knew Spider-Man would not forget him, as confirmed by Happy Hogan when he talked to Peter next to May Parker's grave. However, they would not know that Peter Parker is underneath the mask.[1]
Capabilities[]
The spell travels the borders of the Multiverse
The Runes of Kof-Kol are capable of making the entire universe forget a certain person, thing, or event. It is possible to make certain people exempt, as Strange remembered the full moon party, and tried to make exceptions while he cast the first spell to make everyone forget Peter Parker was Spider-Man. The spell at its peak potency even has the ability to wipe any traces of an entity being known to even exist in a universe, as shown when Doctor Strange used the spell to erase Parker's identity and the memories associated with them, from all creatures alive. The spell can also erase the memory of the caster, as even Doctor Strange would forget Spider-Man's secret identity with the rest of the universe.
However, modifying the spell during casting is very dangerous and difficult. Due to the spell traveling the borders of the Multiverse to work, access to the Multiverse along with a modified spell can cause multiversal trespassers to enter into the universe of the spell-caster, as shown when Doctor Octopus, Electro, Green Goblin, Lizard, Sandman, Eddie Brock, Venom, and the alternate Spider-Men were transported away from their home universes.
Behind the Scenes[]
- In the Sony's Spider-Man Universe film Morbius, Adrian Toomes was transported to the "Lethal Protector Venom Universe" universe as a side effect of the rift between realities and the second spell.[3][4] However, this has not been addressed by Marvel Studios.