- "This is the staff of the Living Tribunal."
- ―Karl Mordo[src]
The Staff of the Living Tribunal is a relic used by Karl Mordo for training and combat, that can extend into interlinked segments as a whip or flail. It can either allowed itself to be segmented and be used as a whip filled with fiery energy or a quarterstaff.
History[]
Origins[]
The Staff of the Living Tribunal originally belonged to one of the most powerful cosmic entities in the universe, with the power to exacting impartial yet brutal judgments.[1]
The relic was obtained by the Masters of the Mystic Arts and eventually assigned to Karl Mordo.[2]
Retrieving the Arrow of Apollon[]
Karl Mordo used the Staff of the Living Tribunal to battle the Dragon Raiders in Guizhou, China to retrieve the Bow and Arrow of Apollon when they were stolen.[3]
Training Doctor Strange[]
- "Some magic is too powerful to sustain, so we imbue objects with it. Allowing them to take the strain we can not."
- ―Karl Mordo to Doctor Strange[src]
Karl Mordo demonstrates the Staff's power
A new member of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange was taken under Karl Mordo's wing. While briefing Strange on the mystic relics, Mordo showed Strange the Staff of the Living Tribunal who was impressed by it. Mordo asked Strange to conjure a weapon and once he did, engaged Strange in a sparring match with the staff. Mordo won when he used the Vaulting Boots of Valtorr to evade Strange's attacks.[2]
Battle of the Mirror Dimension[]
When Karl Mordo and the Ancient One traveled to the New York Sanctum, Mordo brought along the Staff. As the building was again attacked by Kaecilius and the Zealots, Mordo used his Staff to defend himself. When Doctor Strange transported the entire group to the Mirror Dimension the Zealots revealed that they had greater control over the dimension and started warping the world around them. Mordo used the Staff to pole-vault around the landscape and defect attacks from the Zealots.[2]
Battle at the Hong Kong Sanctum[]
Karl Mordo fighting the Zealots
Karl Mordo again used this relic during the fight, using it to attack the Zealots. After the battle, Mordo decided to leave the Masters of the Mystic Arts and took the Staff with him.[2]
Capabilities[]
| This section requires expansion |
- Transformation: Staff of the Living Tribunal is a versatile weapon in the hands of a skilled sorcerer. While in normal state the Staff can be utilized like a baton, the user may turn it into quarterstaff-length by pulling both ends together, turning it into a longer, segmented staff. The user can also will the energy which holds its extended form together to be malleable, allowing them to whip or ensnare opponents on the same vein with Eldritch Whip.
Alternate Versions[]
| Origin | Status | Creators | Owners | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heroic Japanese Excursions Universe | Active | - | Masters of the Mystic Arts | Wong |
| Doctor Strange: The Junior Novel | Active | - | Karl Mordo | Karl Mordo |
| Doctor Strange: I Am Doctor Strange | Active | - | Karl Mordo | Karl Mordo |
| Phase Three Box Set | Active | - | Karl Mordo | Karl Mordo |
Appearances[]
In chronological order:
Doctor Strange Prelude, Issue 2
Doctor Strange
- Avengers: Infinity War Prelude, Issue 2: 'The Cosmic Threat From Above!' (flashbacks)
- Doctor Strange: The Junior Novel (alternate universe)
- Doctor Strange: I Am Doctor Strange (alternate universe)
- Phase Three: Marvel's Doctor Strange (alternate universe)
- Doctor Strange, Issue 9-Issue 17: 'After' (alternate universe)
Trivia[]
- In the comics, the Living Tribunal uses a weapon known as the Staff of Polar Power.
