Doctor Strange, one of Marvel’s most fascinating early characters, began at the hands of co-creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and his ethereal voyages through other dimensions made him an important figure in 1960s culture.

From his first appearance in 1963, Strange captivated a wide range of readers. Over his first ten years, a succession of writers and artists—including Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, Gardner F. Fox, P. Craig Russell, Marie Severin, and notably Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner—expanded on Ditko’s original mind-bending concepts.

This entry in the MARVEL AGE OF COMICS explores Strange’s changing roles as a mystic, super hero, and leader of a chaotic team called the Defenders, and the rise of his popularity, in parallel with the counterculture of the 1960s.