STOP! In the Name of the Loa!!! - Brother Voodoo

Part of what made the 1970's such a groovy time would have to be the new focus on mysticism. Folks in the Age of Aquarius or "New Age" were starting to explore new ways of looking at familiar ideas. And, while everyone was concerned with "the new morality" and "Doing your own thing" traditional institutions like the church your parents went to were seen as part of "The Establishment". Add to that a new interest in all things Afro-centric for a new generation for African-Americans looking to find an identity and a voice in modern America and it's no wonder a comic like Brother Voodoo would hit the shelves.

Sort of a Haitian Doctor Strange, Brother Voodoo even debuted in Doc's old haunt Strange Tales. I would tell you all about it, but the folks over at wikipedia have done a nice job, so I'll let them take it:

"Returning to his native Haïti (born in Port-au-Prince) after 12 years (originally nearly 20^[4]) of education and practice as an accredied psychologist in the United States, Jericho Drumm discovers that his twin brother, Daniel, the local houngan, is dying, a victim of a voodoo sorcerer who claims to be possessed by the spirit of the serpent-god Damballah. Just before he dies, Daniel makes his brother vow to visit Daniel's mentor, Papa Jambo. Jericho does, and becomes Jambo's student. After studying under the aged houngan for several weeks, Jericho gains a greater mastery of voodoo practices than his own brother, becoming a houngan in his own right. Papa Jambo then performs a rite that summons Daniel's spirit from the dead and joins it with Jericho's own. Having fashioned a worthy successor, Papa Jambo dies.

Taking the name Brother Voodoo, Jericho challenges the priest, who goes by the same name as his god Damballah, and his cult. With the help of his Daniel's spirit possessing one of the cult members, Jericho removes Damballah's artifact of power (wangal), causing Damballah's snakes to turn on him and evidently destroying Damballah's cult. Brother Voodoo became Haïti's houngan supreme and champion, and establishes a sprawling mansion as a base of operations. He places the wangal in a safe, its combination known only to Brother Voodoo and his manservant Bambu.^["

Apart from being one of the coolest magic-based characters of all time, the good Brother's relative obscurity has provided years worth of material for Fred Hembeck.

This Doctor Still Makes House Calls!-Strange Tales #120

"Not often does Doctor Strange walk the city streets!"- Yeah, I wouldn't leave the house in that outfit either! *rimshot*


The reason Doctor Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts has deemed to soil himself by condescending to walk amongst us lowly mortals is that, once again, our very existence is threatened by forces beyond our very comprehension. In other words, there's a haunted house and he wants to check it out.

Apparently, the house has enough of a reputation that a TV crew has come to send a reporter inside the house and report his findings live on television. Unfortunately, this being the early 1960's, TV cameras are huge and not at all easy to take with you. Which means that reporter Allen Stevens has to go inside the haunted house and describe what he sees via microphone. Maybe this would have been a better story for radio??

To make sure Stevens is safe, Dr. Strange assumes his ectoplasmic or "unphysical" form and attempts to enter the house. Surprisingly, he is unable to do so. Returning to his body, Strange falls back on his old standby, his magic amulet. Using it's all-seeing eye, Strange observes Stevens within the house. Stevens observes an old oil lamp floating in the air, and then sees something which shocks him so greatly he fears for his sanity.

Strange immediately pushes the crowd out of his way (magically, no less) and enters the house. He witnesses the same floating lamp, which does not scare him. Next, he is encircled in a thick, swirling mist, but Strange is unimpressed with such cheap theatrics:

The mists form themselves into a cage. Strange shouts a lot of mystical mumbo-jumbo and dispells them. The good Doctor talks a little smack to the house and the house replies indignantly in a disembodied (and, I have to assume, otherworldly) voice. Strange demands the release of the reporter or he will reveal the house's true secret. The house consents and then asks Strange to keep his bargain. Strange says he will keep the house's secret,as no-one would believe:


Um, yeah. So, is the house an extradimensional being appearing in the form of a house? Or is there some dimension populated with sentient houses? And if you wanted to observe us, is pretending to be haunted and hiding in the boonies the best way??

This all reminds me of a show from my childhood: The Six-Million Dollar Man. There's a famous story cycle where Col. Steve Austin goes looking for Big Foot. When he finds Big Foot, it turns out that the Sasquatch is really an android, built by an alien race. These aliens live in a hidden, underground complex and have built and sent Big Foot as a way to "observe humanity". First of all, the aliens look just like us. All they hadda do was go into town to observe humanity. Second, is the best way to "observe" humanity to build a 7-foot monster and set it loose in an area so remote no-one ever goes there?? I never got that.

My rendering of events as I recall them.


Any way, I love early Doctor Strange stories. And, yeah, I know I kinda panned Ditko a couple of weeks ago, but his work on this issue was really atmospheric and creepy.

For the rest of what went on in this issue, check out Pat's summary at Silver Age Comics.

Doctor Strange- He's a REAL Doctor.

Comics are full of "Doctor"s. I sometimes wonder if there are more heroes and villains calling themselves "Doctor" or "Captain". Doctor Doom, Doctor Fate, Doctor Occult, Doctor Druid, Doctor Octopus, Doctor Midnight... you get the idea. But whereas most of these guys have PhD's, very few of them have an actual MD after their name.

Enter Doctor Stephen Strange, MD. who debuted in Strange Tales #110, although his origin wouldn't be revealed until Strange Tales #115. Dr. Strange was a brilliant and self-centered neurosurgeon whose hands were injured in an automobile accident. After trying every conventional means to restore his surgical talent, Strange undertakes a treacherous pilgrimage to the Far East, in search of a mystical hermit called the Ancient One.

After defeating the Ancient One's rogue disciple Baron Mordo, Strange becomes the Ancient One's new disciple, leaving surgery behind to become a Master of the Mystic Arts.

Doctor Strange has the power to leave his physical body to travel anywhere in the world, or even to other dimensions. He defends the Earth from mystical and trans dimensional invaders and has the enmity of several prominent demons.

Doctor Strange works as a mystical troubleshooter from his renovated brownstone in the Village where he lives with his manservant, Wong. I swear, I didn't make that up.

Steve Ditko, who was also the original Spider-Man artist, seems really at home drawing Doctor Strange. Psychedelic, mystical superheroes seem to have been right up his alley.