Marvel’s entire universe is a reboot, and only two people know it: Doctor Strange and his nemesis Baron Mordo. This cataclysmic event occurred in the pages of Marvel Premiere #14, written by Steve Englehart (Batman) and Frank Brunner (Howard the Duck), regarded as one of the foremost creative teams to ever tackle the character. And while such an event today may happen across multiple titles, it all occurred in the last three pages of one single issue in 1973.
Doctor Strange was locked in mortal combat against the evil Sise-Neg, a sorcerer from the far future who was travelling back through time, absorbing magics from different eras. His goal was to return to the moment of creation and recreate the universe to his fancy. First appearing as the famed sorcerer Cagliostro, Sise-Neg encountered both Strange and his arch-nemesis Baron Mordo during his quest. After stops at Camelot, Sodom and Gomorrah and the age of the dinosaurs, Strange, Mordo and Neg eventually do arrive at the beginning of the universe.
As the trio traveled back in time, and watched the universe be born, Strange and Mordo marvel as the universe collapses into a primordial ball and disappears; all the while, Sise-Neg is watching, with the duo unsure of how he will act. Eventually, all goes dark. Strange and Mordo are left floating in the darkness, then see a sight they will never forget.
A burst of light comes forth and Sise-Neg reveals that he will not destroy the universe and remake it in his image, but instead let it be reborn, with everything happening as it had before. Saying “reality is always in harmony” if one can truly see it, he admits his journey to godhood has changed his perspective on matters. The universe is indeed reborn, and the flow of events happens as they had before. The issue ends with Strange and Mordo in Times Square on New Years’ Day, 1974.
The rebirth of the universe is essentially a “reboot” of the biggest scale possible and in this case, only Doctor Strange and Baron Mordo seem to be the ones who remember it. What is truly mind-boggling about it is how the event was handled then versus how it would be handled today. The rebirth of the Marvel Universe happened in just three pages of this issue. Contrast that with today, and the adventure likely would be a mega-event with a mini-series and countless tie-ins. But in late 1973, the Marvel Universe was reborn, maybe for the first time, maybe not, and only a handful of people actually know it happened.
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