Villain: Dormammu, the Mindless Ones

First Appearance: Mindless Ones

Guest Appearance: Clea, Ancient One

Innovation: Dr. Strange receives new cape, new amulet from Ancient One

Letters Page: Page One

Dormammu would rather face the Ancient One than the man he considers to be his rank emissary, so he tells Dr. Strange to go back home. Strange refuses, and Dormammu gives him some time to rethink his charge to battle him, so confident is Dormammu in his strength. While he waits, the young woman comes back to warn him to run away. She takes Strange to the far reaches of her home dimension to show him "the Mindless Ones", a race of primitive savages that live only to fight and destroy. She says that even if he were to defeat Dormammu, it would set up a chain reaction that would annihilate her dimension, since Dormammu is all that stands between her race of people and the Mindless Ones.

They return, and Dormammu takes the young girl prisoner for betrayal. Strange realizes he must fight him to the end, as he must remain loyal to Earth foremost. Dr. Strange pits his energies against Dormammu, and the fight rages on with such intensity that the evil one's grip on the powers that hold the Mindless Ones at bay begins to slip. They make their way past the protective shield and begin to menace the dimension. Dormammu must turn his attention to saving his kingdom from the Mindless Ones, and Dr. Strange helps him by augmenting his power to drive them back. Together, they defeat the Mindless Ones, and an infuriated Dormammu realizes he is in Dr. Strange's debt. He agrees to release the young woman from her death penalty, and agrees as well to not invade Earth.

Dr. Strange returns home to the glad tidings of a newly energized Ancient One, who has had a curse lifted from him since the defeat of Dormammu! He gives Dr. Strange a gift- a new, flowing red cape and a powerful new amulet.