Doctor Strange, while currently not Sorcerer Supreme of Earth (that’s Doom!), is one of the most powerful magic users in the Marvel universe. His skill is augmented with potent magical artifacts including the Eye of Agamotto, the Orb of Agamotto, and the Cloak of Levitation. Doctor Strange’s cloak is perhaps the more notable of the three, for not only being the most visible as a key part of Strange’s costume, but also having the most character. And now we know why.
Doctor Strange has hit a landmark issue with Doctor Strange #450 and Marvel have published the comic as a series of short stories from writers Christian Ward, Ashley Allen, Derek Landy, and Roger Stern. The first short story, The Language of Threads, is written by J. Michael Straczynski, and helps us understand where the cloak’s disposition comes from.
There have been different versions of the Cloak of Levitation but the red one, confusingly first depicted as yellow, was a gift from the Ancient One after Strange defeated Dormammu back in Strange Tales #127. Despite many occasions where the cloak seems to have been destroyed, it has always been repaired, returning to help its master, protecting him in mystical battles.
When it has needed repair though, Doctor Strange has turned to Enitharmon the Weaver; relying on his skills to fix the magical gament. In Doctor Strange #450, it is indeed again Enitharmon who Strange asks to help when the cloak has been damaged by hellfire in a battle with demons. The Cloak of Levitation had put itself between Strange and the bolt of fire, saving its master.
It is this protective nature, as well as other traits like humour and mischief, the lead Doctor Strange to deduce that it has a personality. He asks Enitharmon, who had originally woven the cloak, “whose personality is it?” Enitharmon responds that the personality inhabiting the cloak is that of his daughter, Dahlea.
Dahlea had been a warrior and a sorceror, who trained to be Sorceror Supreme on her planet. She strived to achieve this goal to help others and protect them from terrible powers. It was against one of said powers, Dormammu, that Dahlea sadly met her match. While she saved others battling him, Dormammu destroyed her physical body and left her astral form in tatters.
Enitharmon was able to use his skill as a tailor to grasp and compile the fragile threads of her life, and weave them into a new form. In this form, Dahlea is able to continue her fight to protect those in need as the Cloak of Levitation.
Leave a Reply