#𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 / doctor strange supreme au. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

masterstrange · 3 years

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𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 & 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓-𝐈𝐅

Under the cut is my takeaway from the episode we saw, based on my portrayal and headcanons. Please do not copy. Personals do not interact. The dynamic described with Christine Palmer is connected to @caresomuch. Spoilers below.

Please note, the things detailed here are subject to change as episodes continue to come out. This breakdown is purely based on episode four.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒

Firstly, I’d like to highlight elements of the episode that echo or outright confirm personal headcanons I’ve had

Stephen is not an avid television watcher, his wheel house for pop culture has always been more music based and minus a few exceptions, isn’t very big on movies and T.V.. Exceptions include things like: Harrison Ford films, Star Wars, and Star Trek --- which I have previously linked to his sister being very into science fiction and space, as a way of feeling close to her and to keep his mind occupied on long overnights at the hospital. Stephen is very much someone who will fall asleep when a movie is put on.

Previously, I have touched upon how much Stephen struggles with loss and how it has fueled him over the course of his life. First as a doctor, and later as a sorcerer. This episode really has shown some of the worst extremes he could be pushed to based on that. I have also touched upon in personal plotting sessions with partners that Stephen could also be pushed to use magic to steal more time with lost loves after their death.. or perhaps use it to try to change it in some ways. I also feel like that has been verified thanks to this episode. In a more stable setting, where Stephen is properly being supported through therapy --- he wouldn’t go to the extremes shown in the episode, but he would still struggle and likely do something.

Christine Palmer is and always has been someone extremely important to Stephen, and at least at one point, the love of his life. Even in plots where they don’t get back together --- she will always be very important and close to him. He will always keep the watch. Love doesn’t have to always be romantic love, and no matter what he will always love her. He would do anything for her.

This episode alluded in ways to something that has existed in some of the comics and on my blog and portrayal very much, that Stephen does use Alcohol as coping mechanisms and struggles with alcoholism. Wong makes comments about it briefly, and we see him a few times drinking to deal with pain. I will soon post a full write up on his addiction and how it affects him personally --- but for now, go with the knowledge that Stephen having a dependency and history with high functioning alcoholism is very much canon on this account.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒

Secondly, I’d like to touch on areas of the episode and give my perspective on what was happening internally in spots of the episode based on my portrayal.

Stephen was willing to die for Christine. I feel that one was pretty clear, but I’ve also always touched upon how Stephen has had poor mental health and how some times the comics imply that his accident may have been somewhat intentional. When Stephen let Christine drive, his entire purpose was to die in her place --- so that she might live. Even as the Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen does not think his life is worth much --- especially when compared to his loved ones. For a moment, he was happy --- when the car collided and he expected his own death, he was at peace there... only for it to be yanked away when he realised that it hadn’t changed anything. This is a major part in why this particular instance pushes him the way it does. He doesn’t think he should be allowed to live while Christine is dead --- and this is a belief built upon the loss he has already suffered and holds himself accountable for. He could not handle losing her, she was the last family he had. He felt truly alone. He knew he had Wong now, as the other Stephen expresses, but when he went back and tortured himself again and again with his attempts to change it... those feelings got lost in the self-inflicted pain he was feeling.

When Strange Supreme became whole again at the end of the episode, he regained the humility, compassion, guilt, and heart seen in his other half --- which is why he looks around in horror of what he’s done and makes such a powerful shift after Christine awakes and is horrified by the being he has become. Claiming he never wanted this to happen, and trying desperate to change it and reverse it. Strange Supreme could begin to see clearly, and while he didn’t regret what he tried to do, he could see he messed up and was desperate to take the consequences for himself and spare everyone else. The two versions of himself mixing together to create one whole.

Stephen genuinely could not see how far he had fallen, not with The Ancient One, not with his other half, only finally when he saw the terror in Christine’s eyes as the world began collapsing around him. Christine has always been his compass, and without her he was lost --- and in her horror, he can truly recognize that and feel the shame of what he’s done.

It was that moment too when the merged halves truly snapped together and began operating as one once more --- but it’s a whole that will always be at war with himself due to The Ancient One’s desperate act to divide them in the first place.

𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃

This will lightly touch upon the verse write up that’s coming soon, but it’s mainly addressing my default canon at the moment.

Stephen clearly escapes that little mirror shielded place he creates as Christine fades away, considering that he is seen in his Strange Supreme form in trailer footage interacting with a Thor and Captain Carter. What this will lead to will be determined, and may cause changes later on to the canon outlined here --- but for the moment this is concept being used.

Stephen escapes, and begins monitoring timelines, looking for ones where his counterparts died and taking their place after the moment of death. His motives initially are survival, followed by a tug on the back of his mind that he can use his knowledge from his own universe to “fix” and “experiment” in these ones. His motives are good, but if they actually result that way may vary.

He may hop between different ones, but he’s not at a place where he’ll kill other Stephen’s --- since he was reconstructed whole once more, he did regain some of his heart and morality in that regard. Besides, he has learned his lesson about trying to outright change a timeline’s outcome --- and Stephen’s whole way of dealing with issues is trying to outsmart problems. He cheats, looks for loopholes. He’s lost his own world, and he won’t kill another version of himself by choice because he doesn’t want to risk being responsible for that once more. Hence he finds ones where his counterpart is already set to die and sneaks his way into them.

It’s important to note that this isn’t an cackling supervillain version of Stephen, as the ancient one says --- He’s misguided. He’s in the wrong, yes --- but he’s not always convinced of that. He believes his actions are justified and for a good cause, so he’s not deliberately going out of his way to cause misery. He’s doing terrible things yes, but in the role of a tragic figure. He is darker, less moralized, and jaded --- but he’s also not going around being “Evil”.

#𝐈 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐀 𝐃𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌 / about.#𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐒 / what if?#𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 / doctor strange supreme au.#/ do not reblog.#/ personals don't interact.#𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐒 / marvel.#𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐒 / general tag.

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