SPOILER ALERT for Defenders #1 by Al Ewing, Javier Rodriguez, and Alvaro Lopez
Up until now, we have believed that time travel is a menacing affair. But Marvel Comics has proved that there are other versions of this game that carry higher stakes than the one we witnessed in Avengers: Endgame. Let’s find out why.
Time Travel has recently penetrated the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is already driving the course of Phase 4. Its long relationship with sci-fi has enabled superhero stories to cash on the subject since it was introduced. Time travel made its debut in the MCU with Avengers: Endgame. But poor incorporation of the idea resulted in a messy and confusing plot. In the latest series on Disney+, Loki answered all the related doubts with the help of TVA. The franchise clarified that no one can change the past, but messing up with it can branch out different timelines. This version of time travel is the cause for Multiverses. But in Defenders #1, the Sorcerer Supreme has revealed that his method is far more powerful than the time travel we know of.
What Doctor Strange is Capable of
The concept of time travel in magic and mystic arts can manipulate the past, unlike the scientific methods. So, a sorcerer with evil intentions can rewrite history and mould it to their benefit. In this issue, Doctor Strange learns that a sorcerer is attempting to travel back in time with the help of the Book of Cagliostro. The infamous Book of Cagliostro is linked to the warlock who trained Doctor Doom.
This twist explains the many inconsistencies throughout the comic books and Marvel movies, such as X-Men. Doctor Strange’s sorcery also connects to Tempura’s abilities of temporal manipulation.
It would be interesting to see the MCU translate the various methods of time travel into the screen. This idea opens the door to so many possibilities as MCU is now venturing into this adventure. But the franchise is yet to reveal its other time-travelling ways. So far, they have stuck to the scientific way, and the death of He Who Remains leading to Multiverse of Madness clarifies MCU’s model of temporal mechanics. Only time will tell if we’ll get to watch Doctor Strange’s dangerous method of time exploration.
