COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK – “Dr. Strange” #37 (January 1992)

'Dr. Strange' #37 (January 1992)

“This week’s “Comic Book of the Week” is “Dr. Strange: Sorcerer Supreme” #37, which was published by Marvel Comics in January 1992. This issue was titled “Frankensurfer.”

This issue’s creative team included Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, Jean-Marc Lofficier and Randy Lofficier, writers; Geof Isherwood, penciler and inker; Pat Brosseau, letterer; George Roussos, colorist; Mike Rockwitz, editor; and Tom DeFalco, editor in chief. Isherwood was the cover artist, and the issue sold for $1.50 at newsstands.

This 32-page issue begins in New York. Dr. Strange is headed home when what appears to be the Silver Surfer streaks across the sky towards him. Without a word, this Silver Surfer attacks Strange with a blast of cosmic energy. Strange reacts quickly by throwing up a magical energy shield and constraining the Surfer in the magical Rings of Raggadorr. The Surfer breaks free and flies away saying he must return to Castle Frankenstein.

Strange doesn’t know what to make of all this, and instead of following the Surfer, he goes home to his famous Sanctum Sanctorum to consult the Book of Vishanti. For the next nine pages, we’re treated to a detailed rundown of the Frankenstein family curse, which begins in Roman times and continues to modern times. Along the way, the curse touches on the fall of Rome, the conquest of France, the Teutonic Knights, Vlad Tepes (aka Dracula), St. George and the Dragon, Solomon Kane, Frankenstein’s Castle, alchemy, Victor Von Frankenstein and his famous “Monster,” the “Bride of Frankenstein,” Mary Shelley, Count Dracula, Nazis, a new Castle Frankenstein and Dr. Doom.

During this rehash of Frankenstein family history, Strange is reminded that one of Victor’s more recent descendants developed a machine that enabled him to create a virtually identical duplicate of the Silver Surfer, which was eventually destroyed by the true Silver Surfer. Reminded of this connection, Strange slams the Book of Vishanti closed and flies off to the second Castle Frankenstein in Switzerland. There, he frees Baroness Victoria Von Frankenstein, who’d been locked away in a dungeon beneath the castle.

She explains to Strange that she’d been imprisoned by Borgo, a hunchbacked servant who killed her father. Crippled by a fall from one of the castle’s towers, Borgo used her father’s “X-Machine” to heal himself by turning himself into a second “Pseudo-Surfer.” As the Baroness is explaining all of this to Strange, Borgo bursts in and starts blasting away with his Surfer cosmic rays.

During the ensuing battle, Borgo unleashes a deadly blast of cosmic energy that accidentally kills an innocent bystander. The woman turned out to be the wife of the man, who’d taken Borgo in and nursed him back to health after his fall from the castle tower. Overcome with grief at what he’d done, Borgo commits suicide by flying into the side of a nearby mountain, which brings the story to a close.

This comic (unless I’ve sold it) and others are available for purchase through Peacock’s Books on Amazon.com. If you’re interested in buying it, search for it there by title, issue number and date of publication.