Doctor Strange (2015) No. 7 Last Days of Magic Chapter 2
In a flashback, the source of the Lord Imperator's anger against magic is shown to us.
This panel shows the death of the Imperator's parents at the hands of wizards in a war between magic and science. The rest is almost cliche. Imperator grew up equating magic with evil and science with good.
Incidentally, these wizards who have been initiating pogroms against scientists were doing so in worship of a powerful magical being called Shuma-Gorath.
And here is were we left off from last issue.
After being defeated Doctor Strange and other sorcerers are about to be burned in an Inquisition-style purge.
Doctor Strange tries to explain to Imperator that magic and science are neither good nor evil, that the actions of those wizards who killed his parents were the actions of individual magicians, not all magicians. Unsurprisingly, it falls on deaf ears. It is a tragedy that the Lord Imperator continues to be trapped by the trauma of his childhood.
Magik would have been the first to be burned but as chance would have it the cavalry has arrived!
It's amusing to see Monako underestimated by everybody around him, including his allies.
Monako will be doing important things here, but he will also say important things like this:
And with that, we get to see what is perhaps Monako's finest hour. It starts with a satisfying strike against the Lord Imperator.
Then an attack against Imperator's cohorts.
Monako uses the last of his magic to teleport the other sorcerers to safety.
Monako has left nothing for himself in a brilliant and noble rearguard action. I'm sure he will be missed in the Bar With No Doors.
Furious at the escape of their victims the Empirakul forge ahead and invade Strange's Sanctum. Unfortunately, Velma is still on the premises.
One sign that you're one of the bad guys? You want to burn books.
And so we come to it.
Remember The Thing in the Cellar that Strange and Wong were being very circumspect about? Whatever it is is about to see some play.
Let's look in on the magicians that Monako has saved.
They look to their leader, Doctor Strange, and here's his plan: