Clea

Clea, half-Faltine and half Dark Dimension mortal, is gifted with mystical powers. She uses them to aid the Sorcerer Supreme Dr. Stephen Strange, AKA Doctor Strange, and eventually rules her home dimension. Though her relationship with Strange flourishes and she lives with him on Earth for a time and fights with the Super Hero team The Defenders. When the Dark Dimension comes under attack from tyrants, she becomes a rebel leader and fights to save her people.

Heir to the Dark Dimension

Untold millennia ago, Clea’s ancestor, G’uran the Great, initiates the ruling G’uranthic Empire of the Dark Dimension, which his descendant, Oka’an, eventually united into a peaceful society. The empire lasts another 28,000 years until the coming of the Faltinians Umar and Dormammu during the reign of Clea’s grandfather, Olnar. Only several decades ago, Dormammu and his sister Umar adopt human form and settle in the Dark Dimension, helping Olnar expand his rule by annexing numerous pocket realms into the Dark Dimension. 

Desiring human companionship, Umar has a brief tryst with Olnar’s son, Prince Orini, and end up bearing Clea. Disgusted by the experience of childbirth, Umar wants nothing to do with Clea and gives her to Orini to be raised. Eventually Dormammu and Olnar annex the neighboring realm of the Mindless Ones, highly destructive rampaging creatures, and Olnar is slain in the ensuing struggle, just as Dormammu and Umar had planned. The Mindless Ones, however, are even more powerful than Dormammu and Umar had thought, and they combine and virtually exhaust their powers in trapping the deadly Mindless Ones behind a mystic barrier to protect themselves and the Dark Dimension’s citizens. Weakened, Umar is banished to another dimension and Dormammu leads the people, placing Orini as his second in command since he’s his closest disciple. 

Clea grows up learning to worship Dormammu, thinking him all-powerful and faultless. As she nears adulthood, she aids the human visitors Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos against Dormammu, and sees for the first time how brutal Dormammu can be.

Years later, Clea aids human sorcerer Doctor Strange against Dormammu who then imprisons her, but she’s released when Strange defeated Dormammu. Clea subsequently aids Strange from afar, leading Dormammu to capture her again, but Strange ultimately triumphes a second time, though Dormammu cast Clea into another dimension to punish Strange. Clea’s soon rescued once Strange defeats Dormammu again, leaving the Dark Dimension without a ruler. 

Mystical Forces

Clea can tap into various mystical forces by petitioning other-dimensional entities (such as Raggador and Nirvalon) for aid, relying on her own mystic talents, and manipulating various mystic forces. Clea is half-Faltinian and half Dark Dimension mortal and can naturally fly and hover. Her powers increase and decrease based on her peace with herself, her energy levels, and her connection to her environment. Clea’s mystic powers are greatest when she wore the Flames of Regency, and has been shown to be greater in the Dark Dimension than they are on Earth.

Clea can exit her body in her astral form, which can travel at the speed of thought, communicate with others telepathically (most notably to Dr. Strange due to their close bond), plant telepathic suggestions in the others’ minds, alter others’ memories, sense others’ psychic auras, locate beings and objects, see other astral forms, create psyche-spheres to block telepathic intrusion, channel good spirits for limited astral effects, project her mind or body through the timestream, and combine her mind with others order to increase mystic talent. 

Clea has grown proficient in various spells, including utilizing weaver magic, transforming or conjuring animals and objects, and teleporting herself and others across the world or to other dimensions. She can also project force bolts and form shields. Clea also uses several mystic artifacts for various effects.

Omnipresent Enemies

Clea grows up to worship the Faltinian Dormammu, ruler of the Dark Dimension, but when she sees his brutality, she aids others in their quests to defeat the powerful being. She betrays Dormammu and he captures her, though she is freed by Dr. Stephen Strange, AKA Doctor Strange. She spends most of her life fighting Dormammu and occasionally her own mother, Umar, a fellow Faltinian, who comes to rule the Dark Dimension later. 

Close Ties and Allies

Joining The Defenders alongside Doctor Strange, Clea becomes a member of the team, helping them to free other team members from capture and helps them defeat Dormammu in his multiple attempts to invade Earth.

Clea grows close to Doctor Strange in their adventures together and they share a long-term romantic relationship. They eventually “marry” by wearing matching rings that connect them across the dimensions. Though Clea leaves him to save her home dimension from tyranny. That doesn’t stop her from helping him when he goes mad and forms The Order.

While Clea joins the Sibyls, a group of women trained to protect the Earth against the extradimensional threat of Xennus and Tiberius Exeter, to save Earth, she does not stay with the team. 

A Sorcerer’s Path

Clea meanwhile began honing her mystical talents, though they proved ineffective against the Mindless Ones. Umar, released from exile, curtailed the Mindless Ones, took over the Dark Dimension and banished Clea once again, leading Strange to rush to her rescue. To protect Clea from Umar, Strange sent Clea to another dimension where no one would be able to find her.

Settling in the Realm Unknown, Clea spent weeks taking refuge from the demonic Dykkors until Dormammu took her captive. Eventually Strange, with his human ally Victoria Bentley, came to rescue Clea, and sent the two women back to Earth, where they used the mystic Orb of Agamotto to help him defeat Dormammu again. Realizing she would have to settle on Earth to stay safe, Clea took on an apartment and struggled with fitting in on Earth but soon noticed a reduction in her mystic affinity. She started a romantic relationship with Strange and aided him against such foes as the Sons of Satannish, the vampire Verdelet and the extradimensional Nightmare. She quickly started questioning her worth to Strange and her own fate on Earth, though Strange told her that his sorcerer duties took first priority. 

Clea joined with Strange and his allies Bruce Banner, AKA Hulk, and Namor McKenzie, AKA Namor the Sub-Mariner, against Dormammu, who had tried invading Earth, and the men stayed together as infrequent allies, the Defenders. Clea had frequent interactions with this team, often based in Strange’s mansion, over the following years. While aiding Strange in a trans-global struggle against the immensely powerful Shuma-Gorath, Clea’s mystic abilities were brought to their full potential, the Ancient One was killed, and Strange became the Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. Clea then accepted Strange’s offer to become his official disciple, though her dual role as lover and student conflicted in the years that followed.

Clea actively pursued her studies over the following months, aiding Strange and the Defenders against Silver Dagger, who tried turning Clea to his cause; Sister Celestia; Verdelet, once again; the Sons of the Serpent; Karl Amadeus Mordo, AKA Baron Mordo; Shazanna; and Elihas Starr, AKA Egghead’s Emissaries of Evil. They were led back to the Dark Dimension when Dormammu tried taking over Earth, and Clea was utilized by the Earth goddess Gaea to defeat him; Orini remained loyal to Umar throughout all of this, not willing to forgive Clea her betrayals and even once trying to kill Clea. 

Clea acted as an anchor to Strange, reminding him of his humanity and need for fun, even when he was briefly changed to the Red Rajah by the mind-controlling Star of Capistan gem. Though Clea struggled with feelings that Strange was not always open and honest with her, she continued studying and participating in missions against Mephisto in Hell and against Stygyro of the Creators while time-traveling, where Clea met and flirted with the legendary Benjamin Franklin. Clea was affected by a spell from the mystic Xander and, after briefly being captured by the extradimensional Lectra of Phaseworld, attacked New York until Strange stopped her. Clea, Strange, and Wong worked together to save the world from being remade by the Creators and the powerful In-Betweener, and they were aided by Apalla, a star in human form. Clea later aided Strange against Johnny Blaze, AKA Ghost Rider, in a plot of Dormammu’s.

Clea grew irate with Strange when he began leaving her behind on missions, though he soon apologized. She aided the Defenders against an Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) Warbot and Strange against Alaric, a swordsman who was determined to make Clea his bride, as well as the pawns of the Fear Lord the Dweller-in-Darkness, including the Dream-Weaver, and a sewer monster. Silver Dagger captured Clea again and corrupted her soul, turning her into a deadly energy being that Strange and other heroes were barely able to defeat. 

Returned to normal, Clea aided others in saving Strange from becoming a werewolf. During their battle against the Dweller’s demons, Ningal and Ludi, Clea grew jealous of Victoria Bentley’s flirtations with Strange. Clea was kidnapped by the mystic madman Dr. Nicodemus West, though she managed to escape on her own. After joining the Defenders in battling Yandroth, who, while inhabiting the body of Stephanie Donal, was able to take brief mental control of Clea, Clea met Strange’s friend Sara Wolfe and they aided her against the demonic Eye Killers. Clea and Strange fought against Mordo, then Clea went off on her own to find the missing Wong. She was captured by the Lords of the Golden Dragon and taken to the dimension Kaichek, home of Shialmar the Shadowqueen, where Wong had been captured. Clea spent the following weeks fighting for her life among the other rebels there until Strange joined her and they liberated Wong and defeated Shialmar.

The Defenders soon sought Clea’s aid in Tunnelworld, where they became embroiled in a deadly conflict with the powerful Unnameable and the divided soul of Arisen Tyrk, former God-King of Other-Realm, though Clea felt responsible for their early losses. The Defenders repelled Greg Salinger, AKA Foolkiller, and, while Strange was absent on an extended mission, Clea officially joined the team. Feeling she wasn’t progressing, she considered renouncing her position as Strange’s disciple, but Strange convinced her to stay after they fought the N’Garai demons. Clea was soon mentally contacted by the ancient Sibylla, founder of the Sibyls, a group of women prepared over the centuries to protect the Earth against the extradimensional threat of Xennus and Tiberius Exeter. She and Strange traveled to Rome, where she proved invaluable in saving the Earth, but Clea chose to remain with Strange rather than the Sibyls. 

Clea aided the Defenders against Jerome Beechman, AKA Mandrill, and she and Strange defeated Nicodemus anew as well as the deadly Dark-Crawler. The Defenders soon fought a series of battles against the Six-Fingered Hand, a cabal of demons who sought to unleash hell on Earth. After this battle, Clea and Strange renewed their love for each other and for life as they traveled the world with Norrin Radd, AKA Silver Surfer.

After battling the Set-spawned Serpent Men and attending the funeral of Mar-Vell, AKA Captain Marvel, Clea mystically aided her teammate Kyle Richmond, AKA Nighthawk, against the psychic Mindy Williams. Clea and other mystics were briefly captured by the demon Thog until Ted Sallis, AKA Man-Thing, freed them. Clea battled the demon Null the Living Darkness alongside the Defenders, and Tiboro, Verdelet, and Ikonn, AKA Lord of Illusions, alongside Strange. 

After aiding Jericho Drumm, AKA Brother Voodoo, against Damballah, Clea, and Strange’s new ally Morgana Blessing were kidnapped and sent back to World War II by Mordo, who was seeking to resurrect Dormammu. However, Clea channeled the powers of love of those assembled, leaving Dormammu and Mordo defeated again, but Clea felt overwhelmed by the extent of the love Morgana possessed for Strange. Feeling that she couldn’t compete with this love, she tearfully bid Strange farewell and returned to the Dark Dimension to lead the rebellion against Umar there, a fight she previously avoided.

Clea’s rebellion established a base under an impenetrable zone within the realm of the Mindless Ones. Clea set up her fellow rebels, including Rahl, Modahr, Myrra, Synth, and others, with secret passwords, spells, and equipment that would aid them as they gathered support against Dormammu. Clea sent word to Strange that Umar thought him behind the rebellion, then had her allies capture Orini, from whom they gained needful information. After Strange joined them in the rebellion, Clea posed as Orini, allowing her to get close to Umar. Revealing herself, she battled Umar, secretly relaying all of Umar’s words of betrayal and greed to the denizens of the Dark Dimension. With Umar’s power weakened due to the lack of faith in her from her subjects, Clea defeated her and claimed rulership of the Dark Dimension for herself, the flames of regency appearing around her head. More powerful than ever before, Clea vowed to rule the Dark Dimension fairly, and she banished Umar and Orini. Though she invited Strange to remain as her imperial consort, he returned to Earth, and Clea showed romantic feelings for her fellow rebel, Rahl.

In time, the empath Topaz contacted Clea for help in reawakening Strange’s emotions, but Strange refused to submit to his feelings of love for Clea and turned away. Clea recognized that his lack of emotion contributed to her leaving him before. Weeks later, Clea returned to Earth to aid Strange against Dormammu, who had taken possession of Strange’s body, and they soon defeated him. Reaffirming their love for each other, they were married in a sense by wearing matching rings that were one and that connected them across the dimensions. After banishing the deadly “Barrier” beast in the Dark Dimension, Clea disguised herself as Strange on Earth and showed herself to Morgana, wanting to learn if things were really over between them. She felt guilty and altered Morgana’s memories of this event, then returned to Strange and they announced their marriage to his friends; she eventually admitted her jealous feelings. Later, Clea was mystically blocked from traveling to Earth and she found herself overwhelmed with fighting back the Mindless Ones, who had managed to escape from their realm. She soon returned to Earth and aided Strange against the Asgardian Amor, AKA Enchantress, and her Executioner construct. Arkon traveled to Earth and grew determined to make Clea his queen, but she quickly defeated him, proud that she saved Strange twice instead of him saving her.

Clea and Strange soon found themselves in a complicated battle against their former ally Marie Laveau and Victor Strange, AKA Baron Blood. When Clea was hit with an enchanted weapon that made her hate Strange, he knocked her unconscious with a spell and kept her asleep while he finished the battle. Strange sent her back to the Dark Dimension to be cared for by Rahl, not knowing that Dormammu had reconstituted himself in the Dark Dimension and began taking control of Clea. Dormammu lured Strange into the realm and placed them both in captivity, then retrieved Umar and Orini from exile, combined Clea and Strange into one form, and cast the combined form into another dimension. Clea and Strange saved Umar from defeat at Dormammu’s hands by spiriting her away, and she in turn restored them to their original forms. Dormammu captured them anew and drained their powers, defeated Clea’s rebel allies, and plotted to merge the Dark Dimension with Earth, using Mordo as a new ally. When they all realized they were doomed to defeat, they entered a compromise: Clea would willingly give up her throne and turn it over to Umar and Mordo, and Dormammu would be given control over a sub-realm. All agreed and Dormammu was given the realm of the Mindless Ones, infuriating him. Clea returned to Earth with Strange promising to never return to the Dark Dimension unless she heard that Umar was being a tyrant.

Clea took some time to herself on Earth to grow accustomed to the loss of her home before returning to Strange, and she met his new disciple, the extradimensional man-bull Rintrah. When Clea offered to help Strange in a battle against the demonic Ullikummis (actually Mephisto’s daughter Mephista), he refused and cast a sleep spell over her. When she awoke two days later, Clea was furious and stormed off, though she later returned and aided him against the Silver Dagger. Strange asked for forgiveness, which Clea offered, and then she joined other Earth mystics in acting as a magic anchor on Earth while many of Earth’s heroes fought Thanos. Clea and Strange briefly traveled back to ancient Egypt, met Cleopatra, and defeated the sorcerer Zota. Working to restore a wounded Thor Odinson, AKA Thor, Clea, Strange, and Wanda Maximoff, AKA Scarlet Witch, passed through Asgard, where they fought Hela and Cerberus. 

Clea took a short-lived job at the Memorial Metaphysical Institute, where she tested others for powers alongside Sara Wolfe. Clea and Strange were soon caught up in an invasion on Earth by the Fear Lords, deadly entities who absorbed fear they inspired in humans. They allied with the Straw Man and Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil, to win the fight. Clea aided Strange and James Howlett/Logan, AKA Wolverine, against the N’Garai before learning of the atrocities Umar and Mordo had committed in the Dark Dimension.

Seeking to liberate her homeworld once again, without Strange’s help, Clea allied with the Faltinian Flyx and coerced promised aid from the Purple Dimension’s ruler, Aggamon. She recruited further aid from the 6th Dimension’s Tiboro and other Lords of the Nether Realms. Clea and her allies attacked Umar and Mordo, prepared to triumph, but they were shocked when Flyx was revealed as Dormammu in disguise, absorbed Umar and Mordo into himself and reasserted control of the Dark Dimension. Dormammu took Clea and the others captive, allowed the Mindless Ones to run free through the Dark Dimension and slew any others with mystic talents. Clea managed to send a message to Strange, and he came with Hulk, Dan Ketch, AKA Ghost Rider, and Silver Surfer to dethrone Dormammu. After saving Clea from being tortured, Strange sent Dormammu running, and Clea stayed behind to help her people rebuild. 

The Dark Dimension entered a state of civil war and Clea, now known as the Supreme Adept, organized followers behind her. Several supernatural factions, including Dormammu, started vying for power in the Dark Dimension and Clea’s forces fought against impossible odds. Her mystic powers significantly diminished due to Dormammu and the war, Clea, seeing no other options, disguised herself as a young soldier, Rei, and had a group of soldiers escort her to Dormammu’s palace, where her forces, except Nobel, sacrificed themselves so that she could transport herself to Earth. Encountering only the twisted Doctor Strange fragment known as Strange, who promised to aid her after he had resolved his own problems, Clea returned to the Dark Dimension to fight alone. Desperate, Clea tried allying with Dormammu, mediating through the reptilian Mori race, but Dormammu proved treacherous and Clea fled with her few remaining forces.

Clea soon received a much-needed ally when the Strange fragment merged with the dying essence of Nobel to become Paradox, who aided her against the Mindless Ones. Clea soon liberated Kronik, one of Dormammu’s former allies, and learned that the war was causing many mystics to mutate and cause even more widespread damage. Over the following months, Clea continued to battle against impossible odds, gathering support where she could, though Dormammu spread his attention elsewhere. Clea eventually aided the Defenders against rogue members Doctor Strange, Hulk, Sub-Mariner, and Silver Surfer—who had gone mad and were trying to take over the world as the Order—in exchange for their promise to help her in her war. Clea aided the Defenders and their allies, mystically creating Ardina, a female version of the Silver Surfer, and they eventually learned that Yandroth was behind the Order’s madness and defeated him. Despite their promise, however, Clea apparently returned to the Dark Dimension alone to continue her war. 

When Dormammu briefly remade the Earth in his image, he had an alternate version of Strange torture Clea, but the Earth-616 reality was soon restored. Having manipulated Dormammu for her own benefit, Umar reclaimed rule of the Dark Dimension.