Why Doctor Strange Abandons The Avengers To Join Doctor Doom Explained

Published Nov 14, 2026, 4:31 PM EST Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows. There's a sensible reason why Doctor Strange betrays the Avengers and becomes Doctor Doom's right-hand man during the collapse of the Marvel multiverse. Every major Avengers antagonist has led an army and a group of devoted lieutenants. In The Avengers, Loki weaponizes the Chitauri to invade the Earth, assisted by the brainwashed Hawkeye and Erik Selvig. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ultron builds an endless hive-mind swarm of Ultron Sentries designed to evolve alongside him and enlists Wanda and Pietro Maximoff before the twins defect. When Thanos finally makes his move in Infinity War and Endgame, he brings the Black Order and hordes of Outriders and Chitauri with him. One of the biggest questions surrounding Avengers: Doomsday is the identity of Doctor Doom's acolytes, who seem to draw inspiration from the Black Swans and Black Priests of Jonathan Hickman’s Time Runs Out storyline. While there's a possibility they're Doombots or alternate Victor von Doom variants, close inspection of their masks and cloaks suggests that Doom is secretly leading corrupted or brainwashed variants of MCU magic users. Doctor Strange, Wanda Maximoff, Clea, and Sylvie are the most likely heroes-turned-villains hiding behind the hoods, potentially manipulated into believing that Doom's authoritarian rule is the only way to save a collapsing multiverse from total destruction. Marvel Studios inevitably makes significant changes to every major comic book storyline it adapts into live-action, and the plot of Time Runs Out and Secret Wars is no exception. Just like the exact location of the Infinity Stones ahead of Avengers: Infinity War and the Avengers' method to undo Thanos' Snap ahead of Avengers: Endgame, the mystery behind Doctor Doom's followers might be one of Avengers: Doomsday's biggest points of speculation and one of its biggest twists as well. Doctor Strange Realizes Only Doctor Doom Can Save The Multiverse Doctor Strange Has No Choice But To Support Doctor Doom As the Marvel multiverse collapses in Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars saga, Doctor Strange realizes that neither the Illuminati nor the Avengers can prevent the end of all existence. Throughout the preceding Time Runs Out storyline, Strange watches brilliant minds like Reed Richards and Tony Stark exhaust every scientific and ethical option while incursions erase entire realities. Having already abandoned conventional superhero morality by embracing dark blood magic to save his world, Strange ultimately discovers that the omnipotent Beyonders are orchestrating the multiverse's destruction. Doctor Strange uncovers Victor von Doom’s secret identity as Rabum Alal, the Great Destroyer who spent years killing Molecule Men across parallel worlds before gathering the survivors into a massive bomb to use against the Beyonders. Doom embraced the unthinkable role of cosmic executioner to buy creation a fighting chance. So, joining forces with Doom and Molecule Man for a last stand against the Beyonders before the final universes collide, Strange witnesses Owen Reece channel the Ivory Kings' godlike energy into Victor. Doctor Strange Serves Doctor Doom To Maintain Order In Battleworld Doctor Strange Isn't An Authentic Villain In Secret Wars Following Doctor Doom's creation of Battleworld, Doctor Strange cements his choice to support Doom and accepts the role of Sheriff Strange, willingly partnering with Doom so that at least a sliver of humanity survives. Strange knows deep down that Victor is a tyrant whose rule will eventually crumble under his own pride, but he also understands that without Doom’s iron grip, nothing would exist at all. Although Strange's support of God Emperor Doom is a betrayal of his heroic principles, he has no option but to help a ruthless monarch hold the pieces together until a better world can be reborn. As Sheriff of Battleworld, Doctor Strange becomes the supreme enforcer and right-hand magistrate of the realm, bearing the exhausting burden of keeping Victor von Doom’s patchwork reality from tearing itself apart. Based in Battleworld's Isle of Agamotto, Strange leads the Thor Corps and mediates violent border disputes between rival barons like Sinister, Apocalypse, and Maestro. Whenever rebellions erupt or forbidden memories of the old multiverse resurface, Sheriff Strange arrives to restore stability. Besides, Strange also hides the sealed life raft of surviving Earth-616 heroes he discovered years after Battleworld's creation, keeping the mysterious vessel locked away to prevent it from affecting the peace while he outwardly enforces Doom's every decree. Doctor Strange Eventually Betrays God Emperor Doom Doctor Strange Plays A Key Role In The Heroes' Secret Wars Victory After eight years of enforcing Battleworld’s laws, Sheriff Strange turns against God Emperor Doom during the explosive climax of Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić’s Secret Wars #4. Strange had secretly kept the mysterious Earth-616 life raft hidden inside his Isle of Agamotto sanctum for five years after discovering it, unsure of what lay inside. When a separate raft belonging to the sinister Cabal led by Thanos and the Maker breaches Battleworld, Strange finally has the Earth-616 vessel opened, awakening Reed Richards, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Star-Lord, Cyclops, and the Mighty Thor to join him in the fray. The Battleworld conflict draws God Emperor Doom himself down to the battlefield, where the omnipotent ruler kills Cyclops and confronts Sheriff Strange. Then, Strange performs a powerful teleportation spell that scatters Reed Richards, Black Panther, and the rest of the surviving heroes safely across Battleworld’s various domains where they can ignite a coordinated rebellion. Shockingly, after Strange mocks Doom's lingering fear of Richards, God Emperor Doom obliterates Strange on the spot with a single blast, making Strange a martyr whose final spell ensures the downfall of Doom's empire. The MCU Has Already Adapted Doctor Strange's Decision From Marvel Comics' Secret Wars Doctor Strange Has Already Helped The Avengers' Main Villain Before The MCU captured the spirit of Doctor Strange’s pragmatic compromise in Avengers: Infinity War, when he voluntarily handed the Time Stone over to Thanos on Titan. Although Strange's decision is now seen as the wise first step in his successful plan to overturn Thanos' Snap and bring half of the universe back to life, it used to seem like an uncharacteristic move from one of the MCU's brightest minds. Just like his Secret Wars counterpart, Benedict Cumberbatch's MCU Strange recognized that outright victory at that moment was impossible and that temporary defeat was the sole pathway to survival. Since the MCU has already shown Strange willingly hand victory to a tyrant once, Avengers: Doomsday will likely adapt Sheriff Strange with a clever twist so the beat doesn't feel repetitive. Instead of having Earth-616 Strange consciously strike another secret bargain with Doctor Doom, the MCU's adaptation of Time Runs Out and Secret Wars could introduce a brainwashed Strange who may have lost an off-screen battle against Doom following the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This scenario is more likely, considering the rest of Doctor Doom's acolytes are also likely to be fellow Avengers. How do you think Avengers: Doomsday will adapt Doctor Strange's allegiance to Doctor Doom? Doctor Strange Alias Stephen Vincent Strange Created By Steve Ditko First Appearance Strange Tales Alliance Avengers, Defenders, Illuminati, Infinity Watch, Midnight Sons, New Avengers, The Order Franchise Marvel