Real Name: James MandarinJAMES MANDARIN
Real Name: James Mandarin
Identity/Class: Human magic user
Occupation: Unrevealed
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Doctor Strange, Clea, Meredith Stead, Wong
Enemies: Doctor Strange, Dark Crawler/Slitherer in Shadows, Satan,
Silver Dagger
Known Relatives: Unrevealed
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: a monastery
in Nepal, Asia
formerly Greenwich Village, New York;
First Appearance: Doctor Strange II#15 (June 1976)
Powers/Abilities: James Mandarin is a latent mystic with some innate talent for magic,
but how much exactly is unknown.
History:
(Doctor Strange II#15 (fb)) - For ten years, Greenwich Village resident James Mandarin noticed Doctor Strange's
presence and the "crazy things" that happened around him, leading him to discern the truth, ie: that
Strange was a powerful sorcerer.
(Doctor Strange II#15) - Mandarin stalked Doctor Strange and Wong in the streets of New York after their encounter
with Dracula.
He then knocked on Strange's door and immediately slit his own throat. The commotion woke up Strange's guest, Lord Phyffe
and Rama Kaliph. Strange bandaged Mandarin's wounds; later, he learned of Mandarin's obsession with him and his deep-rooted
desire to become Strange's disciple. Strange turned him down. An enraged Mandarin was then lured to become the
instrument of Satan (it is unclear which Satan; probably Mephisto or Marduk Kurios) who took Strange and Clea to
Hell.
(Doctor Strange II#16) - Wong asked Lord Phyffe and Rama Kaliph to perform an exorcism to free Strange from the
clutches of Satan. Their prayers reached Strange in Hell, after he'd just overcome Mandarin's attempts at making
him submit, and helped him pull through his crisis of confidence. Strange returned to the Earthly plane with Clea
and Mandarin.
(Doctor Strange II#17 (fb)) - Mandarin stole some occult books from Strange's library and ran away.
(Doctor Strange II#17 (fb)) - Strange caught up with Mandarin and, with Clea's help, forcibly returned him to his
Sanctum and reclaimed his books. He then erased his memories and teleported him back to Broadway.
(Marvel Fanfare I#8
(fb)) - In circumstances
as yet unrevealed, Mandarin (whose memories had obviously returned, since he recalled who Doctor Strange was, but
not the details of their earlier encounter) obtained the The Secrets of Light and Shadow, the book used by the Undying
Ones' human worshipper Van Nyborg (cf. Incredible Hulk#126) to send Barbara Noriss to the dimension of the Night Crawler/Dark Crawler.
(Marvel Fanfare I#8 ) - Mandarin used a spell from the book to accidentally summon the Dark-Crawler, who referred
himself as The Slitherer in Shadow, and took Mandarin back with him. Mandarin's girlfriend, Meredith Stead, a gifted
painter, went to Doctor Strange for help.
The Slitherer, who had gained new occult knowledge after his encounter with the Undying Ones, used his Sceptre
of Shadows to seal the Eye of Agamotto, then pulled Strange, Clea, and Meredith into his realm. There they confronted
by a Slitherer-possessed, Chaos Sword-wielding James Mandarin, leading an army of demons, planning to conquer Earth.
Meredith convinced Mandarin to reject the Slitherer's mind control.
Mandarin attacked the Slitherer. Strange then sent his astral form to join with Mandarin's body to fight the Slitherer.
Meredith used her will and imagination to create a shield for the combined sorcerers. Mandarin/Strange succeeded
in destroying the Slitherer's Sceptre. Strange banished the demon and returned everyone to Earth. Strange told
Meredith that he may have underestimated Mandarin's true spirit.
(Doctor Strange II#57) - After Clea had left Doctor Strange to pursue her own destiny, the word spread that Strange
needed a new disciple. A small mob of would-be adepts vying for the position gathered outside his Sanctum. Stranged
used a spell of forgetfulness to dispel the crowd. However one man managed to break in -- James Mandarin, who was
immediately subdued by Wong. Strange probed Mandarin's mind to check if he wasn't in thrall to some demonic entity
but found only his sincere desire. Still, he refused to take him as his disciple and had Wong eject him out. 
(Over the Edge and Under a Buck#2 (fb) - BTS) - James Mandarin approached an obscure monastery in Nepal where he wished to train. Knowing that the Order of Low Men seldom accepted Americans, Mandarin fasted outside the temple gates, unmoving and in silence. After three months the High Lama was sufficiently impressed an allowed him into the order. James ritually shaved his head and began chanting and meditating with his fellow the Low Men, trying to get in touch with the divine in him.
(Over the Edge and Under a Buck#2) - As he meditated within the monastery, Mandarin was one of seven sorcerers targeted by Silver Dagger as part of a plot to expunge his own sins and gain vengeance on Dr. Strange simultaneously. Learning of the threat, Dr. Strange arrived in time to save him from being stabbed from behind and killed by a magical dagger. Strange possessed the body of another monk--who was having an out of body experience--and used it to subdue the agent of the Silver Dagger who had infiltrated the Order. Strange then took the magic dagger and left.
Comments: Created by Steve Englehart (writer), Gene Colan (penciller) and Tom Palmer (inker).
"Profile by" Jean-Marc Lofficier
CLARIFICATIONS:
James Mandarin should be distinguished from:
Images:
Doctor Strange II#15, p. 27, panel 1
Marvel Fanfare I#8, p. 15, panel 3
Appearances:
Doctor Strange II#15 (June 1976) - Steve Englehart (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Marvel Fanfare I#8 (May, 1983) - Peter Gillis (writer), Carmine Infantino (pencils), P. Craig Russell (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Last updated: 05/11/04
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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