THE MARK OF SORROW
(of Earth-13729)

Classification: Extradimensional (Earth-13729) mystic brand

Creator: Doctor Doom (Valeria Richards)

User/Possessors: Wiccan (Billy Kaplan)

First Appearance: (behind-the-scenes, as part of Wiccan's body): Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#1 (December, 2016);
(mentioned only as "the Mark"): Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#2 (January, 2017);
(fully seen as a brand on Wiccan's body): Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#7 (June, 2017)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Those branded with the Mark of Sorrow could channel great mystic power through the Mark (such as projecting ice and mystic energy from it or mass teleportation) but the more the Mark's power was used, the more the Mark bound its user's soul, constricting until eventual death.

History: (Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#10 (fb)) - After his teammates in the X-Men were overtaken and infected by the Brood aliens, Earth-13729's Wiccan was tempted by Dr. Doom, who ruled Hell. Doom offered Wiccan increased power to save his teammates but as payment, cursed Wiccan with the Mark of Sorrow, which would slowly kill Wiccan each time he expended such power. Returning to Earth, Wiccan used the Mark of Sorrow to cleanse the area of Brood and return his teammates to normal. Following the battle, Banshee asked Wiccan how he was able to turn the tide and Wiccan, recalling the Mark of Sorrow, simply replied that it was magic. In the subsequent days, Wiccan frantically searched various dimensions and realms in an attempt to learn a way to rid himself of the Mark of Sorrow, first being sent to Sharela, who suggested Wiccan visit the Dust Daughters, as they would be the only ones who would know if the Mark of Sorrow could be removed.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#2 (fb) - BTS) - Wiccan assured himself that the Mark of Sorrow could eventually be removed but during a trip to the Last Hills, underworld of dimension K'Vore, to seek the Dust Daughters, Wiccan was told by the Dust Daughter Queen that the Mark of Sorrow could not be removed. Shocked by the revelation, Wiccan was moments after visited by the time-traveling sorcerer Merlin, who asked Wiccan what the Dust Daughter Queen had told him. When Merlin asked Wiccan to join him, he promised to remove the Mark of Sorrow and remarked that Wiccan would be home in time for supper.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#1 - BTS) - Earth-13729's Wiccan, still afflicted by the Mark of Sorrow, was present when Merlin returned with his new recruit, the present-day Dr. Strange, and later aided Merlin's assembled Sorcerers Supreme against the Forgotten.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#2 - BTS) - His mind focused only on getting home, Wiccan thought back to his encounter with the Dust Daughter Queen and how she had informed him that the Mark of Sorrow could not be removed, but despite these grim thoughts, Wiccan nonetheless continued aiding the Sorcerers Supreme against the Forgotten. When the Sorcerers later ventured towards Merlin's castle, Wiccan thought back to how Merlin had promised to remove the Mark.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#3 - BTS) - Wiccan remained afflicted with the Mark of Sorrow but kept his affliction a secret from the other Sorcerers Supreme as they ventured into Merlin's Camelot castle and battled the Forgotten.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#4 - BTS) - Still affected by the Mark of Sorrow, Wiccan accompanied the Sorcerers Supreme into the Forgotten's old prison to learn more about the mystic collective, where the Forgotten explained its origins before Sir Isaac Newton separated the collective into the individual beings that made it up and stole the Word of God tome, turning on and imprisoning the other Sorcerers.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#5 - BTS) - Still keeping the Mark of Sorrow a secret, Wiccan discussed Newton's betrayal with Dr. Strange until Nina convinced her brother Joao, formerly of the Forgotten, to free the Sorcerers, who were cast into dimensional exile by a trap set by Isaac Newton.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#6 - BTS) - After Dr. Strange learned of Wiccan's Mark of Sorrow over the course of several failed attempts to rescue the other Sorcerers, events which he diverged into alternate realities by using the Lost Bones of Eh-Yuh to reverse time, he opted to save himself first before rescuing the other Sorcerers. When Demon Rider used the Constellation Lasso spell to rescue Wiccan, Wiccan thanked her but remarked that she had only saved a dying man. Having prior knowledge of Wiccan's Mark of Sorrow due to the prior failed rescue attempts, Dr. Strange assured Wiccan that he would not die and that the Mark of Sorrow could be used as a weapon if properly channeled. When Wiccan appeared surprised that Dr. Strange knew of his secret Mark of Sorrow, Wiccan was promised that Strange would explain later after Wiccan helped rescued Nina the Conjuror.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#7) - When the Sorcerers Supreme traveled to the present day to stop Sir Isaac Newton from using the Word of God tome to become a god, Wiccan channeled his Mark of Sorrow as a weapon, using it to project ice to freeze Newton's Mindless One servants. Dr. Strange quickly came over to Wiccan to warn him about the use of the Mark of Sorrow as a weapon and when Wiccan replied that Strange had been right about the Mark's powerful magic, Strange explained that the more Wiccan used the Mark of Sorrow's power, the more it would constrict his soul, eventually resulting in Wiccan's death. Wiccan sighed and asked about how there was always a price, prompting Dr. Strange to agree that yes, there was always a price.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#8) - After the alien Author of the Word of God tome was awakened on Earth and the Sorcerers Supreme teamed with the Avengers to battle the creature, Wiccan considered using the Mark of Sorrow but Dr. Strange reminded him how the Mark would corrupt his soul if used and that he could possibly die. Wiccan thought perhaps his death would be better than the entire Earth dying but allies soon arrived in the form of Nina the Conjuror, her brother Joao, Howard the Duck and Luke Cage. Unfortunately, the battle went sour when Sir Isaac Newton, corrupted by his use of the Word of God's magic, stole the tome and returned it to the Author, forcing Wiccan to utilize his Mark of Sorrow to teleport everyone with magical properties to the Author's home dimension.





(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#9) - When the Author of the Word of God banished Wiccan and the other Sorcerers Supreme into the pages of the Word of God itself, Wiccan realized his cloak no longer functioned and considered using the Mark of Sorrow but Kushala warned against it, reminding Wiccan that using the Mark would damage his soul. Dr. Strange agreed and suggested they all focus on what they could do. The Sorcerers soon confronted the Author and tricked him into burning the Word of God tome, prompting Wiccan to utilize the Mark of Sorrow to destroy the Author. After using the Mark in such a way, Wiccan collapsed afterwards but subsequently assured the Sorcerers Supreme he was fine.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#10 - BTS) - After Wiccan collapsed, Sir Isaac Newton informed Dr. Strange and the assembled Sorcerers Supreme that there was nothing they could do for Wiccan without knowing who cursed Wiccan with the Mark of Sorrow in the first place. Yao revived Wiccan and Dr. Strange attempted to get Wiccan to reveal who cursed him with the Mark of Sorrow. Soon realizing that Wiccan's Mark of Sorrow was not given to him on Earth-616, Dr. Strange suggested they travel to Wiccan's home reality of Earth-13729 to take care of the Mark.

(Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#11 - BTS) - While Wiccan and the other Earth-616 Sorcerers Supreme were incapacitated by Earth-13729's Dr. Doom, who ruled a Hell realm, the Mindful One destroyed an orb imprisoning several other Earth-13729 sorcerers and Wiccan soon awoke to find that his Mark of Sorrow had also been removed with the destruction of the orb.

Comments: Created by Robbie Thompson, Javier Rodriguez and Alvaro Lopez.

The Mark of Sorrow was clearly and fully seen in Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#6 when Dr. Strange first learned of Wiccan's secret. However, this attempt to rescue Wiccan and the other Sorcerers Supreme was ultimately diverged into its own reality by Dr. Strange's reversal of time using the Lost Bones of Eh-Yuh, thereby making the Mark of Sorrow we see in that issue be the Mark of Sorrow from the divergent reality and not the one from Wiccan's home reality of Earth-13729.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Mark of Sorrow has no known connections to:


images: (without ads)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#8, p13, pan3 (The Mark of Sorrow, main image)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#10, p14, pan1 (Earth-13729's Wiccan first using the Mark of Sorrow)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#7, p5, pan1 (Earth-13729's Wiccan using the Mark to project ice)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#8, p17, pan3 (Wiccan using the Mark to mass teleport)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#9, p13, pan1 (Wiccan blasting energy from the Mark and subsequently collapsing)


Appearances:
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#1 (December, 2016) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Javier Rodriguez (pencils), Alvaro Lopez (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#2 (January, 2017) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Javier Rodriguez (pencils), Alvaro Lopez (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#3 (February, 2017) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Javier Rodriguez (pencils), Alvaro Lopez (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#4 (March, 2017) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Javier Rodriguez (pencils), Alvaro Lopez (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#5 (April, 2017) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Nathan Stockman (art), Nick Lowe (editor)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#6 (May, 2017) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Javier Rodriguez (pencils), Alvaro Lopez (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#7 (June, 2017) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Javier Rodriguez (pencils), Alvaro Lopez, Guillermo Ortego (inks), Darren Shan (editor)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#8 (July, 2017) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Javier Rodriguez (pencils), Alvaro Lopez (inks), Darren Shan (editor)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#9 (August, 2017) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Javier Rodriguez (pencils), Alvaro Lopez (inks), Darren Shan (editor)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#10 (September, 2017) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Nathan Stockman (art), Darren Shan (editor)
Doctor Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme I#11 (October, 2017) - Robbie Thompson (writer), Nathan Stockman (art), Darren Shan (editor)


First Posted: 08/28/2018
Last updated: 08/28/2018

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at:
http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Items