Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that Marvel Studios’ latest offering does little to solve the existing mysteries of the MCU’s Phase Four and only adds to our long list of questions. But surprisingly, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness does provide an answer to a question we weren’t expecting to be resolved so soon.
Final warning: Spoilers ahead.
The first Doctor Strange film sees Strange seeking out the Ancient One after he gets into a major accident and gets his first introduction to the Mystic Arts. But the future Sorcerer Supreme was not there to learn how to defend the world, as his sole aim was to cure himself. Thus, when Dormammu’s evil disciples attack the New York sanctum, while he does fight back, he is clueless about half of the magical objects that were available and could have aided him.
When he faces off against Kaecilius and is barely holding up against him and his cronies, he comes across a big goblet-shaped relic whose depths are aglow with a golden light. Kaecilius momentarily freezes his attacks against Strange and a look of genuine fear crosses his face upon seeing his adversary holding the relic. The clueless expression on Strange’s face is quick to let him know that the latter has no idea what the relic is or how to use it against him. “You don’t know how to use that, do you?” Kaecilius asks.
Strange proceeds to throw it at Kaecilius, who ducks. As the fight continues, this momentary pause is quickly forgotten and we never learn what the mysterious relic is or how to use it. But Doctor Strange 2 has finally answered this long-forgotten question and revealed that the object is known as the Brazier of Bom’Galiath.
What is the Brazier of Bom’Galiath?
But we would first like to highlight that Multiverse of Madness solves the query for those who aren’t ardent comic book readers. Anyone who has closely followed Doctor Strange’s journey in the comic books was quick to recognize that the object is a powerful relic known as the Brazier of Bom’Galiath.
In the comic books, the relic was used by Strange to make his spell — to turn himself, Silver Surfer, and Eric Masterson invisible in Mephisto’s realm — stronger and last longer. But in the MCU, this relic apparently has different uses.
In Multiverse of Madness, Strange ends up in an alternate universe, while Wanda drags America Chavez to Earth 616, intent on killing her to use her powers. The sorcerer kills his other version in this universe, the seriously unhinged Sinister Supreme, and proceeds to use the Darkhold to possess the dead body of another Strange (the one that landed in his reality along with America at the beginning of the film) so that he can Dreamwalk and rescue America.
As it turns out, the book of dark magic also has its rules, which prohibit the possession of someone who is dead. Thus, the spirits of the damned attack the zombie Strange and some use his body as a channel to travel to the universe the original Strange is in. While Strange is incapacitated, they attack Christine Palmer, who had been standing guard over him. But this version of Christine is well-versed in the mysteries of the multiverse, including the mystic arts, and instantly recognizes the Brazier of Bom’Galiath in a nearby display case.
She proceeds to take it out and defeats the souls, literally burning them, and presumably sends them back to hell. It’s obvious that this relic can do more than just bring down damned souls, as the all-powerful Kaecilius’ obvious fear in Doctor Strange in anticipation of what Strange could do with it speaks volumes about its powers.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now in theaters.