Doctor Strange vs. Thanos: Who Would Win & Why?
In this article, we are going to compare Doctor Strange and Thanos. Both are exceptionally powerful characters, but if the two ever fought, who would win? The Sorcerer Supreme, or the Mad Titan?
Without any enhancements, Thanos would lose to Doctor Strange in a direct fight; the Sorcerer Supreme would just be too powerful for the Mad Titan. With the Infinity Gauntlet, though, the fight would be more interesting and we think that Thanos would be able to outmatch Strange.
Speaking of Dr. Strange vs Thanos, there’s still a lot to be said. Throughout the rest of this article, we will look at their powers in more detail and see how the fight between Doctor Strange and Thanos would play out.
Comparing their powers
As we move forward, per our tradition, we are going to compare the powers and abilities of our two characters before we give our final verdict. These two characters are quite interesting so comparing their powers is certainly going to be a fun thing to do.
What are Doctor Strange’s powers and abilities?
Doctor Strange is a magician who draws his powers from mystical entities such as Agamotto, Cyttorak, Ikonn, Oshtur, Raggadorr, and Watoomb, which allow him to tap into their energies to cast his spells. Moreover, like his predecessor the Elder, he can use and manipulate the mystical energies that surround him in order to obtain various effects.
Finally, he has a vast knowledge of many spells and various incantations, which allows him to invoke the names and/or aspects of various mystical entities and extradimensional objects.
These abilities allow him, in particular, to resort to telepathy, astral projection, hypnosis, project discharges of mystical energy (some of which are powerful enough to destroy a planet), and to use telekinesis, even to teleport. or to erect protective mystical shields.
In addition to his powers, Stephen Strange is an outstanding doctor, who graduated in medicine and surgery, although his car accident now prevents him from carrying out surgery. Thanks to his servant and friend Wong, he also trained in martial arts and knows how to defend himself without using his magic. He is also a very intelligent individual, very wise, and an excellent leader and strategist, as evidenced by his role as a leader within the Defenders team. Back in the days when he was the Sorcerer Supreme of the earthly dimension, his mastery of the mystical arts was unparalleled, making him virtually immortal.
What are Thanos’ powers and abilities?
As far as Thanos is concerned, he is extremely powerful. He is an Eternal and has proven himself more powerful than most characters in the Marvel Universe, even without external enhancements such as the Infinity Stones.
He is immortal, has superhuman strength, speed and durability, he is practically invulnerable, can teleport and regenerate, can manipulate matter, use telepathic abilities, manipulate energy, and even fly; he also has superhuman intelligence. In that aspect, Thanos is a truly formidable foe, but he is not the strongest one around.
Finally, the thing that makes Thanos so powerful is the Deviants gene he has, but also his years of training and preparation. Thanos is a very determined and focused character. He has a goal and a mission, and his determination is such that he will not hesitate to do anything he deems necessary to fulfill his goals, no matter what the costs.
Verdict: Could Doctor Strange defeat Thanos in a fight?
Now that we’ve done our analysis, we can finally give our verdict as to which one of the two would win in a fight. Doctor Strange and Thanos never had a direct clash in the comic books, although Doctor Strange did fight against him as part of a group and he has fought characters of similar power as Thanos. Now, before we give the answer, let us just take a quick look at the official numbers, the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z (2010), lists their powers as follows:
| Doctor Strange | Thanos | |
| Intelligence | 4/7 | 6/7 |
| Strength | 2/7 | 7/7 |
| Speed | 2-7/7 | 3-7//7 |
| Durability | 2/7 | 6/7 |
| Energy Projection | 6/7 | 6/7 |
| Fighting Skills | 6/7 | 4/7 |
Based solely on the numbers, Doctor Strange seems to be the weaker but the situation is not so straightforward as we have two separate situations to consider. One is when a fully powered Doctor Strange is fighting a fully powered, but non-enhanced Thanos, while the other is when that same Doctor Strange fights Thanos with certain enhancements, such as the Infinity Gauntlet. We’ll analyze both these situations for you.
In the first case scenario, the Sorcerer Supreme’s powers would come up against Thanos’ sheer power. And although the numbers certainly prove that Thanos is more powerful than Doctor Strange, Doctor Strange would have magic on his side. Using his enormous mystic powers as well as the powers of the Eye of Agamotto, Doctor Strange would certainly be able to outwit Thanos, even if the Titan had time to prepare.
Why? Well, Strange is also intelligent and what he lacks compared to Thanos, he can make up with his magical skills. There is no way that Thanos, without any enhancements, would be able to resist Strange’s magic and the Sorcerer would be able to defeat him in such a situation.
If, on the other hand, Thanos would have the power of, let’s say, the Infinity Gauntlet at his side, Doctor Strange, despite his enormous powers, would not stand a chance against the Mad Titan. The Infinity Gauntlet, as proven during Doctor Strange’s fight against another wielder of the Gauntlet, is just too powerful of an object, even for Strange’s magic. In this scenario, Thanos wins, although it would still be a very close fight.
And there you have it. The winner of this duel depends on the position the two characters are in. Without any enhancements, Thanos would lose against Strange’s magic, but with an enhancement like the Infinity Gauntlet, the Mad Titan would defeat the Sorcerer Supreme, as the latter’s magic is not strong enough to fight off the Gauntlet’s powers.
