Aside from the two being incredibly brilliant, albeit a bit arrogant, it is hard to find a similarity between Iron Man and Doctor Strange since Tony Stark relies solely on technology in his feats of superheroism while Doctor Strange wields magic. However, in the Earth days of the Avengers comic series, Iron Man actually had a version of Doctor Strange’s most iconic power.
Tony Stark became Iron Man after being held captive as a prisoner of war while suffering from a potentially fatal wound to the chest. While in captivity, Tony created a suit of armor that not only kept him alive but also granted him the power he needed to escape, and from that point on Stark continued to develop increasingly better suits of armor that have since made him one of the strongest heroes on the Earth. Stephen Strange’s origins are also tragic in nature as he found himself in a debilitating car accident that permanently damaged his hands, effectively ending Strange’s career as a neurosurgeon. In an attempt to recover the use of his hands, Strange sought the help of an ancient order of sorcerers where he got much more than he was after. The sorcerers took him in as a student, and before long, Strange earned his title as the Sorcerer Supreme and became the hero fans know him as today.
In Avengers #3 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Avengers are holding a meeting to discuss the recent events regarding the Hulk and sudden departure from the team. While the Hulk was instrumental in defeating Loki in Avengers #1, he left the team in Avengers #2, and in this issue, the Avengers have decided that he is too dangerous to be left to his own devices out in the world without their oversight. So, Iron Man uses a device he built himself to personally speak with every known hero on Earth without leaving the Avengers’ base of operations. The device Iron Man uses in this issue is called an Image Projector which allows Tony to stretch his mind across the world, creating a ghost-like image of himself in the presence of everyone he is attempting to contact.
Iron Man’s Image Projector essentially grants him the power of Astral Projection, which is something Doctor Strange regularly uses throughout his adventures. Not only does Doctor Strange use Astral Projection to better sell his mastery of mysticism to his peers and enemies alike, but he also helps guide other heroes in their adventures without having to physically be there with them. Both Iron Man and Doctor Strange have, on occasion, proven themselves to be mentors for the younger generation of heroes–with Doctor Strange’s Strange Academy and Tony Stark helping heroes like Hazmat control their powers–so this shared ability allows each of them to have access to those they are mentoring at any point in time and from anywhere in the world.
While Iron Man has all but abandoned his Image Projector, the fact that he found a way to use technology to accomplish what Doctor Strange can only pull off with magic is insane and really speaks to Iron Man’s true brilliance. Even though it was short lived, Iron Man originally had Doctor Strange’s most iconic power, proving that science is just as cool as magic.
