Warning! Spoilers for Strange Academy #2 below
The world of Aladdin is filled with magical moments, as the titular hero and his trusted blue genie have captured the hearts of many. However, in the Marvel Universe, a blue genie was unleashed in front of the students of the Strange Academy and instead of quips and songs, the genie was much more vicious.
Alladin is one of the most beloved animated movies of all time, as the 1992 flick became enormously popular among audiences of all ages right from the getgo. In 2019, Guy Ritchie directed a live-action adaption of Aladdin, starring Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, and Will Smith as the lovable blue genie. While the film wasn’t as well-received critically, it was a box office smash with a sequel already in development.
In this week’s Strange Academy #2 by Skottie Young, Humberto Ramos, Edgar Delgado, and Clayton Cowles, the magical students hit the classroom under Marvel’s supernatural teachers for the first time. Magik is teaching Inferno 101, Man-Thing is teaching botany, Scarlet Witch is teaching chaos magic, and Brother Voodoo is teaching about zombies and enchantments. The student’s first class is the history of mystical objects, taught by The Ancient One. He discusses how magical energy can lie in many places around the Earth while showcasing a collection of mystical items. In the first class, he pulls out the Lamp of Kolmycan and summons a blue genie.
This isn’t a loveable wise-cracking genie, as it’s more of the savage variety. With scales, sharp teeth, an elongate tongue, and multiple eyes, the genie is terrifying. The students are equally part amazed and scared. That’s when the Ancient Quiz decides to run a pop quiz, challenging the students to get the genie back into the lamp before the end of class without the use of magic. Talk about a tough first day. The students probably thought they would cast fun spells and see cool acts of magic, but, their first class definitely gave them a scare.
There’s little doubt that when imagining coming face-to-face with a genie, most people think about coming across a friendly, Robin Williams-esque magical spirit that will grant them three wishes. However, the students of Strange Academy found out that not all genies are nice – as this particular genie was as scary as they get. The Ancient One was wise to immediately subvert the student’s expectations, as genies can be extremely dangerous. Just because a genie is blue, doesn’t mean it’s safe to approach – well, unless the genie is from the Aladdin universe. Does this genie know the other genie?
