Polite Dissent

Today, we’ll look at a classic: Strange Tales #115, “The Origin of Dr. Strange”, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

For those of you who don’t know the story behind the Master of the Mystic Arts: originally a brilliant and arrogant surgeon, Dr. Stephen Strange’s hands are severely injured in a car accident. Told that he will never operate again, he refuses offers of assistance and charity and turns to the bottle becoming an alcoholic bum. Eventually, he overhears someone talking about the mystic “Ancient One” and he journeys to the Himalayas to persuade this wizard to heal him. No spoilers here, you’ll have to finish the tale yourself. (Try Marvel Masterworks: Dr. Strange or The Essential Dr. Strange)

Let’s look in on the scene where the doctor is talking to Strange after his car wreck…

Doctor looking at X-Rays: I don’t know how to tell you this…
Strange: Speak up, man! I can take it! What do the X-Rays show?
Doctor: Although your hands seem to be all right. The nerves have been severely damaged!

There’s a major problem here. X-Rays are good for looking at bones, lungs, and certain other organs and masses. They do not show nerves.
You’d need an MRI for that.

In fairness to Lee and Ditko, MRIs did not become common until the mid-1980’s, long after Strange Tales #115 was published. Frankly, I’m not even sure today’s MRIs would be able to show the fine motor nerves that Strange injured; you’d probably need a nreve conduction study. Regardless, an X-Ray wouldn’t help. Now I’ll stop picking on Dr Strange before Neilalien sends the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth after me…