Charlize Theron recently shared some behind-the-scenes set photos from Fast X and fans will be curious to see what her villainous character, Cipher, will be up to. However, MCU fans will be more excited about Theron’s future appearances in the superhero franchise after she made a cameo appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as Clea.
It’s Clea who mentions the Dark Dimension in Phase 4 for the first time. However, she isn’t the only MCU character to have inhabited the mysterious area. Several characters have either gone to the Dark Dimension willingly or found themselves trapped there. But who among them is the most powerful?
James Connors - Cloak And Dagger
The corrupt New Orleans PD Detective is a major player in the drug trafficking industry. After killing O’Reilly, he gets absorbed by Cloak’s Darkforce which traps him in the Dark Dimension.
Connors ranks last on the list because he is the only one without special abilities. Nonetheless, he is shown to be in peak human condition. He gets the better of most opponents in fights, including O’Reilly during a bar brawl, and never winces in pain whenever he gets injured. He fares well against ghosts too, including that of Billy Johnson.
Clea - Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
In what’s too brie and vague to be one of the best MCU mid-credits scenes, the sorceress approaches Doctor Strange in the streets to inform him about a heavy incursion (collision of universes) in the Dark Dimension. She lets him know they have to correct it then opens a portal into the Dark Dimension and travels into it with him.
Since Clea is a fairly new character with limited screen time, most of her abilities remain a mystery, hence the reason for a low tank. However, the fact that she can easily create dimensions she wishes is impressive since it’s something most of the Avengers cant do. Moreover, surviving in the Dark Dimension for long takes a special kind of endurance. Clea is thus presumably more powerful than she appears.
Brunette Zealot - Doctor Strange
Brunette starts out as one of the Masters of the Mystic Arts but turns evil and joins the Zealots. She is ultimately taken into the Dark Dimension and turned into one of the Mindless Ones after Doctor Strange strikes a deal with Dormammu.
Most humans cannot resist the Eye of Agamotto’s time magic, so Brunette deserves to be commended for doing so with ease. And she doesn’t need weapons either. Like many other Masters of the Mystic Arts, she can conjure Space Shards from the air. And in one of the best Doctor Strange action sequences, one such Shard enables her to kill Sol Rama.
Blonde Zealot - Doctor Strange
Like Brunette, Blonde abandons the Masters of Mystic Arts and becomes a member of the Zealots. After the defeat, she becomes one of the Mindless Ones.
Blonde is strong enough to overcome gravity and because of that, she can effortlessly run on walls. Most of her other powers resemble those of Brunette. Like her fellow Zealot, she is able to resist the Eye of Agamotto. And during battles, Blonde shines by generating enough forces to overpower all kinds of opponents.
Kaecilius - Doctor Strange
Kaecilius is initially one of the Masters of Mystic Arts but grows disgruntled after the Ancient One refuses to allow other dimensions into Earth. He then forms the Zealots but gets defeated and banished into the Dark Dimension.
It’s never easy for a student to outshine the tutor but Kaecelius does that time and time again during his battles with the Ancient One. The biggest way in which he wows audiences is by manipulating space. Kaecelius easily twists the shape of the Mirror Dimension as well as the New York sanctum. And his immortality means he can only be avoided temporarily but not defeated.
Ghost Rider (Spirit of Vengeance) - Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the series, it’s revealed that the spirit normally bonds with vengeful individuals, turning them into the Ghost Rider. The spirit spends a long time trapped in the Dark Dimension before escaping into the Earth Plane, after which he bonds with Johnny Blaze.
The Spirit of Vengance distinguishes itself from other inhabitants by having abilities that are not widely shared in the MCU. For example, it doesn’t require an Inter-Dimensional Gate to move from dimension to dimension, making journeys across the universe and timelines easier for it. And while its fire manipulation is cool, what’s even better is its ability to make ordinary things such as clothing indestructible. Whatever its host possesses cannot be destroyed. As such, even Robbie Reyes’s charger doesn’t get damaged by bullets.
Morgan le Fay - Runaways
The King Arthur nemesis gets trapped in the Dark Dimension for centuries before managing to escape. She then forms her own coven, seeking to control Nico Minoru and acquire the Staff of One in order to the world.
Most witches in the MCU are quite powerful, with the perfect examples being Agatha Harkness and Wanda. The fact that many such powerful individuals fear Fey enough to work under her says a lot about her power. She is formidable because she has the perfect defense mechanism: the ability to cast a spell over anyone, including her fellow witches. And among the additional things she can boast of is that she is one of few people capable of creating communication lines between the Dark Dimension and the Earthly Plane.
Dormammu - Doctor Strange
The primordial inter-dimensional entity is the ruler of the Dark Dimension. He tricks Kaecilius into annihilating the Masters of the Mystic Arts and bringing the Dark Dimension to Earth. However, Doctor strange stops him by trapping him in an endless time loop,
Dormammu’s influence is directly tied to his power. Being the ruler of the Dark Dimension means Dormammu has total control of all the spells, something that gives him any unique special ability he desires. This is the major reason he is one of the best MCU Phase 3 villains. Furthermore, most MCU characters only have enough power for themselves, Dormammu has so much that he can bestow it to others, something he easily does to the zealots.
