Doctor Strange and Queer Coding
[TW: adult themes concerning drugs and sex.]
Comic books are a product of the social context, politics, morality, religion and the period that surround their existence. As a form of art whose motif has always been about protecting the innocent and oppressed from injustice, it becomes unsustainable to analyze comic books without such lenses (even though you'll see some illiterate fans arguing otherwise). As such, super heroes and their legacy are intrinsically connected to the collective ideation of a self-righteous role model in society, as the perfect embodiment of morality and good virtues.
But what does it mean to be a role model, especially in American society? And more importantly, what does any of this have to do with Doctor Strange?
Well, before we dive into this topic, we need a bit more of historic context. Two topics will be discussed next: the Comics Code Authority and the Stonewall Riots.
1. The Comics Code Authority
Created in 1954 by the Comics Magazine Association of America, the CCA turned out to be a code of conduct that publishers should follow as a reaction to the growing moral panic regarding graphic violence and horror imagery in comic books. Heavily influenced by the conservative setting of 50's America and reinforced by the post-war scenario, its seal of approval worked as censorship to prevent any kind of "deviant" narrative in magazines. That included women's clothes (cleavages and short pieces) and presentation ("suggestive" poses), any kind of horror reference (vampirism and zombies, for instance), depiction of drugs, sex and, finally, perversion.¹
Cover for Doctor Strange v2 #64. CCA seal highlighted.
Obviously, there are many issues that reflect the moral panic from that time, but I'll focus on a specific one: perversion.
While we understand that the rating system evolves across the years and comics back then were aimed at young ages primarily, perversion here alludes to anything that deviates from the traditional family, and that includes the portrayal of queer characters. Some examples:
2. Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at or portrayed. Violent love scenes, as well as sexual abnormalities are unacceptable.
4. The treatment of love-romance stories shall emphasize the value of home and the sanctity of marriage.
7. Sex perversion or any inference to same is strictly forbidden.
While we're at it, two fundamental topics must be addressed: 1) even in 2026, the queer community is still trying to deconstruct the idea that our existence is inherently sexual and 2) breaking free from the stigma of mental health is a recent victory. Homosexuality was only removed entirely from the DSM in 2013, while the transgender identity still struggles with the classification of gender dysphoria as a pathology in its 5th edition.²
With all that in mind, it's not surprising that "perversion" in this context also refers to the LGBTQIA+ community. Even the word "queer" alludes to something that is exotic, alien, odd... Strange.
Now, back to the CCA. Certainly, the strict rules became more flexible as the years went by, right? They did, but it took a long time. It was only in 1989 that the anti-queer rule fell (and keep this information, we'll go back to it later). Of course, Stan Lee pulled a few strings and defied such censorship in his Spider-Man run when depicting drug abuse, but Marvel only abandoned the seal for good in 2001. That was just yesterday.
2. Stonewall Riots
And speaking of LGBTQIA+ rights, we cannot forget to mention the famous Stonewall Riots and their importance to the community. Back in the 60s, Greenwich Village was known to be a progressist neighborhood, a haven for artists and the birthplace for many political moviments such as the riots mentioned above, the Beat Generation and the Counterculture. All these movements had the common factor of fighting the conservative social setting imposed by years of repression and severe moral laws. The neighborhood also sheltered many misfits and outcasts in its bohemian nights, such as drag queens (especially black drag queens), representatives of the transgender community, young gay men and lesbians, hustlers and homeless youth. In 1969, after a series of police raids, the queer community began to organize and fight for visibility, civil rights and dignity through protests. The Stonewall riots inspired other groups across the United States to organize as well, spreading the need to build a strong and active community in order to pressure the government for civil rights. Pride month is celebrated in June to mark the event.³
Now, if you're reading this, you're a Doctor Strange fan. So you know his Sanctum Sanctorum is located at 177A Bleecker Street, Greenwhich Village. Yes, the same neighborhood which sheltered the marginalized queer community that birthed the Stonewall Riots. Is it a coincidence? After all, Doctor Strange only debuted in 1963, while the riots happened in 1969. He was created before gay rights was a thing, right? Well, how about we dive into the character himself to understand a little more?
3. The social context of Doctor Strange's creation
It's even in his name. Stephen Vincent Strange, a character created to be different from the usual super hero formula. First of all, it's (quite) accepted that he was inspired by Vincent Price, more specifically, his role as the sorcerer Doctor Erasmus Craven in the movie The Raven (1963). Although not confirmed by his creators, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the similarities are practically undeniable.⁴
Doctor Strange v1 #169. Vincent Price as Dr. Erasmus Craven in The Raven (1963).
Beyond the physical similarities, his entire characterization also alludes to being odd, eccentric, recluse and mysterious, traits commonly found in Price's roles. As previously stated, however, the CCA was very strict about horror and terror. Lee knew that. And he did not care. He loved such themes: Strange Tales, Crypt of Shadows, Journey into Mystery... (and later on with Gerry Conway and his Tomb of Dracula and Werewolf by Night). Lee did his best to misdirect the CCA while also creating what he loved the most. Sure, Lee and Kirby make the pivotal duo of Marvel mythos, but it was in Ditko that he found a partner to illustrate his love for the odd, the occult, the eccentric. And, obviously, the psychedelic.
Strange Tales #138.
Still within the social context of the 60s, another counterculture movement began to rise in the United States. Once more, Greenwhich Village is listed as one of its epicenters. Hippies not only embraced sexual liberation but also supported the use of psychedelic drugs such as LSD and weed, seeking a more enlighted alignment between body and spirit⁵. Obviously, under the CCA censorship, Stephen was never allowed to be seen using drugs, but that didn't stop him and Clea from achieving sexual enlighment by bonding souls and calling it "tantric exercise".
Doctor Strange v2 #49.
Beyond fiction, it's also commonly known among fans that Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner took LSD to write Doctor Strange as part of their creative process.⁶
4. Doctor Strange as a traditional role model?
All that journey brings us back to the two questions I presented at the beginning. What does it mean to be a conservative role model in 60's America? Well, unfortunately, not very different from what we've dealing with today. A heavy and strict conduct of morality based on Christian values: nuclear traditional heteronormative family, devotion to God, celibacy, children, a man who protects and provides, a modest and obedient woman etc. You probably heard all about that by incels and tradwives. Well, the truth is, Doctor Strange is the total opposite of every single aspect that would make him a traditional man. You don't believe me? Let's counter each aspect with canon panels.
Nuclear traditional heteronormative family + celibacy?
Stephen and Clea had sex for years before getting married. And their marriage is not even officialized by the Church OR American Laws. Plus she's literally an immigrant without legal papers. Oh, and they live together with Wong. And for a time, with Imei and Sara. Three characters of color sharing a house with a couple? Well, definitely not what you would expect from a conservative.
Doctor Strange v2 #45; Strange Tales v2 #17.
What about devotion to God?
Stephen was never stated to have a religion. But it would be, well, strange if he had one assuming he's dealing with magic deities and the gods of creations on a daily basis. In fact, he was even labled as satanist in the past and had a mob in front of the Sanctum protesting. Lastly, if anything, he's way more connected to spirituality and Asian religions. I'll leave my good friend Red's thread on the many religious references that surround his mythos. In the meantime, I'll just leave this panel and call it a day.
Doctor Strange v5 #17.
Lastly, a man who provides and a submissive woman?
Oh, yes, Clea Strange, Warlord of Manhattan, former queen and now Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension. Someone who will even defy Death herself. So submissive. As for the provider, let's see his opinion on this.
Strange v3 #2. Doctor Strange - Sorcerer Supreme #13.
I believe we have enough proof that Stephen isn't a role model for red pills and whatever, correct? I could go on, but I don't want to touch the problematic parts like the orgy parties (yeah that happened). One thing I could mention, however, is that Stephen is technically polyamorous since 1980.
Doctor Strange v2 #42.
That alone would make him part of the queer community already, but let's not forget the social context and the CCA. Stephen would never be allowed to be explicitly involved with two women, even if it's considered "less deviant". But let's not forget the Beyonder's illusion that granted fans with the (in)famous panel of Stephen sharing a bed with Wanda and Clea. So yes, that man is not monogamous.
5. So where's the queer coding?
Alas, we finally reached the last section of this article. With all the information we gathered so far, it's pretty clear that a character conceived in 1963 would never be allowed to be queer. There was censorship. There were moral panic and conservative values. But we also learned that Doctor Strange is a disruptive character. From sex to drugs, from hipster to Asian religions, he's everything that goes against the perfect characterization of your average American white man. So why isn't he canonically queer?
Well, in a certain way... This subject was touched a few times. But as a joke.
Doctor Strange v2 #64.
The panel above is from 1984. The anti-queer rule from CCA was only excluded in 1989, as we discussed previously. Of course, we also have to be aware of stereotypes. To be often described as flamboyant isn't any indicative of queerness. Clothes, mannerisms, behavior, none of that is enough to profile someone. That would be Doctor Strange's case if not for context already discussed, for the disruption, for everything that he represents.
Doctor Strange - Sorcerer Supreme #86.
Even with this panel's joke intent, he doesn't react like a conservative man would. He doesn't take offense. Because being gay (or be considered a gay man) isn't offensive.
More importantly, there's plenty of subtext. Magic was seen as something "regular people" could not be aware of. "Because mankind is prone to panic... To fear and hate that which it cannot comprehend!"
Doctor Strange v1 #174.
Many times the same allegory was used to describe mutants. And we all know about the mutant allegory to portray minorities, correct?
Plus the spiritual enlighment discussed previously is also a good allegory to explain his connections to souls and auras, something that goes beyong the very biological and materialistic notion of gender (even though this panel used "women" to discuss his attraction).
X-Statix Presents - Deadgirl #1.
Obviously, we're still aware that he's a white American man. And, sure, straight. Because he's a classic hero. He's married to a woman. Between 2010 and ±2018, he struggled with a womanizer characterization to highlight the promiscuity of the hippie lifestyle. All of that contributed to (sadly) reinforce the idea that Stephen Strange is a straight man, despite all his history of disruption and counterculture. And there's a reason for that, one that unfortunately crosses themes such as patriarchy, capitalism and social control. That alone would entail a whole thesis, so I'll just be brief. It's more or less accepted for a man to be promiscious towards women than a man who loves another of the same sex/gender.
On top of that, we're talking about an industry and, as such, their whole purpose is to sell. While comic books have become more democratic throughout the years, there's still a portion of its demography who became quite loud about diversity and representation. Fueled by online vitriol and the need to rescue values that never existed in the first place, they'll fight tooth and nail to keep things as they are, never allowing minorities to exist. It's not a coincidence that the moviment is called Comics Gate. The gatekeeping is one of their many goals. Marvel is aware of that. That's why you will never ever see classic heroes become queer. That's why, no matter how popular Cherik is, no matter the chemistry and the years of rivalry, they'll never become canon. And the same applies to Doctor Strange.
All we have left is the infamous queer coding. But what exactly does it mean? It's a way for media to portray queer characters without exactly stating they're canonically queer. That involves (quite often harmful) stereotypes, ambiguous dialogues and the jokes we touched previously. The CCA itself was inspired by the Hays Code, the same kind of censorship only directed at films. For that reason, it's not a coincidence that Disney villains (Scar, Ursula, Jafar etc) are largely known for their queer coding. Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker and co were only allowed to drag and kiss other characters as a joke⁶.
In short? Queer coding is a mediatic language that works as a double-edged sword: while it's (most often) subtle to be perceived and absorbed by queer people while passing as straight to general audiences, it also causes harm and makes representation invisible. It erases queer representation as it relegates this demographic to villainous characters, often punished by the straight heroes.
Not only that, but queer coding enables a more menacing cousin to emerge: the queerbaiting⁷. Watch me mention Johnlock as thousands of bodies are found on the streets. That's one of the many examples of queerbaiting and the lack of proper representation in media.
But back to Doctor Strange... Is there any signs of queerbaiting? Well, in my opinion? No, there isn't. It's always very important to separate what's actually deliberate queerbaiting and shipping discourse. And that's why the queer coding is fundamental here. Doctor Strange has only flirted with women. That's a fact. However... The queer coding in Doctor Strange is constant. In addition to the panels I already posted on this article + this one, I'll leave a few more.
The Mighty Thor v1 443. Doctor Strange v2 #54. Doctor Strange v1 #174. DC-Marvel - Batman-Deadpool #1.
As discussed previously, while queer people will read this and understand its subtleties, the straight audience will not see it as queer representation and call us crazy for it. It's all part of the queer coding mechanism. Could be/couldn't be. Schrodinger's representation.
The last straw in Doctor Strange's queer coding is definitely Extraño, DC's counterpart. Created by Englehart himself and Joe Staton, Extraño is clearly a homage to Doctor Strange⁸.
DC Pride 2023.
Although being the first gay character to debut in comic books, Extraño started as a harmful stereotype (thanks oomfies for pointing that out). It was only thanks to Steve Orlando that he gained new relevance and a better portrayal. With that being said, it's not like that the character has much relevance outside of Pride, which is most definitely a crime.
So where does this amount of information leave us, after all? In all honesty? Nowhere. I believe I offered enough panels to prove that there is indeed queer coding when it comes to Doctor Strange. He's a character conceived to be disruptive, but not enough for Marvel to be open to the possibility that he's queer. It's well accepted in the fandom that he's bisexual/pansexual, not only due to the reflection of his fanbase, but also because of the queer coding in his characterization. It's an interpretation that doesn't come from fans only, but from writers themselves (as Englehart's homage becomes crystal clear).
In other words, Stephen is one of these characters that, if "uncloseted", nobody would be surprised, such striking is his queer coding. However, that would require good will from Marvel, which is... tricky to say the least. The only person I see doing anything about it is Al Ewing, but I try not to delude myself.
Lastly, this is not an article to claim Stephen as an LGBTQIA+ character. Nor I'm trying to say queer coding is good and enough. We shouldn't be satisfied with mere crumbs. The goal here is to highlight that he has a vast background and should never EVER be claimed as conservative because his character has never been one. Friendly reminder that he, in fact, is an amazing ally in canon, from respecting pronouns to taking care of queer patients.
Defenders v6 #1. Avengers Academy Marvel’s Voices - Infinity Comic #14.
Finally, after all is said and done... HAPPY PRIDE! The world is at its worst right now but there's always joy and beauty out there. Thank you for reading and feel free to correct me in case I made any mistakes. Stay safe, you're loved 💜
Bibliography:
¹[The Comics Code Authority]; [LGBT Characters and the Comics Code Authority]
²[Homosexuality and DSM]; [Trangender identity and DSM]
³[Stonewall Riots]
⁴[Doctor Strange and Vincent Price]
⁵[Hippie]
⁶[Queer coding]
⁷[Queerbaiting]
⁸[The History of Extraño]
