PREVIOUSLY: Doctor Strange: Malpractice Suit #3 - (Script)
TUBTHUMPIN' - Rated M
Page 1
1.1
Strange wakes up in the hospital waiting room. Stephen is standing across from him.
STEPHEN: Well.
STEPHEN: You did it, dopey.
STEPHEN: You broke the f*cking universe.
1.2
Stephen grabs Strange by the throat.
STEPHEN: I was the EXIT.
STEPHEN: The RED WARNING SIGN.
STEPHEN: “QUIT WHILE YOU’RE AHEAD, YOU F**KING IDIOT.”
STEPHEN: SIGNED, GOD.
1.3
Strange.
STRANGE: I didn’t think--
STEPHEN: EXACTLY.
1.4
The lights in the hospital cut out everywhere but directly above them.
STRANGE: I thought I could--
STEPHEN: Fix it?
1.5
Strange becomes angrier.
STRANGE: NO! I NEVER TRIED--
STEPHEN: Yeah, you would never try to get back what the universe took away, would you?
STEPHEN: No matter how important it was to you. No matter how many books said it was impossible.
Page 2
2.1
Stephen grabs both of Strange’s shoulders and looks him in the eyes.
STEPHEN: You’re Doctor Stephen F*cking Strange, you know the universe better than it knows itself.
STEPHEN: When it’s dying, you’re the one who knows which pieces to cut out to make it all better.
2.2
Stephen’s face.
STEPHEN: That’s where you always stand.
STEPHEN: Taking the universe apart, one piece at a time, and reconstructing your own correct version.
2.3
Strange’s face, glaring.
STEPHEN: OP: Until you went too far.
STEPHEN: OP: Until you took everything apart on Wong’s behalf.
Page 3
3.1
Strange smiles, raising his arms, hands glowing, knocking Stephen’s arms aside.
STRANGE: Ha.
3.2
Strange grabs Stephen by the arm, turning him around.
STRANGE: You seem to have missed the part of today where I killed the impostor.
3.3
Strange grabs Stephen by the collar.
STRANGE: You were many things, old friend. But you were never the best liar.
STRANGE: I may take my time, but I DO move on.
3.4
Strange literally throws Stephen out the exit of the hospital.
STRANGE: And I’ve long since passed you.
Page 4
4.1
Stephen lands in the dirty puddle across the exit from Strange.
4.2
Strange stands outside the exit of the hospital. The EXIT sign is no longer glowing. The puddle is boiling. Stephen’s body is erupting in flames.
DORMAMMU: IT DOES NOT MATTER, FOOL!
DORMAMMU: I’VE FOUND IT!
4.3
Fire erupts from the spot in the ground where the puddle was.
DORMAMMU: THE DARK DIMENSION!
DORMAMMU: IT WAS HERE ALL ALONG!
DORMAMMU: AT THE PIT OF YOUR DESPAIR!
4.4
Dormammu rises from where Stephen fell.
DORMAMMU: IN YOUR DARKEST DREAMS!
DORMAMMU: WAITING FOR ME!
Page 5
5.1
Strange holds up his fists. They’re glowing multicolor.
STRANGE: Impersonating my own guilt.
STRANGE: You’re not Dormammu.
STRANGE: Only my idea of him.
5.2
Dormammu crouches down, reaching for Strange.
STRANGE: A tired cliche.
STRANGE: A psuedo-cosmic-Satan.
STRANGE: And I’m sick of you. So as another man would say...
5.3
Dormammu’s hand closes around Strange.
STRANGE: ...THERE’S THE DOOR!
5.4
An explosion of light blows off Dormammu’s hand.
Page 6
6.1
Dormammu collapses in front of Strange, his stump cindering.
6.2
Strange walks toward Dormammu. Dormammu’s body is shrinking down to Strange’s size.
DORMAMMU: If I am not the perfect reconstruction...
6.3
Strange stands over Dormammu, who is now normal sized.
DORMAMMU: If I am not a God... if I am only you...
6.4
Dormammu’s eyes erupt with fire. The hospital collapses behind them.
DORMAMMU: THEN I CAN TEAR THE UNIVERSE DOWN!
DORMAMMU: JUST LIKE YOU!
Page 7
7.1
The grey dreamscape around them starts to shatter, and fire erupts from the cracks.
DORMAMMU: I CAN KILL US BOTH, JUST AS YOU INTENDED.
7.2
Dormammu’s face, smiling wide
DORMAMMU: I CAN BE YOUR SUICIDE.
DORMAMMU: YOUR EXIT.
7.3
Dormammu raises his arms above his head in an evil victory pose.
DORMAMMU: I CAN BEAT YOU AT YOUR OWN GAME FROM WITHIN YOUR OWN MIND!
Page 8
8.1
Strange, completely unfazed.
STRANGE: Hm. I suppose you could.
8.2
Strange begins fading away.
STRANGE: If I hadn’t tethered myself to another in-tune individual some time ago.
8.3
Dormammu looks in terror at the collapsing dimension around him. Debris forming the glowing words SORCERER SUPREME falls toward him from the sky.
8.4
Dormammu looks up.
DORMAMMU: WHAT
DORMAMMU WHO--
8.5
Black panel.
Page 9
9.1
Iron Fist (wearing his mask again, though it’s slightly torn) and Hyperion standing in Central Park, impatiently waiting. The area is blocked off with police tape, with reporters on the other side.
9.2
Same shot, but Strange is now standing behind Iron Fist. Countless naked people are standing in the background.
SFX: pop
STRANGE: Hello, Daniel.
IRON FIST: GAH
9.3
Iron Fist babbling to Strange.
IRON FIST: WE CALLED VOODOO BUT HE’S HUNTING THE OLD ONES IN HOLLAND AND DANIEL HELLSTROM BUT HIS PAROLE OFFICER SAID HE’S STILL EVIL AND MAN-THING DOESN’T HAVE A PHONE AND MICHEAL MORBIUS SAID HE’S ONLY A SCIENTIST EVEN THOUGH HE’S ALSO A FREAKING VAMPIRE BUT THANK GOD YOU’RE OKAY
IRON FIST: ARE YOU HURT IS THERE STILL
STRANGE: Daniel.
STRANGE: I’m fine. They’re all fine. Dormammu’s dead.
9.4
Iron Fist to Strange.
IRON FIST: Really? Just like that?
STRANGE: Well. I collapsed my subconscious onto him. I’ll never be able to dream again.
Page 10
10.1
Iron Fist to Strange.
IRON FIST: Wow. Stephen, I’m so--
STRANGE: Gullible.
STRANGE: My subconscious will rebuild itself within a week.
10.2
Iron Fist to Strange. Both smiling.
10.3
Hyperion to Strange and Iron Fist.
10.4
Hyperion to Strange and Iron Fist
HYPERION: I hate both of you.
STRANGE: I know.
Page 11
11.1
Hyperion flies off.
HYPERION: Threat’s over.
HYPERION: I’m going to Holland to punch Cthulhu in the mouth.
11.2
Strange and Iron Fist looking up.
STRANGE: Charming.
IRON FIST: Yeah, he--
11.3
Central Park. Iron Fist and Strange disappear in a flash of light.
11.4
Avengers Tower rec room. Iron Fist and Strange appear in a flash of light.
STRANGE: If I could have everyone’s attention...
Page 12
12.1
Avengers (Cap, Falcon, Hawkeye, Iron Man) gather around Strange, save for Thor who continues to play foozball in the corner.
CAP: All ears.
STRANGE: In case you didn’t notice, I broke the universe.
STRANGE: Wong’s death affected me more than I thought possible.
STRANGE: I’m sure Daniel’s had plenty of fun telling you about how I murdered a bear, stark naked, with my bare hands.
12.2
Cap.
CAP: Uh.
CAP: He didn’t say anything about that.
12.3
Strange.
STRANGE: …
12.4
Strange.
STRANGE: My anguish took on the form of an abomination that called itself Wong, which cast itself into being through a subconscious spell.
STRANGE: The false Wong believed that everything was naturally imperfect. Broken down into tiny little pieces.
12.5
Strange.
STRANGE: It attempted to correct the universe. It reconstructed Dormammu. It conquered my subconscious mind. My very nightmares turned against me.
STRANGE: But I corrected the mistake.
12.6
Strange.
STRANGE: My dreams are under reconstruction. I will never recklessly toy with reality again.
STRANGE: You don’t have to worry about another Wanda.
STRANGE: Do I make myself clear?
Page 13
13.1
Cap shakes Strange’s hand.
CAP: Crystal.
CAP: Welcome back, Doctor Strange.
STRANGE: It’s good to be back.
13.2
Strange and Iron Fist in the hallway outside the rec room.
IRON FIST: Awkward.
STRANGE: Hm?
IRON FIST: The bear thing. That silence was painful.
STRANGE: That was no awkward silence. I took a moment to erase their memories.
13.3
Strange walks ahead, leaving Iron Fist standing there.
IRON FIST: Um.
STRANGE: Good day, Daniel!
Page 14
14.1
Strange walks down the street, in civilian clothes.
14.2
Strange sees the troubled kid from earlier, with a bandage around his hand.
14.3
The kid is frozen in fear. Literally. There’s a faint purple aura around him as Strange approaches.
STRANGE: You deserved it, but I’m feeling charitable.
14.4
Strange stands in front of the kid.
STRANGE: Blink.
14.5
Black panel.
14.6
Strange is gone. The kid looks at his hand. He’s grown a replacement pinkie.
Page 15
15.1
Sunset. Strange stands in a suburban neighborhood, outside a house on the front lawn, holding a boombox over his head.
STRANGE: So, so charitable.
15.2
Night. Strange looks behind him. Sirens glow in the distance.
STRANGE: Dammit, Amber.
15.3
Strange tosses the boombox down.
15.4
A whirlwind of money flies into the air where the boombox was, Strange vanishes into light. A note flutters, “SORRY. I’M REALLY TRYING.”
Page 16
16.1
Strange floats in the Sanctum library. His wallet hovering in front of him, glowing a dark blue.
16.2
Strange holds his hands apart. An entire tiny universe floats on one side of the room, his wallet floats on the other.
16.3
Strange looks at the universe.
STRANGE: Honestly, what was I even thinking.
16.4
The universe hovers above the library, replacing the light fixture with the tiny universe, giving off a cosmic disco effect.
STRANGE: This is far more practical.
Page 17
17.1
Old Strange hovers in a bright cloud in space, wearing a Zardoz inspired costume.
CAPTION: Shortly Before The End of Time
OLD STRANGE: In five.
OLD STRANGE: Four.
OLD STRANGE: Three.
OLD STRANGE: Two.
OLD STRANGE: One.
17.2
Strange appears next to Old Strange.
STRANGE: So this is what it comes to.
OLD STRANGE: I remember this.
STRANGE: I suppose I will too.
OLD STRANGE: Life’s simple like that.
STRANGE: Did you ever receive Yog's payment?
17.3
Old Strange holds out his hand. There’s a chicken egg in the palm.
OLD STRANGE: Just last week.
OLD STRANGE: 40 million evil souls. They rest in the palm of my hand.
STRANGE: That’s a chicken egg.
OLD STRANGE: An unspeakably evil chicken egg.
17.4
Strange looks at Old Strange.
STRANGE: Wow.
OLD STRANGE: Hm?
STRANGE: I finally know what Daniel feels like.
17.5
Old Strange looks at Strange.
OLD STRANGE: You thought reconstructing Wong was the only thing you did subconsciously.
OLD STRANGE: But who’s to say you couldn’t also have planned a near-infinitely long odyssey to teach yourself some humility?
17.6
Strange.
STRANGE: Why in Bythos’ name would I of all people need to learn--
OLD STRANGE: …
STRANGE: …
STRANGE: I hate you.
OLD STRANGE: The lesson is a success.
Page 18
18.1
Old Strange.
OLD STRANGE: Remind me, why did you want 40 million unspeakably evil souls?
18.2
Strange.
STRANGE: I devised a rehabilitation formula.
STRANGE: I intended to reconstruct them.
18.3
Old Strange looking at Strange.
STRANGE: …Given some spare time.
OLD STRANGE: Your job is to heal the universe.
OLD STRANGE: Give it stitches. An ice pack. A bill.
18.4
Old Strange.
OLD STRANGE: Then lead it to the exit sign.
OLD STRANGE: Nothing more.
OLD STRANGE: Understand?
18.5
Strange vanishes. Old Strange remains.
OLD STRANGE: I remember understanding.
OLD STRANGE: All is well.
18.6
White panel.
OLD STRANGE: Time to die.
Page 19
19.1
Strange stands in the Sanctum library.
CAPTION: STRANGE: Arriving back to the Sanctum, the end of time rings in my ears.
19.2
Strange looks around.
CAPTION: STRANGE: Had I only stayed a second longer...
CAPTION: STRANGE: I could have prevented it. I could have saved myself.
19.3
Strange grabs a book off the shelf.
CAPTION: STRANGE: But I didn’t.
Page 20
20.1
Strange sits in a chair, reading the book like a normal person.
CAPTION: STRANGE: And I won’t.
CAPTION: STRANGE: I am the Sorcerer Supreme.
CAPTION: STRANGE: I know when it’s time to let the patient go.
THE END
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