Stephen Strange from Universe 616 had come seeking help. He didn't waste any time and immediately revealed his identity. However, his counterpart responded with doubt, demanding proof of who he really was.
Watching this scene unfold, the Stephen outside the screen took the opportunity to lecture Peter. "We deal with dangerous situations all the time. We face complicated problems—and people. Peter, you always need to stay alert. Even if it's someone you know well."
Peter nodded earnestly. "Got it. I'll make sure to think things through more carefully before I act."
Then Peter glanced at Stephen with a touch of sympathy in his eyes. On screen, the Doctor Strange from Universe 616 chose to share a painful secret in order to gain the trust of his multiversal counterpart—something only he would know.
He had a younger sister. Sadly, she passed away when they were still children.
The two had been playing on a frozen lake when she fell through the ice. A young Stephen had been helpless to save her—forced to watch as she disappeared beneath the surface. It was the defining tragedy of his life.
"I'm sorry…" Peter, ever the polite one, immediately offered his condolences.
Stephen's expression darkened. He waved a hand dismissively, clearly not wanting to speak further. That memory was a scar on his soul, long scabbed over—and now, it was being ripped open again for all to see by his future self. There were no words to describe the pain.
In the video, Stephen from Universe 616 finally proved who he was and gained the trust of his counterpart. With that settled, the two got to the heart of the matter.
During their conversation, Stephen from Universe 616 noticed something strange—the other version of him had a book hanging from his waist.
It was the Darkhold.
He blurted out instinctively, "You're the guardian of the Darkhold in this universe?"
The other Stephen's face twisted into a strange expression. "That's a good excuse."
Stephen didn't press the issue. He simply asked if he could borrow the Darkhold, hoping to use it to return to his own universe.
By now, even the audience watching from outside the video could see that Stephen was out of options. Wanda had exiled him and captured America. If no one stopped her, she would surely succeed. And if that happened, it wouldn't just cost the life of an innocent girl—it could bring disaster to two entire multiverses.
In other words, Stephen might have known exactly how dangerous the Darkhold was, but he had no other choice.
"The Stephen of this universe has already been corrupted by the Darkhold!"
Many viewers picked up on this, and Pietro did too. He stared hard at the Stephen standing beside him. "Hah, Stephen, maybe the Illuminati were right after all. You're even more dangerous than Wanda!"
"Two versions of you—across two different multiverses—both fell to the Darkhold. That says a lot."
Stephen's face turned grim. He understood the implication. It was as if, at his core, he was colder and more hypocritical than Wanda could ever be.
He stayed quiet for a long moment, deep in thought. Then finally, he spoke.
"I believe that my future self will make the right choice. And the truth will prove it."
In the video, the Stephen from 616 was still pleading with his darker counterpart, asking him to hand over the Darkhold so he could return home.
But this worn, shadowed version of Stephen suddenly asked, "Are you happy, Stephen?"
He walked over to the window, where he could see Christine waiting outside.
"She asked me that at her wedding. Christine Palmer looked me in the eye and asked if I was happy. And I said, yes. Of course I'm happy."
"I'm a sorcerer with unimaginable power. How could I not be happy?"
"But then I came back to this miserable, haunted house. And I started asking myself—why am I still alive?"
"I never used to think about things like that… until I started searching for a universe where Christine and I actually lived happily ever after."
He met the gaze of the Stephen from 616, his own expression turning even darker.
"But I never found one. I only found more versions of me. So, I did them a favor…"
Then he abruptly asked, "Have you ever had that dream? Where you're pushed off a tall building and falling…"
"That might've been me."
As he finished speaking, a third eye suddenly opened in the center of his forehead.
All three of his eyes locked on the Stephen from Universe 616. This version of Doctor Strange—this man who shared his name and identity—had become a creature of corruption, filth, and evil.
No doubt about it: this fallen version of Stephen was even more twisted than Wanda. The pain of Christine's marriage had broken him completely, and he had gone down a path of utter darkness.
He had not only studied the wicked spells of the Darkhold—he had traveled across the multiverse and murdered other versions of himself!
And of course, his actions came with a price—the collapse of his entire world.
In short, Stephen had destroyed his own universe. And now, even in death, he intended to drag everyone else down with him.
Many viewers watching the video felt a cold chill crawl up their spines.
This was the same man who had once protected Earth, who had kept the peace. And now, twisted by grief, he had become a monster.
At least Thanos, the Mad Titan, had snapped his fingers with some sense of purpose—preaching balance and fairness, however twisted. In his own way, Thanos was an idealist.
But this corrupted Stephen? He wanted to end the world—all for a doomed love. He wanted everyone to pay the price for his heartbreak.
A complete lunatic.
Outside the video, Pietro sneered. "Just admit it, Stephen. You're no different from Wanda. You're willing to break the rules for your own selfish desires."
"No."
Stephen took a deep breath. His eyes wavered for just a moment, but quickly sharpened again with conviction.
"There are no two identical leaves in the world. Not even in the multiverse. We might look alike. We might share names, identities—even powers—but we are not the same. I am not them. I am me."
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