Original artwork, not a still
By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!
— Strange Tales • 1965
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The oath is half spell and half pulp swearing, the kind of mock-mystic exclamation Lee and Ditko stacked up for Strange to shout before he did something impossible. It tells readers they are in a magical, unfamiliar world with its own gods, each with an absurd title. Fans quote it with a grin whenever something spectacular goes wrong, and Marvel keeps bringing it back, sometimes with Ghost Rider quoting it in an affectionate wink.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Strange TalesShow the scene
Doctor Strange, created by Steve Ditko with scripting by Stan Lee, debuted in Strange Tales #110 (July 1963). His spells call on a pantheon of mystic entities, and Hoggoth, one of the three Vishanti with Agamotto and Oshtur, is first named in Strange Tales #116 (January 1964) in the Marvel Database's record, with the "Hosts of Hoggoth" appearing in the same run, including Strange Tales #120 (May 1964). Strange swears by Hoggoth and the Hosts in the middle of a spell or a crisis, and the oath becomes the sorcerer's best-known exclamation across his 1960s stories.
Sources (3)
- Wikipedia: Doctor Strangelead and CreationReference checked
- Marvel Database: Hoggoth (Earth-616)infobox and NotesReference checked
- Marvel Database: Hosts of Hoggoth (Old Ones)AliasesReference checked
Context reviewed
