Strange Tales #109
The Sorcerer and Pandora's Box
Growing bored and restless during a meeting with the other Fantastic Four members, Reed allows Johnny to leave early. After stopping a fire, he flies past an old eccentric's home where the owner is chasing teens off his property with dogs. Going to check things out, he meets the man the townspeople call "The Sorcerer", realizing that the old man is a collector of old mystical items. When the Sorcerer wants to be left alone, the Torch is more than happy to help the curmudgeonly old man by surrounding his home with a wall of flame; however, the Sorcerer is even more furious and Johnny takes it down.
After the Torch departs, the Sorcerer opens his recent acquisition: Pandora's Box. With the box he is able to summon evils that represent different aspects and elements and use them to try and rob a bank. When the Torch tries to stop him the Sorcerer summons a water demon to douse the Torch's flames. Gloating, the Sorcerer gives Johnny his choice of death out of Pandora's Box, Johnny chooses flame. This works against the Sorcerer because Johnny absorbs the fire and uses his flame powers to get hold of the box.
In doing so, the Sorcerer is exposed to his next chosen attack on the Torch, a fear demon, which strikes the Sorcerer and puts him in a catatonic state. Johnny turns him over to the police and then tosses the Box into the ocean, and returns to his comrades and is less than modest about what he did that day.
Recurring Characters
Fantastic Four (Human Torch, Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Thing), Sersi, Pandora
Continuity Notes
The woman here who is said to be Circe is actually the Eternal known as Sersi and admission she made in Eternals #3.
This may not be the only Pandora’s Box as others (with vastly different properties) were seen in Chamber of Darkness #3, and Incredible Hulks #626-629. An explanation has yet to be given.
The Sorcerer’s real name is not revealed here. He is identified as Dorian Murdstone in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #11.
