In Kathmandu, Nepal, the sorcerer Kaecilius and his zealots enter the secret compound Kamar-

Taj and behead its librarian. From the ancient and mystical texts, they steal a ritual from a book
belonging to the Ancient One, a sorcerer who has lived for an unknown time and taught all at Kamar-
Taj, including Kaecilius, in the ways of the mystic arts. The Ancient One pursues the traitors, but
Kaecilius escapes with the pages and some of his followers.
In New York City, Stephen Strange, an acclaimed but arrogant neurosurgeon, loses the use of his
hands in a car accident. Fellow surgeon and former lover Christine Palmer tries to help him move
on, but Strange, firmly believing he can regain use of his hands, instead uses all his resources
pursuing experimental surgeries in vain. After learning of Jonathan Pangborn, a paraplegic who
mysteriously was able to walk again, Strange seeks him out, and is directed to Kamar-Taj. There,
Strange is taken in by another sorcerer under the Ancient One, Mordo. The Ancient One shows
Strange her power, revealing the astral plane and other dimensions such as the Mirror Dimension.
Amazed, Strange begs her to teach him, and she eventually agrees despite his arrogance, which
reminds her of Kaecilius.
Strange begins his tutelage under the Ancient One and Mordo, and learns from the ancient books in
the library, now presided over by the master Wong. Strange learns that Earth is protected from other
dimensions by a spell formed from three buildings called Sanctums, found in New York City, London,
and Hong Kong. The task of the sorcerers is to protect the Sanctums, though Pangborn chose to
forgo this responsibility in favor of channelling mystical energy into walking again. Strange advances
quickly over several months, even secretly reading from the text Kaecilius stole from and learning to
bend time with the mystical Eye of Agamotto. Mordo and Wong warn Strange against breaking the
laws of nature, comparing his arrogant yearning for power to that of Kaecilius, who believes, after
the deaths of his loved ones, that everyone should have eternal life.
Kaecilius and his followers use the stolen pages to begin summoning the powerful Dormammu of the
Dark Dimension, where time does not exist and all can live forever. This destroys the London
Sanctum, and sends Strange from Kamar-Taj to the New York Sanctum. The zealots then attack
there, where Strange holds them off with the mystical Cloak of Levitation until Mordo and the Ancient
One arrive. Strange and Mordo become disillusioned with the Ancient One after Kaecilius reveals
that her long life has come from her own use of Dormammu's power. Kaecilius mortally wounds the
Ancient One, and escapes to Hong Kong. The Ancient One tells Strange that he, too, will have to
break the rules, to balance Mordo's steadfast nature. She then dies, despite the best efforts of
Strange and a bewildered Palmer. Strange and Mordo arrive in Hong Kong to find Wong dead and
the Sanctum destroyed, with the Dark Dimension already engulfing Earth. Strange uses the Eye to
turn back time and save Wong, before creating an infinite time loop inside the Dark Dimension that
traps himself and Dormammu in the same moment forever. After killing Strange many times to no
avail, Dormammu reluctantly agrees to leave Earth if Strange undoes the time loop, taking Kaecilius
and the zealots with him.
Disgusted by Strange and the Ancient One's disregard for the consequences of defying nature,
Mordo departs. Strange returns the Eye, which Wong calls an Infinity Stone, to Kamar-Taj, and then
takes up residence in the New York Sanctum to continue his studies. In a mid-credits scene, Strange
decides to help Thor, who has brought his brother Loki to Earth to search for their father Odin. In
a post-credits scene, Mordo confronts Pangborn and takes the energy he uses to walk, stating that
Earth has "too many sorcerers".