Zelma Stanton

Creation

Zelma Stanton was created by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo. She made her first appearance in Doctor Strange issue 1 (2015).

Major Story Arcs

Meeting the Doctor for the first time

Towards the end of Doctor Strange issue 1, Strange leaves the Bar in a huff and finds Zelma Stanton on his front porch. She claims to be infested by something. At first she thought it was just a rash, but it grew bigger and bigger and grew teeth as well. She was urged by a friend to visit Strange

When Strange asks her to remove her hat, he is overwhelmed by something other-dimensional that he had never seen before.

Strange tells her that it’s a supernatural wound, think of it as a scab.

After having done some research, Strange finds out these creatures are called mind maggots.

They feed on their psychic energy of their host. That’s why, in order to lure them to Strange, he needs Zelma to tell her deepest secrets. This time the mind maggots infest Strange, but since his mind is well protected, the mind maggots will eventually die.

The Weird, the Weirder, And the Weirdest

In this story Zelma plays a pivotal role, while Strange is unconscious she grabs the magic wand and the last book of spells. While she is able to fend for herself and protect Strange for a while, using magic is taking its toll on her. Now the roles are swapped, it’s Strange protecting her and Zelma in an unconscious state. After Strange wins the battle, he heals her at his Sanctorum, but there’s a price. In order for Zelma to survive, Strange had to give some of his mystical antibodies to her.

Zelma is now an apprentice of Dr. Strange.