Two magical books are very important to the plot of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The first is the Darkhold, which we were introduced to in WandaVision—it’s a book of, well, extremely dark magic. In the sequel to Doctor Strange, we learn from the opening scene about another special book called The Book of Vishanti. The Book of Vishanti figures into the events of the movie, and it has a significant history in Marvel Comics and with Doctor Strange in particular.
The Book of the Vishanti first appeared in Marvel Comics all the way back in 1963 in the pages of Strange Tales #116, and thus it is a product straight from the minds of legendary comics creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Longtime Doctor Strange fans will appreciate the spellbook finally showing up in the good Doctor’s MCU life. Like Strange’s Cloak of Levitation and the Eye of Agamotto that he wears, the Book of Vishanti has long been associated with Doctor Stephen Strange.
What does the Book of the Vishanti look like in the movie?
As it turns out, the Book of Vishanti was hiding in plain sight in promotions for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness:
What does the Book of Vishanti do?
Good question! In Multiverse of Madness, the Book of Vishanti is depicted as a powerful item that can essentially help aid a sorcerer with whatever they need at that moment in order to overcome an obstacle. In the comics, the book’s powers are described and wielded in more detail. According to the Marvel Fandom Wiki, “The Book of the Vishanti contains the most powerful white/order magic spells known, many of them being counterspells to other magic disciplines. It seems to have an endless number of pages, which seemingly materialise from nothing. The book itself can be used to deflect magic.”
So just as the Darkhold contains dark magic and dangerous and deadly spells, the Book of Vishanti holds the key to white magic in the Marvel Universe as well as provides counterspells to some of those terrible spells that a sorcerer like Strange might encounter. It has a seemingly infinite number of spells contained within. In the comics it has also been used as a sort of shield, as you can see in the panel below. Strange declares, The final, the ultimate defense is the Book of Vishanti itself!”
Where did the Book of Vishanti come from?
In Doctor Strange 2, the origins of the Book of Vishanti and how it came to be floating in the multiverse aren’t explained. In the comics, however, the book has an origin story and a long history. The book is thought to have been dictated by the Vishanti, or “Those Who Sit Above,” a trio of Elder Gods who act as defenders of Earth as well as the patron of whoever is the current Sorcerer Supreme. The book’s contents were actually written down by Agamotto, who is one of the trinity of Vishanti (the others are Hoggoth and Agamotto’s mother Oshtur). After Agamotto created the book, additions have been made to the so-called “Book of Light” by other sorcerers over the centuries who had the book in their possession.
Why is the Book of Vishanti important?
So much of Doctor Strange 2 revolves around Wanda Maximoff and other characters using the Darkhold. According to Marvel.com, the Book of Vishanti ” is a perfect antidote” to the Darkhold. While the events of the movie make us wonder if we’ll see the Book again anytime soon, in the comics, it’s still in Doctor Strange’s possession. So we could see it coming back into play in the future.
(images: Marvel Studios, Marvel Comics)
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