When it comes to magical heroes, most of them make use of some mystical artifacts to aid in their quests. Just look at Harry Potter. How far would he and his friends have gotten without their Time Turner, Marauder's Map, and Invisibility Cloak? Probably not too far. Doctor Strange is no exception to this rule, and his new movie pulls out all sorts of magical items for the Sorcerer Supreme, like the Eye of Agamotto, the Book of the Vishanti, and a cloak of his own, the Cloak of Levitation. This last item functions as his trademark cape, but what does Doctor Strange's cape do in the comics?
Umm, it levitates, hence the name. OK, I'm being cheeky, it does more than that, but its primary purpose is to allow Strange to levitate and to fly, even as fast as near-sonic speeds. The cloak is very old, and can be used by anyone with no knowledge of magic, and the reason Strange uses it is because it requires no significant energy or concentration to operate it. Therefore, he can fly around and concentrate on making other spells without casting a separate spell to keep himself airborne. It's not usual to see a superhero who depends upon his cape to fly, but then again, Doctor Strange is hardly your typical superhero.
The cloak has other abilities, too, besides flight. It is extremely durable and can protect its wearer from harm. It can also change its form, meaning Strange can use it to disguise himself. It can act as an extension of its wearer, functioning in the same way one might use one's arms or legs. And perhaps the most fun of all, the cloak has occasionally shown signs of sentience. It's not a living, breathing organism, but it is kind of "alive" (think Carpet from Aladdin ). It's shown flashes of having a personality in the comics here and there, and it appears that the movie will really play up this aspect of the cloak.
The Cloak of Levitation is pretty sweet as far as magical artifacts are concerned, and it that should come in awfully handy when the Sorcerer Supreme is traveling across dimensions in Doctor Strange.
Images: Walt Disney Pictures
