"Uh, okay." Wolverine looked a bit embarrassed. Although what he'd just said wasn't exactly insulting, it clearly implied he saw all wizards as rustic and outdated. "Guess I'm not too familiar with this stuff."
Although Wolverine could be arrogant, he was also reasonable especially since he wanted to recover his memories and needed help. There was no way he could afford to leave a bad impression this early.
"Mr. Logan, are you here to regain your memories?" the Ancient One asked calmly.
Logan's expression shifted slightly. He hadn't expected the Ancient One to immediately identify his purpose. Still, considering the mystique surrounding sorcerers, and their supposed ability to glimpse the future, it didn't seem too surprising. He simply nodded.
"Recovering your memories isn't particularly difficult. As long as you believe in magic, and are able to correctly perceive your soul—"
Shin's expression grew increasingly skeptical. He quickly interrupted, "Hold on, Master Ancient One. Why not just use the Time Stone to look at his past? Are you seriously planning to teach him magic?"
"He's quite talented in magic," the Ancient One replied without hesitation. "I believe that, if he wished to, he could become a Master Sorcerer."
Shin was nearly speechless. Magic Wolverine? Was that even a thing in any parallel universe?
"I can learn magic?" Wolverine looked just as confused. He'd never thought of himself, with his temperament and personality, as having anything in common with the mysterious world of magic.
"Yes. Your physique would greatly aid you in mastering the mystic arts," the Ancient One said with a warm smile, even circling around Wolverine twice like he was assessing a rare treasure. Her expression practically shouted, 'This boy is a once-in-a-generation talent'.
But Wolverine couldn't help but shiver. Something about the Ancient One's gaze gave him the creeps as if he were sizing him up for dissection.
Would Wolverine's physique actually help with magic? Shin's face was full of doubt. Sure, Kamar-Taj's magicians were often trained in physical combat, even hand-to-hand, but that was just for foundation. No one ever claimed that a stronger body directly equaled stronger magic.
"Come on. Don't mess with me. I've never heard of a mutant's regenerative ability being useful for magic."
"Of course it is," the Ancient One replied. "Think about it, when others offer sacrifices to demons or dimensional entities, the best they can offer is a bit of flesh or blood. Wolverine, on the other hand, could offer his heart, liver, spleen, and lungs. The magical power he could borrow would vastly surpass that of others."
He sighed, almost wistfully. "It's a pity that such offerings lack enough spiritual meaning or pain. Otherwise, he might've been able to ascend instantly to a grandmaster of magic."
What the hell, Ancient One? You're the Sorcerer Supreme, and this is the kind of advice you're giving?
No wonder people like Wolverine or Sabretooth never became magicians. Turns out their 'talent' was tailored for sacrificial magic the kind that mutilates both the caster and others.
Shin was well aware that magic sacrifices involved more than just flesh and blood. There were intangible elements too, and the side effects of dabbling too often in the mystic arts were no small matter.
Doctor Strange was the type of lunatic who practiced both white and black magic simultaneously and looked cool doing it.
But was it because his talent surpassed all previous Sorcerer Supremes? Not exactly. It was more that he was bold... recklessly bold.
Or perhaps it was just ignorance. Maybe the Ancient One had deliberately withheld information, or maybe Strange never took his warnings seriously. He used magic freely, without restriction.
And the more fun he had at the beginning, the more he suffered later on.
Just how miserable was Doctor Strange in the comics? After becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, he developed a hole the size of a coin in his stomach. He could only sleep for three hours a night, any more and he'd plunge into endless nightmares. He suffered daily hallucinations, couldn't tell directions, had mushrooms growing on his face that oozed pus, and his kidney stones developed sentience and caused him to pee blood.
And that was just the price of white magic.
The costs of black magic were even worse. Strange was kidnapped by various demons countless times. Even with the Time Stone, he barely made it back with his life each time.
Outwardly, Doctor Strange looked glorious, regal, powerful, and respected. In truth, he was no different than John Constantine over in DC. He was drowning in debt... spiritual, magical, and literal. His creditors weren't shady humans; they were gods and demons, all with their own terrifying ways of collecting.
Everything about him his body, his power, even his soul, was collateral. And he hadn't sold it to just one being. He'd sold it to multiple entities.
So sure, Wolverine might be immortal. But if he really studied magic, he'd probably wish he were mortal so he could at least die and escape it.
Wolverine's animal instincts screamed danger. He gave a strained laugh and said, "Yeah, I don't think I'm cut out for magic."
"Very well. I won't force you," the Ancient One said with a kind smile, smoothly changing the subject. "You want to recover your memories? Then follow me. The Eye of Agamotto can retrieve everything you've lost."
With that, he led them into the New York Temple. Wolverine glanced around at the many bizarre, mysterious artifacts lining the halls.
Several elderly sorcerers greeted the Ancient One respectfully as they passed. He nodded in response, then opened a door that unleashed a frigid wind.
Even Wolverine, born and raised in the cold of Canada, couldn't help but shudder.
They stepped through the portal and then Wolverine spotted a figure glowing with red light. His body tensed instinctively, wariness flashing in his eyes.
Shin's reaction wasn't much calmer. He stared in shock.
Scarlet Witch?! In Kamar-Taj?
The woman channeling crimson energy through her hands could only be Wanda Maximoff better known as the Scarlet Witch.
"Ancient One," Shin said, narrowing his eyes, "Don't tell me you're planning to make her the next Sorcerer Supreme?"
Jean Grey. Wanda Maximoff. Were they lacking in magical talent?
Absolutely not. Both had far more potential than Doctor Strange.
But why had the Ancient One overlooked them?
Because they already had patrons.
Scarlet Witch was the vessel of chaos magic derived directly from the elder god Chthon, also known as the God of Black Magic. Every branch of black magic in the universe could, in some way, be traced back to him.
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