| For the region of Niflheim, see Hel |
- "All things age. All things die. In the end, our sun burns out. Our universe grows cold and perishes. But the Dark Dimension, itâs a place beyond time."
- âKaecilius to Doctor Strange[src]
The Dark Dimension, also known as the Zero Matter World,[1] the Darkforce Dimension, the Hell Dimension,[2] or simply Hell,[3] is a vast dimension in the Multiverse ruled by Dormammu. A strange and hostile dimension, it is an amalgamation of itself and all other dimensions Dormammu had conquered and absorbed into it.[4] Time does not exist in the Dark Dimension in the same way it does within the regular universe. This allows it to be the power source of life-extending spells and the removal of mortality, at times, giving sorcerers superhuman abilities beyond their magic.
The Dark Dimension is also the source of the energy known as the Darkforce, or Dark Matter,[5] that sometimes has been able to pour into Earth. In specific domains within this dimension reside the entities worshiped on Earth as the Loa, and exiled sorcerers like Morgan le Fay.[6] Furthermore, the Dark Dimension contains an obscure dark world known as Hell,[7] home to the Spirit of Vengeance, a realm of never-ending darkness, devoid of any form of light and warmth, that tries to absorb any living being who goes near it.
History[]
Ancient One's Eternal Life[]
The Ancient One often drew power from the Dark Dimension to fuel her immortality but forbade other sorcerers of Kamar-Taj from doing the same.[8]
Escape of a Demon[]
- "I know where you are being dragged to. I escaped that before. I'm never coming back."
- âSpirit of Vengeance to Robbie Reyes[src]
A powerful demon entity known as the Spirit of Vengeance[2] was able to escape from the obscure realm known as Hell to Earth. In order to survive, he bonded himself with humans who had a strong desire for vengeance, transforming them into the Ghost Rider.[9][2]
Inter-Dimensional Rift[]
- "It was freezing. The type of cold that kills. And there was a blackness, a dark beyond dark."
- âJason Wilkes[src]
The Wormhole being opened by Howard Stark
During the 1940s, scientists began experimenting with nuclear energy; during one such experiment performed by Isodyne Energy, a rift was created where a substance dubbed Zero Matter entered this dimension. Eventually, Whitney Frost and Jason Wilkes became infected with the substance.[10] Frost actively sought more of the Zero Matter and reopened the rift; however Wilkes entered the opening.[11] Upon his return, he described his experience in this dimension as indescribably cold and dark.[1]
Attack on the Sanctums[]
Theft of the Book of Cagliostro[]
Kaecilius, one of the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj had heard of the Dark Dimension as a place without time where he and the Zealots would be immortal. He knew that the Ancient One herself drew power from the Dark Dimension and believed her to be a hypocrite as she forbade others from doing the same. One night, Kaecilius and the Zealots went to the Kamar-Taj library with the intent of stealing a spell from the Book of Cagliostro to bring Dormammu to Earth.
Using the pages from the book, Kaecilius deciphered the spell hidden within it and used it to empower himself and the Zealots, summoning the power from the Dark Dimension and giving them unparalleled control over the Mirror Dimension. The process turned the skin around their eyes dark purple and outlined silver and cracked. Overflowing with these new abilities, Kaecilius began to use the new power to defeat the Masters of the Mystic Arts and destroy the Sanctums to allow Dormammu to come to Earth.[8]
Battle at the Hong Kong Sanctum[]
The Dark Dimension appearing on Earth
Upon arrival in Hong Kong, Kaecilius and his Zealots found themselves challenged by the Masters of the Mystic Arts outside the Hong Kong Sanctum, with the Masters now being led by Wong. It did not take long however for Kaecilius and the Zealots to destroy the Hong Kong Sanctum and succeeded in bringing Dormammu and the Dark Dimension to Earth, killing Wong by trapping him underneath rubble and many other civilians in the battle as the Dark Dimension began consuming the sky.
Doctor Strange arrives in the Dark Dimension
Doctor Strange and Karl Mordo headed to the Hong Kong Sanctum only to discover it has already been destroyed and Dormammu was now coming to Earth. Using the Eye of Agamotto and breaking the natural laws of time, Strange reversed what had happened, returning Wong and many others from the dead despite Mordo's protests. He was interrupted mid-spell, freezing time around the fighting. Kaecilius returned and declared that Dormammu's arrival couldn't be stopped anymore and once again mentioned that the Dark Dimension is "beyond time". Hearing this, Strange figured out a way to defeat Dormammu and headed to the Dark Dimension.
Doctor Strange requests to bargain with Dormammu
Strange confronted Dormammu, requesting a bargain. Dormammu shrugged off Strange's words and proceeded to swiftly kill him. Suddenly Strange appeared again repeating the exact same words as before. Confused, Dormammu attempted to kill Strange again, only for him to reappear and repeat the cycle over and over.
Dormammu makes a deal with Doctor Strange
Strange explained that he had created an endless time loop, and would keep both him and Dormammu trapped forever. Eventually, Dormammu submitted and questioned what Strange wanted. Strange demanded he never returns to Earth and takes Kaecilius and his remaining Zealots with him.
Strange soon returned to his universe, where he, Mordo, and Wong witnessed Kaecilius and his Zealots transform into Mindless Ones, who were soon drawn into the Dark Dimension by Dormammu. Although they achieved their goal for immortality, it came at a horrific cost: eternal imprisonment.[8]
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Trapped Between Two Worlds[]
- "I think you were right about us being pulled to the other side. The darkness is closing in around us."
- âPhil Coulson to Leo Fitz[src]
When Eli Morrow activated his Quantum Particle Generator, the machine generated an energy blast which caused Leo Fitz, Phil Coulson and Ghost Rider to be placed in an inter-dimensional state where they would be trapped between Hell and Earth. As time progressed, Fitz and Coulson noticed that their environment grew darker, showing that they were slowly being dragged into Hell. Likewise, the Spirit of Vengeance felt that his host could be trapped in Hell and transferred itself to Alphonso Mackenzie to escape this fate.
Phil Coulson is dragged into the Hell realm through the Mirror Dimension
While Aida was building an Inter-Dimensional Gate to rescue the missing S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Coulson was nearly absorbed into Hell when his leg got stuck in a dark emanation of the dreaded dimension through the Mirror Dimension.[2] With help from Fitz, Coulson managed to pull his leg out of it and they successfully returned to the Earth through the gateway. Later, Reyes used the same gateway to come back as well.[9]
God-Like Powers[]
- "The point is, you're not creating energy, Eli, you're stealing it."
- âPhil Coulson to Eli Morrow[src]
Eli Morrow stepped out of his Quantum Particle Generator with the ability to create matter apparently out of nothing, making him believe that he had become some sort of god-like being who was capable of violating the laws of physics. However, it turned out that Morrow did not generate matter out of nothing; rather, he harnessed energy from the Dark Dimension which was then used to create matter. While doing so, Morrow inadvertently caused multiple tears between the obscure Hell realm within the Dark Dimension[2][3] and Earth, resulting in earthquakes around Los Angeles where Morrow was based.
Morrow built a gigantic Quantum Battery which drew massive amounts of energy from the Dark Dimension. While trying to stop him, Robbie Reyes was trapped in the Battery, where he experienced the flow of dark energy which felt like he was pulled into Hell. In an attempt to stop Morrow, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Aida built another Inter-Dimensional Gate to expel him and the atomic bomb he had designed from Earth to Hell so he could no longer be a threat. The Ghost Rider chose to sacrifice himself to make sure the plan succeeded and was sent into this Hell region as well.[12]
Ghost Rider's Rampage[]
- "There, I'm just a passenger. Ghost Rider drives. And by "drives", I mean "fights and kills". It's kind of all we did."
- âRobbie Reyes[src]
Once in the Hell Dimension,[7] the Spirit of Vengeance took full control of Robbie Reyes' body and went into a killing spree all across Hell.[13]
The Place Where Some Things Belong[]
- "It's time for me to take you home."
- âGhost Rider to Aida[src]
Having been corrupted by the Darkhold, the android Aida sought to acquire a living body for herself. Thanks to Project Looking Glass, she was successful in her endeavor. However, it turned out that the body she had created was made out of dark matter coming from the Dark Dimension.[5] Thus, when this body was synthetized, it caused a tear between the Dark Dimension and Earth, enabling the Ghost Rider to return from th Dark Dimension and fulfill his new mission: taking both Aida and the Darkhold back to the hell where they belonged.[14]
Ghost Rider returns to the Dark Dimension
The Ghost Rider allied with S.H.I.E.L.D. once again, which led to the destruction of Aida thanks to Phil Coulson who had borrowed the powers of the Spirit of Vengeance. The demonic entity then returned in Robbie Reyes' body and Coulson handed over the Darkhold to him. His mission on Earth being completed, the Ghost Rider opened an Inter-Dimensional Portal and returned to the Dark Dimension.[13][15]
Loa[]
Tyrone Johnson was exposed to an explosion of energy as a child. This incident created a connection between him and the Dark Dimension and gave him superhuman abilities.[16] Andre Deschaine, another person who was exposed to the energy, also acquired a connection with the dimension.[17] Amongst other minor abilities, Johnson became able to teleport through the Dark Dimension to travel instantly on Earth.[16] Additionally, he was able to use himself as a gateway to the Dark Dimension and banish enemies into it. James Connors was the first person to be sent to the place by Johnson.[18]
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Morgan le Fay[]
During the Siege of the Hostel, Nico Minoru subconsciously tapped into the Dark Dimension's energy with her Staff of One, turning the skin around her eyes dark purple and gaining a power-up sufficient to make her launch the last spell able to banish AWOL and his men to the Dark Dimension.[19] Nico later once again used power from the Dark Dimension against her parents Tina and Robert Minoru, using it to shatter large windows and project the shards at full force towards them.[20]
Multiverse Chaos[]
Incursion[]
Clea opens a portal to the Dark Dimension
- "You caused an incursion, and we're gonna fix it. Unless you're afraid."
- âClea to Doctor Strange[src]
In late 2024, Clea left the Dimension and entered Earth to find Doctor Strange. She stopped him on a sidewalk in New York City and tore an opening to the Dimension telling him he was needed to fix an incursion, due to Strange's recent events with the Multiverse. Strange then suited up and the two entered the Dimension to save it.[21]
Alternate Realities[]
Corrupted Doctor Strange[]
In an alternate reality, Dormammu tried to conquer Earth, but was confronted by Doctor Strange, who bargained with him using the Time Stone.[22]
Nature and Structure[]
The Dark Dimension exists in a void of time and the laws of physics. Any light there is cold; it can be seen, yet it does not radiate energy. The Dark Dimensions is a corruption of the original reality that was once found there, and an amalgamation of countless other dimensions that its master, Dormammu, has consumed.[23]
Appearances[]
| Appearances for the Dark Dimension |
|---|
|
In chronological order:
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Trivia[]
- "Hell is relative. Dimensions, space, planets... it's all connected. Plenty of them qualify as hell."
- âRobbie Reyes to Phil Coulson and Quake[src]
- In the comics, the Dark Dimension is an amalgamation of different realities that was inhabited by the Mhuruuks, before it was conquered by Dormammu.
- The Marvel Cinematic Universe version of the Dark Dimension amalgamates, at least, two other different dimensions of the comics, the Darkforce Dimension where the Darkforce originates and source of Cloak's powers, and both Orun and Bondyé, the mystical realms where the Vodƫ and Loa respectively reside.
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s take on the Dark Dimension introduces it as the Hell Dimension. In the comics, Hell is a common name used to refer to different underworld realms ruled by evil entities. The realm of Mephisto, the Dark Dimension and Hel have all been associated with the concept of Hell.
- In the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode Repairs, Jemma Simmons discovered that the technician Tobias Ford, after an accident with a portal, was trapped between the Earth and another world, one he called "Hell".
Behind the Scenes[]
- The overall visuals used for the Dark Dimension in Doctor Strange were based on Eternity's Realm from a famous panel of Strange Tales #138 where Doctor Strange asks Eternity to give him power to save his master the Ancient One and defeat Dormammu.[24]
References[]
- â 1.0 1.1 Agent Carter: 2.10: Hollywood Ending
- â 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Guidebook to the Marvel Cinematic Universe - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season Four
- â 3.0 3.1 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' EPs on That Eventful Midseason Finale and What Comes Next
- â Guidebook to the Marvel Cinematic Universe - Doctor Strange
- â 5.0 5.1 'Agent Carter' Bosses Discuss How 'Doctor Strange' Tie-In Impacts Peggy's Love Life
- â A RUNAWAYS FINAL SEASON FULL OF MAGIC, ALIENS, AND A KEY CROSSOVER
- â 7.0 7.1 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season Four Declassified
- â 8.0 8.1 8.2 Doctor Strange
- â 9.0 9.1 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 4.07: Deals With Our Devils
- â Agent Carter: 2.02: A View in the Dark
- â Agent Carter: 2.08: The Edge of Mystery
- â Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 4.08: The Laws of Inferno Dynamics
- â 13.0 13.1 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 4.22: World's End
- â Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 4.21: The Return
- â Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finale recap: 'World's End'
- â 16.0 16.1 Cloak & Dagger: 1.01: First Light
- â Cloak & Dagger: 2.06: B Sides
- â Cloak & Dagger: 1.10: Colony Collapse
- â Runaways: 2.10: Hostile Takeover
- â Runaways: 2.13: Split Up
- â Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- â What If...?: 1.04: What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?
- â Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary
- â Steve Ditko's Panel
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