"We have a great teacher." "Do you feel the Ancient One to be a great teacher? Do you feel that you have found the truths which you had sought out when you came here?"
Upon joining the Zealots, Aster, among others, broke into Kamar-Taj and entered the library. The Zealots restrained the librarian, who was decapitated by Kaecilius. With access to the entire library, they retrieved a dark and forbidden tome known called the Book of Cagliostro, and tore out a page. Inscribed on it, was the details as to how to summon Dormammu and draw from his power. As they were leaving, the Ancient One approached them, demanding them to stop, warning Kaecilius that the ancient ritual would bring all of the Zealots sorrow. Aster and the Zealots faced their former mentor, and instead of deciding to engage the Sorcerer Supreme, the Zealots instead chose to flee the Ancient One.
Aster and the Zealots are confronted by the Ancient One
Following this unanimous decision, the Zealots escaped through the London Sanctum, and fled through the streets of London, bumping into several bystanders. Despite their attempts to evade the Ancient One, the Zealots were trapped in the Mirror Dimension, which forced them to fight the Ancient One. As the Ancient One warped the landscape around them, several Zealots fought her, while Kaecilius used his Sling Ring to transport the remaining Zealots to another location. As the Ancient One killed several Zealots, Aster, Kaecilius, and several others escaped through the portal.[2]
Having stolen the Dormammu-summoning rituals from the Book of Cagliostro, Aster, Kaecilius and the other Zealots all began to summon Dormammu for the first time. They gathered with their master at an abandoned church, where Kaecilius and them performed the first ritual; all the zealots except for one of them managed to contact Dormammu as a ritualistic symbol burned on each of their foreheads. The unworthy Zealot was eventually murdered by Kaecilius.
Sometime later, all four Zealots, positioned equidistantly around the page, made their first contact with Dormammu. Evidence of this contact could be seen upon Aster's forehead, as this was the first time the Dormammu symbol appeared upon their faces, as well as the areas around their eyes darkened, acting as somewhat conduits to the Dark Dimension They performed this ritual in the Mirror Dimension, as with their newfound powers, they manipulated and warped the space around them dramatically.[2]
In order to allow Dormammu to consume Earth, and envelop it into the Dark Dimension, the Zealots had to take away the safeguard each Sanctum produced around the planet by effectively destroying all four buildings. With the Zealots moving onto the New York Sanctum, having destroyed the London Sanctum, the only supposed line of defense against the Zealots was Daniel Drumm, the Master of the New York Sanctum.
Yet due to the previous destruction of the London Sanctum, Doctor Strange accidentally backed into a portal, while in Kamar-Taj, leading to the New York Sanctum. When the Zealots, they overpowered Drumm and killed him. Strange stepped up and challenged the Zealots. After a fight ensues, progressing through the upper floors of the Sanctum, Strange gradually overpowered the Zealots one by one.
Aster was flung through the Rotunda of Gateways, to a rainforest somewhere in the world, along with another Zealot, as Strange had only just figured out how to use the Rotunda several minutes ago. Having next imprisoned Kaecilius in the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, Strange confronted Kaecilius about his actions. Little did Strange know, Kaecilius was only distracting Strange, as he was stabbed in the back by Aster, who had quietly returned to the Sanctum.
Another fight then ensued between Aster and an injured Doctor Strange. Moments before Aster could kill Strange, his Cloak of Levitation came to his aid, by suffocating and thrashing Aster against the wall. Strange thought Lucian was dead. Yet as he stumbled through a portal to the Metro-General Hospital, Aster's astral form quickly followed.[2]
Aster's astral form floated through the portal created by Doctor Strange to the Metro-General Hospital. There, Strange was performing surgery on himself in his own astral form, alongside Christine Palmer. Aster attempted to sneak up on Strange, yet Strange detected his presence, thus initiating a fight in the Astral Dimension. Aster fought Strange in an incorporeal battle, as they phased through walls and objects.
Aster's physical body dead
During their duel, Palmer defibrillated Strange's physical form, which amplified and intensified his astral form to the extent that he was exuding large amounts of energy when his physical form was electrically charged. Using this to his advantage, Strange managed to focus this electrical amplification onto Lucian, effectively incinerating Aster's astral form. Without the astral form, or the "soul", Aster's physical form ceased to operate. Aster died back in the New York Sanctum the moment his astral form was destroyed, indicating neither the astral nor the physical form can exist without the other.[2]
Personality[]
Hardly any different from Kaecilius, Lucian Aster was a callous, remorseless, idealistic, merciless and cruel rogue, having betrayed the Ancient One and turned his back on the Masters of the Mystic Arts. He proved himself to be just as pitiless as his master and was almost unimaginably determined and ferocious. His fatal flaw was his lack of understanding of his Astral Form, which allowed Doctor Strange to kill him.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
"We will now receive the power to destroy the one who betrayed us. The one who betrays the world."
Magic: As a former member of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Aster became very skilled at magic, specifically Eldritch Magic. After leaving, Aster became very skilled at utilizing Dark Dimension Magic as well.
Dark Dimension Magic: After performing the ritual to tap into the powers of the Dark Dimension, Aster was able to run on walls and ceilings, totally disregarding gravity. After being empowered by the Dark Dimension, the Zealot had gained the ability to manipulate energy from the Dark Dimension at will, being able to grab fractured shards of space-time, sword like weapons created using Magic.
Immortality: Aster left Kamar-Taj, along with Kaecilius to pursue a quest for eternal life without natural death. He was eventually successful when the Zealots got control of stolen ritual pages.
Space-Time Constructs: After being empowered by the Dark Dimension, Aster could fracture the Space-Time continuum and use its shards in battle as a sword.
Eldritch Magic: Aster was able to create, shape and manipulate Eldritch Magic. Creating shields and weapons if he needed to. However, he preferred Dark Dimension Magic over Eldritch Magic.
Spell Casting: Aster could cast spells as well, being able to give himself immortality with stolen ritual pages.
Portal Creation: Using a Sling Ring, Aster was able to open a fiery portal to another location, gaining the ability to move tremendous distances instantaneously.
Dimensional Travel: Using the same Sling Ring, Aster could travel between different dimensions and universes, crossing over different planes of existence or traveling across various forms of reality.
Aster was capable of separating his astral form from his body, gaining access to the Astral Dimension and was able to have a duel with Doctor Strange in the Astral Dimension.
Abilities[]
Expert Martial Artist: Aster demonstrated being highly trained combatant and martial artist, often incorporating acrobatics in his fighting. He was even able to use his fighting skill while in Astral Form, allowing him to kick Doctor Strange's Astral Form hard enough to stun it and briefly cause his heart to stop in his physical body.
Equipment[]
Sling Ring: A mystical object which enables the wearer to open a fiery portal to another location.
In the comics, Lucian Aster was a sorcerer who fought Doctor Strange and the Defenders, and planned to resurrect and serve a being known as the Wild One.
Behind the Scenes[]
Scott Adkins stated in an interview with The Illuminerdi that playing Lucian Aster in Doctor Strange is one of his biggest regrets on his whole career: "That is one role that I regret taking...I wish I would have held out and not taken the role, because now I feel Iâve blown my chance to be in the Marvel universe", Adkins said.[3]
