It is believed that the flames themselves may have increased Clea’s power, for when she leaves the Dark Dimension she receives a -1CS to all of her powers and abilities. Presumably, Clea generates great mystical energy within her own body as Dormammu and Umar do, and can draw upon it. It remains to be seen exactly what she can do with her newly increased power.

While she was a student of Doctor Strange and removed from the Dark Dimension, her magic, like his, seemed to be derived from three major sources: personal powers of the soul/mind/body (such as mesmerism and thought-casting), powers gained by tapping the ambient magical energy of the universe she inhabits and employing it for special effects (such as illusion-casting and energy projection), and, finally, powers gained through the tapping of mystical energy from other dimensions by invoking entities or objects of power existing in those dimensions. The latter means of power is usually gained by the recitation of spells, either ritualized ones found in various mystical texts or original spells invoking extradimensional assistance.

The full range of Clea’s mystical abilities has yet to be seen. However, it has been theorized that she, at least potentially, can now perform any magical feat that her mentor Doctor Strange or her mother Umar can. Clea’s abilities are, however, limited by her amount of training and experience.

In the past, Clea has proved her self to be capable of the following mystical effects:

• The formation and casting of magical energy bolts with an Amazing degree of potency and skill
• The projection of her astral self from her physical body to Monstrous distances
• The Amazing ability to conjure objects seemingly from thin air, the traversement of dimensions (either personally or via gateways) with Amazing accuracy
• The erection of a magical barrier of Unearthly strength or of a magical shield of Amazing power
• The Unearthly ability to mold the physical shapes of various objects
• The Monstrous power to restructure the very fabric of reality
• The Unearthly ability to summon beings from other dimensions
• The telepathic transfer of thoughts with Unearthly power
• The ability to teleport across Monstrous distances with great accuracy.

When Umar and her brother Dormammu were exiled from their native dimension they allied them selves with Olnar, the ruler of the Dark Dimension. When Olnar was slain by the savage beings known as the Mindless Ones he left only an infant son, Orini, who obviously could not yet succeed his father as ruler.

In recognition of the fact that he and Umar had saved the Dark Dimension from the Mindless Ones, Dormammu was declared regent. Although he took Orini as his ward, Dormammu did not surrender the throne to him when the latter reached adulthood. Instead of assuming the throne, as was his right, Orini became Dormammu’s leading disciple.

Upon becoming an adult, Orini met Umar for the first time and fell deeply in love with her. However, she became disgusted by her affair with Orini and has since treated him contemptuously. After Clea’s birth, she gave her to Orini to raise, and, until recently, only he and Umar knew that she was Clea’s mother.

Clea befriended and aided Dr. Stephen Strange in his first journeys into the Dark Dimension to do battle with Dormammu, who has long sought to conquer Earth. As a result of these encounters, Doctor Strange and Clea fell in love with each other.

After Dormammu became trapped in another dimension as a result of his clash with Eternity, Umar was able to escape the pocket universe to which he had exiled her.

Upon her return, Umar took over the throne of the Dark Dimension and, determined to avenge her brother’s defeat by Strange, used Clea as her hostage to induce him to return and so that she might battle him. Strange rescued Clea from Umar’s attempt to kill her, but, in order to safeguard Clea from further attack, was forced to allow his mentor, the Ancient One, to send her into yet another pocket dimension, from’ which, it was thought, she might never return.

It turned out that Clea had gone to the same dimension to which Dormammu had been exiled. Eventually, Doctor Strange found his way there, just as Dormammu was pre paring his long-awaited escape. Strange freed Clea from her exile there, and she came to live on Earth in New York City. She soon moved into Doctor Strange’s house and spent several years there as his lover and disciple in the mystic arts. During this time Clea developed a great deal of her mystical potential as her knowledge of magic increased.

With Dormammu’s most recent disappearance, Umar assumed the throne of the Dark Dimension and Clea returned to the Dark Dimension to lead the forces of rebellion in their attempt to overthrow her. She was joined there by Doctor Strange, who mystically probed Orini’s mind, learned that Umar was actually Clea’s mother, and told Clea. Clea finally defeated Umar in personal combat and both she and Orini, who remains loyal to her, were placed in suspended animation within mystic capsules which were sent adrift in another dimension. With them defeated, Clea now rules the Dark Dimension.