The Author threatens all existence. In DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE SORCERERS SUPREME #9 by Robbie Thompson and Javier Rodriguez, the team of magic casters decides such a risk cannot be ignored and so they take the fight to it where it lives. Can they possibly hope to defeat an opponent on its home turf when they barely annoyed it here on Earth?

We breathlessly reached out to writer Thompson for some reassurance. He had little.

Marvel.com: In order to defeat The Author, the Sorcerers have to give chase into its land. How did you conceptualize this sure to be unusual space? How did Javier Rodriguez bring your ideas about that realm to life?

Robbie Thompson: As always, I turned to my magical partner in crime, artist Javier Rodriguez. Working with Javier is incredibly inspiring as a writer. He has such a strong visual sense of storytelling and an incredible grasp of design and layout. When he first designed The Author, all I told him was the character’s true origins—spoiler alert!—that he’s actually an alien. Javier took it from there.

And that’s how editors Darren Shan and Nick Lowe and I approached the Author’s home world, which we’ll see a hint of in issue #8, but then in great detail in issue #9—we turned to Javier and set him loose. And boy, did he deliver! So, all credit belongs to Javier; he took a few very simple ideas and made them elegant and magical.

Marvel.com: What state are the Sorcerers in? Do they trust one another? If not, how do they view one another?

Robbie Thompson: The Sorcerers are pretty shook up by the betrayal of one of their own, Sir Isaac Newton. But in a sense, that betrayal has now forced them all to be on the same page. Newton was a problem, but he’s inadvertently conjured a much bigger problem for them all by summoning The Author to Earth. So, our hope is that if they survive this encounter, they’ll come out the other side a much stronger team.

Marvel.com: Given the Author’s ancient existence, is it really consequence free to eliminate him? What risks might the team be running?

Robbie Thompson: They’ll be risking their lives! The Author is an extremely powerful foe for them, and as we see in issues #8 and #9, the magic of the Sorcerers does little to no damage to this adversary. They’re going to have to find a much different rabbit to pull out of the hat in order to best this foe!

Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme #9 cover by Javier Rodriguez

We wanted to continue to put our heroes in deeper and deeper trouble, while keeping the escalation connected to the source of this story: Merlin. So, we’ve been building toward this reveal since the first issue—with Newton waiting in the wings to turn on his fellow Sorcerers, his blind ambition exposing our heroes to a being more powerful than any they’ve faced so far.

Marvel.com: How does The Author view them? Do they elicit any kind of emotion at all?

Robbie Thompson: The Sorcerers are nothing but annoying gnats to The Author! He finds them all disappointing and weak! But arrogance is a weakness, too, and hopefully the Sorcerers will find a way to exploit that weakness in issue #9.

Marvel.com: As you look to the end of this arc, any last teases to offer to get the fans clamoring for it?

Robbie Thompson: Javier, inker Alvaro Lopez, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Joe Caramagna really outdid themselves with these last couple issues, culminating in a visually stunning ninth issue. They all really raised their game and delivered one of the best issues of the series. Javier’s design and layouts are mind-blowing and Alvaro’s inks are so textured and rich. Joe always finds a way to bring the characters’ voices to life in new and brilliant ways. And what can you say about Jordie Bellaire? She’s an absolutely incredible storyteller and her colors are astonishing. The whole team is amazing.

And that’s not all! In issue #10, young Nate Stockman and Tamra Bonvillain are back in [a story] that’s set in the future and features some of my all-time favorite mutants. Nate clearly had a blast working on that [one], it’s some of his best work to date, and I can’t wait for folks to see it!

Take a trip with Robbie Thompson, Javier Rodriguez, and company in DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE SORCERERS SUPREME #9 on June 28!