Ancient Sanctum

**The Ancient Sanctum** also known as the **Vishanti Ruins**, **California Sanctum** or simply the **Sanctum** is a location from the attraction *Doctor Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts* in *Disney California Adventure*.

## Description

This Sanctum was originally created by the ancient magical entities known as the Vishanti before being left in ruin in the land which became *Avengers Campus California*. Due to this, the ruins housed great dark magics and a temporal anomaly in the fabric of the multiverse along with illusions built into its architecture. In modern day, the sanctum is watched over by the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange.

### Features

* **Courtyard**: This area had a door which served as a portal and various relics used by Doctor Strange such as the Cabinet of Cabellero, Balam's Box of Transformation, and cauldron used to summon the Soul Seeker.
* **Dimensional Research Bunker**: This is a bunker created partly under the sanctum underneath of the sanctum in the 1950s to study the temporal anomaly.
* **Gates**: The gates were once hidden with a cloaking spell. They are marked with the derelict symbol known as the *Anomaly Rue*.
* **Orb of Cagliostro**: The Orb of Cagliostro is a large glowing glass/metal geometric orb structure.

## History

### Origins

The Sanctum was created at an unknown point in time by the magical beings known as the Vishanti to, "Protect reality". After being abandoned, the ruins became the site of a temporal anomaly.

### Strategic Scientific Reserve

The land holding the ruins would be acquired by industrialist Howard Stark of *Stark Industries*. The ruins were deemed a, "**Quarantine Zone**" and investigated by the *Strategic Scientific Reserve*, a military organization of which Howard was a member alongside Peggy Carter.

### Avengers Campus

In 2019, Howard's son Tony Stark AKA Iron Man began turning the Stark Industries Complex into Avengers Campus. Tony's fellow superhero, the sorcerer Doctor Strange took notice of the anomaly zone and undid its cloaking spell, revealing the ruins only noted by Stark as a, "Neat Party Trick". Doctor Strange would frequently visit the Sanctum to study its power for good.

The Sanctum would receive many visitors such as young recruits brought to Avengers Campus. One Halloween, the bogeyman, "Oogie Boogie" summoned sorceress Agatha Harkness who would be drawn to the dark magics of the sanctum. Heroic visitors of the Sanctum alongside Doctor Strange have included Scarlet Witch, America Chavez, the Mighty Thor, and the Eternals: Sersi, Kingo and Phastos.

## Appearances

### Avengers Campus (DLC)

The old Stark Industries Complex map identifies the ruins as a, "Quarantine Zone".

#### Doctor Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts

The Sanctum is the setting of this attraction in Disney California Adventure.

#### Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

While not visited in this attraction, the SSR's quarantine zone appears on the utilidoors maps.

### Stark Factory

One of Peggy Carter's case files is labelled, "CA USA Time Anomaly".

## Trivia

* The Orb of Cagliostro is a reference to the sorcerer Cagliostro from Marvel Comics, loosely based on historic occultist Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. In the film Doctor Strange, the Ancient One has the Book of Cagliostro in Kamar-Taj.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.endorexpress.net/parks/disneyparks/2019/08/marvel-cinematic-universe-at-the-disney-parks-2020-and-beyond/
2. ↑ https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2021/09/09/new-characters-agatha-cruella-and-sid-featured-during-oogie-boogie-bash-at-disney-california-adventure/
3. ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2022/07/review-great-theming-but-mediocre-food-from-stark-factory-in-avengers-campus-at-walt-disney-studios-park/