Doctor Fate
Encyclopedia
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers
who appear in books published by DC Comics
. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox
and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics
#55 (May 1940). In 1940, the character also became a founding member of the Golden Age
superhero group the Justice Society of America
.
Initially, Doctor Fate was Kent Nelson, the son of archaeologist
Sven Nelson who died after Kent opened the tomb of the ancient wizard Nabu. The orphaned boy was trained by Nabu in the arts of magic
.
After DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths
storyline, several different versions of Doctor Fate were introduced, but were relatively short-lived. Doctor Fate's appearances in other media and comics set outside the continuity of the DC Universe
tend to be of the original Golden Age Kent Nelson incarnation.
Visually, the character was unusual in that he wore a full face helm
in his earliest appearances. His love interest was known variably as Inza Cramer, Inza Sanders, and finally Inza Carmer, which was amended to Inza Cramer in the Silver Age
. His enemies included (in order of first appearance) Wotan, Ian Karkull
, Nergal
, Mr. Who, The Clock, The Octopus, Mad Dog, and various mad scientists, mobsters, and thugs.
When the Justice Society of America
was being created for All Star Comics
#3, Doctor Fate was one of the characters National Comics used for the joint venture with All-American Publications
. He made his last appearance in the book in issue #21 (Summer 1944), virtually simultaneously with the end of his own strip in More Fun Comics #98 (July - Aug. 1944).
In More Fun Comics #72 (Oct. 1941), Doctor Fate's appearance was modified, exchanging the full helmet for a half-helmet so his lower face was exposed. The focus of the strip shifted away from magic to standard superhero action. By the end of 1942, the character had been changed into a medical doctor with fewer mystic elements in the strip. The character's popularity waned faster than many of his contemporaries', and the strip was cancelled before the end of World War II in 1944.
Doctor Fate was revived along with many other Justice Society members in the 1960s through the annual team-ups with the Justice League of America
. These stories established that the two teams resided on parallel worlds
. Unlike many of his JSA teammates, Doctor Fate did not have an analogue or counterpart among the Justice League.
Aside from the annual team up in Justice League of America, DC featured the original Doctor Fate in other stories through the 1960s and 1970s. These included a two-issue run with Hourman
in Showcase
#55-56, wherein it was revealed Kent Nelson and Inza Cramer had married since the end of the Golden Age; appearances with Superman
in World's Finest Comics
(#208, Dec. 1971) and DC Comics Presents
(#23, July 1980); with Batman
in The Brave and the Bold
(#156, Nov. 1979); and a solo story in 1st Issue Special #9 (Dec. 1975), written by Martin Pasko
and drawn by Walt Simonson
. With this story, Pasko added the concept that the spirit of Nabu resided in the helmet and took control of Nelson whenever the helmet was donned.
In the early 1980s, Roy Thomas
incorporated the retcon that Nabu inhabited the helmet into his All-Star Squadron
series, set in late 1941, as an explanation for the changes in Doctor Fate's helmet and powers. (In a caption box on the final panel of All-Star Squadron #28's main story (Dec. 1983), Thomas indicated an explanation of how and why Nelson returned to the full helmet and possession by Nabu when the JSA reactivated in the 1960s was forthcoming, but it was never published).
This led to Kent and Inza, combining into one Doctor Fate, featuring in a series of back-up stories running from The Flash #305 (Feb. 1982) to #313 (Sept. 1982). Cary Bates
wrote the initial story, with Pasko taking over as writer in issue #306, aided by Steve Gerber
from #310 to #313. In 1985 DC collected these back-up stories, as well as a 1978 retelling of Dr. Fate's origin by Paul Levitz
, Joe Staton
& Michael Netzer (Nasser) originally published in Secret Origins of Super-Heroes (DC Special Series #10, 1978, in the indicia), the aforementioned Pasko/Simonson story from 1st Issue Special #9, and a 1940s Doctor Fate tale from More Fun #56, in a three-issue limited series
titled The Immortal Doctor Fate.
Following 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths
, Doctor Fate briefly joined the Justice League. Kent Nelson died of old age and the mantle of Doctor Fate was passed to a pair of humans, Eric and Linda Strauss, who merged into one being to become Doctor Fate, similar to Kent and Inza. Based on the success of the limited series, DC continued the story in a separate ongoing series, also titled Doctor Fate, by DeMatteis and Shawn McManus
.
After two years, William Messner-Loebs
became the writer, and the series and character shifted so that Nelson's wife Inza inherited the Doctor Fate mantle and starred in a year's worth of stories in which she tried to change the world for the better using her powers.
When Messner-Loebs' run ended, DC retired the character, replacing Doctor Fate with "Fate". The new character, Jared Stevens, was introduced in a self-titled series launched in the wake of Zero Hour in 1994. He was a mercenary whose weapons were the transformed helm and amulet of Doctor Fate. Both Fate and its follow up, The Book of Fate were canceled after relatively short runs.
In 1999, during the revival of the Justice Society in JSA, DC allowed the character to be reworked; Jared Stevens was killed and the mantel of Doctor Fate, along with a restored helm and amulet, was passed to a new character, in this case a reincarnated Hector Hall, son of the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl
. In addition to appearing in JSA, DC published a self-titled, five-issue limited series featuring Hall and positioned him as a prominent magical character in various company-wide event stories.
The character was again set up for change during the Day of Vengeance
limited series, part of the lead in to the 2005 company wide event story, Infinite Crisis
. This included both Hall and Nabu being killed off and Doctor Fate's helmet being sent to find a new wearer.
In early 2007, DC published a bi-weekly run of one-shot comics featuring the helmet passing through the hands of various magical characters. These included Detective Chimp
; Ibis the Invincible
; Sargon the Sorcerer
; Zauriel
; and Black Alice. The one-shots were intended to be followed by a new Doctor Fate ongoing series in February 2007, written by Steve Gerber
and illustrated by Paul Gulacy
, featuring Kent V. Nelson, Kent Nelson's grandnephew, as the helm's new wearer. However, the series was delayed due to extended production and creative difficulties. Steve Gerber, through an interview with Newsarama
, revealed that the story intended for the first arc of the Doctor Fate ongoing series was being reworked to serve as one of the two stories for Countdown to Mystery, a dual-feature eight issue mini-series with Eclipso as the second story. The first issue of Countdown to Mystery, with art by Justiniano
and Walden Wong rather than Gulacy, was released in November 2007. Due to Steve Gerber's passing, the seventh issue was written by Adam Beechen
using Gerber's notes. The final issue was written by Beechen, Gail Simone
, Mark Waid
, and Mark Evanier
, who each wrote a different ending to the story.
The character then appeared in the Reign in Hell mini-series, and next appeared in Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #30, joining the team and featuring in the book until its cancellation with #54 in August 2011.
in Mesopotamia
in 1920. When Kent opened the tomb
of the ancient wizard Nabu, a poison gas was released which ultimately resulted in Sven Nelson's death. Nabu, taking pity on the orphaned Kent, raised him and taught him the skills of a wizard, and then bestowed upon him a mystical helmet, amulet
and cloak.
By 1940, Nelson returned to the United States and resided in an invisible
tower in Salem, Massachusetts
. From this sanctum he embarked on a career fighting crime and supernatural evil as the hero Doctor Fate. During the early part of this career he met, romanced, and married a woman named Inza Cramer.
In late 1940, Doctor Fate was among the founding members of the Justice Society of America
. He remained active with the group through the middle of the decade, resigning in 1944, and going into retirement. When the team came out of retirement to work with the Justice League in the modern era, he returned as well, rejoining his old teammates.
In 1942, Kent switched to a half-helmet when he felt Nabu's personality take control of his body whenever he wore the Helm of Nabu. The change, while stripping him of most of his magical power, left Nelson in full control of his actions and still more than a normal human. During this time, Nelson acquired a medical license and became an intern at the Weatherby Free Clinic. Shortly thereafter, when a supervillain
stole the Helm of Nabu, Nelson lost all access to the helm as both it and the thief were cast into an alternate dimension.
Even with the return of the JSA, Doctor Fate's activities were less than public. These included assisting fellow JSA member Hourman
against Solomon Grundy
and the Psycho-Pirate
, and teaming up on various occasions with Superman
and Batman
.
When the Justice Society reformed in the modern age of heroes, Doctor Fate was among the returning members, now using the Helm of Nabu again. Though he had become increasingly erratic and withdrawn from humanity, he was still committed to protecting Earth against supernatural menaces. Kent also became an archaeologist like his father. During this time Nelson also went through a period where, in order to become Doctor Fate, he had to fuse with his wife Inza.
Kent later became the sole wearer of the Helm and joined the re-formed Justice League. The magic Kent used to keep Inza and himself young soon failed. This resulted in the pair aging and passing away in a short span of time.
During the Blackest Night event, Kent was reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern Corps
.
With Kent Nelson's passing, Nabu began the search for a new host. This search took him to a young man named Eric Strauss (aged to an adult by Nabu's magic) and his stepmother Linda Strauss. Nabu bound them so that they had to merge to become Doctor Fate, but could live apart when Fate was not needed. He then animated Kent Nelson's corpse to serve them as adviser and instructor. Since the tower Nelson used as a sanctum had apparently been destroyed, the pair operated out of Linda's apartment. Over time they were joined by a small, kind demon they dubbed Petey and a lawyer named Jack C. Small. Petey and Jack provided moral support and managed to assist in some of their battles.
During a battle on Apokolips
, Eric was killed, leaving Linda to take over the role of Doctor Fate. Soon, the Lords of Chaos attacked Linda and killed her. The souls of Eric and Linda were then placed in the bodies of Wendy and Eugene DiBellia.
The Nelsons learned that a Lord of Chaos named T'Giian had taken residence in the Helm of Nabu, providing Inza with magic derived from Chaos instead of Order, and was the reason that Kent and Inza could no longer merge to become Doctor Fate. Kent eventually returned to his wife's side and helped her defeat T'Giian. Inza then learned that she derived her new powers from the magic of Earth, rather than Order or Chaos.
After defeating T'Giian, the Nelsons began merging as the male Doctor Fate again. The Nelsons retained the ability to become independent Doctor Fates if the situation called for it; in these cases, Kent's form would resemble that of the costume he wore when he used the half-helm.
In their last days as Doctor Fate, the Nelsons, along with the rest of the JSA, faced the supervillain Extant during Parallax
's attempt to change the history of the universe. Extant, with seeming ease, caused most of the Justice Society to rapidly approach their proper physical ages. He also separated the Nelsons from the helm, amulet, and cloak. The greatly aged and depowered Nelsons returned to Salem and went into retirement.
After the Nelsons' return to Earth, Jared Stevens discovered Doctor Fate's raiments and altered them into a knife, a set of throwing darts, and an armband. He called himself simply "Fate". His sole encounter with the Nelsons resulted in the couple's death and the return of their souls to the amulet.
Jared was killed at the hands of Mordru
as part of the latter's attempt to claim the mantle and artifacts of Doctor Fate for himself.
Nabu, aware of Mordru's ambitions, had planned ahead to ensure that the helm and the mantle of Doctor Fate would pass to a reincarnated Hector Hall. This plan coincided with the rebirth of the Justice Society, which acted to protect the newly reborn Hector.
Hector's new body was the son of Hank Hall and Dawn Granger, agents of both Chaos and Order once known as Hawk and Dove, which made Hector an agent of balance instead of one side or the other.
Later the Spectre
, attempting to expunge evil by extinguishing magic, confronted Hector. This resulted in Hector and his wife's banishment to a snowy mountain landscape, where he would be forced to spend eternity. The two later joined their son in the Dreaming, giving up the mortal world forever.
Unaware of the reasons behind Hector's disappearance, his teammates in the Justice Society traveled to the Tower of Fate, hoping to use his services to travel to the Fifth Dimension and find Jakeem Thunder
. At the Tower they found the raiments of Fate, but not Hector. Sand
used the raiments to speak to Nabu. However, Mordru returned and removed the helmet from Sand, causing Nabu to manifest through the raiments without using a host body. After confronting Mordru, the Justice Society offered Nabu membership, but he sensed that a crisis
was coming and that his presence would be required elsewhere, and disappeared.
During the last hours of the Ninth Age of Magic, Nabu called together Earth's remaining magicians to deal with the Spectre and the destruction of the Rock of Eternity. Nabu personally confronted and goaded the Spectre, whose anger grew so great that he fatally wounded Nabu. This caused the Presence to take notice and send the Spectre to his new host. As a result of Nabu's impending death, the Ninth Age of Magic ended and the birth of the Tenth Age began.
Before his death, Nabu gave the helmet to Detective Chimp
to pass on to the Doctor Fate of the new Age, telling him that the helmet will still have certain abilities, even though Nabu would no longer be contained within it. After Detective Chimp found that the helmet would not fit him, he asked Captain Marvel
to throw the helmet randomly into space, allowing the helmet to find its own new owner. After traveling an unknown yet vast distance, the rigors of space warped the helmet to resemble Kent Nelson's alternate, half-face helmet of the 1940s before plummeting back to Earth.
disguised himself as the Helm of Nabu and Nabu within it in an attempt to trick Ralph Dibny
into trading his soul for Faust's freedom from Neron
by telling Dibny how to resurrect his dead wife, Sue. In his masquerade, Faust killed Tim Trench
and fooled the Shadowpact
. Dibny discovered Faust, and bound Faust and Neron to the Tower of Fate, resulting in his own death.
The helmet resurfaced a year after
the events of Infinite Crisis
, crossing paths with various heroes and resembling the half-helm that Kent Nelson used during the 1940s.
It first returned again to the possession of Detective Chimp
, who found he could now wear the altered helmet. After acting as Doctor Fate for a short time, he decided he did not have the temperament to wear the helmet and sent it on its way.
Next, the helmet came into the possession of Ibis the Invincible
, and attracted the attention of the dark god Set
. Set defeated Ibis, forcing the hero to retreat into hibernation as a mummy to heal. Ibis' last act was to choose his replacement. The new Ibis confronted Set, retrieved the helmet and then sent it on.
As it traveled from place to place, the helmet was interrupted by the spirit of Sargon the Sorcerer
, who diverted it in an effort to protect his grandson, David. David bestowed something of himself into the helmet before returning it to its journey.
Black Alice was the next recipient, who unsuccessfully tried to make the helmet obey her. When the helmet started to indiscriminately punish everyone who wronged her, including her loved ones, she realised the helmet would fulfill her desires, but destroy her life in the process. Black Alice then relinquished it.
The helmet crossed paths with the angel Zauriel
, who also passed it along after removing it from the tyrant of another solar system.
Ultimately, the helmet fell to Doctor Kent V. Nelson, grandnephew of the original Kent Nelson, who became the new Doctor Fate.
knockoff and is thrown in a dumpster, his pay stolen. The Helm of Nabu has fallen into the dumpster, and Nelson uses it to cover his wounds, as it has started to rain. The helmet reveals its entire history to him, and despite his attempts to pawn it, the helmet returns to him.
Nelson learns spells gradually and uses the helmet's powers for gambling. He meets a woman named Maddy, who runs an occult bookstore, where he goes into an intense inter-dimensional meditation
exploring the pains of his psyche. He drags her along into his vision. After this incident, Kent uses magic in the real world to fly, but sinking into self-pity and depression after forgetting both his daughter's birthday and the magic word for flying, he falls into a large, nearby fountain and nearly drowns until he is saved by an intrepid young comic writer named Inza Fox — stunning Nelson, whose aunt also had the unusual given name. Inza is completely liquefied while Nelson is taking a shower - the doing of Negal, a demon Kent thwarted in the beginning of his adventure (and a demon his uncle showed to his aunt after telling her Dr. Fate's origin). After the death of Inza, Kent seems all but certain to retreat further into alcoholism.
Despairing, Nelson decides he has had enough of this mystical interference in his life, and gives the helmet to Maddy. He is immediately captured by Negal. On her first attempt at using the helmet Maddy is also brought to despair by Negal's sidekick, Ymp, and brought to him alongside the captured Nelson and the remains of Inza.
Four potential endings to the story were written by different writers following Steve Gerber's death.
Kent later helps a group of magic-using heroes escape from Hell
and helps the Justice Society fight of a supervillain attack, joining the team soon afterwards. Kent's magic saves Mister Terrific
's life after his stabbing by Kid Karnevil
. Kent remains a member of the JSA after the team was split into two and is briefly possessed by Mordru
before leaving Earth to hone his spellcasting abilities. Kent later returns and helps the team take down Scythe in Monument Point.
that houses the souls of previous Doctor Fates), and the Cloak of Destiny. Kent Nelson gave up the Helm for a time when he felt Nabu's spirit take control of him, forcing him to switch to a half-face helmet. The loss of the Helm (and Nabu) left Kent without most of his powers, except for his flight, super-strength, and invulnerability.
The various Doctor Fates are sorcerers with a wide variety of powers, such as flight, invulnerability, super-strength, fire blasts, lightning blasts, telekinesis, minor spell-casting, telepathy, energy blasts, and creating solid objects. However, the various Doctor Fates are unable to counteract spells that have already been cast and in effect.
In New Adventures of Superboy #25 (Jan. 1982), Professor Lewis Lang and his assistant Burt Belker discovered a helmet in the Valley of Ur identical to the one given to Kent Nelson by Nabu on Earth-Two. This helmet contained a Lord of Chaos, which went on to possess Burt and turn him into Doctor Chaos, whose agenda differed from the Earth-Two Doctor Fate's. Doctor Chaos' costume mirrors Doctor Fate's, with an inverted color scheme. Superboy
confronts him and is able to remove the helmet from Belker and jettison it into space. There have been no further appearances of the helmet.
limited series by Neil Gaiman
, Mister E
shows a future version of the Helm to Timothy Hunter
which resembles a human skull. It would ultimately kill any of its worshipers that wears it. It no longer cares about the war between Order and Chaos and believes that there is no meaning in life; just flesh and death. Mister E says he wanted to kill Doctor Fate and destroy the helmet long ago, but the Justice League prevented him. In the first book, Hunter and the Phantom Stranger
observe Kent Nelson, though Nelson is not aware of their presence.
revealed the existence of a new Multiverse
, consisting of fifty-two identical realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated Earth-2. As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-Two, such as the Justice Society of America being this world's premier superteam. The names of the characters and the team are not mentioned in the panel in which they appear, but the Doctor Fate that is shown is visually similar to the Nelson and Strauss versions of the character.
Based on comments by Grant Morrison
, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-Two.
This version of Doctor Fate (based upon the Kent Nelson version of the character) later appeared in Justice Society of America Annual #1. Doctor Fate, along with the Spectre, suspected something awry with Power Girl's mysterious reappearance.
limited series featured a version of Nabu, similar to his later appearance before his death, who was able to channel his consciousness through the helm and cloak without the need for a host body. This version of Fate sided with Batman's group during the series, and was amongst the survivors at the end of the story.
universe; he is an amalgamation
of Doctor Fate and Marvel Comics
's Doctor Strange
& Charles Xavier
.
event, Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson), works as a fortune teller in Haley's Circus. Kent tells his co-worker, trapeze artist Boston Brand
, of his vision of the acrobat Dick Grayson
's death. Haley's Circus is then attacked by the Amazons looking to steal the Helm of Nabu. However, Kent is impaled and killed by an Amazon before the circus workers manage to escape with the Helm with the help of Resistance member Vertigo
. Dick escapes the Amazons' slaughter of the circus workers with Boston's help and meets up with the Resistance, using the Helm as the new Doctor Fate.
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
who appear in books published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox
Gardner Fox
Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer best known for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories....
and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics
More Fun Comics
More Fun Comics, originally titled New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine a.k.a. New Fun Comics, was a 1935-1947 American comic book anthology that introduced several major superhero characters and was the first American comic-book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of...
#55 (May 1940). In 1940, the character also became a founding member of the Golden Age
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
superhero group the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
.
Initially, Doctor Fate was Kent Nelson, the son of archaeologist
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
Sven Nelson who died after Kent opened the tomb of the ancient wizard Nabu. The orphaned boy was trained by Nabu in the arts of magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
.
After DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
storyline, several different versions of Doctor Fate were introduced, but were relatively short-lived. Doctor Fate's appearances in other media and comics set outside the continuity of the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
tend to be of the original Golden Age Kent Nelson incarnation.
Publication history
More Fun Comics #55 (May 1940) introduced the first Doctor Fate. After a year with little background, his alter ego Kent Nelson and origins were shown in More Fun Comics #67 (May 1941). At this point, the character was shown to be an archaeologist's son who had discovered the tomb of an ancient wizard named Nabu.Visually, the character was unusual in that he wore a full face helm
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
in his earliest appearances. His love interest was known variably as Inza Cramer, Inza Sanders, and finally Inza Carmer, which was amended to Inza Cramer in the Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
. His enemies included (in order of first appearance) Wotan, Ian Karkull
Ian Karkull
Ian Karkull is a fictional supervillain in some comic-book titles published by DC Comics. He first appeared in More Fun Comics #69 as a foe of the sorcerer Doctor Fate...
, Nergal
Nergal
The name Nergal, Nirgal, or Nirgali refers to a deity in Babylon with the main seat of his cult at Cuthah represented by the mound of Tell-Ibrahim. Nergal is mentioned in the Hebrew bible as the deity of the city of Cuth : "And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal"...
, Mr. Who, The Clock, The Octopus, Mad Dog, and various mad scientists, mobsters, and thugs.
When the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
was being created for All Star Comics
All Star Comics
All Star Comics is a 1940s comic book series from All-American Publications, one of the early companies that merged with National Periodical Publications to form the modern-day DC Comics. With the exception of the first two issues, All Star Comics primarily told stories about the adventures of the...
#3, Doctor Fate was one of the characters National Comics used for the joint venture with All-American Publications
All-American Publications
All-American Publications is one of three American comic book companies that combined to form the modern-day DC Comics, one of the world's two largest comics publishers...
. He made his last appearance in the book in issue #21 (Summer 1944), virtually simultaneously with the end of his own strip in More Fun Comics #98 (July - Aug. 1944).
In More Fun Comics #72 (Oct. 1941), Doctor Fate's appearance was modified, exchanging the full helmet for a half-helmet so his lower face was exposed. The focus of the strip shifted away from magic to standard superhero action. By the end of 1942, the character had been changed into a medical doctor with fewer mystic elements in the strip. The character's popularity waned faster than many of his contemporaries', and the strip was cancelled before the end of World War II in 1944.
Doctor Fate was revived along with many other Justice Society members in the 1960s through the annual team-ups with the Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
. These stories established that the two teams resided on parallel worlds
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
. Unlike many of his JSA teammates, Doctor Fate did not have an analogue or counterpart among the Justice League.
Aside from the annual team up in Justice League of America, DC featured the original Doctor Fate in other stories through the 1960s and 1970s. These included a two-issue run with Hourman
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
in Showcase
Showcase (comics)
Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing...
#55-56, wherein it was revealed Kent Nelson and Inza Cramer had married since the end of the Golden Age; appearances with Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
in World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
(#208, Dec. 1971) and DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 featuring team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters of the DC Universe...
(#23, July 1980); with Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
in The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold is the title shared by many comic book series published by DC Comics. The first of these was published as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983...
(#156, Nov. 1979); and a solo story in 1st Issue Special #9 (Dec. 1975), written by Martin Pasko
Martin Pasko
Martin Pasko is a writer and editor in a diverse array of media, including comic books and television.Pasko has worked for many comics publishers, but is best known for his work with DC Comics over three decades. He has written Superman in many media, including television animation, webisodes, and...
and drawn by Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson
Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
. With this story, Pasko added the concept that the spirit of Nabu resided in the helmet and took control of Nelson whenever the helmet was donned.
In the early 1980s, Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
incorporated the retcon that Nabu inhabited the helmet into his All-Star Squadron
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
series, set in late 1941, as an explanation for the changes in Doctor Fate's helmet and powers. (In a caption box on the final panel of All-Star Squadron #28's main story (Dec. 1983), Thomas indicated an explanation of how and why Nelson returned to the full helmet and possession by Nabu when the JSA reactivated in the 1960s was forthcoming, but it was never published).
This led to Kent and Inza, combining into one Doctor Fate, featuring in a series of back-up stories running from The Flash #305 (Feb. 1982) to #313 (Sept. 1982). Cary Bates
Cary Bates
Cary Bates is an American comic book, animation television and film writer.-Biography:Bates began submitting ideas for comic book covers to DC Comics at the age of 13, and a number of them were bought and published, the first as the cover to Superman #167...
wrote the initial story, with Pasko taking over as writer in issue #306, aided by Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
from #310 to #313. In 1985 DC collected these back-up stories, as well as a 1978 retelling of Dr. Fate's origin by Paul Levitz
Paul Levitz
Paul Levitz is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he has worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles...
, Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Joe Staton is an American illustrator and writer of comic books.-Career:Staton started his work with Charlton Comics in 1971 and gained notability as the artist of the super-hero book E-Man...
& Michael Netzer (Nasser) originally published in Secret Origins of Super-Heroes (DC Special Series #10, 1978, in the indicia), the aforementioned Pasko/Simonson story from 1st Issue Special #9, and a 1940s Doctor Fate tale from More Fun #56, in a three-issue limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
titled The Immortal Doctor Fate.
Following 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, Doctor Fate briefly joined the Justice League. Kent Nelson died of old age and the mantle of Doctor Fate was passed to a pair of humans, Eric and Linda Strauss, who merged into one being to become Doctor Fate, similar to Kent and Inza. Based on the success of the limited series, DC continued the story in a separate ongoing series, also titled Doctor Fate, by DeMatteis and Shawn McManus
Shawn McManus
Shawn McManus is an American artist who has worked extensively over three decades for DC Comics and other companies, notably for DC's Vertigo imprint, including the current Fables.-Swamp Thing:...
.
After two years, William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs is an American comic book writer and artist from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs...
became the writer, and the series and character shifted so that Nelson's wife Inza inherited the Doctor Fate mantle and starred in a year's worth of stories in which she tried to change the world for the better using her powers.
When Messner-Loebs' run ended, DC retired the character, replacing Doctor Fate with "Fate". The new character, Jared Stevens, was introduced in a self-titled series launched in the wake of Zero Hour in 1994. He was a mercenary whose weapons were the transformed helm and amulet of Doctor Fate. Both Fate and its follow up, The Book of Fate were canceled after relatively short runs.
In 1999, during the revival of the Justice Society in JSA, DC allowed the character to be reworked; Jared Stevens was killed and the mantel of Doctor Fate, along with a restored helm and amulet, was passed to a new character, in this case a reincarnated Hector Hall, son of the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
. In addition to appearing in JSA, DC published a self-titled, five-issue limited series featuring Hall and positioned him as a prominent magical character in various company-wide event stories.
The character was again set up for change during the Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance is a six-issue comic book limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong, published in 2005 by DC Comics.-Publication history:...
limited series, part of the lead in to the 2005 company wide event story, Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
. This included both Hall and Nabu being killed off and Doctor Fate's helmet being sent to find a new wearer.
In early 2007, DC published a bi-weekly run of one-shot comics featuring the helmet passing through the hands of various magical characters. These included Detective Chimp
Detective Chimp
In the fictional DC Universe, Detective Chimp is a deerstalker-wearing chimpanzee with human-level intelligence who solves crimes, often with the help of the Bureau of Amplified Animals, a group of intelligent animals that also includes Rex the Wonder Dog...
; Ibis the Invincible
Ibis the Invincible
Ibis the Invincible is a fictional character, a comic book superhero originally published by Fawcett Comics in the 1940s and then by DC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in the Golden Age of Comics, Ibis owes much to the popular comic strip character Mandrake...
; Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer is a fictional character, a second string mystic, superhero and sorcerer appearing in DC Comics during the Golden Age. The original Sargon first appeared in All-American Comics # 26, , and was created by John B. Wentworth and Howard Purcell...
; Zauriel
Zauriel
Zauriel is a fictional character in the DC Universe. Originally a guardian angel who served Heaven for millions of years, he willingly fell to Earth and becomes a superhero, having been a member of DC's all-star Justice League. He first appeared in JLA #6...
; and Black Alice. The one-shots were intended to be followed by a new Doctor Fate ongoing series in February 2007, written by Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
and illustrated by Paul Gulacy
Paul Gulacy
Paul Gulacy is an American comic book illustrator best known for his work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and for drawing one of the first graphic novels, Eclipse Enterprises' 1978 Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species, with writer Don McGregor.-Early life and career:Paul Gulacy began...
, featuring Kent V. Nelson, Kent Nelson's grandnephew, as the helm's new wearer. However, the series was delayed due to extended production and creative difficulties. Steve Gerber, through an interview with Newsarama
Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
, revealed that the story intended for the first arc of the Doctor Fate ongoing series was being reworked to serve as one of the two stories for Countdown to Mystery, a dual-feature eight issue mini-series with Eclipso as the second story. The first issue of Countdown to Mystery, with art by Justiniano
Justiniano
Justiniano ) is an American comic book artist.His recent work includes the Doctor Fate feature in the 8-issue Countdown spin-off Countdown to Mystery mini-series from DC Comics....
and Walden Wong rather than Gulacy, was released in November 2007. Due to Steve Gerber's passing, the seventh issue was written by Adam Beechen
Adam Beechen
Adam Beechen is an American comic book writer who wrote Countdown to Adventure and co-wrote Countdown for DC Comics.-Animation:Beechen has written scripts for various cartoon, such as Teen Titans, The Wild Thornberrys, Rugrats, Pink Panther and Pals, The Batman and the Ben 10 franchise...
using Gerber's notes. The final issue was written by Beechen, Gail Simone
Gail Simone
Gail Simone is an American writer of comic books. Best known for penning DC's Birds of Prey, her other notable works include Secret Six, Welcome to Tranquility, The All-New Atom, and Deadpool. In 2007, she took over Wonder Woman...
, Mark Waid
Mark Waid
Mark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is well known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America...
, and Mark Evanier
Mark Evanier
Mark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
, who each wrote a different ending to the story.
The character then appeared in the Reign in Hell mini-series, and next appeared in Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #30, joining the team and featuring in the book until its cancellation with #54 in August 2011.
Kent Nelson/Nabu
Kent Nelson, the young son of American archaeologist Sven Nelson, accompanied his father on an expedition to the Valley of UrUr
Ur was an important city-state in ancient Sumer located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate...
in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
in 1920. When Kent opened the tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
of the ancient wizard Nabu, a poison gas was released which ultimately resulted in Sven Nelson's death. Nabu, taking pity on the orphaned Kent, raised him and taught him the skills of a wizard, and then bestowed upon him a mystical helmet, amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
and cloak.
By 1940, Nelson returned to the United States and resided in an invisible
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
tower in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
. From this sanctum he embarked on a career fighting crime and supernatural evil as the hero Doctor Fate. During the early part of this career he met, romanced, and married a woman named Inza Cramer.
In late 1940, Doctor Fate was among the founding members of the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
. He remained active with the group through the middle of the decade, resigning in 1944, and going into retirement. When the team came out of retirement to work with the Justice League in the modern era, he returned as well, rejoining his old teammates.
In 1942, Kent switched to a half-helmet when he felt Nabu's personality take control of his body whenever he wore the Helm of Nabu. The change, while stripping him of most of his magical power, left Nelson in full control of his actions and still more than a normal human. During this time, Nelson acquired a medical license and became an intern at the Weatherby Free Clinic. Shortly thereafter, when a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
stole the Helm of Nabu, Nelson lost all access to the helm as both it and the thief were cast into an alternate dimension.
Even with the return of the JSA, Doctor Fate's activities were less than public. These included assisting fellow JSA member Hourman
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
against Solomon Grundy
Solomon Grundy (comics)
Solomon Grundy is a fictional character, a zombie supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Named after the 19th century children's nursery rhyme, Grundy was introduced as an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern , but has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, such as Batman and...
and the Psycho-Pirate
Psycho-Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, dating back to the Golden Age of Comics.-Charles Halstead:Charles Halstead is a minor character who first appears in All-Star Comics #23, created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher...
, and teaming up on various occasions with Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
.
When the Justice Society reformed in the modern age of heroes, Doctor Fate was among the returning members, now using the Helm of Nabu again. Though he had become increasingly erratic and withdrawn from humanity, he was still committed to protecting Earth against supernatural menaces. Kent also became an archaeologist like his father. During this time Nelson also went through a period where, in order to become Doctor Fate, he had to fuse with his wife Inza.
Kent later became the sole wearer of the Helm and joined the re-formed Justice League. The magic Kent used to keep Inza and himself young soon failed. This resulted in the pair aging and passing away in a short span of time.
During the Blackest Night event, Kent was reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern Corps
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
.
Eric and Linda Strauss
During a battle on Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
, Eric was killed, leaving Linda to take over the role of Doctor Fate. Soon, the Lords of Chaos attacked Linda and killed her. The souls of Eric and Linda were then placed in the bodies of Wendy and Eugene DiBellia.
Inza Nelson
Kent and Inza's souls, which had been inhabiting Doctor Fate's amulet, were resurrected in new younger bodies. However, they found that now only Inza was able to become Doctor Fate. Kent's old body was inhabited by another Lord of Order called Shat-Ru, and Kent pretended to be his own grandson. Inza became more confident, proactive and reckless in the use of her powers, which she used to improve the lot of humanity, leading her and Kent to separate for a while.The Nelsons learned that a Lord of Chaos named T'Giian had taken residence in the Helm of Nabu, providing Inza with magic derived from Chaos instead of Order, and was the reason that Kent and Inza could no longer merge to become Doctor Fate. Kent eventually returned to his wife's side and helped her defeat T'Giian. Inza then learned that she derived her new powers from the magic of Earth, rather than Order or Chaos.
After defeating T'Giian, the Nelsons began merging as the male Doctor Fate again. The Nelsons retained the ability to become independent Doctor Fates if the situation called for it; in these cases, Kent's form would resemble that of the costume he wore when he used the half-helm.
In their last days as Doctor Fate, the Nelsons, along with the rest of the JSA, faced the supervillain Extant during Parallax
Parallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
's attempt to change the history of the universe. Extant, with seeming ease, caused most of the Justice Society to rapidly approach their proper physical ages. He also separated the Nelsons from the helm, amulet, and cloak. The greatly aged and depowered Nelsons returned to Salem and went into retirement.
Jared Stevens
Jared was killed at the hands of Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
as part of the latter's attempt to claim the mantle and artifacts of Doctor Fate for himself.
Hector Hall
Hector's new body was the son of Hank Hall and Dawn Granger, agents of both Chaos and Order once known as Hawk and Dove, which made Hector an agent of balance instead of one side or the other.
Later the Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
, attempting to expunge evil by extinguishing magic, confronted Hector. This resulted in Hector and his wife's banishment to a snowy mountain landscape, where he would be forced to spend eternity. The two later joined their son in the Dreaming, giving up the mortal world forever.
Nabu
Jakeem Thunder
Jakeem Thunder , initially called J.J. Thunder, is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe, a member of the superhero team the Justice Society of America. Jakeem first appeared in Flash Jakeem Thunder (Jakeem Johnny Williams), initially called J.J. Thunder, is a fictional character in the...
. At the Tower they found the raiments of Fate, but not Hector. Sand
Sandy Hawkins
Sanderson "Sandy" Hawkins, formerly known as Sandy, the Golden Boy, Sands, Sand, and currently as Sandman, is a fictional character, superhero in the DC Comics universe created by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #69.-Golden Age:The Character of Sandy the Golden...
used the raiments to speak to Nabu. However, Mordru returned and removed the helmet from Sand, causing Nabu to manifest through the raiments without using a host body. After confronting Mordru, the Justice Society offered Nabu membership, but he sensed that a crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
was coming and that his presence would be required elsewhere, and disappeared.
During the last hours of the Ninth Age of Magic, Nabu called together Earth's remaining magicians to deal with the Spectre and the destruction of the Rock of Eternity. Nabu personally confronted and goaded the Spectre, whose anger grew so great that he fatally wounded Nabu. This caused the Presence to take notice and send the Spectre to his new host. As a result of Nabu's impending death, the Ninth Age of Magic ended and the birth of the Tenth Age began.
Before his death, Nabu gave the helmet to Detective Chimp
Detective Chimp
In the fictional DC Universe, Detective Chimp is a deerstalker-wearing chimpanzee with human-level intelligence who solves crimes, often with the help of the Bureau of Amplified Animals, a group of intelligent animals that also includes Rex the Wonder Dog...
to pass on to the Doctor Fate of the new Age, telling him that the helmet will still have certain abilities, even though Nabu would no longer be contained within it. After Detective Chimp found that the helmet would not fit him, he asked Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
to throw the helmet randomly into space, allowing the helmet to find its own new owner. After traveling an unknown yet vast distance, the rigors of space warped the helmet to resemble Kent Nelson's alternate, half-face helmet of the 1940s before plummeting back to Earth.
52
Felix FaustFelix Faust
Felix Faust is a fictional character and supervillain who appears in stories published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in 1962 as an adversary of the Justice League of America...
disguised himself as the Helm of Nabu and Nabu within it in an attempt to trick Ralph Dibny
Elongated Man
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...
into trading his soul for Faust's freedom from Neron
Neron
Neron is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in the DC Comics cross-over event Underworld Unleashed #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter.- Publication history :...
by telling Dibny how to resurrect his dead wife, Sue. In his masquerade, Faust killed Tim Trench
Tim Trench
Tim Trench is a fictional comic book detective in the DC Comics universe. He was first introduced in Wonder Woman v1 #179 and recently met his demise in 52 Week 18 -Fictional character biography:...
and fooled the Shadowpact
Shadowpact
The Shadowpact is a group of magic-based heroes who fought against the Spectre in the 2005 limited series Day of Vengeance, published by DC Comics. They are a sort of Justice League for the supernatural elements of the DC Universe...
. Dibny discovered Faust, and bound Faust and Neron to the Tower of Fate, resulting in his own death.
Helm of Nabu
One Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
the events of Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, crossing paths with various heroes and resembling the half-helm that Kent Nelson used during the 1940s.
It first returned again to the possession of Detective Chimp
Detective Chimp
In the fictional DC Universe, Detective Chimp is a deerstalker-wearing chimpanzee with human-level intelligence who solves crimes, often with the help of the Bureau of Amplified Animals, a group of intelligent animals that also includes Rex the Wonder Dog...
, who found he could now wear the altered helmet. After acting as Doctor Fate for a short time, he decided he did not have the temperament to wear the helmet and sent it on its way.
Next, the helmet came into the possession of Ibis the Invincible
Ibis the Invincible
Ibis the Invincible is a fictional character, a comic book superhero originally published by Fawcett Comics in the 1940s and then by DC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in the Golden Age of Comics, Ibis owes much to the popular comic strip character Mandrake...
, and attracted the attention of the dark god Set
Set (mythology)
Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos...
. Set defeated Ibis, forcing the hero to retreat into hibernation as a mummy to heal. Ibis' last act was to choose his replacement. The new Ibis confronted Set, retrieved the helmet and then sent it on.
As it traveled from place to place, the helmet was interrupted by the spirit of Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer is a fictional character, a second string mystic, superhero and sorcerer appearing in DC Comics during the Golden Age. The original Sargon first appeared in All-American Comics # 26, , and was created by John B. Wentworth and Howard Purcell...
, who diverted it in an effort to protect his grandson, David. David bestowed something of himself into the helmet before returning it to its journey.
Black Alice was the next recipient, who unsuccessfully tried to make the helmet obey her. When the helmet started to indiscriminately punish everyone who wronged her, including her loved ones, she realised the helmet would fulfill her desires, but destroy her life in the process. Black Alice then relinquished it.
The helmet crossed paths with the angel Zauriel
Zauriel
Zauriel is a fictional character in the DC Universe. Originally a guardian angel who served Heaven for millions of years, he willingly fell to Earth and becomes a superhero, having been a member of DC's all-star Justice League. He first appeared in JLA #6...
, who also passed it along after removing it from the tyrant of another solar system.
Ultimately, the helmet fell to Doctor Kent V. Nelson, grandnephew of the original Kent Nelson, who became the new Doctor Fate.
Kent V. Nelson
Doctor Kent V. Nelson, divorced and out of work, is beaten up by a former patient for a BumfightsBumfights
Bumfights is a film series produced by Indecline Films. The videos feature teenagers, homeless men in the San Diego, San Francisco and Las Vegas metropolitan areas fighting and attempting amateur stunts in exchange for money, alcohol, and other incentives...
knockoff and is thrown in a dumpster, his pay stolen. The Helm of Nabu has fallen into the dumpster, and Nelson uses it to cover his wounds, as it has started to rain. The helmet reveals its entire history to him, and despite his attempts to pawn it, the helmet returns to him.
Nelson learns spells gradually and uses the helmet's powers for gambling. He meets a woman named Maddy, who runs an occult bookstore, where he goes into an intense inter-dimensional meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
exploring the pains of his psyche. He drags her along into his vision. After this incident, Kent uses magic in the real world to fly, but sinking into self-pity and depression after forgetting both his daughter's birthday and the magic word for flying, he falls into a large, nearby fountain and nearly drowns until he is saved by an intrepid young comic writer named Inza Fox — stunning Nelson, whose aunt also had the unusual given name. Inza is completely liquefied while Nelson is taking a shower - the doing of Negal, a demon Kent thwarted in the beginning of his adventure (and a demon his uncle showed to his aunt after telling her Dr. Fate's origin). After the death of Inza, Kent seems all but certain to retreat further into alcoholism.
Despairing, Nelson decides he has had enough of this mystical interference in his life, and gives the helmet to Maddy. He is immediately captured by Negal. On her first attempt at using the helmet Maddy is also brought to despair by Negal's sidekick, Ymp, and brought to him alongside the captured Nelson and the remains of Inza.
Four potential endings to the story were written by different writers following Steve Gerber's death.
- In the first, by Adam BeechenAdam BeechenAdam Beechen is an American comic book writer who wrote Countdown to Adventure and co-wrote Countdown for DC Comics.-Animation:Beechen has written scripts for various cartoon, such as Teen Titans, The Wild Thornberrys, Rugrats, Pink Panther and Pals, The Batman and the Ben 10 franchise...
, Maddy is inspired by Kent's efforts to overcome his self-absorption to distract Negal with an image of Inza's character Killhead. This gives enough time for an elf with a gunElf with a GunElf with a Gun is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. The Elf first appeared in Defenders #25 , and was created by Steve Gerber and Sal Buscema....
to shoot Negal. The elf then departs, as a quacking voiceHoward the DuckHoward the Duck is a comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. The character first appeared in Adventure into Fear #19 and several subsequent series have chronicled the misadventures of the ill-tempered, anthropomorphic, "funny...
invites him to share a beer with the "big guy", "ThunnyThundarr the BarbarianThundarr the Barbarian is a Saturday morning animated television series, created by Steve Gerber and produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. The series ran 2 seasons, 1980-1981 and 1981-1982...
", "MegsOmega The UnknownOmega the Unknown was an American comic book published by Marvel Comics from 1976 to 1977, featuring the eponymous fictional character. The series, written by Steve Gerber and Mary Skrenes and illustrated by Jim Mooney, ran for 10 issues before cancellation for low sales...
" and "Bev" before the big guy has to "head upstairs". Nelson and Inza recover, and Maddy gives him back the helmet. As they return to Vegas, Nelson says that whatever happened, it took all three of them, and that the helmet still has a lot to teach them.
- In the second, by Mark EvanierMark EvanierMark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
, Nelson sees his life flashing before his eyes, as Negal gloats that he will now destroy Dr. Fate forever. Nelson seizes on the happy moments in his life, and claims that killing him never achieved anything, and he should know. He tells Negal that Dr. Fate is an ideal, and has returned before. Since Nelson is no longer consumed by self-pity, Negal (lord of the self-despised) is powerless and returns them all to where he left them, claiming that he will return. With Inza back in her apartment and Maddy back at the bookshop, Nelson returns to the casino, reflecting that every journey must end, through chance or fate.
- In the third, by Mark WaidMark WaidMark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is well known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America...
, Maddy tries to wake Nelson, but cannot. In his dream, Nelson has a conversation with one of his patients, Mr. Mardillo, who is drawn to resemble Steve Gerber (and who appeared in issue #1 complaining to Nelson that an oxygen tank was no good for meeting women), and the scene takes the form of a text piece, a common device in Gerber's work. Mordillo explains fate is the hand you are dealt, but destiny is the way you play it. Negal hates fate because, as a demon, he has no way of changing his destiny. Mardillo points out that Nelson seems resigned to the same thing, and talks him through his problems. As in the previous story, Nelson's newfound hope gives him power against Negal and, although he acknowledges his depression will return, for the moment he is able to use the helmet to free himself and the others, briefly gaining the original Dr. Fate's costume while doing so. Back in Vegas, he is astonished to find a note from Mardillo in his pocket, but is unable to read the handwriting.
- In the final piece, by Gail SimoneGail SimoneGail Simone is an American writer of comic books. Best known for penning DC's Birds of Prey, her other notable works include Secret Six, Welcome to Tranquility, The All-New Atom, and Deadpool. In 2007, she took over Wonder Woman...
, Maddy is "tripping" on the power in the helmet and unable to use it effectively. Upon seeing Kent awaken, she gives him the helmet. Finding Inza is now a living statue, he asks her if she wants to live and, when she says yes, points out to Negal that she still has hope, and is therefore beating him. Using his psychiatric skills, he diagnoses Negal's obsession with causing and feeding on misery as indicating an addictive personality with narcissistic tendencies. Acknowledging his own faults, he adds that he is still good at his job, and offers to help Negal. The final panel shows Kent flying across Vegas, with Inza and Maddy in tow, reflecting on how well Negal's therapy is going and that he may be falling in love with Inza.
Kent later helps a group of magic-using heroes escape from Hell
Hell (DC Comics)
Hell is a fictional location, an infernal underworld utilized in titles published by DC Comics. It is the locational antithesis of the Silver City. The DC Comics location known as Hell is based heavily on its depiction in Judeo-Christian mythology...
and helps the Justice Society fight of a supervillain attack, joining the team soon afterwards. Kent's magic saves Mister Terrific
Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)
Michael Holt is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics. First appearing in Spectre #54 , he is the second character to take up the Mister Terrific mantle....
's life after his stabbing by Kid Karnevil
Jeremy Karne
Jeremy Karne, better known as Kid Karnevil, or simply Karnevil, is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe, a member of different supervillain teams such as The Pentacle and the Nazi organization called The Fourth Reich...
. Kent remains a member of the JSA after the team was split into two and is briefly possessed by Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
before leaving Earth to hone his spellcasting abilities. Kent later returns and helps the team take down Scythe in Monument Point.
Powers and abilities
All versions of Doctor Fate use the Helm of Nabu (which allows Nabu's spirit to possess or advise the wearer), the Amulet of Anubis (which contains a pocket dimensionPocket universe
-In science:A pocket universe is a concept in inflationary theory, proposed by Alan Guth. It defines a realm like the one that contains the observable universe as only one of many inflationary zones.-In fiction:...
that houses the souls of previous Doctor Fates), and the Cloak of Destiny. Kent Nelson gave up the Helm for a time when he felt Nabu's spirit take control of him, forcing him to switch to a half-face helmet. The loss of the Helm (and Nabu) left Kent without most of his powers, except for his flight, super-strength, and invulnerability.
The various Doctor Fates are sorcerers with a wide variety of powers, such as flight, invulnerability, super-strength, fire blasts, lightning blasts, telekinesis, minor spell-casting, telepathy, energy blasts, and creating solid objects. However, the various Doctor Fates are unable to counteract spells that have already been cast and in effect.
Doctor Chaos (Earth-One)
Superboy (Kal-El)
The original Superboy is a fictional superhero who appears in DC Comics. The name of Superman as a boy, Superboy has adventures that occur in the relative past to those of Superman and take place predominantly in his hometown of Smallville...
confronts him and is able to remove the helmet from Belker and jettison it into space. There have been no further appearances of the helmet.
Future (Books of Magic)
In the fourth book of the Books of MagicThe Books of Magic
The Books of Magic is a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has also been published in a single-volume collection under the Vertigo...
limited series by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, Mister E
Mister E
Mister E is a fictional character that appears mainly in the Vertigo Comics universe, though he sometimes appears in the DC Comics universe. Created by Bob Rozakis and Jack C. Harris, the character first appeared in Secrets of Haunted House and was a recurring character for ten issues...
shows a future version of the Helm to Timothy Hunter
Timothy Hunter
Timothy Hunter, is a fictional character, a comic book sorcerer published by DC Comics. He first appeared in The Books of Magic vol. 1 #1 , and was created by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton.-Publication history:...
which resembles a human skull. It would ultimately kill any of its worshipers that wears it. It no longer cares about the war between Order and Chaos and believes that there is no meaning in life; just flesh and death. Mister E says he wanted to kill Doctor Fate and destroy the helmet long ago, but the Justice League prevented him. In the first book, Hunter and the Phantom Stranger
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
observe Kent Nelson, though Nelson is not aware of their presence.
Earth-2
The final issue of 5252 (comic book)
52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
revealed the existence of a new Multiverse
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
, consisting of fifty-two identical realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated Earth-2. As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-Two, such as the Justice Society of America being this world's premier superteam. The names of the characters and the team are not mentioned in the panel in which they appear, but the Doctor Fate that is shown is visually similar to the Nelson and Strauss versions of the character.
Based on comments by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-Two.
This version of Doctor Fate (based upon the Kent Nelson version of the character) later appeared in Justice Society of America Annual #1. Doctor Fate, along with the Spectre, suspected something awry with Power Girl's mysterious reappearance.
Earth-20
In Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1, the heroes pass through Earth-20 briefly. While there, they are seen by Doc Fate, a hero described by writer Grant Morrison as 'a cross between Doctor Fate and Doc Savage'. Doc Fate is based in a windowless Manhattan skyscraper and is the leader of the Society of Super-Heroes, a group of 'pulp'-style mystery men consisting of Immortal Man, the Mighty Atom, Lady Blackhawk, the Green Lantern, and the Bat-Man.Earth-22 (Kingdom Come)
The Kingdom ComeKingdom Come (comic book)
Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
limited series featured a version of Nabu, similar to his later appearance before his death, who was able to channel his consciousness through the helm and cloak without the need for a host body. This version of Fate sided with Batman's group during the series, and was amongst the survivors at the end of the story.
Doctor Strangefate
Doctor Strangefate is a sorcerer from the Amalgam ComicsAmalgam Comics
Amalgam Comics was a publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones . These characters first appeared in a series of twelve comic books which were published in 1996, between issues 3 and 4 of the Marvel vs...
universe; he is an amalgamation
Amalgamation (fiction)
Amalgamation or amalgam, when used to refer to a fictional character or place, refers to one that was created by combining, or is perceived to be a combination, of several other previously existing characters or locations...
of Doctor Fate and Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
's Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
& Charles Xavier
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
.
Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event, Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson), works as a fortune teller in Haley's Circus. Kent tells his co-worker, trapeze artist Boston Brand
Deadman
Deadman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Strange Adventures #205 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino.-Publication history:...
, of his vision of the acrobat Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
's death. Haley's Circus is then attacked by the Amazons looking to steal the Helm of Nabu. However, Kent is impaled and killed by an Amazon before the circus workers manage to escape with the Helm with the help of Resistance member Vertigo
Count Vertigo
Count Werner Vertigo is a DC Comics supervillain. First appearing in World's Finest Comics #251 , Count Vertigo is the last descendant of the royal family that ruled the small eastern European country of Vlatava that was taken over by the Soviets and later became devastated by the Spectre.-Starting...
. Dick escapes the Amazons' slaughter of the circus workers with Boston's help and meets up with the Resistance, using the Helm as the new Doctor Fate.
Awards
Both the character and the comics of the same name have received recognition, including:- 1963 Alley Award for Strip Favored for Revival
- 1965 Alley Award for Best Revived Hero
Television
- The Kent Nelson version of Doctor Fate appears in Superman: The Animated SeriesSuperman: The Animated SeriesSuperman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
episode "The Hand of Fate" voiced by George Del HoyoGeorge DelHoyo-Theatre:DelHoyo began performing in the theatre during the 1970s. Working under the name George Deloy, he performed in plays and musicals at many of the major American regional theaters such as The Seattle Repertory, The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, The Old Globe in San Diego,...
while his wife Inza is voiced by Jennifer LienJennifer LienJennifer Ann Lien is an American actress, known for playing the alien Kes on the television series Star Trek: Voyager.-Early life:...
. Superman seeks Fate's help when a supernatural threat named Karkull (whom Fate has defeated previously) seizes the Daily PlanetDaily PlanetThe Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...
. Fate, depicted as middle-aged, refuses to get involved because he is tired of the eternal struggle between "good" and "evil". Superman's insistence on returning to fight on his own, despite his success being unlikely, inspires Fate to join the "good fight" again. - Doctor Fate (along with his wife Inza) appears in the Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
episode "The Terror Beyond" voiced by Oded FehrOded FehrOded Fehr is an Israeli film and television actor now based in the United States. He is known for his appearance as Ardeth Bay in the 1999 remake of The Mummy and its sequel The Mummy Returns, as well as Carlos Olivera in Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction and Resident Evil:...
while Inza is voiced by Jennifer HaleJennifer HaleJennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
. Dr. Fate and AquamanAquamanAquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
help Solomon GrundySolomon Grundy (comics)Solomon Grundy is a fictional character, a zombie supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Named after the 19th century children's nursery rhyme, Grundy was introduced as an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern , but has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, such as Batman and...
escape from the authorities so they can enact an age-old spell to save this dimension from an invasion by the Old Ones, creatures based on the writings of H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
. They are stopped by the League and end up fighting the Old Ones leader Ichthultu (a variant of CthulhuCthulhuCthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
) in their own dimension. - Oded Fehr and Jennifer Hale reprised their roles as Dr. Fate and Inza in Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
. Fate maintains a loose relationship with his fellow superheroes (lack of prior communication being the reason for the struggles between him and the League in "Terror"), including joining the expanded League. However, he maintains his own team within the League, consisting of himself, Aquaman and Ivo's android AmazoAmazoAmazo is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in The Brave and the Bold #30 and was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. An android, Amazo's special ability is to replicate the special abilities of various superheroes and...
(whom Doctor Fate prevented the Green Lantern Corps from vanquishing as seen in "The Return"). - Doctor Fate appears in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "The Eyes of Despero!" played by Greg EllisGreg Ellis (actor)Greg Ellis is an English actor known for his TV, movie, and video game voice over work. He has appeared in films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the 2009 Star Trek film , Titanic, Beowulf, To End All Wars, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith...
. He teams up with BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
to stop WotanWotan (comics)Wotan was a fictional DC Comics supervillain and the archenemy of Doctor Fate until his recent reformation at the hand of Yahweh himself.-Fictional character biography:...
from robbing the Library of Infinity. Prior to the mission, Batman gave Doctor Fate boxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
lessons to defend himself should he lose his powers. This comes in handy when Wotan removes Doctor Fate's helmet and ends up getting knocked out by Doctor Fate. In "The Fate of Equinox," Doctor Fate investigates universal disturbances caused by EquinoxLibra (DC Comics)Libra is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #111, published in June 1974, where he formed the first incarnation of the Injustice Gang...
and helps Batman defeat him by absorbing the powers of other heroes and passing them on to Batman, later assisting in the final fight. A younger version of Doctor Fate also appears in a small cameo role in "The Siege of Starro" Pt. 1 where he is shown battling Per DegatonPer DegatonPer Degaton is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain who can travel through time. Per Degaton made his first appearance in All Star Comics #35 and was created by John Broome and Irwin Hasen...
alongside the JSA in the 1940s. In this appearance, Fate is shown sporting his short-lived half-helmet. - Actor Brent StaitBrent StaitBrent Stait is a Canadian actor, best known for his roles as Rev Bem in the science fiction television series Andromeda and Louis Ferretti in Stargate SG-1...
played Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate in the Smallville double episode, "Absolute JusticeAbsolute Justice"Absolute Justice" is the eleventh episode of the ninth season of the CW series Smallville, and the 185th episode of the overall series. The episode originally aired on February 5, 2010 in the United States, and was initially slated to be two individual episodes before it was ultimately turned into...
" on February 5, 2010. This was the first live action appearance of the character. In the episode, he was a member of the JSA who can teleport others, see the past and the future and see the "fate" of individuals except of his own. However he claimed that he saw too much and that the knowledge drove him insane. After the group disbanded due to the actions of the government agency CheckmateCheckmate (comics)Checkmate, a division of Task Force X, is a fictional covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in Action Comics #598 and proceeded to have its own ongoing title in Checkmate!...
, Kent spent his time "scrounging around the streets, looking for the secrets of the universe in trash cans" carrying the Helmet of Nabu in a bag. Years later, after several members of the JSA were targeted and killed by IcicleIcicle (comics)Icicle is the name of two fictional DC Comics supervillains.-Dr. Joar Mahkent:When noted European physicist Dr. Joar Mahkent arrived in America with his latest scientific discovery, spectators at dockside were astonished to witness the luxury liner upon which Mahkent was traveling suddenly frozen...
, he was brought back to their old headquarters by their leader, Carter Hall, who convinced him to don the Helmet one more time and become Doctor Fate. He later revealed to Clark that his destiny is far more important than any, revealing that he will lead the new generation of heroes as Hawkman did his. After searching for Icicle with John Jones, Fate was able to sympathize with the Martian for he too had a family. Fate managed to restore John's powers just moments before he was killed by Icicle. His helmet was stolen by Icicle but the JSA managed to retrieve it, waiting for a successor. Actress Erica Carroll played Inza. The Helmet of Nabu reappears in season 10 when Chloe SullivanChloe SullivanChloe Sullivan is a fictional character from the television series Smallville. Series regular Allison Mack has portrayed the character since the pilot episode; two other actresses performed the role of Chloe Sullivan as a child. The character was created exclusively for Smallville, by series...
uses it in order to track down the whereabouts of the missing Oliver Queen. - Kent Nelson appears in the Young JusticeYoung Justice (TV series)Young Justice is an American animated television series created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network. Despite its title, it is not an adaptation of Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young...
episode "Denial" voiced by Edward Asner while Nabu was voiced by Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
. He is described by Red TornadoRed TornadoRed Tornado is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Justice League of America #64 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
as being 106-years old and a founding member of the JSA. In the episode, Kent is kidnapped by Klarion the Witch BoyKlarion the Witch BoyKlarion the Witch Boy is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe character first seen in the pages of The Demon in 1973.-Kirby's Klarion:...
and Abra KadabraAbra Kadabra (comics)Abra Kadabra is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe and an enemy of the Flash. He first appeared in Flash #128 and was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino.-Fictional character biography:...
(both of whom seek to steal the Helm of Nabu). While using the helmet's powers to protect himself, Kent tells Wally to believe in magic before he passes away. After Nelson's death, and faced with Klarion, Wally WestWally WestThe Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
briefly dons the helmet and becomes Dr. Fate, his consciousness watching from inside the helmet with Kent's, while Nabu possesses his body to defeat Klarion, and helps his friends defeat Abra Kadabra. Though Kent initially states that he wishes to ascend to Heaven in order to be with his deceased wife Inza, he ultimately chooses to remain inside the helmet until Wally can find a worthy successor host for Nabu. Also in the episode, as an in-jokeIn-jokeAn in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding...
, Aqualad refers to Dr. Fate as "Earth's Socerer Supreme"Sorcerer SupremeSorcerer Supreme or Sorceress Supreme is a title granted in the fictional Marvel Universe to the "practitioner of the mystic or magic arts who has greater skills than all others or commands a greater portion of the ambient magical energies than any other organism on a given world or dimension". By...
, a title traditionally attributed to Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
's resident sorcerer, Doctor StrangeDoctor StrangeDoctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
. In the episode "Revelation", Aqualad puts on the Helmet of Fate as a last resort to defeat the Injustice LeagueInjustice LeagueThe Injustice League is the name of two fictional teams of supervillains in the .-Original League :The original Injustice League was the brainchild of the interplanetary conqueror Agamemno. Bored of his dominion, he set out to conquer Earth and their champions, the Justice League...
. Nabu then battles WotanWotan (comics)Wotan was a fictional DC Comics supervillain and the archenemy of Doctor Fate until his recent reformation at the hand of Yahweh himself.-Fictional character biography:...
, Dr. Fate's traditional archenemyArchenemyAn archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
, before the arrival of the Justice LeagueJustice LeagueThe Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
puts an end to the battle once and for all. Though Wally fears that Nabu will force him to be his host forever, Aqualad is released shortly thereafter, crediting Kent Nelson with convincing Nabu to let him go (just as he did for Wally in "Denial").
Film
- Doctor Fate later shows up as a member of the JSAJustice Society of AmericaThe Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
in the opening credits of the Justice League: The New Frontier animated film.
- An alternate version of Doctor Fate from a parallel Earth appears briefly in the Justice League: Crisis on Two EarthsJustice League: Crisis on Two EarthsJustice League: Crisis on Two Earths is a 2010 original direct-to-video animated film released on February 23, 2010. It is based on the abandoned direct-to-video feature, Justice League: Worlds Collide, which was intended as a bridge between the then-concluding Justice League animated television...
animated film as part of Superwoman's group of underlings.
Video games
- Doctor Fate has a prominent role in the DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
online game. He acts as a boss fight and Bounty for the villains and helps the Hero character to prevent Brother BloodBrother BloodBrother Blood is the name of two fictional comic book characters in the DC Universe. The first Brother Blood debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 1 #21 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-First Blood:...
from rasing TrigonTrigon (comics)Trigon is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. Trigon first appeared in New Teen Titans #2 and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
in midtown MetropolisMetropolis (comics)Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
. In the game, Fate is aligned with Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
and is a member of the Sentinels of MagicSentinels of MagicThe Sentinels of Magic is a fictional group of magically powered heroes that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Day of Judgment #1 , and were created by Geoff Johns and Matthew Dow Smith.-History:...
alongside ZatannaZatannaZatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
and RavenRaven (comics)Raven is a fictional superheroine who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez...
. He also gives the Hero character the mission to free the SpectreSpectre (comics)The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
from EclipsoEclipsoEclipso is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
's control.
Merchandising
- To date, six versions of Doctor Fate have been made available in action figureAction figureAn action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
form, with all versions being the Kent Nelson incarnation of Doctor Fate.- The first Doctor Fate toy was released in 1985 under the second wave of Kenner's Super Powers CollectionSuper Powers CollectionThe Super Powers Collection was a line of action figures based on DC Comics superheroes and supervillains that was created by Kenner Products in the 1980s.-History of the Line:...
. The Super Powers Collection version also included a mini-comic book. In the book, Doctor Fate was forced to fight Superman and the Martian ManhunterMartian ManhunterThe Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
who had fallen under control of Darkseid and were sent by him to collect Doctor Fate's artifacts. - DC DirectDC DirectDC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
released the second version in 2000 as part of the Mystics, Mages and Magicians collection. - The third was released with the Justice League Unlimited series several times as a single figure and as part of three-pack collections. Also, Minimates has released a two-pack featuring Doctor Fate and Power Girl.
- DC DirectDC DirectDC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
released the fourth version in December 2007 with its second wave of DC: The New FrontierDC: The New FrontierDC: The New Frontier is an Eisner, Harvey, and Shuster Award-winning six-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke, published by DC Comics in 2003-2004. It was then collected into two trade paperback volumes from 2004–2005 and then an Absolute Edition in 2006...
action figures. - DC Universe ClassicsDC Universe ClassicsDC Universe Classics is an action figure toyline, a sub-line of the DC Universe toy brand manufactured by Mattel. These are 6-inch scale figures based on characters owned by DC Comics...
released two Doctor Fate toys in Series 8 - Giganta series, Classic Kent Nelson version, with regular yellow armor, and a "Chase" variant Modern Hector Hall version, with gold accent armor and helm. This series was released April 2009. - A "Dr. Fate versus Wotan" two-pack set was released in December 2009 as part of the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
toyline.
- The first Doctor Fate toy was released in 1985 under the second wave of Kenner's Super Powers Collection
- DC Direct announced at the 2004 San Diego Comic-Con InternationalComic-Con InternationalSan Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
that it would release a full-size replica helmet and amulet in 2005. By May 2006, DC Vice President for Design and DC Direct Creative Georg Brewer reported that "in order to fulfill the creative goals for the piece and keep it affordable, we had to pull it to work through some production issues". In September 2006, the DC website wrote that DC Direct "hope(s) to have this great replica ready in 2007", and the helmet was displayed with upcoming items during the February 2007 Toy Fair. Currently (Spring 2011), the replica is still not yet available for purchase.
External links
- Doctor Fate at the DC Database
- JSA Fact File: Doctor Fate
- Earth-2 Doctor Fate Index
- Newsarama Interview: Meeting the Doctor with Steve Gerber (9-17-2007)
- Cosmic Teams: Doctor Fate
- DCU Guide: Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson)
- DCU Guide: Doctor Fate (Hector Hall)
- Grand Comics Database: Doctor Fate entries
- Toonopedia: Doctor Fate