fiction.wikisort.org - Character

Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in More Fun Comics #55 (May 1940) during the Golden Age of Comic Books and is the first character to use the name Doctor Fate.

Kent Nelson
Kent Nelson as Doctor Fate. Art by Alex Ross.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	More Fun Comics #55 (May 1940)
Created by	Gardner Fox Howard Sherman
In-story information
Alter ego	Kent Nelson
Team affiliations	Lords of Order Justice Society of America Justice League Dark Justice League Justice League International Sentinels of Magic All-Star Squadron
Partnerships	Inza Nelson Nabu (mentor; primary patron) Khalid Nassour (apprentice)
Abilities	Peak human conditioning Mastery of magic Immortality Limited invulnerability Proficiency in Jujutsu Skilled physician & archaeologist Access to mystical artifacts such as the Helmet of Fate, Amulet of Anubis, and Cloak of Destiny that grants him additional magical powers and bolsters his sorcerous powers.

While in an archaeological expedition with his father, Nelson accidentally awakens Nabu and kills his father in the process. Nabu takes pity on the boy and responds to the tragedy by training him to be an agent of the Lords of Order. Nelson eventually becomes a crime fighter and a chief defender of Earth from supernatural threats. A founding member of the All-Star Squadron and the Justice Society of America, Nelson would struggle with the revelation of Nabu's attempt to usurp control of his body with his spirit and his increasingly strained relationship with his wife. Over time in more recent stories and continuities, after having spent decades of acting as Doctor Fate, the character would also guide several of his successors, the most recent being his grandnephew, Khalid Nassour. He would also serve as an advisor for Wonder Woman's incarnation of the Justice League Dark.

Nelson made his live-action debut in the television series Smallville, played by Brent Stait, and also appears in the DC Extended Universe film Black Adam (2022), played by Pierce Brosnan.[1]

Publication history

1940s–1960s

Kent Nelson as Doctor Fate debuted in his own self-titled six page strip in More Fun Comics #55 (May 1940) during the Golden Age of Comic Books. The character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, who produced the first three years of monthly Doctor Fate stories.[2] After a year with no background, his alter ego and origins were shown in More Fun Comics #67 (May 1941).[3]

Fate's helmet was modeled after ancient Greek Corinthian helmets. shown by the shape and ear slots unique to the Corinthian helmet.

His love interest Inza was known variably throughout the Golden Age as Inza Cramer,[4] Inza Sanders,[5][6] and Inza Carmer,[7][8][9][10] which was amended to Inza Cramer in the Silver Age.[11]

When the Justice Society of America was created for All Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940), 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–August 1944).

1960s–1980s

Aside from the annual JSA/JLA team-ups in Justice League of America that began in 1963, Doctor Fate appeared in other stories through the 1960s and 1970s, including a two-issue run with Hourman in Showcase #55–56, two appearances with Superman in World's Finest Comics (#201, March 1971 and #208, December 1971); an appearance with Batman in The Brave and the Bold (#156, November 1979); and a solo story in 1st Issue Special #9 (December 1975), written by Martin Pasko and drawn by Walt Simonson.

Doctor Fate and the rest of The Justice Society returned to All-Star Comics in 1976 with #58 for a two-year run ending with issue #74 and Adventure Comics #461-462 in 1978, and Adventure Comics #466 related the untold tale of the Justice Society's 1951 disbanding. Doctor Fate's origin was retold in DC Special Series #10, and Doctor Fate again teamed up with Superman in DC Comics Presents #23 (July 1980), and featured in a series of back-up stories running in The Flash from #306 (February 1982) to 313 (September 1982) written by Martin Pasko (aided by Steve Gerber from #310 to #313) and drawn by Keith Giffen.[12]

1980s–2000s

Beginning in 1981, DC's All-Star Squadron elaborated upon the adventures of many World War II-era heroes, including Doctor Fate and the JSA. The series ran for 67 issues and three annuals, concluding in 1987. Doctor Fate made occasional modern-day appearances in Infinity, Inc. in 1984, the same year which witnessed the 22nd and final annual Justice Society/Justice League team-up.[13] Doctor Fate also made a guest appearance in a 3-issue 1985 crossover in the pages of Infinity, Inc. #19-20 and Justice League #244. Doctor Fate then appeared in the four-part special America vs. the Justice Society (1985) which finalized the story of the Justice Society, featuring an elaboration of the events of Adventure Comics #466 and a recap of the Justice Society's annual team-ups with the Justice League.

In 1985, DC collected the Doctor Fate back-up stories from The Flash, a retelling of Doctor Fate's origin by Paul Levitz, Joe Staton, and Michael Nasser originally published in Secret Origins of Super-Heroes (January 1978) (DC Special Series #10 in the indicia), the Pasko/Simonson Doctor Fate story from 1st Issue Special #9, and a Doctor Fate tale from More Fun Comics #56 (June 1940), in a three-issue limited series titled The Immortal Doctor Fate.

Doctor Fate appeared in several issues of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, after which Doctor Fate briefly joined the Justice League.[14]

A Doctor Fate limited series was released soon afterwards, which changed the character's secret identity.[15] DC began a Doctor Fate ongoing series by J.M. DeMatteis and Shawn McManus in winter of 1988.[16] William Messner-Loebs became the series’ writer with issue #25.[17] The later issues of the series saw Kent's wife Inza take over as the new Doctor Fate. The series ended with issue #41.[18] Following Zero Hour, DC killed off both Kent and Inza and replaced them with a new character, Jared Stevens.

2000s–present

In 1999, the revival of the Justice Society in JSA allowed the character to be reworked again.[19][20] In addition to appearing in JSA, DC published a self-titled, five-issue limited series in 2003.[21] The character was killed in the Day of Vengeance limited series in 2005 as part of the lead in to the 2005 company-wide event story, Infinite Crisis.[22]

The Kent Nelson version of Doctor Fate was featured in the Dark Nights: Metal event.

Fictional character biography

In 1920, archaeologist Sven Nelson and his son Kent go on an expedition to the Valley of Ur. While exploring a temple discovered by his father, Kent opens the tomb of Nabu the Wise and revives him from suspended animation, accidentally releasing a poisonous gas which kills Sven. Nabu takes pity on Kent and teaches him the skills of a sorcerer over the next twenty years before giving him a mystical helmet, amulet, and cloak. In 1940, Kent meets Inza Cramer and Wotan in Alexandria, Egypt on his way back to America.[23] After arriving back in the United States, Kent begins a career fighting crime and supernatural evil as the sorcerer and superhero Doctor Fate and sets up a base in a tower in Salem, Massachusetts.[23][24]

Kent helps co-found the Justice Society of America in 1940.[25]

Kent switches to a half helmet in 1941 due to Nabu occasionally possessing him through the helmet.[26][27] Kent becomes a physician in 1942.[28] Kent later enlists in the U.S. Army and serves as a Paratrooper during World War II.[29] He resigns from the JSA in 1944 and becomes an archaeologist.[30][31]

Kent returns to crimefighting when the Justice Society reforms, again using the original helmet.[32] Sometime later, Kent co-founds a new Justice League.[33] During the Zero Hour crisis, Kent and Inza merge into Doctor Fate.[34] However, Extant uses his time-based powers to undo the magic that had kept the JSA young, which rapidly ages their bodies by several decades. The artifacts of Fate are also teleported back to Egypt, rendering Kent and Inza powerless.[35] Realizing their time is short, the now elderly couple hunt down the smuggler Jared Stevens, who had recovered the helmet, cloak and amulet. Before they can transform into Doctor Fate once more, Kent and Inza are killed when their remaining life force is drained away by demons working for the villain Kingdom. Their souls then depart into the afterlife, leaving Jared to become the new Fate.[36]

During the Blackest Night event, Kent is briefly resurrected as a member of the Black Lantern Corps.[37]

The New 52/DC You

Years after the Flashpoint crossover led to the retroactively rebooted continuity the DC Universe with the New 52, a newer version of Kent Nelson would appear during the DC You initiative. While still set within the new universe created from the New 52, the initiative was made to allow to emphasize storytelling over continuity. While Kent Nelson's first appearance in the fourth Doctor Fate series establishes him as the previous Doctor Fate to Kahlid Nassour, much of his history remained unknown for a time. Earlier mentions of the character established him as Khalid Nassour's grandnephew and uncle of his mother, Elizabeth Nassour whom was inspired into archaeology thanks to Nelson.

Prisoners of the Past & Fated Threads

In the final pages Prisoners of the Past storyline, Kent would appear having claimed to see Khalid when in reality, he has sensed him as the new Doctor Fate.[38] Subquentionally in the Fated Threads storyline, Kent learns of Khalid's early adventures as the new Doctor Fate while explaining the reason for his reappearance: having abandoned the Tower of Fate and being Doctor Fate for years, he is suddenly drawned back to it when he senses a dark threat and an agent that can oppose it: Khalid. Additionally, Khalid pleads with Kent to take the helm back so he can resume his normal life, in which Nelson declines, believing this to be a divine calling. Using his power, he assumes his moniker of Doctor Fate alongside Khalid as they work to advert a disaster caused by a mischievous demon, Nelson also simultaneously beginning to mentor him as the dark looming threat he sensed nears. When mummies begin attacking Brooklyn, Nelson appears to dispatch them while investigating whom has reanimated them. Eventually, his investigation leads him to the source of the dark magic around Brooklyn the threat in which his premonitions warned him of: Osiris. Nelson is quickly dispatched by the ancient deity, whom is seeking Khalid for supposed transgressions against Anubis, unaware of the former's attempt at completely usurping his godly station. Awakening later, he witnesses Bastet and the archangels explain the misunderstanding to Osiris and upon doing so, the ancient deity allows Khalid to live.[39]

DC Rebirth

Blue Beetle: Rebirth / Blue Beetle: Hard Times

Taking place at some point prior to the events of the Doctor Fate fourth series, Nabu later appears before Ted Kord, warning him that the Blue Beetle scarab is the result of magic and not alien technology as previously thought. It is revealed through flashbacks that centuries ago, Nabu battled with Blue Beetle Scarab's intelligence, Khaji-Da, and nearly prevailed until the intervention of the Atlantean sorcerer, Arion, who was seemingly driven insane by his exposure to it (later revealed to be the instead the result of the Death Force infecting his mind), allowing the scarab to escape and resulting in Nabu trapping Arion.[40]

In the modern day, Kent Nelson is revealed to have been captured by Nabu and placed in some mystic stasis and preserving his body in the Tower of Fate, using him as some sort of anchor to the physical plane. When freed using his minions and an unsuspecting Nabu, Arion would defeat Nabu by severing the connection between the two characters, weakening Nabu by disallowing him to actively contribute and once more putting Nelson under stasis. Later, Terri Magus heals Nelson when she places the Helm onto him under the instruction of Nabu, the man now regaining control of his body. He later confronts Arion and helps Ted Kord and Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle) defeat the sorcerer before trapping him within a coffin of imprison him within what is known as an "absolution crystal" for ten thousands years.[40]

Dark Nights: Metal

During the Dark Nights: Metal event, Doctor Fate assists the Justice League in defeating the Dark Nights. He forms a search team with Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl to find Nth Metal in the Rock of Eternity, where he is supposedly killed by Black Adam.^{[citation needed]}

Justice League Dark

Sometime prior to the start of Justice League Dark, Nabu has taken control of the Helmet of Fate and assumes Kent Nelson's appearance as Doctor Fate.[41]

Dark Nights: Death Metal

In the pages of Dark Nights: Death Metal, Doctor Fate was with Green Lantern, Flash, and Wildcat when they were shown to be guarding the Valhalla Cemetery.[42]

Doomsday Clock

In the Doomsday Clock limited series, Lois Lane is mailed a flash drive which contains newsreel footage of the Justice Society, including Doctor Fate.[43] He was later seen with the Justice Society when Doctor Manhattan undoes the experiment that erased the Justice Society and the Legion of Super-Heroes.[44]

Powers and abilities

A practicing sorcerer, Kent Nelson is often considered among the most powerful magic users in the DC Universe, with Nelson stated to be the most powerful incarnation of Doctor Fate (although Inza has also been contended to be more talented). With the usage of specific mystic artifacts provided by his mentor, Nabu, he is considered nearly unstoppable in battle and nearly unmatched in spell-casting.[45][46][47]

As Doctor Fate, Nelson has access to powerful talismans associated with its bearers: most powerful of them is the Helmet of Fate, acting as a repository of godly level power and containing the spirit of the Lord of Order, Nabu, the Helm of Fate bolsters his magical abilities and bestows to him typical powers given to its bearers: flight, healing, control over the natural elements (wind, fire, earth, air) and lightning, and intangibility.[48] Bearers of the helm also are bestowed the Amulet of Anubis, a magical artifact that houses a pocket dimension, can allow for communication of the dead, and increases the power of Doctor Fate's sorcery. He also is granted the Cloak of Destiny, a magical cloak that is fireproof and protects against magic. In more recent versions of the character, Nelson's connection to Nabu's talismans (Artifacts of Fate) is intimate enough to draw power from a distance, granting him the ability to manifest a powerful facsimile of the Helm of Fate, Cloak of Destiny, and Amulet of Anubis and use their powers without having the Helm of Fate on him physically.[39] Kent Nelson also possess other super-powers, including immortality and being nearly invulnerable due to alterations made to his body from Nabu.[45] In addition to this, Nabu's tutelage and alterations to his body raised his body to its mental and physical peak and granted him all the arcane lore and magical knowledge possessed by Nabu.[49]

In addition to his magical abilities, Nelson himself is regarded as a brilliant archaeologist and earned a doctorate degree in the field.[45][50] In his earlier appearances, the character also became a physician, having earned a medical doctorate degree[3][51][52] and was skilled practicioner of jujutsu.[53]

Weaknesses and costs

While powerful, separation from the Helmet of Fate significantly weakens Nelson, as he typically possess only a level of invulnerability, telekinesis, and flight. He is also still vulnerable to human weaknesses such as gas attacks and needing to breathe without the assistance of the helm's magic.[54] In his more recent versions, his spell-casting and magical abilities are portrayed more formidable without the helm as he can still draw power from it. However, he does not have full access to the helm's power without it in his possession.[39]

Additionally, his incarnation of Doctor Fate is bound by the "rules of magic", making him unable to cast counter-spells against himself to nullify another spell after they've been cast, being only able to use his powers to protect him from the effects of whatever spell has been cast afterwards.[46]

Other versions

Earth-2

After Mister Mind "eats" aspects of the fifty-two realities that make up the Multiverse, one of them, designated Earth-2, takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-Two, such as the Justice Society of America being this world's premier superteam.[55]

This version of Doctor Fate (based upon the Kent Nelson version of the character) along with the Spectre, suspects something is awry with Power Girl's mysterious reappearance.[56]

Flashpoint

In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Kent Nelson works as a fortune teller in Haley's Circus. Kent tells his co-worker, trapeze artist Boston Brand, of his vision of Dick Grayson's death.[57] The circus is then attacked by Amazons who are looking to steal the helmet. Kent is impaled and killed by an Amazon before the circus workers escape with the help of Resistance member Vertigo.[58] With Boston's help, Dick escapes the Amazons' slaughter of the other circus workers and meets up with the Resistance, using the helmet as the new Doctor Fate.[59]

Earth-20

An alternate version of Doctor Fate, known as Doc Fate, is shown to exist on the pulp fiction-influenced world of Earth-20.[60][61] Doc Fate is an African-American gunslinger and occultist named Kent Nelson who is based in a windowless Manhattan skyscraper. Doc Fate forms and leads a team of adventurers known as the Society of Super-Heroes, which includes the Immortal Man, the Mighty Atom, the Blackhawks and the Green Lantern Abin Sur.[62]

In other media

This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2015)

Television

Live action

• Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate and Inza Nelson both appear in the Smallville two-part episode "Absolute Justice", portrayed by Brent Stait and Erica Carroll respectively.[63] This version of Kent is a member of the Justice Society of America who primarily operated in the 1970s. In the present, he meets with Hawkman and Stargirl after Icicle II kills fellow JSA members Sylvester Pemberton and Sandman. Fate also restores Martian Manhunter's powers, but is later killed by Icicle II, who steals the Helmet of Fate from him.
• Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate appears in the DC Universe series Stargirl as a member of the Justice Society of America before he was attacked and killed by the Injustice Society.

Animation

• Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate appears in series set in the DC Animated Universe. This version is a retired superhero and a former ally of Superman who was disillusioned by his never-ending battles against evil:
  • Doctor Fate first appears in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "The Hand of Fate", voiced by George DelHoyo. After initially refusing to aid Superman against his enemy Karkull, Fate changes his mind after seeing Superman head off to battle him despite knowing he will almost certainly die and helps Superman seal Karkull. Despite sustaining injuries, Fate vows to continue being a hero.
  • Doctor Fate makes further appearances in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Oded Fehr. As of the latter series, he has joined the Justice League. Additionally, Inza Nelson appears in the Justice League episode "Hereafter" [Pt. 2].
• Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Greg Ellis. This version is a member of an aged Justice Society of America.
• Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate appears in Young Justice, voiced by Ed Asner, with Nabu voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.[64] This version is a retired member of the Justice Society of America and mentor to Zatara. After he dies in a conflict between the Team and Klarion the Witch Boy, the Helmet of Fate is stored within Mt. Justice. Over the course of the series, the helmet is temporarily taken up by Wally West in "Denial" and Aqualad in "Revelation". In both instances, Nelson's spirit, choosing to reside in the helmet a while longer, convinces Nabu to release the host. However, in "Misplaced", after Zatanna dons the helmet to stop Klarion, Nabu refuses to release her due to the belief that the world needs Fate to protect the world against chaos until Zatara offers to become Nabu's host in her place.[65]
• Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate appears in the Justice League Action episode "Trick or Threat",[66] voiced by Erica Luttrell as a child. Klarion the Witch Boy turns Fate, Batman, John Constantine, and Zatanna into children so that he can lure them into the House of Mystery and steal the Helmet of Fate.

Film

• Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate appears in the opening credits of Justice League: The New Frontier. This version is a member of the Justice Society of America.
• A variation of Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate appears in Justice Society: World War II. This version is a codebreaker from Earth-2 who assists the Justice Society of America in stopping the Nazis.
• Pierce Brosnan portrays Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate in the DC Extended Universe film Black Adam.[1] This version is a member of the Justice Society.

Video games

• Doctor Fate appears as an NPC, later a playable DLC character, in DC Universe Online.
• Doctor Fate appears as an assist character in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
• Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate appears as a playable character in Injustice 2, voiced by David Sobolov.[67] In the story mode, Fate confronts Green Arrow and Black Canary, but they remove the Helmet of Fate, allowing Nelson to regain control and warn them of an incoming threat to Earth. However, the Lords of Order force him to put the helmet back on and confront Superman and Batman on Brainiac's ship to ensure Brainiac's attack succeeds as it will restore order to the planet. After Superman and Batman defeat Fate, the former destroys the helmet, severing Kent's connection to the Lords of Order. He attempts to warn them to end their feud, but Brainiac kills him. In his non-canonical single-player ending, Kent defeats Brainiac, but angers the Lords of Order. Taking shelter in the House of Mystery, he is delighted to find his wife Inza Nelson was resurrected by John Constantine's daughter Rose.

Lego games

• Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.
• Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains.

References

External links

• Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson) at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• Grand Comics Database: Doctor Fate entries
• Showcase #55: The Glory of Murphy Anderson

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