Get to know Doctor Fate's Alter Egos in the DC Universe!
Lately, a lot of fans have been talking about the character Doctor Fate from DC. One of the reasons is because he just debuted in a movie Black Adam. However, we should also note that Doctor Fate’s alter ego that appears in the film Black Adam is Kent Nelson, the first Doctor Fate in the DC Universe. In the comics, there are actually a number of characters who have been Doctor Fate. The interesting thing is that they come from various genders and ages, because in reality anyone who is ‘worthy’, can become Doctor Fate. Here are eight characters who have been Doctor Fate in the DC Universe!
Kent Nelson
The first Doctor Fate was definitely Kent Nelson who debuted in 1940 at More Fun Comics #55 by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman. Kent was originally an archaeologist who accidentally found the Helmet of Nabu. It is at this point that his life begins to change because a cosmic entity named Nabu the Wise appoints him as an agent of the good wizard group Lords of Order. Armed with the Helmet of Nabu, the Amulet of Anubis, and the Cloak of Destiny, Kent becomes the first Doctor Fate, the most powerful wizard in the DC Universe, based in the Tower of Fate and one of the founders of the Justice Society.
Eric Strauss & Linda
When Kent Nelson died by Anti-Fate in the comics Doctor Fate #4 (1987), Doctor Fate’s mantle goes to a young man named Eric Strauss. She then joined her adoptive mother Linda to become the first female version of Doctor Fate in the DC Universe. At the same time, Nabu the Wise guides them while possessing Kent’s body. In terms of strength, this second Doctor Fate is actually not much different from Kent. Where they master a number of magic tricks, control the elements, and so on. Unfortunately, they died at the hands of Nabu’s eternal enemy, the Lord of Chaos.
Kent & Inza Nelson
In the 90s, after the second Doctor Fate died, Kent Nelson was told to rise again with his wife Inza. They then join forces, just like Eric and Linda, to become the new Doctor Fate alter ego. The difference with the initial version of Kent, this third Doctor Fate has a female physique, perhaps to distinguish between the initial version of Kent and the combined version with Inza. Doctor Fate recently led the Justice Society to defeat the demon servant Kingdom. Unfortunately, after going through a deadly battle, Kent and Inza’s version of Doctor Fate had to die in the story Zero Hour (1994).
Jared Stevens
Before Kent and Inza’s version of Doctor Fate died, they had given Jared Stevens his three flagship magical artifacts. Interestingly, Jared actually melted the Helmet of Nabu and Amulet of Anubis and then turned them into daggers and shuriken. While the Cloak of Destiny he wrapped around his hands to get super powers. With this new power Jared then becomes a demon hunter who uses the name ‘Fate’ in the comic series The Book of Fate (1997). The story is fairly short, because he eventually dies, while the three Doctor Fate artifacts return to their original form.
Hector Hall
Entering the 21st century, the three main artifacts of Doctor Fate finally fell to Hector Hall, son of Carter Hall’s first Hawkman. Actually, before getting this blessing, Hector had become a young superhero named Silver Scarab. Where he creates his own armor of metal Nth Metal that allows him to fly. Seeing his potential, Nabu then chose Carter as Doctor Fate’s new alter ego. In his adventure he has to face the cosmic entity Specter who eventually kills him along with his lover Lyta Trevor.
Kent V. Nelson
From the name alone we can already guess that Kent V. Nelson has a relationship with Kent Nelson’s first Doctor Fate. In fact he is the grandson of Kent and Inza Nelson who eventually became Doctor Fate like his grandfather. Initially he was a psychiatrist whose life was quite safe and comfortable. But when his life began to deteriorate and he became depressed, it was at this point that he found the Helmet of Nabu in the trash and became Doctor Fate. In his adventures he is often seen working with the Justice Society, including when facing the supervillain Mordru.
Khalid Ben-Hassin
When DC did reboot comic universe with story New 52 (2011), they introduced a new Doctor Fate whose real name is Khalid Ben-Hassin. Just like Kent V. Nelson whose story DC did not continue, it turns out that Ben-Hassin is also the grandson of Kent Nelson’s first Doctor Fate. It all started when he found the Helmet of Nabu in Nabu’s tomb in Egypt. Unlike his predecessors, Ben-Hassin did not join the Justice Society. Instead, he joins the multiverse superhero team, Thw Wonders of the World, as a representative of his universe.
Khalid Nassour
Years after the Ben-Hassin saga, in 2015, DC introduced a new Doctor Fate alter ego in Convergence: Aquaman #2. He is Khalid Nassour, a young American-Egyptian descent who studied in America as a medical student. While visiting the Brooklyn Museum he stumbled across the Helmet of Nabu which had been renamed the Helmet of Fate. Unlike other Doctor Fate, Nassour was not appointed by Nabu the Wise, but by the gods of Ancient Egypt. The reason is quite simple, because he is the great-grandson of Kent Nelson.
Those are the eight characters who have been Doctor Fate in the DC Universe. Starting from Kent Nelson, to his great-grandson Khalid Nassour who now holds the identity of Doctor Fate in DC Comics. All of these Doctor Fates generally do not choose their own destiny, but the destiny that leads them to eventually become the most powerful wizards in the universe. Seeing Kent from Pierce Brosnan looking old in the movie Black Adam, it is not impossible that one of the Fate on this list will replace him in the future. If so, who do you think is the most suitable to appear in the next DCEU story, geeks?
