Doctor Fate

Doctor Fate, also known as Fate or collectively as Fate's Legacy, is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version was originally created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in More Fun Comics #55 (May 1940). Throughout the character's extensive history, various incarnations of Doctor Fate emerged as deliberate attempts to reinvigorate the character.

In most depictions, Doctor Fate is a legacy hero created by Nabu, a cosmic entity linked to the Lords of Order and Mesopotamian deities. While typically aligned with the Lords of Order and Nabu as patrons, Doctor Fate has also served other entities and worked independently as a superhero and demon hunter. In recent iterations, the Doctor Fate mantle has been occasionally connected to ancient Egyptian deities. Nabu initially selected Kent Nelson, a young Swedish-American, as an agent for the Lords of Order. Kent's time as Doctor Fate was marked by challenges, including a lack of personal agency from Nabu's possession and strained relationships due to the demands of the role. Despite these obstacles, Kent persevered for decades, facing formidable adversaries and becoming a respected member of prestigious teams such as the Justice Society of America.

The role was later passed on to ten-year-old Eric Strauss and his step-mother, Linda Strauss, who had a relatively brief tenure as Doctor Fate. They faced challenges, including conflicts with the Lords of Chaos and deception orchestrated by DeSaad, ultimately meeting their demise and being reincarnated. Inza Cramer, the wife of Kent Nelson, became the fourth successor to the Doctor Fate role. Her tenure diverged from the typical focus, as she emphasized a more community-oriented approach alongside her sorcerous abilities. Jared Stevens, an American smuggler, assumed the role after Inza Cramer. He acted as a demon hunter and agent of balance, facing opposition from both the Lords of Chaos and Order. Hector Hall, the son of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, became Doctor Fate and proved to be an enduring incarnation until his tragic demise alongside other Lords of Order and Chaos. Kent V. Nelson, the grandnephew of the original Kent Nelson, took on the mantle next, despite lacking established connections and resources. He also became a prominent member of the Justice Society of America.

The current bearer of the Doctor Fate mantle is Khalid Nassour, an Egyptian-American who practices Islam. Chosen by Bastet and supported by ancient Egyptian deities and archangels, Khalid navigates the challenges of being Doctor Fate while juggling his superhero duties, social life, and studies as a medical student until he graduated. He has become a significant member of the Justice League, Justice League Dark, and Justice Society of America, and holds the distinction of being the second-longest-running incarnation of Doctor Fate.

The character has appeared in various incarnations across multiple forms of media based on both the comics and original characters; the Kent Nelson version notably appeared in the television series Smallville, in which he was portrayed by Brent Stait, and the DC Extended Universe film Black Adam, in which he was portrayed by Pierce Brosnan. The Khalid Nassour version debuted in the Young Justice animated television series alongside others based upon pre-existing characters not typically associated with the character's comic book iterations, including Zatara, Zatanna, and Traci 13.