Doctor Fate (comic book)

Doctor Fate
Logo used in the 2015 Doctor Fate series.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Limited series Ongoing series
Genre	Superhero Supernatural
No. of issues	Main series: 3 (Immortal Dr. Fate limited series) 4 (1988 limited series) 42 (1988 ongoing series) 5 (2004 limited series) 18 (2015 ongoing series) Spin-offs: 22 (Fate ongoing series) 12 (Book of Fate ongoing series)
Main character(s)	Doctor Fate Nabu the Wise

Doctor Fate (also known as Dr. Fate, Immortal Doctor Fate, and Fate) is a series of American comic books published by DC Comics, featuring the superhero of the same name. Since its debut in 1985, various series introduced different incarnations of the character and has undergone multiple relaunches throughout its publication history, aiming to reinvent the character for contemporary audiences.

Publication history

Starting in 1985, DC Comics compiled various Doctor Fate stories into a three-issue limited series titled "The Immortal Doctor Fate" The collection included the Doctor Fate back-up stories from The Flash, which featured a retelling of Doctor Fate's origin by Paul Levitz, Joe Staton, and Michael Nasser. The series also included the Pasko/Simonson Doctor Fate story from 1st Issue Special #9, as well as a Doctor Fate tale from More Fun Comics #56, originally published in June 1940. This limited series served as a compilation of these diverse Doctor Fate stories, providing readers with a comprehensive exploration of the character's history and adventures.

In 1988, the first limited series of Doctor Fate was released. The series was written by J. M. DeMatteis and illustrated by Keith Giffen and Dave Hunt, introducing the characters Eric and Linda Strauss. In the story, they were chosen to take up the mantle of Doctor Fate following the apparent demise of Kent Nelson, the previous Doctor Fate, despite Eric's initial hesitation and Nabu's insistence on Linda's suitability. The series marked the first attempt to revitalize the character by introducing the concept of legacies, exploring the idea of passing on the mantle of Doctor Fate to a new generation, which involved the demise of the Kent Nelson character.

After the release of the limited series in 1989, an ongoing series was launched, continuing the narrative from the previous limited series. Initially, the series focused on the incarnations of Eric and Linda Strauss, the successors of Doctor Fate, until their characters were killed off in the storyline leading up to the 23rd issue. Following their departure, the series shifted its focus to Inza Cramer and Kent Nelson, who returned from the dead within the story. Inza primarily assumed the role of Doctor Fate for the remainder of the series until its cancellation. The latter half of the series explored Inza's unique approach to being a superhero, as both characters faced the challenges of rebuilding their social lives in rejuvenated bodies.

Between 1994 and 1996, DC Comics released the Fate series as part of the Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! event. The character of Doctor Fate, portrayed by Jared Stevens in this iteration, underwent a significant redesign. He abandoned the "Doctor" title and acquired new weapons crafted from previous artifacts associated with Doctor Fate. Instead of being a traditional sorcerer, the character was reimagined as a demon hunter. Both Kent Nelson and Inza Cramer were killed off in the series. Unfortunately, this reinterpretation of Doctor Fate received negative feedback from readers and critics. As a result, the series was canceled after 23 issues in September 1996. Subsequently, the character appeared in the twelve-issue series called The Book of Fate, written by Keith Giffen. Published from February 1997 to January 1998 under DC's "Weirdoverse" imprint, The Book of Fate provided a rebooted origin and new adventures for the character. Following the cancellation of The Book of Fate in 1998, Doctor Fate underwent yet another reimagination with the revival of the Justice Society in JSA. In the title, Jared Stevens was killed off.

In 2003, a new Doctor Fate limited series was launched, featuring the Hector Hall version of the character, who had previously made his debut in the JSA series. The storyline followed Hector as he embraced his role as the new Doctor Fate under the guidance of Nabu. Set in Salem, Hector faced off against a formidable adversary named "The Curse," an ancient and powerful sorcerer who posed a threat to the Doctor Fate legacy. The Curse resurfaced in the modern world through a host named Justin Guilder, who also competed for the affections of Caitlin, Hector's love interest. Throughout the limited series, Hector also receives support from a Wicca coven in his battle against The Curse.

Following the conclusion of the Convergence limited series in June 2015 and the launch of DC's "DC You" line, a new Doctor Fate ongoing series was introduced. Written by Paul Levitz and illustrated by Sonny Liew, the series centered around the latest incarnation of Doctor Fate, Khalid Nassour, an Egyptian-American medical student. Levitz explained that DC wanted to provide a fresh perspective on the character compared to the original iteration created by Gardner Fox during the Golden Age, as per the vision of Dan Didio and Jim Lee. The series ran for 18 issues from June 2015 to November 2016.

In 2022, Tom King and Mitch Gerads initially proposed a new Doctor Fate series. However, DC Comics decided against the idea and instead encouraged them to concentrate on projects related to Batman.

Print media

Comics

Doctor Fate (1988 - 1992)

No	Title	Release date
1.	"Cycles"	July, 1987
2.	"Asylum"	August, 1987
3.	"Strangers"	September, 1987
4.	"Incarnations"	October, 1987
Creative team
J.M. DeMatteis (author), Keith Griffen, Dave Hunt (illustrators) , Anthony Tollin (colorist) , Dennis O'Neil (editor)

Doctor Fate (2003 - 2004)

No	Title	Release date
1.	"The Curse: Part 1 of 5"	October, 2003
2.	"The Curse: Part 2 of 5"	November, 2003
3.	"The Curse: Part 3 of 5"	December, 2003
4.	"The Curse: Part 4 of 5"	January, 2004
5.	"The Curse: Part 5 of 5"	February, 2004
Creative team
Christopher Golden (writer), Don Kramer (penciler), John Kalisz, Heroic Age (colorists), Kurt Hathaway (letterer), Peter Tomasi, Stephen Wacker (editors)
Synopsis
An age-old adversary of Nabu, The Curse, reappears for revenge and chooses a new vessel in the form of Justin Guilder, a envious criminal who seeks to kill the newly chosen Hector Hall to secure the affections of a woman both men share feelings for. As Hector battles the Curse, his demonic forces, and is assisted by a Wicca coven, he sets to prove himself to his doubtful mentor who believes the Curse to be too powerful of a opponent for him to handle.

Collected editions

Immortal Doctor Fate (1985)

Title	ISBN	Release date
The Immortal Doctor Fate	140125876X	March 29, 2016
Creative team
Martin Pastsko, J.M. DeMatteis (author), Keith Griffen, Dave Hunt (illustrators) , Anthony Tollin (colorist)
Synopsis and other information
Reprint of several stories. Collects 1st Issue Special #9, backup stories from The Flash #306-313 (Immortal Doctor Fate #1-3), Dr. Fate #1-4 and DC Challenge #11. The Immortal Doctor Fate/Flash backups are several stories depicting Kent Nelson as Doctor Fate during his earlier years: As Doctor Fate, Kent Nelson faced adversaries and challenges throughout his journey. One of his early foes was Wotan, who plotted to eliminate Doctor Fate by kidnapping Inza Cramer, Kent's love interest. Though Wotan's attempt failed, he feigned his own death. Kent ventured into the Underworld to confirm Wotan's demise but discovered his continued existence. Another confrontation involved Khalis, an ancient priest seeking revenge against Doctor Fate after losing his power. With Inza's help, Doctor Fate defeated and destroyed Khalis. Kent's marriage to Inza suffered as she grew increasingly frustrated and lonely, strained by his double life. They faced challenges from Totec, a Lord of Chaos who manifested Inza's jealousy as a creature. Doctor Fate restored Inza and defeated Totec. Later, Kent encountered Ynar and Vandaemon, powerful beings seeking universal rule. Inza's encounter with a curator named Vern Copeland added tension. Doctor Fate confronted Vandaemon, leading to a confrontation with Inza about her actions. Through revelations, Doctor Fate realized the power of the human spirit to resist manipulation. Kent, Inza, and Doctor Fate merged to defeat Ynar and Vandaemon, deepening their understanding and resolving trust issues. In the Dr. Fate storyline, Kent Nelson, who had been Doctor Fate for decades, faces the threat of the Lords of Chaos due to his aging body. To find a successor, Kent and Nabu choose ten-year-old Eric Strauss. Eric rapidly matures and becomes the new Doctor Fate, tasked with battling the Lords of Chaos and their agent, Benjamin Stoner. Eric and Linda, Eric's stepmother who was also chosen as a vessel of Doctor Fate, confront Anti-Fate, secure the Helmet of Fate, and emerge victorious. Kent discovers that the original Doctor Fate role involved two merging vessels, but this requirement was abandoned by Nabu for better control over him. Kent passes away, leaving Linda and Eric as the new Doctor Fate.

Dr. Fate: Countdown to Mystery (2008)

Title	ISBN	Release date
Dr. Fate: Countdown to Mystery	1401218407	September 3, 2008
Creative team
Steve Gerber, Gail Simone, Adam Beechen, Mark Evanier, Mark Waid (writers), Chad Hardin, Mario Alberti, Paul Gulacy, Joe Bennett, John Floyd, Stephen Segovia, Thomas Denrenick, Tom Derenick, Wayne Faucher, Belardino Brabo, Justiniano, Michael S O'Hare, Shawn McManus, Ethan Van Sciver, Gene Ha, Walden Wong (artists)
Synopsis and other information
Kent V. Nelson, former psychiatrist and grandnephew of the original Doctor Fate, was down on his luck when he stumbles upon the famous Helmet of Fate. Donning the helm, he becomes the next incarnation of Doctor Fate. As he grapples himself with his newfound magical powers, he battles one of the original's oldest adversary, the demon Negal.

Doctor Fate (2015 - 2017)

No	Title	ISBN	Release date
1.	Doctor Fate: The Blood Price	9781401261214	March 29, 2016
Paul Levitz (author), Sonny Liew (illustrator)
Khalid Nassour, a Brooklyn-born Egyptian-American and medical student, is selected by the goddess Bastet to assume the mantle of Doctor Fate. Endowed with magical powers from the Helmet of Fate, Nassour is guided by Nabu and the gods to battle Anubis, who seeks to reshape the world according to his whims. Struggling to accept his newfound powers and responsibilities as Earth's mystic defender, Khalid is hesitant but embraces his role to safeguard the world from destruction. Collected material: Doctor Fate (2015–2017) #1-7 and DC Sneak Peek: Doctor Fate #1
2.	Doctor Fate: Prisoners of the Past	978-1401264925	October 25, 2016
Paul Levitz (author), Ibrahim Moustafa (illustrator), Sonny Liew (illustrator)
Following his victory over Anubis, Khalid continues to face the ongoing challenge of balancing his dual life, guided by both the gods and archangels alike. However, a confrontation with the United Nations and a Egyptian general whom is secretly a necromancer draws the new, younger incarnation to his family's ancestral homeland, where he also battles the ghost of Julius Caesar brought back by the aforementioned general. At the conclusion of the story, Khalid also meets Kent Nelson, revealing himself as his great-uncle and the original Doctor Fate. Collected material: Doctor Fate (2015–2017) #8-12
3.	Doctor Fate: Fateful Threads	978-1401272418	May 9, 2017
Paul Levitz (author), Inaki Miranda (illustrator), Brendan McCarthy (illustrator), Ibrahim Moustafa (illustrator), Sonny Liew (illustrator),
With the return of Kent Nelson, Khalid finds himself mentored by his granduncle. Together, the pair thwarts various threats from afreets, the undead in the form of mummies, and the vengeful Osiris who seeks Khalid for disrupting Anubis's place within the cosmic hierarchy, unaware of the god's deceitful plan. In another challenge, Khalid battles the being known as Clothorus, a supernatural creature with power over the fates of others but lacking a divine mandate, when she sets her sights on childhood best friend, Akila. Collected material: Doctor Fate (2015–2017) #13-18

Reception

The Immortal Doctor Fate series, which included the original re-printing of the comics (not to be confused with the collected edition), is highly regarded as one of the character's most popular runs, as noted by Wizard Magazine. Charli Snow of CBR ranked the limited series 10th in the "10 Best DC Comics Starring Doctor Fate". The 2015 Doctor Fate series starring Khalid Nassour also received positive reception, in particular to the character legitimatizing Doctor Fate's connection to Egyptian mythology due to his heritage, being the first Muslim character to star in a solo series in DC Comics, and being regarded as the longest running title under the DC You imprint. CBR also praised the series for its storytelling, visuals, accessibility, characterization of both Khalid and Nabu, and ranked second in the "10 Best DC Comics Starring Doctor Fate".

Criticisms

Throughout its publication years, the Doctor Fate comic book series has faced various criticisms, which have contributed to its tendency to experience early cancellations and poor sales. According to a Wizard Magazine article, the late writer Steve Gerber expressed his retrospective belief that previous Doctor Fate series suffered from a lack of clear definition regarding the character's abilities and the source of his power. Gerber also noted that the character had been taken in numerous directions and undergone multiple incarnations, resulting in confusion for readers. Additionally, writer William Messner-Loebs mentioned that despite his enjoyment of writing for the series, it experienced limited sales. The Fate series is generally regarded as the least popular run of the Doctor Fate character. This particular iteration of Doctor Fate, featuring the Jared Stevens incarnation and a significant redesign that leaned towards a demon hunter archetype, received negative reviews. The departure from traditional elements associated with the character necessitated a reboot of the character's background, origin, and abilities the Book of Fate series.