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The Helmet of Fate was created by the Lord of Order Nabu along with two other mystical items: the Amulet of Anubis and the Cloak of Destiny. The three items combined would grant the wearer the power of Doctor Fate, the primary agent of the Lords of Order.

Quote1 This is the Helmet of Fate. It is not a "shiny target." It holds untold power. Quote2
Doctor Fatesrc

The Helmet of Fate is an ancient, and extremely powerful magical object.

History

The Helmet of Fate was created by the Lord of Order Nabu along with two other mystical items: the Amulet of Anubis and the Cloak of Destiny. The three items combined would grant the wearer the power of Doctor Fate, the primary agent of the Lords of Order.

New Earth

In the 1900s, Nabu passed on these three magical objects to Kent Nelson, who became Doctor Fate, protector of the world from evil threats.[1]

During the Infinite Crisis, Spectre killed Nabu and the Helmet of Fate was left astray as Hector Hall, the latest Doctor Fate, also died.[2] The Helmet then started a journey across the entire DC Universe in which it passed through the hands of several people including Detective Chimp,[3] Black Alice,[4] Ibis the Invincible,[5] Sargon the Sorcerer[6] and Zauriel.[7]

After this journey, the Helmet finally reached the hands of Captain Marvel, who tossed it across the universe in order to let fate decide who would be the chosen for the role of Doctor Fate. As fate would have it, the Helmet landed on Earth and it was picked by Kent V. Nelson, the great-nephew of the original Doctor Fate, Kent Nelson.[8] The Helmet provided Nelson the powers of Doctor Fate without the need of the Amulet of Anubis and the Cloak of Destiny. However, due to Nelson's lack of magical knowledge, he didn't used the Helmet properly. Instead, he used it for personal gain until he was confronted by the demon Negal, who sought to destroy any mortal who would carry on the legacy of Doctor Fate.[9] Nelson tried to get rid of the Helmet to avoid Negal's wrath, but soon he learned that the Helmet would always return to him.[10] In a last effort to be free of "the curse", Nelson gave the Helmet to a medium, who tried to use the Helmet, drawing the wrath of Negal upon her.[11] After a long struggle, Kent V. Nelson managed to recover the Helmet and used it to become Doctor Fate and defeat Negal, although the events are not entirely clear.[12]

Prime Earth

After a group of the sorcerer-kings ascended to their cosmic positions as Lords of Order through Hecate, they would learn the immense magical powers they were blessed with no loner could be contained properly in their human bodies. Nabu, one of those sorcerer-kings turned Lords of Order, created the Helm of Fate in order to bind himself to it, continuing his existence.[13]

Over the millennia, Nabu and his allies, the Egptian Gods, would choose brave champions to act, with the Egyptians Gods intending for them to accept the sacred duty of protecting the world while Nabu himself intends for his bearers to act in his battle against chaos, notably those cause by the Lords of Chaos and their empowered agents.[13] Kent Nelson was chosen by the latter and acted as Doctor Fate for years.[13]

In recent years, the surviving Egyptian Gods would choose the champion, Khalid Nassour, to act as the next Doctor Fate due to his pharaoh bloodline. He would eventually come to apprenticeship under Kent Nelson, his great uncle, in preparation for the role. However, Nabu would betray his two hosts, having been faced with constant war to the point of breaking and blaming magic itself for being the cause and plotted to allow the Otherkind to consume all of magic while summoning the other Lords of Order to destroy magical realms and usurping Nelson's body and will. Eventually, Khalid, Nelson, and Justice League Dark were able to stop him and his fellow Lords, the resulting event straining his relationship with his hosts.[13] When Circe usurped the power of Hecate and her Injustice League Dark came into conflict with Justice League Dark, Khalid would appeal to Nabu's better nature and won his favor, Nabu making him the permanent acting Doctor Fate and ceding all control of his power.[13]

Recently, Nabu's spirit would abandon Khalid for reasons still yet unknown and in his place, the Egyptian Goddess known as Hauhet would reside within the Helmet of Fate attempting to warn Khalid of the coming destruction of the Tower of Fate at the hands of Merlin and his pawn in a bid to control all of magic on Earth. Unable to properly convey the urgency of the situation, she would instead send Wonder Woman to tell Khalid on Earth.[14]

Powers Granted

  • Magical Repository: The Helmet of Fate functions as a powerful receptacle of magical energies within it's own right, carrying powers beyond gods and is considered one of the most powerful artifacts ever created by a sorcerer's hand.[15] Those whom bear the helm are often considered to be among the most powerful socerers in existence while in use of it.[16]
  • Magical Energy Manipulation: The Helmet of Fate allows the bearer the ability to manipulate various energies; chiefly, the Helmet of Fate grants the bearer the power to manipulate and shape energy at will from even other power sources such as those whom bear Hecate's witch mark.[17] The Helmet of Fate also allowed grants the power to manipulate other energies forces such as the Firestorm Matrix in which powered Brimstone (although the feat proved too great).[18]
    • Energy/Ankh Construct Creations: The Helm can grant the bearer the power to create constructs out of thin air.[19] Most famously, those whom hold the title "Doctor Fate" often utilize the shape of ankhs as a medium or basis for various magical abilities. Offensively, the ankh can be used to cut beings[20]
  • Magical Sight: The Helmet of Fate grants the bearer the ability to magical sight, making them able to visually see magic all around them.[21]
  • Cosmic Awareness: On it's own, the Helmet of Fate still bestows it's bearer a higher level of awareness and knowledge comparable to that of gods.[22]
  • Negation Aura: The Helmet of Fate bestows an aura that grants immunity towards certain powers such as those originating from Probability Manipulation[23] and disallows those with precognitive powers from disconcerting their next actions.[24]

Powers via patrons

  • Hauhet
  • Thoth
    • Elemental Control: Chief among the abilities of the helm includes granting the bearer powers of redirecting and channeling the natural elements: air, earth, fire, water, and lightning. The bearer can choose to either control the elemental themselves and/or use it to fuel Doctor Fate's power.[13][28]
    • Enhanced Intellect: Under Thoth's power, Helmet of Fate can bolster and enhance the intelligence of the bearer while they wear the Helm of Fate.[29]
  • Nabu/ Shat-Ru/ Lords of Order
    • Imaginative Magical Manipulation: With patronage from any member of the Lords of Order, it allows it's bearers to become Doctor Fate and gain the powers befitting a "Earth-bound Lord of Order", allowing one to control magic by imagining intent and will, contrasting to the usual method of perform spell-casting or familiars in order to manipulate magic.[30]
    • Precognition & Retrocognition: Be it through Nabu or a connection to the Lords of Orders, their patronage allows a bearer to see through a person's timeline, allowing them to see their past and future.[31]

Notes

  • Starting in More Fun Comics #72 (1941), Kent Nelson adopted a half-mask version of the Helmet of Fate, but this was not the true helmet, and it did not provide access to any of the Helmet's traditional abilities. Kent Nelson, after this change, was only able to wield such power as was afforded him by the Cloak of Levitation, the Amulet of Anubis, and such natural sorcery he had been taught to wield under Nabu's tutelage.
  • Jared Stevens was once able to melt the Helmet of Nabu down and fashion the metal into a dagger, and a number of Ankh shaped throwing darts, all of which had magical properties of their own. The Helmet reconstituted itself, following Stevens' death.
  • On Prime Earth, the creation of the Helm is contested; while most version state the Helmet of Fate being Nabu creation at his own hand and contains his power, the Doctor Fate (2015) instead state that Osiris's power resides in the Helm and is a creation of both himself and Thoth, who would imprison Nabu within it for reasons never stated.
  • It is explained in Doctor Fate (Volume 2) #25 that the Helmet of Fate changes appearances somewhat based upon the bearers. In some instances since, various character who bear the helm (be it temporarily due to circumstances or as successors to the Doctor Fate name) caused the Helm to expereinces slight appearance changes since:
    • By default, the Helm bears it's classical golden, Corinthian design. Kent Nelson of both New Earth and Prime Earth keeps this design while acting as Doctor Fate.
    • Eric Strauss and Linda Strauss features a similar but different design from it's classical depiction[32]; artist often depcted the Helm as being able to emote based upon Linda and Eric's emotions during the second Doctor Fate series.
    • Kent V. Nelson's helm has both configurations of a half-helm and full-helm appearances he can take at will, which was the intention of the character's creator, Steve Gerber.[33]
    • Both Khalid Nassour of Prime Earth and Khalid Ben-Hassin's bearing of the Helm of Fate alters the feature of the Helm to include both symbols of the Eye of Ra and Eye of Horus on it's respective sides[34][35], both sharing Egyptian heritage.
    • When Bruce Wayne/Batman of Prime Earth briefly possessed the Helm, the appearance was similar to it's typical depictions but with pointed ears similar to his cowl.[36]


See Also

Links and References

  • None.
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