Kent Nelson (New Earth)

Kent Nelson is Doctor Fate, a powerful sorcerer and agent for the Lords of Order who fights evil alongside his wife Inza. His amulet, cloak and helmet are creations of the ancient Nabu who acts as his mentor and spiritual guide. He is a founding member of the Justice Society of America.

Origins

Main article: Doctor Fate Origins

Kent Nelson was the son of archaeologist Sven Nelson and, around the year 1920, the two of them were exploring the Valley of Ur in Mesopotamia when they discovered an underground pyramid. It contained Nabu, an ancient immortal from the planet Cilia who had been held in suspended animation for thousands of years.

Kent released him, but the lever accidentally unleashed a poisonous gas that killed his father. It would later be revealed that Nabu engineered this situation to gain a new host. Nabu decided to mentor the young boy in the secrets of the universe, giving him incredible powers through total molecular control and taking his grief away from him. He would serve as an agent of the Lords of Order in their never-ending battle against the Lords of Chaos. Having finished his training, Nabu gave him an amulet, cloak and helmet to become a champion of good as Doctor Fate.^[1]^[2]^[3] Kent would go on adventures as Fate, although Nabu's spirit would always guide him through the helmet and he would awaken with little memory of his own exploits.^[4] He would go on to meet a beautiful college student named Inza Cramer while traveling through Alexandria, and she would become his long-time romantic partner and confidante. His first battle was against the evil sorcerer Wotan, who struck at him through Inza using an agent named Thomas Frawley.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Justice Society

Dr. Fate's first encounter with a hero of that era was the Spectre, the wrath of God. Together they destroyed a military gateway to a netherworld of demons.^[8] It was World War II and America was pulled into the war, Dr. Fate and many other mystery men help defeat an assassination attempt of President Roosevelt's life. At Roosevelt's request, they formed the Justice Society of America.^[9]

During this time, Kent found the helmet becoming more and more possessive of him, so rather than abandoning his battle against chaos, Kent created the half helm. Although Kent's powers were severely limited, he still had the ability of flight, invulnerability and super strength.^[10]^[11] However, Kent donned the helmet one last time in order to find the missing Spectre. Dr. Fate discovered that the Spectre was under the control of Kulak and in a titanic battle with the Spectre, he was defeated and the Helmet of Nabu was lost somewhere in the netherverse. It would not be until the early 1960s that Kent Nelson would somehow recover the helmet of Nabu and become Dr. Fate again. In the 1950s Kent Nelson had retired his fate persona and became a physician. It was not until the 1963 that Kent would rejoin the Justice Society of America. As their Justice Society comrades aged, Kent and Inza seemed immortal. The magic fate held over them, virtually stopped their aging process. Inza and Kent also received a small portion of Ian Karkull's power which gave them even more vitality.

When the Justice Society reactivated in the 1960s, Fate was a member - again wearing Nabu's helmet, though how it was recovered has not been revealed.^[12] Little is known of Fate's adventures during this period save for the JSA's annual gatherings with the Justice League of America from the parallel world of Earth-One (the JSA being on Earth-Two), and a pair of adventures he shared with fellow JSA member Hourman facing the monstrous Solomon Grundy and the villainous Psycho-Pirate.^[13]

Justice League International

Dr. Fate was also the founder of new Justice League where he and the Justice League foiled the plans of Darkseid to turn the people of earth against heroes.^[14] Kent's last adventure was against the Gray Man.^[15] During the late 1980s chaos and order were at breaking point. It was the Kali Yuga, the final age of man. Order had pulled out of battle, waiting for Chaos to engulf itself to create the new Golden Age. The strain of the Kali Yuga on Kent and Inza had caused them both to age rapidly. The strain on Inza was unbearable, in 1987, Inza committed suicide which left Kent devastated and on the verge of suicide. Nabu had become more dominant in the relationship and would not allow Kent to die until he could find a new host body.

Death and Return

Kent reluctantly helped Nabu find Eric Strauss as his protegee as the new Fate. It was only during these short few weeks that Kent discovered that Dr. Fate was meant to be a triad. Man, Woman and Fate. Kent broke the hold of Nabu over Fate which allowed Eric Strauss and his lover Linda to become the new Dr. Fate. Nabu allowed Kent to die.^[16] The Nelsons enjoyed an afterlife in which they lived normal lives unknowingly in the Amulet of Anubis. They raised a child called Kent and once again Fate would play a role in their lives again.

In desperation, Nabu travels to the Tower of Fate in Salem, to prepare the way for the TRUE Dr. Fate, Kent and Inza Nelson. As the they look into the amulet of Anubis, they see the souls of Kent and Inza Nelson. Jack C. Small and Petey venture into the amulet to find the Nelsons while Linda and Nabu prepare to fight Benjamin Stoner. With Nabu's help, Linda can touch the items and become Fate with Nabu. Nabu and Linda create a four armed Dr. Fate to battle the Anti-Fate. However, they fail and the Anti-Fate rejects the Lords of Chaos. Within the amulet, Jack C. Small and Petey discover that Hesse is inside the amulet. With his help they find the Nelsons and try to persuade them to come back to earth. Inza called this world heaven as the Nelson's could live the life they wanted to live. In this world, they even had a son called Kent junior. Inza does not want to leave this so-called heaven but eventually agrees that they could make this life happen on Earth.

Linda dies from her wounds from the battle with the Anti-Fate as her soul goes into Wendy, a woman who just recently died. There she is rejoined with her husband Eugene (Eric) and their daughter Raina where they will become the new seeds of humanity. Nabu is given the choice between humanity and being an immortal Lord of Order, he chooses humanity and his soul goes into Wendy's unborn child. Kent Nelson & Inza Nelson become the new Doctor Fate.

Zero Hour

Death of Doctor Fate 01 — Extant attacks.

Main article: Zero Hour

In 1994, Dr. Fate was once again formed into the male Dr. Fate but under the control of Kent and Inza. During Zero Hour, Dr. Fate led the Justice Society on its last battle against Extant, a minion of Parallax. Extant defeated the JSA and as he had the power of both a Lord of Order and Chaos, he forced the split of Dr. Fate, flinging the helmet and amulet through the netherverse which would eventually return to Egypt, a nexus of Fate's power.^[17] Kent and Inza tried to recover the items of Fate from Jared Stevens, a mercenary who would later become the new Fate. The items rejected Kent and Inza and the Nelsons chose Jared Stevens as the new holder of Fate.^[18] After a deadly battle with the servants of the demon Kingdom, the Nelsons were killed and were eventually allowed into the afterlife yet again.^[19] Kent and Inza did not die after giving the items to Jared Stevens but became disembodied spirits seemingly existing in a pocket universe inside Fate's amulet.^[20]

Blackest Night

Main article: Blackest Night

His current fate was unknown until Kent was re-animated as a Black Lantern, and then being destroyed in New York City as the JSA's bomb went off.^[21]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

In their initial years of publication, the Fate's abilities were described as "the secret of the conversion of energy in matter and matter in energy". In the current continuity, the greater part of Doctor Fate's powers come from the mystical Helmet of Fate. However, Kent Nelson has trained throughout his career to become an accomplished adventurer as well as amassing his own personal sorcery skills.

Magic; inside this power is this great array of abilities:
- Magic Sense: He can feel the presence of magic in his surroundings.
- Awareness: He can be tuned in with the cosmos and feel incoming mystical events.
- Astral Projection
- Chronokinesis
- Dimensional Travel
- Divination
- Eldritch Blast
- Energy Construct Creation
- Energy Resistance
- Flame Spell: Fate learned this ability in the Lost Book of Toth.
- Force Field: one of his fields could withstand the attacks from Aquarius during one full week.
- Healing
- Illusion Casting
- Invisibility
- Magnetic Manipulation
- Hypnosis
- Molecular Reconstruction
- Necromancy
- Phasing: Kent wore this spell to enter in his Tower of Salem.
- Resurrection
- Telepathy
- Teleportation
- Divine Empowerment: Nabu knows the true name of Ra, and can use his divine power to momentarily increase his own magic.
- Dr. Fate could make Superman immune to magic if he wanted.
No emotions: With the helmet, Fate feels no emotion, and is completely immune to Psycho-Pirate's powers.

Without his helm, Kent Nelson has only the following magical abilities:

Immortality
Invulnerability: Dr. Fate could withstand military weapons and a explosion which could destroy a mansion.
Telekinesis: when used in conjunction with his helmet, this ability was powerful enough to move a planet. Without it, Fate could be strong enough only to lift cars.
- Flight
- Enhanced Strength

Abilities

Archaeology
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic)
Occultism
Medicine: In his adventures in More Fun Comics, Kent was a physician.

Weaknesses

Separation From Helmet: Although Kent Nelson is an accomplished magician and crime fighter, without his helm he is significantly weakened.
His invulnerability does not protect him against gas-attacks.
After long mystical battles or casting powerful spells, Fate's power would be depleted and needs to restore his mystical energy.^[22]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Notes

Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-Two era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and no longer apply.

Trivia

At his most potent, Doctor Fate is an accomplished sorcerer, able to match most other wizards in the Universe. He has been credited as being one of the top 12 most powerful heroes in the Universe.^{[citation needed]}
Kent cast his spells using the "Eastern Way" by use of internal balance and internal focus as opposed to the "Western Way" by use of symbols and incantations.
It is also revealed that Dr. Fate was not meant to be either male or female, but both united as one, and that unless this is realized Dr. Fate can never reach his full potential.

External Links

Golden Age Body Count: Doctor Fate

Footnotes

Justice Society of America member
This character is or was a primary member of the Justice Society of America in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice Society of America members" category.

Justice League member

This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.

Black Lantern Corps member
This character is or was a member of the Black Lantern Corps. Those who have died may wield the Black Power Ring, symbolizing their lack of both life and emotion.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Black Lantern Corps members category."

[1] More Fun Comics #67

[2] DC Special Series #10

[3] Doctor Fate #1

[4] 1st Issue Special #9

[5] More Fun Comics #55

[6] All-Star Squadron #47

[7] Secret Origins (Volume 2) #24

[8] Spectre Annual (Volume 3) #1

[9] All-Star Comics #3

[10] More Fun Comics #72

[11] All-Star Squadron #23

[12] Justice League of America #21

[13] Showcase #55-56

[14] Legends (Volume 1)

[15] Justice League #-7

[16] Doctor Fate (Volume 1)

[17] Zero Hour #3

[18] Fate #1

[19] Book of Fate #1

[20] JSA #3

[21] Blackest Night: JSA (Volume 1)

[22] DC Special #29

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