Fate Facts

Are you a worshipper of The Lords of Order? We present One Dozen Doctor Fate Facts!

1. In the 1920's, Kent Nelson and his father Sven were exploring an ancient tomb. Kent discovers and revives Nabu The Wise, unknowingly triggering poisonous gas that kills his father. For the next twenty years, Nabu takes Kent under his wing and teaches him the ways of magic. With his training complete, Nabu gifts Kent with The Helmet of Fate-a divine item that will allow Kent and Nabu to share both a body and magical power-and The Amulet of Anubis and The Cloak of Destiny.

2. Kent has worked as an archeologist and remains the most prominent magic-user in the DCU. Acting as a "Lord of Order" he protects Earth from chaotic mystical beings. He was a Physician too, and served in World War II as a Paratrooper. 

3. In 1940, Doctor Fate founded The Justice Society of America-DC Comic's very first superhero team-with Hourman, The Spectre, and the Golden Age versions of Sandman, Hawkman, The Atom, The Flash, and The Green Lantern. Kent Nelson didn't join The Justice League of America-the Society's successors-until 1987.

4. The war between The Lords of Order and The Lords of Chaos used to be founded on simple Good vs Evil logic, but was later developed into a battle of stagnation/order and anarchy/chaos. The superhero duo Hawk and Dove received their powers from a Lord of Chaos and Order respectively in an attempt to prove which was better-war or peace. Some Lords of Order include The Wizard Shazam, Captain Marvel/Shazam, Dove, Amethyst The Princess of Gemworld, and Kid Eternity. Some Lords of Chaos include Hawk, Klarion The Witch Boy, and Mordru. Mordru is usually depicted as Doctor Fate's first and greatest foe, but he has also been the adversary of The Justice Society, Amethyst, and in the far future, The Legion of Superheroes.

5. Kent once shared the role of Doctor Fate with his wife Inza after their death and revival as younger people. A time-based villain restored them to their proper ages and sent the objects of Doctor Fate back to the ancient tomb.

6. In 1987, following the death of Kent and Inza, Nabu chooses Eric and Linda Strauss, a step-son/step-mom team. Together they use The Helmet of Fate to fuse into one person, but Darkseid's minion Desaad killed Eric and left Linda the sole bearer of the helmet, making her the first female Doctor Fate. Disturbingly, after Linda's death, Linda, Eric, and Nabu were all reincarnated as a man named Eugene, a woman named Wendy, and as their unborn child.

7. In an attempt to find the Helmet, Amulet, and Cloak of Fate, Kent and Inza hire a smuggler named Jared Stevens to help them recover them from an Egyptian tomb. During the adventure, a pair of demons attack and kill Kent and Inza. Killing them once again. Jared is injured and forced to use the objects of Fate. He uses the Cloak to wrap his wounded arm, melts the Helmet into a dagger, and the Amulet explodes in his face, giving him a red Ankh mark and magical powers. He refuses the role of Doctor Fate and becomes the demon-hunter Fate. He is killed by Mondru and his items return to The Tower of Fate-the magic HQ of Doctor Fate.

8. Hector Hall-son of Hawkman and Hawkgirl-was reincarnated as the child of Hawk and Dove (Hank Hall and Dawn Granger) and became the new Doctor Fate. Because Hawk and Dove were beings of Chaos and Order, this Doctor Fate focused on protecting the balance between the two forces. Hector began as a hero called The Silver Scarab, became the third Sandman. The son of Hector and Wonder Woman's alternate universe daughter Fury have a child named Daniel Hall who takes the place of Dream after Morpheus dies in Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series. Hector was banished from eternity by The Spectre.

9. After Hall's disappearance, Nabu The Wise interests the Helmet of Fate to Detective Chimp. Chimp eventually grows tired of looking for Nabu's new host and asks Captain Marvel to toss the helmet into space and "let fate decide". The helmet lands back on Earth and is ironically found by Kent Nelson's nephew Kent V. Nelson.

10. In 2015, an Egyptian-American med-student found The Helmet of Fate in his possession and became Doctor Fate. Khalid Nassour later learned his mother was Kent Nelson's niece. As Doctor Fate, Khalid fought evil Gods and teamed up with Kent Nelson as well. Currently-in 2018-Kent is the only Doctor Fate again.

11. The Helmet of Fate is often prioritized over The Amulet and The Cloak, it is also made of Nth Metal. Nth Metal comes from Thanagar, it is a nearly indestructible metal that can harm etherial beings, produce electricity, and be used as a conduit for multiple powers. Green Lantern Rings, Legion of Superhero Rings, Deathstroke and Batman's weapons, and many more DCU objects are made from Nth Metal.

12. On Earth-1, a man named Burt Belker goes through a similar situation as Kent and discovers Helmet of Chaos and becomes Doctor Chaos, who's blue and gold are reversed. In the "Flashpoint" universe, Kent was a fortune teller for Haley's Circus. He predicts the death of trapeze artist Dick Grayson and warns daredevil performer Boston Brand. Boston gives his life to save Dick. Kent is murdered by Amazons, Boston becomes Deadman, and Dick uses Kent's helmet to become Doctor Fate. In the Amalgam Universe, Doctor Fate was fused with Professor X and Doctor Strange becoming Doctor Strangefate. After the destruction of The Amalgam Universe, Strangefate returns as another personally in Doctor Strange's mind for a Justice League/X-Men Crossover.

Thanks for reading.