Dr. Fate
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Real Identity: Varies
Affiliations: Lords of Order, Justice Society of America, and Justice League
Appearances (Episodes): Denial, Revelation, Humanity, Misplaced, Agendas, Usual Suspects, Auld Acquaintance, Happy New Year, Salvage, War, Complications, Intervention, Endgame, Princes All, Private Security, Odnu!, Nomed Esir!, Teg Ydaer!, Og Htrof Dna Reuqnoc!, Kaerb Ym Traeh!, Ebb Tide, Leviathan Wakes, Odyssey of Death!, and Rescue and Search
Appearances (Comics): Ominous Tidings and Yesterday's Children: Memory Six
Powers/Skills: Magic and Unarmed Combat
Voiced By: Varies
Kent Nelson was born in 1905. At age 36, Nelson later became the host to Nabu, one of the Lords of Order. By wearing the Helmet of Fate, Nabu would take control of Nelson's body and become Dr. Fate. Together, they fought the never ending battle between Order and Chaos against villains such as Wotan. He soon encountered his future wife, Inza Cramer. The two fell in love and were married. Dr. Fate created the Tower of Fate to serve as their home and headquarters. He went on to become a charter member of the Justice Society of America and later, an ally of the Justice League. Dr. Fate was present when Red Tornado was inducted to the Society. Eventually, Inza convinced Nelson to re-evaluate his life and he gave up wearing the Helmet of Fate. Instead, Nelson fashioned himself a half-helmet that didn't submerge his personality. Using magic studied and gleaned by osmosis during his years as a host of Nabu, he pretended for a time to maintain the Doctor Fate identity. Among the Justice League's files, Fate's is JL File No. 00942. It includes his real name, age, height, biography, and last known location. The League was even given a spare key to the Tower of Fate.
65 years later, on July 27th, 21:57 Central Daylight Time (CDT), the 106 year old Nelson was sighted in New Orleans. He visited the parlor of Madam Xanadu uner the pretense of wanting to speak with his late wife. When Nelson revealed Xanadu as a fraud, he was disappointed and noted she had the perfect aura. Abra Kadabra teleported into the parlor and kidnapped Nelson. 23 days later, on August 19th, Red Tornado grew concerned for the Helmet of Fate and gave the Team the key to the Tower of Fate to safeguard it. They arrived in Salem, where Kent Nelson was still being tortured by Abra Kadabra for access to the Tower. Nelson held onto the hope that his friends would rescue him. He escaped and took Wally West to the Helmet of Fate. Nelson died from the weeks of torture and one final blast from Klarion. However, his soul was absorbed into the Helmet. Rather than ascend and reunite with his wife, Nelson agreed to stay with Nabu in the Helmet if West were released from his role as human host. Nelson's parting advice to West was to find someone who could keep him straight and grounded.
On October 1st, the Team was not faring well against the Injustice League. Aqualad put on the Helmet of Fate and transformed into Dr. Fate. He began to battle Wotan but the Justice League arrived and forced the Injustice League to surrender. Dr. Fate intervened when the Joker released Joker Venom gas from several spores by siphoning it through a portal. After some time, Nelson convinced Nabu to allow Aqualad to regain control of his body and change back to normal. On November 6th, Zatanna took the form of Dr. Fate to battle Klarion. Fate provided enough firepower to help weaken Klarion's field so the Team could take control of the Ambre Jeune Perdu gem and restore Earth to normal. Nabu, however, refused to give up Zatanna as host. Nabu tired of Kent Nelson and his protests and released him to the afterlife. Zatara struck a promise and became the new and permanent host for Dr. Fate. He took the sorcerers summoned by Klarion and vanished.
On November 11th, Captain Marvel and Dr. Fate destroyed the fourth of five Flying Ice Fortresses. On November 25th, Dr. Fate revealed to the Justice League that Zatara's trust in Nabu was limited and desired the League to keep a watch on him. The League voted on whether to include him as a member or not. On December 30th, Dr. Fate was officially inducted into the Justice League and shortly taken over by Starrotech. On December 1st, Team Year Five, Dr. Fate's location was unknown by the Justice League. In Team Year Six, Dr. Fate was present at the Watchtower on February 13th when the Zeta Shield was activated. After February 19th, Dr. Fate was consulted on translating a recording of Bialyan symbols and heiroglyphics. He revealed the glyphs were part of a mystic ceremony the ancients used to cleanse the Scarab of Reach control. Since the ritual used magic of Earth origin, Dr. Fate was unable to participate but taught it to Zatanna.
On May 26th, Dr. Fate cast a spell that redirected the Warworld's Grand Laser Emitter's blast onto itself. With Rocket providing protection, Dr. Fate continued to focus on spells to help protect Earth from Warworld's onslaught. On May 27th, aboard the Warworld, Dr. Fate generated portals for Nightwing to use to board the satellite and one for Blue Beetle and Green Beetle to leave for El Paso. On June 20th, Dr. Fate participated in the assaults on the Magnetic Field Disrupters. He was assigned to Mu Squad with Blue Devil. He attended Wally West's funeral. On July 27th, 19:57 EDT, Team Year Eight, Dr. Fate attended a Justice League meeting at the Watchtower centered on the ongoing meta-human trafficking crisis. On August 1st, Fate teleported to Grant Park in Star City for the annual meeting of Giovanni and Zatanna Zatara for one hour. Artemis Crock was present and asked him to give Halo a "mystic once over." Fate was intrigued to sense an "old soul" in Halo's young body. Upon Zatanna's arrival, Fate took the Helmet off. After one hour, Zatara put on the Helmet and Fate teleported away. On December 21st, Dr. Fate could not be located by the Justice League during the Cuba incident.
On February 24th, 19:00 EST, Team Year Nine, Fate participated in a League emergency session via video call. Like the other Leaguers, Fate voted to elect Black Lightning as the next League leader. On May 13th, 20:28 EDT, Team Year Ten, Dr. Fate was in the Tower of Fate when he sensed the chaos energy shockwave generated by the arrival of Child, a Lord of Chaos, on Earth. On May 14th, 00:22 EDT, Fate humored Vandal Savage and listened to him tell about when Atlantis was sunk into the ocean. At the end, Fate asked Savage why he was telling him what he already knew. Savage wondered if Fate could counter Child if she went unchecked. At 03:22 EDT, Fate teleported to the sitting room and demanded Zatanna to leave with her proteges. She refused. Fate already deduced her plan was to team up with Klarion and fight Child and stated he had no intention of taking part in it. Zatanna admitted she understood the logic of letting the two Chaos Lords fight and weaken each other but she felt the battle was too destructive to wait for that to come to pass.
Zatanna proposed Fate attacking Child while her proteges made a covert strike from the shadows. Fate was not sold and put them through a mystic test designed to see how they deal with their own inner doubts and insecurities. Each passed their tests but Fate was obstinate about his non-intervention. Within the Helmet, Giovanni Zatara argued with Nabu. Nabu retold the origin of Dr. Fate but Zatara countered the point of the story was Fate always needs help. The discussions were interrupted by a doorbell being rung. Fate opened a portal and observed Klarion outside the Tower seeking help. It was too late and they watched as Child's familiar Flaw easily snapped Teekl's neck. At 05:21 EDT, Child destroyed the Tower. Fate finally decided to fight Child but was slugged by Flaw, resulting in a crack on face plate of the Helmet. Fate finally conceded he might need help. Zatanna told him to call on the Lords of Order for a power boost but Fate refused on the grounds that was not done and opened a portal to chase after Child.
On May 14th, 19:47 AEST, Fate, Zatanna and her proteges arrived in Sydney but saw they were too late. Child was gone and left a Pillar of Fire in her wake. They wanted to stay and help but Fate emphasized Child was the focus. Phantom Stranger suddenly appeared and informed them he summoned other heroes to help respond to the global disasters caused by Child. They went into Fate's portal and arrived in Manhattan at 05:49 EST where gravity was reversed. They went into Fate's portal and arrived outside Poseidonis at 07:50 UTC-2 and observed Queen Mera fighting the Pillar of Fire. They went into Fate's portal and arrived in Taipei at 17:51 NST. They observed Etrigan and Blue Devil fighting demons emerging from the base of the Pillar of Fire. They went into Fate's portal and arrived in Agra at 15:22 IST to a blizzard and another Pillar of Fire. Thirteen wished to stay but Zatanna stated they had to keep chasing Child. They arrived in the North Pole at 09:55 UTC. Zatanna and her proteges gave their power to Dr. Fate but even the massive spell did no damage to Child and Flaw.
Child raised another Pillar of Fire then sealed Fate in a ice fist construct. In the Helmet, Giovanni Zatara told Naby his life story then convinced Nabu to agree to pass the story on to Zatanna if he perished during the battle. At 10:00 UTC, Fate freed himself. Zatanna managed to get Fate to agree to team up with Klarion. They boarded the school bus Klarion had possessed. Fate projected a map for Klarion to follow but he was adamant about acquiring a new familiar to stay anchored to the physical plane. At 22:50 EDT, they arrived at the Old Salem Animal Shelter in Salem. Eventually, a stray cat chose Klarion and was accepted as the new Teekl. They went to the ruins of the Tower. Zatanna cast a glamour over herself and her proteges while Fate made a summoning circle like the one on Roanoke Island. Child and Flaw were brought before them. Fate and Klarion took on Child but she used their attacks to make a new Pillar of Fire. Zatanna and the proteges made their move but Child was unharmed and she knocked them out.
After Child lost the support of the other Lords of Chaos, she cast fire rain then ensnared Dr. Fate and impaled Klarion. However, Thirteen and her familiar Leroy attacked Flaw's flaw with bad luck magic. It worked and Flaw fell to pieces and Child was banished from the physical plane. Fate even admitted the proteges surprised him and each demonstrated great potential. Zatanna agreed but sidelined Mary Bromfield from her plan for Dr. Fate to have rotating hosts. Zatanna tried to tell her she was too much like him and he needed hosts to balance out his less humane impulses. She took offense. Zatanna clarified her attraction to power would be detrimental to Fate. She countered the cost was worth the result. Zatanna repeated he didn't need another him. Fate was clueless. Zatanna explained her plan and proposed Nabu would use alternate host bodies, between Giovanni Zatara, Khalid Nassour, Traci Thurston, and herself for one week then switch to another in order to keep hosts fresh and healthy at all times with the added benefit of the hosts getting to have a life.
Fate inquired about Bromfield. Zatanna wanted to continue to train her. Bromfield couldn't believe Fate would agree to it. Fate concluded the notion had logic and potential and they came to trust Zatanna's judgment. Bromfield refused and asked to be sent home to Fawcett City. Fate obliged and opened a portal for her. Fate stated Nabu has agreed to the proposal but Zatara still needed to be convinced. He took the Helmet off. Zatanna convinced him. Nassour agreed to it but questioned if Thurston should do it because of her altruistic desire to help and wondered if this was the only reason she took on proteges in the first place. Zatanna stressed to Thurston it was her choice. She agreed to do it. Nassour volunteered to be the next host while Thurston talked to her father about it and put on the Helmet. At the Old Salem Animal Shelter, Fate was eager to send the school bus back to its proper place and time but Zatanna wanted to read what the bus had gone through. Once she was done, Fate teleported it and its passengers back to Metropolis, August 03, Team Year Zero. Fate left to rebuild the Tower of Fate.
On July 3rd, 21:47 UTC, Dr. Fate teleported to Warworld to chide Vandal Savage about Project Thrinos failing because the Lords of Order would never have allowed his Arion clone to use the late Arion's crown. Savage called them fools and reiterated his plan would have brought order to three quarters of the planet. Fate declared the "Book of Chaos" that Savage opened on Atlantis was finally closed and a new chapter had begun without him. On August 27th, 20:30 EDT, Fate met with Zatanna on top of the Tower of Fate. He took the Helmet off. Giovanni and Zatanna Zatara hugged then she took over as the next host. Zatanna threatened Nabu by promising he would have no peace if he did not agree to a plan to locate Superboy's spirit. On September 3rd, 00:00 EDT, Fate, Madame Xanadu, Giovanni Zatara, Isis, Ambassador Garth, High King Mera, Thirteen, Khalid Nassour, Jason Blood, Blue Devil, and Phantom Stranger joined hands in the Tower around Fate's bell and cast a spell. However, it failed. On November 9th, Dr. Fate was too preoccupied fighting a giant cephalopod-like monster to help in the search for the kidnapped Queen Perdita Vladek.