DC Explained: Nabu & the Shiniest Helmet of All – Who is Doctor Fate?
The mystical super-powered defender of order has finally floated onto the big screen. Here’s everything you need to know about Doctor Fate.
Kent Nelson/Nabu come together to bring us Doctor Fate, one of DC’s heavy-hitter superheroes who you may not know yet. Thanks to Black Adam, Kent and his magical shiny helmet are soon-to-be household names. But who is Doctor Fate? How did Nabu come to be bonded with Kent Nelson?
Created by: Gardener Fox & Howard Sherman
First appearance: More Fun Comics #55
Nabu
All the way from the planet Cilia, Nabu is an immortal being of immense power. His consciousness is attached to the helmet, through which he can occupy the body of a host. He also speaks to the wearer of the helmet through a voice inside of it. It’s a little creepy, and Nabu is willing to manipulate people or situations in order to secure a host. It’s all for the greater good, though… Nabu is a Lord of Order, committed to fighting the Lords of Chaos and creating stability in the universe.
Kent Nelson
While on an archeological dig with his father in the Valley of Ur in Mesopotamia, Kent Nelson discovered an underground pyramid containing the spirit of Nabu, who lay in suspended animation. In order to convince Kent Nelson to allow Nabu to use his host body, Nabu engineered a situation that resulted in the death of Nelson’s father. But I guess it’s cool because taking on the power of Dr. Fate cured him of his grief? That seems… not okay, but moving on!
Kent is often seen in the comics accompanied by his longtime love and confidante Inza Cramer. Over the years, Kent sought ways to help people without unleashing the workaholic spirit of Nabu, and got his doctorate in order to practice medicine.
The Justice Society & More
During his early career as a fighter of evil-doers, Doctor Fate came across another spooky magical DC hero, the Spectre. After they and a few other heroes save President Roosevelt from an assassination attempt, the President encourages them to form a team known as the Justice Society of America. As one of DC’s most long-standing super heroes, Fate has lent a hand to just about every super hero in the DC universe.
Powers & Abilities
When you’re hanging out with the powerful forces of Doctor Fate, apparently you just never get old. Neither Kent nor Inza seemed to age thanks to the helmet’s powers.
As the DC universe grew, Fate’s mythos changed to include a powerful bond needed between two people to give the helmet its true power. In order for the current host’s body to be allowed to die, Nabu must first find another host body to take on the helm of Fate.
While donning the helmet of Doctor Fate, the hero wields powers of telekinesis, flight, invulnerability, and superhuman strength. He’s also an adept magic user, and case use spells to accomplish many acts like photokinesis, phasing, teleportation, and more. Of course, without the Helmet of Fate, Kent Nelson is suddenly just a regular human guy.
But that doesn’t mean he’s useless. Nabu trailed Kent, giving him an extensive knowledge of the occult and medical science, a combination that has proven handy more than once. Kent Nelson himself is also a skilled teacher, multi-linguist, and martial artist.
Dr. Fate in the DCEU
Doctor Fate has made many appearances in various DC animated series, including the 1990s Justice League Unlimited and the delightfully vintage Batman: The Brave & the Bold. Now, thanks to DC Studios’ newest feature film Black Adam, Kent Nelson and the rest of the Justice Society are officially a part of the live-action DC universe.
Reviews are still coming in from viewers and critics alike, but one thing everyone seems to agree on is that Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate provides a really effective on-screen version of our reluctant magical hero.
You can see Doctor Fate fighting alongside his fellow Justice Society team-mates in ‘Black Adam’, now in theaters.
