Kent Nelson

Dr. Kent Nelson is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in More Fun Comics #55 (May 1940) during the Golden Age of Comic Books and is recognized as the original character to adopt the name Doctor Fate. During an archaeological expedition with his father, Kent accidentally awakens a powerful being named Nabu, resulting in the tragic death of his father. Showing compassion for the young boy, Nabu takes him under his wing and trains him to become an agent of the Lords of Order before gifting him powerful artifacts, most prominently the Helmet of Fate. As the sorcerous hero Doctor Fate, Nelson is a founding member of the All-Star Squadron, Justice Society of America, a prominent member of the Justice League International, and among the foremost magical practitioners in the DC Universe. Throughout his lifetime, Nelson faces personal challenges such as discovering Nabu's attempt to take control of his body and dealing with strained relationships, most significant being his marriage with his partner and later wife, Inza Cramer. In numerous stories, Nelson assisted in guiding several of his successors to the Doctor Fate legacy, including Eric Stauss, his wife Inza, and his grandnephew, Khalid Nassour. Following the New 52 initiative, the character also served as an advisor to Wonder Woman's incarnation of the Justice League Dark for a time before being killed off in the Justice League Dark: A Costly Trick of Magic storyline. Kent Nelson made his live-action debut in the television series Smallville, portrayed by Brent Stait. He also appears in the DC Extended Universe film Black Adam (2022), portrayed by Pierce Brosnan. The character has also been featured prominently in the DC Animated Universe, voiced by George DelHoyo in the Superman: The Animated Series and Oded Fehr in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Creation In a 1987 interview, Gardner Fox recalled the genesis behind Fate, stating: "Doctor Fate (I originally called him Doctor Droon, but the name was editorially changed) was one of my favorites. I created him and even sketched out the original costume he would wear - but that costume was changed by artists over the years, for one reason or another. To my knowledge, I wrote all the Dr. Fate yarns that appeared, up until 1968, when I left comic book writing to a great degree.