Doctor Fate (comic book)

Doctor Fate
Logo used in the 2015 Doctor Fate series.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Limited series Ongoing series
Genre	Superhero Supernatural
No. of issues	Main series: 3 (Immortal Dr. Fate limited series) 4 (1988 limited series) 42 (1988 ongoing series) 5 (2004 limited series) 18 (2015 ongoing series) Spin-offs: 22 (Fate ongoing series) 12 (Book of Fate ongoing series)
Main character(s)	Doctor Fate Nabu the Wise

Doctor Fate (also known as Dr. Fate, Immortal Doctor Fate, and Fate) is a series of American comic books published by DC Comics, featuring the superhero of the same name. Since its debut in 1985, various series introduced different incarnations of the character and has undergone multiple relaunches throughout its publication history, aiming to reinvent the character for contemporary audiences.

Starting in 1985, DC Comics compiled various Doctor Fate stories into a three-issue limited series titled "The Immortal Doctor Fate" The collection included the Doctor Fate back-up stories from The Flash, which featured a retelling of Doctor Fate's origin by Paul Levitz, Joe Staton, and Michael Nasser. The series also included the Pasko/Simonson Doctor Fate story from 1st Issue Special #9, as well as a Doctor Fate tale from More Fun Comics #56, originally published in June 1940. This limited series served as a compilation of these diverse Doctor Fate stories, providing readers with a comprehensive exploration of the character's history and adventures.

In 1988, the first limited series of Doctor Fate was released. The series was written by J. M. DeMatteis and illustrated by Keith Giffen and Dave Hunt, introducing the characters Eric and Linda Strauss. In the story, they were chosen to take up the mantle of Doctor Fate following the apparent demise of Kent Nelson, the previous Doctor Fate, despite Eric's initial hesitation and Nabu's insistence on Linda's suitability.^[1] The series marked the first attempt to revitalize the character by introducing the concept of legacies, exploring the idea of passing on the mantle of Doctor Fate to a new generation, which involved the demise of the Kent Nelson character.^[2]

After the release of the limited series in 1989, an ongoing series was launched, continuing the narrative from the previous limited series. Initially, the series focused on the incarnations of Eric and Linda Strauss, the successors of Doctor Fate, until their characters were killed off in the storyline leading up to the 23rd issue. Following their departure, the series shifted its focus to Inza Cramer and Kent Nelson, who returned from the dead within the story. Inza primarily assumed the role of Doctor Fate for the remainder of the series until its cancellation. The latter half of the series explored Inza's unique approach to being a superhero, as both characters faced the challenges of rebuilding their social lives in rejuvenated bodies.^[3]

Between 1994 and 1996, DC Comics released the Fate series as part of the Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! event. The character of Doctor Fate, portrayed by Jared Stevens in this iteration, underwent a significant redesign. He abandoned the "Doctor" title and acquired new weapons crafted from previous artifacts associated with Doctor Fate. Instead of being a traditional sorcerer, the character was reimagined as a demon hunter. Both Kent Nelson and Inza Cramer were killed off in the series.^[3] Unfortunately, this reinterpretation of Doctor Fate received negative feedback from readers and critics.^[4] As a result, the series was canceled after 23 issues in September 1996. Subsequently, the character appeared in the twelve-issue series called The Book of Fate, written by Keith Giffen. Published from February 1997 to January 1998 under DC's "Weirdoverse" imprint, The Book of Fate provided a rebooted origin and new adventures for the character. Following the cancellation of The Book of Fate in 1998, Doctor Fate underwent yet another reimagination with the revival of the Justice Society in JSA. In the title, Jared Stevens was killed off.

In 2003, a new Doctor Fate limited series was launched, featuring the Hector Hall version of the character, who had previously made his debut in the JSA series. The storyline followed Hector as he embraced his role as the new Doctor Fate under the guidance of Nabu. Set in Salem, Hector faced off against a formidable adversary named "The Curse," an ancient and powerful sorcerer who posed a threat to the Doctor Fate legacy. The Curse resurfaced in the modern world through a host named Justin Guilder, who also competed for the affections of Caitlin, Hector's love interest. Throughout the limited series, Hector also receives support from a Wicca coven in his battle against The Curse.

Following the conclusion of the Convergence limited series in June 2015 and the launch of DC's "DC You" line, a new Doctor Fate ongoing series was introduced. Written by Paul Levitz and illustrated by Sonny Liew, the series centered around the latest incarnation of Doctor Fate, Khalid Nassour, an Egyptian-American medical student. Levitz explained that DC wanted to provide a fresh perspective on the character compared to the original iteration created by Gardner Fox during the Golden Age, as per the vision of Dan Didio and Jim Lee.^[5] The series ran for 18 issues from June 2015 to November 2016.

In 2022, Tom King and Mitch Gerads initially proposed a new Doctor Fate series. However, DC Comics decided against the idea and instead encouraged them to concentrate on projects related to Batman.^[6]

The Immortal Doctor Fate series, which included the original re-printing of the comics (not to be confused with the collected edition), is highly regarded as one of the character's most popular runs, as noted by Wizard Magazine.^[10] Charli Snow of CBR ranked the limited series 10th in the "10 Best DC Comics Starring Doctor Fate".^[11] The 2015 Doctor Fate series starring Khalid Nassour also received positive reception, in particular to the character legitimatizing Doctor Fate's connection to Egyptian mythology due to his heritage, being the first Muslim character to star in a solo series in DC Comics, and being regarded as the longest running title under the DC You imprint.^[12] CBR also praised the series for its storytelling, visuals, accessibility, characterization of both Khalid and Nabu, and ranked second in the "10 Best DC Comics Starring Doctor Fate".^[11]

Throughout its publication years, the Doctor Fate comic book series has faced various criticisms, which have contributed to its tendency to experience early cancellations and poor sales. According to a Wizard Magazine article, the late writer Steve Gerber expressed his retrospective belief that previous Doctor Fate series suffered from a lack of clear definition regarding the character's abilities and the source of his power. Gerber also noted that the character had been taken in numerous directions and undergone multiple incarnations, resulting in confusion for readers. Additionally, writer William Messner-Loebs mentioned that despite his enjoyment of writing for the series, it experienced limited sales.^[10] The Fate series is generally regarded as the least popular run of the Doctor Fate character. This particular iteration of Doctor Fate, featuring the Jared Stevens incarnation and a significant redesign that leaned towards a demon hunter archetype, received negative reviews. The departure from traditional elements associated with the character necessitated a reboot of the character's background, origin, and abilities the Book of Fate series.^[4]