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Doctor Fate

DC Comics superhero From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Doctor Fate
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This article is about the original version of the character. For the current version in mainstream comics, see Doctor Fate (Khalid Nassour).
"Kent Nelson" redirects here. For the American short story writer and poet, see Kent Nelson (author).

Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman, the character first appeared More Fun Comics #55 (May, 1940) during the Golden Age of Comic Books. Since his creation, several other characters have served as successor incarnations of the character within the mainstream DC Universe as legacy heroes, with each new version attempting to reinvigorate the character for contemporary audiences.[3][4] As the original, he is sometimes also referred to as the Golden Age Doctor Fate.

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The original character's secret identity is archaeologist Kent Nelson who encountered a cosmic being named Nabu, a member of the Lords of Order, while accompanying his father in an archaeological expedition during his youth. Unwittingly leading to his father's death upon releasing Nabu, the cosmic being pities him and raises him as a sorcerer although various retellings differ in Nabu's intentions and how Nelson is trained. Gifted the Helmet of Fate and several other artifacts, he becomes the hero and agent of the Lords of Order, Doctor Fate.[5] A major character featured in titles based upon several teams such as the Justice Society of America, Justice League International, and Justice League, and one of the foremost sorcerers in the DC Universe, Nelson's most reoccurring conflict is his gradual loss of personal agency to Nabu and its effects on his relationships with others, including his love interest Inza Nelson.[1]

Subjected to various comic book deaths, Nelson has been succeeded by several successors and often makes posthumous appearances with events in the past. The current successor, Egyptian-American grandnephew and apprentice Khalid Nassour,[6] is depicted as the mainstream incarnation of Doctor Fate following Justice League Dark's "Witching War" and "A Costly Trick of Magic" storyline, the showcasing Nassour officially succeeding Nelson and then the death of his predecessor.[6][7]

While not reaching the same levels of cultural recognition as Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman, Doctor Fate remains one of DC Comic's most enduring and long-standing characters, known for its distinctive name and design.[4] Nelson's Immortal Doctor Fate remain as one of the character's most popular runs.[4] However, creators and critics alike have been critical of the character's associations to Egypt, orientalism, and Nabu's characterization in regards to Nelsons' agency.[8][9][10]

Doctor Fate has made many appearances in adaptations. Nelson first 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 appeared 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. Several alternate versions of the character have been adapted in media, including original creations and those based on other published DC Comics characters.[11][12]

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Creation

In a 1987 interview, 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. I always liked the supernatural; I read Lovecraft, Derleth, Sax Rohmer, Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Whitehead, all the others, Fate was a derivation from my imagination influenced by those writings"[13]

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Publication history

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Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age of Comics (1940–1985)

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Cover to More Fun Comics #61 (November 1940), showing Kent Nelson as Doctor Fate. Cover art by Howard Sherman.

The original version of the character, Kent Nelson, first appeared in a self-titled six-page strip in More Fun Comics No. 55 (May 1940), during the Golden Age of Comic Books, created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, who produced the first three years of monthly Doctor Fate stories.[14] Soon after, the character's origin was shown in More Fun Comics No. 67 (May 1941).[15] Stories during the Golden Age included his love interest, Inza, who was known variably throughout the Golden Age as Inza Cramer,[16] Inza Sanders,[17][18] and Inza Carmer.[19][20][21][22] When the Justice Society of America (JSA) was created for All Star Comics No. 3 (Winter 1940), Doctor Fate was one of the characters National Comics used for the joint venture with All-American Publications. He made his last appearance in that book in issue No. 21 (Summer 1944), virtually simultaneously with the end of his own strip in More Fun Comics No. 98 (July–August 1944).

The character later appeared in book such as the annual JSA/Justice League of America (JLA) team-ups in Justice League of America that began in 1963; in World's Finest Comics No. 201 (March 1971 and No. 208, December 1971); an appearance with Batman in The Brave and the Bold No. 156 (November 1979); and a solo story in 1st Issue Special No. 9 (December 1975), written by Martin Pasko and drawn by Walt Simonson. Doctor Fate and the rest of the JSA returned to All-Star Comics in 1976 in issue No. 58, beginning a two-year run that ended with issue No. 74 and Adventure Comics #461–462 in 1978. Adventure Comics No. 466 related the untold tale of the Justice Society's 1951 disbanding. During this period, Inza Cramer's name as such was amended.[23]

During the Bronze Age, the character's origin was retold in DC Special Series No. 10, and Doctor Fate again teamed up with Superman in DC Comics Presents No. 23 (July 1980). He later featured in a series of back-up stories running in The Flash from No. 306 (February 1982) to No. 313 (September 1982) written by Martin Pasko (aided by Steve Gerber from No. 310 to No. 313) and drawn by Keith Giffen.[24] In 1981, DC's All-Star Squadron elaborated upon the adventures of many World War II-era heroes, including Doctor Fate and the JSA. Doctor Fate made occasional modern-day appearances in Infinity, Inc. throughout 1984, the same year which witnessed the 22nd and final annual JSA/JLA team-up.[25] In 1985, DC collected the Doctor Fate back-up stories from The Flash, a retelling of Doctor Fate's origin by Paul Levitz, Joe Staton, and Michael Nasser originally published in Secret Origins of Super-Heroes (January 1978) (DC Special Series No. 10 in the indicia), the Pasko/Simonson Doctor Fate story from 1st Issue Special No. 9, and a Doctor Fate tale from More Fun Comics No. 56 (June 1940), in a three-issue limited series titled The Immortal Doctor Fate.Doctor Fate later appeared in several issues of Crisis on Infinite Earths, joining various heroes from the DC Multiverse in battle against the Anti-Monitor and, later, Amethyst.[26][27] Despite the significant alterations to various histories resulting from the crisis, much of Kent Nelson's personal history remained largely unaffected, although some of the character's earlier stories during the Golden Age were retconned out.

Modern Age (1985–2011)

In 1987, the Doctor Fate limited series was released, featuring the debut of Eric and Linda Strauss. The characters would replace Kent Nelson, who is killed off in this series, as Doctor Fate.[28] A subsequent ongoing series focusing on Eric and Linda followed in the winter of 1988, wirh the first 24 issues written by J.M. DeMatteis and drawn by Shawn McManus. The series' premise featured the pair under the guidance of Nabu, who had inhabited Kent Nelson's body and taken his identity. The series also established a supporting cast for the characters and the concept of Kali Yuga among the Lords of Chaos and Order, a period where chaos reigns and order is defeated. It further established that the incarnations of Fate are the result of reincarnation cycles. During DeMatteis's run, the series experienced limited sales.[4] Doctor Fate would also appear in several other crossovers and miniseries at the time, including Millennium and Cosmic Odyssey. Both characters are killed off halfway into the series, replaced by resurrected Inza and Kent Nelson from issue No. 25 onward in 1991. The series ended with issue No. 41,[29] and following Zero Hour, both Kent and Inza were killed off.

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Fate No. 1 (November 1994) featuring Jared Stevens. Cover art by Anthony Williams and Andy Lanning.

A new incarnation, Jared Stevens, was introduced in a series called Fate, launched in the wake of Zero Hour in 1994.[30] The Doctor Fate character went through a radical redesign, dropping the "Doctor" title and gaining new weapons made from the previous related artifacts of Doctor Fate. Unlike prior depictions of the Doctor Fate character as a sorcerer, the character was instead a demon hunter.[5] Considered an unpopular re-imagining of the character,[3] the series was canceled after 23 issues in September 1996. The character then starred in The Book of Fate, written by Keith Giffen, which ran from February 1997 to January 1998 for 12 issues as part of DC's "Weirdoverse" imprint, and which rebooted the character's origins and adventures.

However, the revival of the JSA title in 1991 allowed an opportunity for the Doctor Fate character to be reworked, with Jared Stevens subsequently killed off.[31][32]

The next incarnation of Doctor Fate would come in the form of Hector Hall, the son of the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl, who is reincarnated due to the machinations of Mordru. A fan-favorite incarnation,[33] the character was featured in the JSA title and a five-issue Doctor Fate limited series in 2003.[34] Hector Hall was killed in the Day of Vengeance limited series in 2005 as part of the lead-in to the 2005 company-wide event crossover, Infinite Crisis.[35]

In early 2007, DC published a bi-weekly run of one-shots depicting the search for a new Doctor Fate. These were intended to be followed by a new Doctor Fate ongoing series in April 2007, written by Steve Gerber and illustrated by Paul Gulacy, featuring the new Doctor Fate.[4][36] However, the series was delayed due to extended production and creative difficulties. Gerber said in an interview for Newsarama that the story intended for the first arc of the Doctor Fate ongoing series had been reworked to serve as the main story for Countdown to Mystery, a dual-feature eight-issue miniseries with Eclipso as the second feature.[37] The first issue of Countdown to Mystery, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong rather than Gulacy, was released in November 2007. Due to Gerber's death, the seventh issue was written by Adam Beechen using Gerber's notes. The final issue was written by Beechen, Gail Simone, Mark Waid, and Mark Evanier, who each wrote a different ending to the story.[38] The character then appeared in the Reign in Hell miniseries[39] and in Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #30 (August 2009), featuring in the book until its cancellation with #54 in August 2011. During the series, writer Marc Guggenheim described Doctor Fate's role as a powerhouse but intended to flesh out the character.[40]

The New 52 and beyond (2011–present)

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Textless cover of Doctor Fate #13 depicting both Kent Nelson and the newly created incarnation, Khalid Nassour, as Doctor Fate.

Following the events of the Flashpoint mini-series in 2011, DC's continuity was rebooted. As part of The New 52 initiative, an alternate version of Doctor Fate named Khalid Ben-Hassin was created by writer James Robinson[41] and artist Brett Booth. The character was featured in the Earth 2 ongoing series from No. 9 (February 2013) onwards.[42]

After the conclusion of the Convergence limited series in June 2015, DC launched a new Doctor Fate ongoing series, written by Paul Levitz and drawn by Sonny Liew as part of the DC You initiative, which saw an emphasis on "story over continuity", loosening the restrictions of continuity to allow for a diverse range of genres while some characters underwent status quo changes. The title focused on the newest and most recent incarnation of Doctor Fate, an Egyptian-American medical student named Khalid Nassour.[43] Created with an emphasis on diversity and inspired by Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange,[44] the series also rebooted the Kent Nelson character, depicting him as a previous Doctor Fate, a mentor figure with some of his old history intact. The series ran for 18 issues, from June 2015 to November 2016.[45]

In 2018, DC launched a second Justice League Dark series written by James Tynion IV starring a new roster led by Wonder Woman. In this roster, Khalid and Kent Nelson were revealed to be eventual new members of the Justice League, originally acting as "advisors" in the team and becoming recurring characters. Khalid would eventually permanently become the new Doctor Fate instead of Kent Nelson in the "Lords of Order" storyline. Khalid would also receive a new redesign as Doctor Fate.[46] Kent Nelson would be later killed off in the "A Costly Trick of Magic" storyline, leaving Khalid Nassour as the sole Doctor Fate. While the original 2018 series was cancelled in 2020, the Justice League Dark series was re-purposed as a backup strip to the mainstream Justice League title. The storyline, written by Ram V, featured Khalid remaining a recurring member of the Justice League Dark subdivision.[47] Khalid would also appear in several crossovers with other comics such as Superman, Teen Titans Academy, and The Flash.

Beginning in 2021, Khalid Nassour would appear in major storylines such as the Justice League Dark: The Great Wickedness storyline, depicting a status quo change wherein the Helmet of Fate is damaged and is inhabited by a new entity.[48] Connected to the Future State crossover event depicting an older Khalid Nassour who has lived through the aftermath of the events of the "Great Wickedness" storyline, the entity is revealed to be the Egyptian goddess, Hauhhet.[48] Khalid would also play a role in the Justice League/Justice League Dark crossover. In late 2022, the Khalid concurrently appeared in the 2022 Justice Society of America comic and in several other notable crossovers such as Lazarus Planet and Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths. In Justice Society of America, the character's status quo from the previous Justice League Dark title carries over, with Khalid as a member of the JSA and playing a crucial role in defeating Per Degaton. The series would showcase different iterations of Doctor Fate as Degaton hunts the JSA across time[49] and later rectified the history of the character.[50]

In 2023, the Kent Nelson version is referenced in the Knight Terrors storyline[51] and the Khalid Nassour version appears in the Wonder Woman tie-tin.[52][53] In late 2023 and 2024, Kent would make appearances in various titles such as Green Lantern: Alan Scott and Jay Garrick: The Flash, the comic books taking place decades prior to the character's death in Justice League Dark. Khalid would also feature in the Absolute Power crossover, where he is one of the heroes who lose their powers due to the machinations of Amanda Waller.

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Characterization

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Kent Nelson

Description and themes

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Young and old versions of Kent Nelson.

Kent Nelson is depicted as an American of Swedish and British descent and is an archaeologist with a doctorate.[54] While early stories also had made him a physician,[15] he is made exclusively an archeologist later.[55] As the sorcerous superhero Doctor Fate, Nelson is commonly depicted as a mystical superhero empowered by magical patrons.[15] His patrons, the Lords of Order, designates him as their "agent" and is empowered to battles the forces of evil, with Nabu being the most frequent spiritual guide and power behind the character.[15] His most reoccurring conflict involves his Nabu gradually robbing him of personal agency while acting as Doctor Fate, and negatively impacts his personal life and marriage.[56] As a supporting character in Doctor Fate series focusing on other incarnations, he is cast in a mentoring role.[57][58]

Nelson is considered among the most powerful superheroes in the DC Universe and among the "greatest living sorcerers" due to possessing the Doctor Fate artifacts,[15][59] often cited as the most powerful incarnations.[60] Numerous other versions are often being to the original.[61][62][63]

Design and costume

In his physical design, the character is has been depicted as a blonde or white-haired man (dependent on age).[58][7] Drawn with a muscular build, the character is portrayed as being 6'2" with blue eyes.[15][64] As Doctor Fate, his default attire includes a tight-fitting suit blue bodysuit with boots, cape, gloves, and underpants over it all colored yellow. Frequently, he also possess a circular amulet below the neck and a yellow cloak.[1] His attire has changed over time; his modern appearance depict a similar appearance with his body suit, gloves, cape, and boots of similar color scheme (blue/yellow) although the underpants is absent, replaced with a golden Egyptian sun-disk belt buckle.[65]

Nelson's Helmet of Fate design has differed throughout publication; modelled after a corinthian helmet, the helm is traditionally designed as a smooth, full-face golden helm with a prominent vertical fin running along the top, narrow eye slits.[14] In modern settings, the helm appears similar although at times with glowing eye slits and appears more angular with sharper edges.[65] With the half-helmet, his appearance retains his traditional appearance but the bottom of his face is visible, making him visually similar to a traditional superhero.[66]

Magic visual system and design

In visualizing Doctor Fate's magic within mainstream comic books, artist Walt Simonson explained in an interview he sought to establish a structured visual language similar to Steve Ditko’s approach on Doctor Strange. Inspired by Ditko's use of vectors and circles to give magic a coherent system, Doctor Fate's design instead employed the Egyptian ankh as a recurring symbol. This was combined with typographic experimentation—using letters and geometric forms such as circles and spirals as design elements—to create a distinctive visual system. Since its creation, the ankh has since remained a consistent motif for the character and the later incarnations.[67][68]

Within the DC Extended Universe, Doctor Fate's magical effects were alternatively depicted through refractive and crystalline visuals developed by Wētā FX and other studios; According to VFX supervisor Bill Westenhofer, the team emphasized a “refractive crystalline structure” to make the magic interact with scene lighting, while incorporating the Egyptian ankh motif. Fate's abilities also included the creation of crystalline forcefields, glass-like clones that shatter on impact, and geometric constructs to giving the character's magic a distinct and structured visual identity.[69][70]

Others

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All mainstream incarnations of Doctor Fate: Eric and Linda Strauss, Inza Cramer, Jared Stevens, Hector Hall, Kent V. Nelson, and Khalid Nassour. (left to right)
See also: Doctor Fate (Khalid Nassour)

Following Nelson's original comic book death in 1987, the character has been succeeded several times, resurrected, and killed. As such, several Doctor Fate incarnations have existed within DC Comics' mainstream continuity with different characterization, is defined as a legacy hero,[5][71] and all possess personal agency in which Nelson himself lacks.[72][73][74] These versions' continuity has constantly been in flux, with several crossover events, comic books titles, and initiatives having revised their histories which has included omission of their histories in main continuity, retroactive changes regarding their histories, and having their complete histories restored.[5][75] Thus far, only Khalid Nassour's mainstream history often remains intact and consistent,[5] being the current modern incarnation published in DC Comics.[7]

Within mainstream comic books, the design of the attire and Helmet of Fate worn by other incarnations is influenced due to the essence of the bearer, allowing for different designs.[58] However, the design of Eric and Linda Strauss incarnations possess the same traditional design as Nelson's when the pair are either merged and taking a male appearance or Eric is transformed on his lonesome although the Helmet of Fate is sometimes drawn with a more prominent jawline and often emotes to convey their mood.[76] The Khalid Nassour version has also been drawn to utilize Nelson's modern design (costume, helm, and physique) at times.[77]

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Fictional character biography

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20th Century

Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths

In his debut appearance in issue #55-56 for More Fun Comics (May–June 1940), Doctor Fate makes his first ecounter with archnemesis Wotan and love interest Inza Cramer, wherein he tries to kill her to defeat the hero. Wotan is beaten but learns he did not pass into the afterlife, enabling him to face his foe once more. Fate manages to defeat him again; using a spell to trap Wotan in suspended animation, Fate then buries him deep within the Earth.[1] The character's origin was first revealed in All-Star Comics #3 (1940), written by Gardner Fox, wherein Doctor Fate states that he is not human nor had a childhood, having been created by elder gods and sent to Earth to battle evil in their name.[100] One year later, the character was given a new origin with a human alter-ego, revealing him as Kent Nelson, the son of archaeologist Sven Nelson whom encountered Nabu as a child during an excavation and accidentally kills his father by releasing poisonous gases. Nabu explains he is an immortal alien being from the planet Cilia and pities the boy, teaching him the "secrets of the universe" and raising him into adulthood to become Doctor Fate.[101]

The1963 "Crisis on Earth-One" and "Crisis on Earth-Two" storylines respectively revealed Nelson and the Justice Society of America's home reality to be of Earth-2 and meets with the Justice League of Earth-1, a superhero team of a parallel world. After years of retirement, Doctor Fate becomes semi-active and helps the teams.[102][5]

In 1975, the storyline from 1st Issue Special #9 reveals more of Nelson's earlier years, pitting him against the mummy sorcerer Khalis while dealing with a frustrated Inza, whom he has married fifteen years after becoming Doctor Fate. The story also retroactively changes aspects of his origin, revealing Nabu altered young Kent's mind to erase his grief and pain, establishing him as twelve years old during the incident and would slowly possess him as Doctor Fate when he was an adult.[1][103] Three years later in 1978, Paul Levitz's revisions alternatively depicting Nabu as a cosmic being of the Lords of Order and sought to use young Kent, whom he aged to adulthood and imparted into him his mystical knowledge in the process.[104]

From 1981 to 1982, Nelson appears in backup issues in The Flash #306-313. In both stories, Nelson continues to battle the Lords of Chaos while a marital rift between the pair grows due to Inza's envy over Nabu's presence and Nelson's duties as Doctor Fate taking precedent over her and their marriage. In one instance, Totec weaponizes her envy against Nelson. In another, while Nelson battles a renegade Lord of Order and Lord of Chaos who join forces, Inza nearly commits to infidelity with a museum curator until Nabu intervenes. Sensing the rift to be potentially damaging to Nelson's mind, he allows the pair to both mend their marriage and later merges her with Kent temporarily, formulating a powerful new Doctor Fate transformation that both defeats the renegade Lords and grants Inza a higher understanding of the role of Doctor Fate.[1]

Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths

In 1985, the character later appears in the Marv Wolfman and George Pérez's Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover series, merging both Earth-1 and Earth-2 realities within the multiverse altering event, with all past definitive histories histories having been said to happen on this composite universe ("Earth").[5] The stories from his first appearances (More Fun Comics #55), his origin story (More Fun Comics #67), 1st Issue Special #9, DC Special Series #10, and all his backup stories in The Flash #306-313 are considered definitive adventures and stories for the character in which were reprinted whereas older Golden Age and Silver Age stories were no longer considered canonical to his new universe.[105][5][1] The character's original origin is partially revealed in All-Star Comics #3 (1940), written by Gardner Fox. In that appearance, Doctor Fate states that he is not human and had no childhood, but was created by elder gods and placed upon Earth to battle the forces of evil.[100]

In later stories, Kent Nelson is introduced as Doctor Fate's alter ego. The son of archaeologist Sven Nelson, Kent, as a child, encounters a comatose Nabu during an excavation and accidentally kills Sven by releasing poisonous gasses. Pitying the boy, Nabu explains that he is an immortal alien being from the planet Cilia, and takes Kent in to teach him the "secrets of the universe," raising him to adulthood to become Doctor Fate.[101] Later stories change aspects of Kent's background; one story establishes Kent as twelve years old during the incident, and shows Nabu altering Kent's mind and then slowly possessing him as Doctor Fate when Kent becomes an adult.[1][103] Another story portrays Nabu as callous and cold, seeing Kent as a mere vessel and aging him to adulthood with mystical mastery.[104]

As Doctor Fate, Nelson battles foes such as Wotan, Ian Karkul, and Khalis, accompanied by Inza Cramer, his girlfriend and later wife. Kent and Inza's relationship is often tested due to Nabu's interference and impact on her social life.[1] Originally, Doctor Fate's home reality is Earth-Two, and he is a founding member of the Justice Society of America (JSA) and the All-Star Squadron. The JSA often interacted with Earth-One's Justice League of America, until the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover consolidated the two universes, while leaving most of his history intact.[102][5]

Lines of succession, deaths, and legacy
Eric and Linda Strauss's tenure

In the late 1980s, an older Kent Nelson becomes a founding member of Justice League International but is killed off in 1987 in J. M. DeMatteis's Doctor Fate miniseries, which introduces his successors Eric and Linda Strauss.[76][5][105] In the Cosmic Odyssey miniseries, they assist Darkseid, Highfather, and other heroes and villains in battling a sentient being made up of Anti-Life energies.[106] In 1991, the pair are eventually killed off in circumstances again involving Darkseid (retroactively revealed to be a disguised DeSaad) and Anti-Fate, respectively, but reincarnate into new lives and lasted a year in the role.[107] However, upon their death, Kent and Inza Nelson are revived in younger bodies.[107]

Inza Cramer's tenure and temporarily revival
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Inza Cramer as Doctor Fate. Art by Scot Eaton and Peter Gross.

Succeeding Eric and Linda, Inza is inadvertently empowered by the Lords of Chaos and aids a district in New York while battling supernatural entities.[58] She also appeared in the War of the Gods storyline to aid Wonder Woman and other heroes to thwart Circe's efforts to destroy Earth.[108] During the "Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!" storyline in 1994, the Kent and Inza merge to become Doctor Fate,[109] but are defeated by Extant, and are rapidly aged with the loss of their artifacts, leaving the pair powerless.[110] The married couple are killed shortly after, having hired smuggler Jared Stevens to retrieve them but are killed by demons. With the pair dead, circumstances also leads Stevens to claim the mantle, albeit in his own unique manner as "Fate".[111]

When Steven's origin was rebooted in 1997 by Keith Giffen, circumstances are different with Kent and Inza, the latter whose mental health were compromised in her brief time as Doctor Fate. Kent manages to trick Stevens into the role, allowing the both of them to ascend into the afterlife while Stevens is burdened with the mantle of "Fate".[112]

Jared Steven's tenure
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Jared Stevens as Fate. Art by Anthony Williams, Andy Lanning, and James Sinclair.

In his original Fate series, his background is revealed as a son of an accountant and a criminal mother who lived in Boston, the latter whom was overbearing until he moved to Europe with his mother at sixteen but later distanced from her criminal activities, opting for law school as a adult.[113] Desiring a exciting life, he joined the Institute for Phenomenological Study as an adventurer and is caught in a conflict in a race for a magical artifact, leading to his first supernatural experience he considered a mass hallucination.[114][113] He later became a smuggle for arcane artifacts and seeks those affiliated with Doctor Fate. When the Nelsons are killed by demons sent by Kingdom, Jared's status as the next chosen agent for the Lords of Order is revealed but he resists Nabu due to the Amulet of Anubis's power, leading to a explosion and injury that leaves him an ankh tattoo and scarring on his arm, placated by using the Cloak of Destiny as bandages. This leads him to become Fate, a demon hunter and agent of balance for the Lords of Order and Chaos. During his time as Fate, he works with Scare Tactics, Etrigan the Demon, and other forces to combat threats from the realm of Gemworld.[citation needed]

During his brief time as Fate, he is assisted by Arnold Burnsteel in the Fate series and in the rebooted Book of Fate series, he is instead assisted by Arnold's sibling, Vera Burnsteel, both whom are accomplished hackers who seek to help him understand his role through occult research. Jared is later murdered by Mordru, who attempts to kill all the agents of the Lords of Chaos and Order and claim Fate's artifacts for himself. Jared's equipment reverts to its original forms and returns to the Tower of Fate upon his death. His tenure is defined later to have lasted at least over a year before he was succeeded by Hector Hall.[115][116]

Hector Hall's tenure
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Hector Hall's Doctor Fate.. Art by John Cassaday, Mark Lewis, and David Baron

In late 1999 and 2000 in a story in JSA Secret Files (which leads into the "Justice Be Done" storyline by James Robinson and David S. Goyer in the JSA ongoing comic), Jared Stevens is killed and replaced by Hector Hall, the son of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, who is reincarnated as a new Doctor Fate and aged up from infancy by the villain Mordru. Hector battles and prevails over Mordru, aided by the (seemingly) spirits of Kent and Inza Nelson within the Amulet of Anubis.[117] Hector, as Doctor Fate, also appears in the Day of Judgement comic title and crossover, shown as a member of the Sentinels of Magic. As a member of the Justice Society, he is considered less aloof and potentially a greater Doctor Fate but struggles with continuing the Fate legacy and both he and his teammates question if he can balance his responsibilities while having a ordinary life.[63][89]

Since his re-emergence, Hector reunites with his father and his re-occurring conflict includes seemingly learning of his wife, Fury, being alive but comatose from a spell he cannot mystically break.[118] In the 2003 Doctor Fate mini-series, the novice but somewhat arrogant Hector is somewhat tested by Nabu when the re-emergence of Curse, a Babylonian demi-god sorcerer and rival of Nabu, forces him to battle a powerful foe. Like Nabu, Curse bonds with thief Justin Guilder, who competes with Hector for the affections of love interest Caitlyn. Critically injured, Hector's true insecurities is revealed but he manages to reinvigorate his own spirits by first rebuking Nabu's criticisms (as Nabu hoped) and manages to over-power Curse and his demonic forces, the latter aided by a Wiccan coven he once dismissed.[119]

In the "Princes of Darkness" storyline, manipulated by Mordru, he learns he instead placed a spell on a different woman, Dawn Granger, the biological mother of him in this incarnation whom was sexually assaulted by Hank Hall (as Extant while under mind-control) to lead to his creation and had later disguised her as Fury. He also learned the "spirits" within the Amulet of Anubis containing the previous bearers were fascimiles created by Hector's imagination as a result of yearning to be accepted as a legitimate inheritor of the Doctor Fate legacy. He is later instrumental in defeating him once more and trapping him in the Rock of Eternity with the Wizard Shazam's permission.[120]

In the 2005 "Black Reign" storyline, Fury's true fate is revealed, having been trapped in the Amulet of Anubis alongside the previous incarnations of Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson, Eric and Linda Strauss) by Nabu, who had plotted to remove Fury from Hector's life to help manipulate him. Upon finding the truth, Nabu usurps control of Hector's body as the JSA battles Black Adam's team following his disillusionment for the JSA's moral stance inadvertently allowing Kobra to go free without punishment. But from within the amulet, the group manages to instead entrap Nabu in the amulet and allow Hector to be free.[121] Later, in the Day of Vengeance crossover, Hector is killed by the Spectre, who has been driven insane and is hunting all magic users, destroying the Lords of Chaos and Order in the process. Nabu then briefly acts as Doctor Fate without a human host, gathering other mystics to confront the Spectre. Fatally injured, Nabu succeeds in stopping the Spectre but dies. In his final moments, Nabu asks Captain Marvel to throw the helmet into space in hopes it will find a worthy bearer.[122][5]

Kent V. Nelson's tenure
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Kent V. Nelson as Doctor Fate. Art by Jesús Merino and Allen Passalaqua.

In 2007, the Kent V. Nelson version of Doctor Fate is introduced by Steve Gerber in Countdown to Mystery. following Hector Hall's death. The grand-nephew of Kent Nelson (his namesake), Kent V. Nelson is a former psychiatrist whose life falls apart when his wife learns of his infidelity and he loses his license to practice from malpractice stemming from his depression. Kent dons the Helmet of Fate and assumes the role prior to the Final Crisis.[123][124] During the Reign in Hell storyline, he battles Lady Blaze and assists other supernatural heroes in an intervention in Hell's affairs due to a civil war waged by Satanus and Blaze herself. Inexperienced, he manages to defeat Blaze but both siblings managed to secure the throne, ultimately going to Blaze.[125] Later joining the JSA, he helps the team battle, Mordru,.[126][127] the Starheart (although he is mind-controlled), the new threat known as Scythe while helping the Pierce Family.[128][129]

In 2011, While Kent V. continues in the role, the original Kent Nelson's spirit appears to help Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) while the latter is stuck on a planet with no way to escape. Kent learns of his future death but chooses to save Hal, instead, despite Hal's protests.[130]

New 52 onward (2015–2025)

Revised history

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Kent Nelson's modern design in appearances within the present day prior to his death. Art by Amancay Nahuelpan.

Following DC's company wide "New 52" reboot in 2012, Inza Cramer, Kent V., Eric/Linda Strauss, and the Jared Stevens' histories initially erased from continuity.[5] While their histories was once restored,[49][131] it is also later revised; Kent's history remains similar to his Post-Crisis on Infinite Earth history, his marriage with Inza Cramer, and his connection with the Justice Society. However, during World War II, Nelson was also a member of the Justice Society Dark whom was active even after the disbanding of the Justice Society, battling a threat that would take decades in another realm.[132]

Also a member of the Justice League International for a time, he is succeeded by Eric and Linda Strauss as Doctor Fate, the pair having teamed up with Darkseid, Highfather, and others to help to stop the Anti-Life entity. After their passing, Hector Hall becomes the third Doctor Fate during the founding of a new JSA iteration by Wesley Dodds.[75]

Returning as Doctor Fate

In the 2015 Doctor Fate series, Nelson appears in the second major storyline of the book, revealing Khalid Nassour as another grandnephew through his maternal line and the previous Doctor Fate.[133] This reality also establishes a different past, revealing Nelson to having an unnamed younger brother who fathered Elizabeth (Nassour's mother) and became a Christian preacher. Neslon also was an influence on her life, inspiring her towards archaeology and was remarked to be his favorite niece.[133] The elderly Kent mentors Khalid and the pair act concurrently as Doctor Fate, having learned to draw power from them even without having them physically. The pair would encounter both an Ifrit set to destroy New York and Osiris, who unleashes the undead and seeks retribution for Anubis's defeat by Nassour sometime prior to Nelson's revelation towards Khalid.[133]

Nelson eventually takes precedent within the role, with Nabu also briefly usurping it to battle Arion and assist the Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes),[134] and appears in crossovers such as 2017's Dark Nights: Metal.[135] From 2017 to 2019, Kent is featured in James Tynion IV's run in Justice League Dark alongside Khalid and Nabu. The pair are trapped by Nabu, who uses Nelson's body and conspires with other Lords of Order to destroy the source of magic following the piercing of the Source Wall. Their plans are interrupted by Wonder Woman's newly created Justice League Dark and their allies. Enlisting the power of chaos magic from Mordru, Kent is freed of Nabu's control and the team prevails in defeating the Lords of Order. Wonder Woman asks Nelson to don the helmet once more, who refuses due to his disillusionment and recommends Khalid, who then declines. The pair enlist themselves as consultant members of Justice League Dark but when the team is pitted against Circe's Injustice League Dark, Khalid becomes the sole Doctor Fate and assists in their defeat, prompting a concerned Kent.[136][137][7]

Recent death and legacy

With Nassour now the new Doctor Fate, Nelson leaves the team with intent to retire once more and believes himself unable to train Nassour further. Nelson later appears for the final time as Doctor Fate during the team's battle with Upside-Down Man, when Nabu summons him. Nelson sacrifices himself when the pair unleash a critical blow at the villain, killing him and depleting the helm of its power. As Nassour sees his death as a personal failure, Detective Chimp asserts he made the sacrifice with high hopes in his grandnephew's abilities.[6]

Posthumous appearances

Although deceased in current times, the character makes posthumous appearances in which expands on his history in the new reality following the New 52 reboot; Geoff Johns' "The New Golden Age" storyline in 2023 reinforced several key storylines in past realities. Due to Per Degaton's time manipulations, he has several instances his life where he vaguely remembers a girl name Salem the Witch Girl, his arrogant sidekick whom he encountered and took in for four years until her disappearance from time in 1944. Her removal from time erased his memories, only getting vague impressions at select times he could not figure out as a side effect. He also has visions of the death of various Doctor Fates and JSA members across time at different points, even warning Catwoman of the eventual targeting of her future daughter years before his death. A past version of Nelson is later brought by Nassour to seal Degaton, who has become a time paradox.[49][138]

In the "Knight Terrors" story arc, it is implied that in the past, Nelson knew about the Nightmare Stone before anyone else of the Justice Society did based on a conversation between Deadman and a recently resurrected zombified Wesley Dodds.[139] In 2024, aspects of past incarnations' histories are restored by Geoff Johns.[49] Among other appearances includes him being present when Dodds was recruited into the JSA,[140] assisted Flash (Jay Garrick) alongside the JSA and Boom (Garrick's daughter) in battling Doctor Elemental,[141] and aiding Green Lantern (Alan Scott) when attacked by a group of similarly powered villains known as the Crimson Hosts.[142][143] When a girl calling herself Kid Eternity follows Wildcat into the afterlife after he is killed by Lady Eve, Doctor Fate is among the dead JSA members who tell Kid Eternity that the JSA is in danger and that they need her help.[144]

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Powers, abilities, and resources

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Granted various mystic enhancements by Nabu, Kent possess heightened invulnerability, an extended lifespan, and peak human mental and physical capabilities. He also possess Nabu's vast arcane knowledge and expertise.[145][137] Early iterations of the character also depicted him as a practitioner of jujutsu and a medical doctor with a medical degree.[146][147][148] While once lacking true magical abilities in earlier, recent stories granted Kent magical abilities on his lonesome, drawing power from the helm without it on his persons.[57] The character is renowned for his brilliance in archaeology, holding a doctorate degree.[149]

Mystical artifacts and resources

Nelson is classified as a "sorcerer", employing magical artifacts to access a wide array of magical abilities and provide protection against the inherent risks associated with magic.[150] Together with various artifacts at his disposal, his flight, teleportation, precognition, illusion casting, and spell-casting abilities are widely regarded as being nearly unrivaled.[55][5][150]

Helmet of Fate

Chief among his artifacts, he dons the Helmet of Fate, a potent artifact that grants him the ability to perform virtually any known magical feat.[145] Constructed from Nth metal, the helmet possesses inherent mystical properties and possesses the unique ability to counteract and negate magical forces as well as see the destiny ("fate") of others, foresee potential futures, are unable to be predicted from others with precognition abilities,[135][49] and are immune to probability-related powers.[131][49] Whether guided by the residing spirit within the helm or through the helm's own discernment, the artifact is typically accessible only to individuals deemed worthy by its judgment.[60] However, the Helm's abilities and sources differ between incarnations.

Within his characterization, the source of this power was explained as having a scientific basis, involving the conversion of matter into energy and vice versa.[151] However, it was later established that his abilities were predominantly supernatural in nature. The helmet essentially allows Nelson to embody the essence of the Lords of Order, enabling him to wield magic through the power of imagination and merge with a female bearer into a more powerful entity.[152] This retroactively allowed him to cast spells, particularly drawing from Egyptian cultural influences.[1]

Other mystical artifacts and resources

More information Resource, Description ...

Weaknesses

While formidable, Doctor Fate has some limits and weakness; inferior to Spectre in power,[145] it is expressed Doctor Fate cannot cast counter spells against him due to a condition regarding the "rules of magic".[5] The physical age of an incarnation also impacts their ability, with older incarnations diminishing in power over time while a younger versions' inexperience hampers mastery of their magical abilities.[161][162] Despite its durable nature, the Helmet of Fate is not impervious to damage. It has shown vulnerability to abilities originating from powerful entities (ex. Arion and Brimstone), some which included potent forms of Atlantean magic, power from higher beings such as the Spectre, and advanced applications of the Firestorm matrix, requiring regeneration. It can also experience overload in special circumstances, resulting in temporary limitations and the inertness of certain powers.[163][134][6]

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Other versions

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  • An alternate version of Nelson, known as Doc Fate, is shown to exist on the pulp fiction-influenced world of Earth-20.[164][165] Doc Fate is an African-American gunslinger and occultist named Kent Nelson who is based in a windowless Manhattan skyscraper. Doc Fate forms and leads a team of adventurers known as the Society of Super-Heroes, which includes the Immortal Man, the Mighty Atom, the Blackhawks and the Green Lantern Abin Sur.[166]
  • After Mister Mind "eats" aspects of the fifty-two realities that make up the Multiverse, one of them, designated Earth-2, takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-Two, such as the Justice Society of America being this world's premier superteam.[167] This version of Doctor Fate (based upon the Kent Nelson version of the character) along with the Spectre, suspects something is awry with Power Girl's mysterious reappearance.[168]
  • In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Kent Nelson works as a fortune teller in Haly's Circus. Kent tells his co-worker, trapeze artist Boston Brand, of his vision of Dick Grayson's death.[169] The circus is then attacked by Amazons who are looking to steal the helmet. Kent is impaled and killed by an Amazon before the circus workers escape with the help of Resistance member Vertigo.[170] With Boston's help, Dick escapes the Amazons' slaughter of the other circus workers and meets up with the Resistance, using the helmet as the new Doctor Fate.[171]

Alternative and temporary incarnations

Main article: Alternative versions of Doctor Fate

In addition to several versions existing in alternate universes and timelines within the DC Multiverse, several characters briefly came into possession of the Helmet of Fate due to circumstances, allowing them to become Doctor Fate temporarily; Superman was briefly given helm by Khalid Nassour to help battle the mystical super-villain, Xanadoth.[172] When Nezha gained the Helmet of Fate by defeating Nassour, Batman later usurped it and briefly became Doctor Fate.[173] Detective Chimp was briefly chosen as Doctor Fate but relinquished it due to the overbearing information it placed in his mind.[174] Sand briefly used the helm to confer with Nabu and explain his Hector Hall's disappearance.[175] Black Alice was a candidate but the helm rejected her in part due to her intentions and forceful nature.[174] Okeontis was an alien freedom fighter possessed by an alien fungusa whom gained the Helmet of Fate . The helm's significant power caused the Presence to send Zauriel to intervene.[176]

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Supporting cast

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In both More Fun Comics and Immortal Doctor Fate (backup issues from Flash), Doctor Fate has a small cast of characters; Inza Cramer, whom acts as his love interest, acts as his partner and confidante whom later becomes his wife. Nabu, his patron, is also a reluctant ally whom is responsible for gradually eroding his personal agency as Doctor Fate.[177][178] Vern Copeland is a fellow archaeologist whom is also smitten with Inza and noted to have similarities to Kent.[177] The second half of the 1988 Doctor Fate series featured a larger supporting cast: Tooly and Tildly Wilson, an African-American couple and supporter of Doctor Fate with three children. Debby Niles, a police officer and niece of the Wilsons, was Inza's best friend and a close confidante whom was aware of their dual life. Another included corrupt billionaire-turned-ally Thomas Bridge, Shat-Ru, a renegade-turned-friend and Lord of Order who posed as Kent's grandfather and spouted nihilistic ideals, and his eccentric girlfriend, Dorothea.[179]

Enemies

Doctor Fate also has numerous enemies of his own, featured in his limited series and/or significant with him from other appearances. Out of all his villains, Wotan is the most re-occurring villain whom is considered both his rival and arch-enemy as well as also battling other incarnations.[180][181][182] Others, such as Negal, have also been reoccurring with other incarnations.[183] Although Arion is typically a hero, the character has been listed as his adversary due to appearances in other titles wherein he was under mystical influence.[184][185]

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Cultural impact and legacy

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Reception

As a character, Doctor Fate has established himself as one of DC Comics' enduring figures, although not reaching the same level of cultural recognition as iconic characters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman or The Flash. According to Wizard Magazine, Doctor Fate's notable strengths lie in his name, distinctive design, and the recurring motif of the Helmet of Fate. While the character has experienced various cancellations over time, they have also been the focus of multiple miniseries and ongoing series.[4] The character's portrayal by Pierce Brosnan in Black Adam was also received well and was once slated to eventually appear again in the DC Extended Universe due to his popularity prior to James Gunn's appointment as creative head for DC Studios.[187]

Other versions' acclaim

Several versions of the character have critical acclaim; the Hector Hall version was considered a fan-favorite during the 1999 JSA run[33] and the Khalid Nassour incarnation was well-received among critics and was compared to Marvel Comics' Kamala Khan as representing an underrepresented demographic while also praising his design and incorporation of Egyptian elements compared to Greek/Roman.[188]

Criticisms

Orientalist portrayal

Main article: Orientalism

The original character's connection to Egypt has been subjected to various criticisms due to Nelson's usage of the Egyptian mysticism,[189][190] In Mixed Race Superheroes, Resha critiques Kent Nelson's incarnation as the archetypal white Western hero who freely accesses Egyptian mysticism without repercussions, contrasting it to Nassour. In a noted example within issue #9 of the 2015 Doctor Fate series, she points out Nassour's worry about intervening in a massive demonstration gone awry within the United Nations plaza without being labelled "some kind of super-villain or costumed terrorist" and asserts how while Nelson's incarnation likely would not have worried about being labelled a terrorist (and only a super-villain at worst), Nassour's incarnation is aware he would not be afforded the same level of protections as a person of color.[189] Within media portrayals such as Black Adam, Doctor Fate is among the characters cited within the Justice Society where their intervention in the fictional Arab nation of Kahndaq is critiqued as reinforcing "Orientalist stereotypes through the male imperial gaze" and exemplifies how Western superhero narratives "reproduc[e] a colonial vision where Western 'knowledge' of ancient civilizations 'rescues' the past from oblivion," exotifying and objectifying Arab figures while erasing their agency.[190]

Within mainstream comic books, Paul Levitz created the Khalid Nassour version of the character to address similar concerns, believing Nelson's connection to Egypt to be a by-product of a time when writers could not write in detail about ethnicity and religion.[8] James Robinson's creation of Khalid Ben-Hassin years earlier (featured in a Elseworld universe) was also made to avoid an offensive characterization, opting to make the character Egyptian-American to allow him to have Western traits.[191]

Portrayal of abilities

Steve Gerber was critical of the character's abilities prior to 2007 pointing out the character's inconsistent power level, which posed challenges for writers in defining the character effectively. Moreover, Gerber expressed reservations about the recurring element of the Nabu entity controlling Doctor Fate, as he believed it hindered the character's ability to form meaningful connections. Additionally, Gerber advocated for an original interpretation of magic, akin to the approach taken with Marvel's Doctor Strange, rather than Doctor Fate's association with Egyptian mythology and believed the character's history to be among the most convoluted. He sought to address this with the Kent V. Nelson incarnation of the character.[9][10]

During his run in the Justice Society of America comic book title, Marc Guggenheim opined a tendency for magical-oriented characters to cease being characters ("people") and become a set of powers. With the Kent V. Nelson version of the character, he sought to characterize Doctor Fate into a more "three-dimensional character".[40] James Robinson also stated how despite the reoccurring theme of a "cost" to magic, Doctor Fate's magical powers "feels and certainly looks no different than a blast of energy from Green Lantern's ring. It's just energy that gets fired."[191]

Other versions' criticisms

In regards to the Jared Stevens version, the character was panned due to his design and departure from the common elements of the character.[3] The Eric and Linda Strauss' version has also been panned due to the characters' dynamic being that of lovers despite the age gap and relation between older Linda and child Eric whom was aged up physically, the former view as a pedophile and unnecessarily sexualized compared to her male counterpart.[192][193]

Critical response

  • ScreenRant included Doctor Fate in their "The 10 Most Powerful Wizards".[194]
  • Doctor Fate was included in CBR's "Top 50 DC Characters".[195]
  • Ashley Land of CBR included Doctor Fate in their "Greatest Supernatural DC Heroes".[196]
  • In 1998, Wizard Magazine published an article in which included Doctor Fate in their "All-Wizard Team", which consisted of a list of the most powerful, versatile heroes in a respective field.[197]
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In other media

Television

Live action

Animation

Film

Video games

Other

  • Doctor Fate appears in the DC Heroes United interactive streaming series. This version's Doctor Fate is a guardian of the balance between fate and chaos and is alternatively supported by the entities known as the Moirai, the personification of fate in Greek mythology.
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References

External links

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