Doctor Fate (Khalid Nassour)
Dr. Khalid Nassour is a superhero featured in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Levitz and artist Sonny Liew, Nassour first appeared in Aquaman: Convergence #2 and is the eighth version of the Doctor Fate. Unlike prior versions within the mainstream comic books, the character has profound ties to the ancient Egyptian aesthetic of the Doctor Fate, being both of Egyptian origin and powers connected to Egyptian mythology, and is the first Muslim character in DC Comics to headline a solo series.
The character debuted as a mixed Egyptian-American and medical student chosen by ancient Egyptian deities, Nabu, and archangels to be Doctor Fate, a legacy hero and sorcerer tasked with safeguarding the universe against supernatural menaces as one of DC Universe's foremost supernatural defenders while maintaining a social life. He is also mentored by Kent Nelson, the original Doctor Fate whom is also his granduncle. Since his inception, Nassour has been featured in his own Doctor Fate solo title and several team books, including Justice League Dark and Justice Society of America. In 2022, the character's status quo changes, now cast as a physician and sole modern Doctor Fate following Nelson's death, with goddess Hauhet replacing Nabu as his patron spirit.
The second longest-running incarnation as Doctor Fate to be published continually, Nassour's version has been considered generally mixed to positive, with critics suggesting the version to be a positive step towards representation in comics and believed incorporating an Egyptian-born character as Doctor Fate to make sense. However, criticism levied at the Nassour version has cited concern over the character's age compared to the original. Other concerns include elements of orientalism, inconsistent artistic depictions, and both reductive roles in comics and exclusion within media.
Thus far, the character has made few appearances in media. He would make his first media appearance in the animated series Young Justice, voiced by Usman Ally. He would also appear as a DLC summon character in ''Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.''
Publication history
Creation and development
At the conclusion of the Convergence limited series in June 2015 and the launch of the "DC You" line, DC Comics introduced a new ongoing Doctor Fate series written by Paul Levitz and illustrated by Sonny Liew. This series featured Khalid Nassour, an Egyptian-American medical student, as the newest Doctor Fate. Levitz noted that Dan DiDio and Jim Lee aimed for a different approach compared to the original incarnation created by Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Books, with Levitz expressing particular fascination with the Egyptian connection of the character:So looking at the kinds of diversity we have today, and remembering a bunch of my conversations with Egyptian Americans, I just thought, what if a person who gets the helmet this time, in this world, is an Egyptian American young man? And for a visual look, the guys really wanted something fresh - not the standard superhero approach that's been going on for the last few years. I liked Sonny Liew's work years ago on My Faith in Frankie, and ran into him in Singapore a few years ago when I got the chance to be the guest of honor at a convention there. And I've watched his work and stayed aware of it in the years since.
Comic book appearances
First appearing in Convergence: Aquaman #2 as part of a sneak peek preview in May 2015, the first issue of the Doctor Fate series was released in June 2015 and ran until its cancellation in November 2016, surrounding the character's origin story and early adventures, which included his connection to the original Doctor Fate, who made his New 52 debut within the same series. The character also made minor appearances in other titles in between 2015 and 2016. Afterwards, the character was absent for nearly two years and Kent Nelson's character returned to the role for a time.In June 2018, Nassour's character was revealed to be a major character in the second Justice League Dark series written by James Tynion IV starring a new roster led by Wonder Woman and first appeared in the second issue of the series in August 2018. The character would become a reoccurring support character throughout the run, culminating to him adopting the Doctor Fate mantle officially from the Kent Nelson character officially and was redesigned with a new Doctor Fate costume. While the original 2018 series was cancelled in 2020, the Justice League Dark series was instead re-purposed as a backup issue to the mainstream Justice League title, the backup issue written by award-winning author featuring a new storyline with Khalid remaining a reoccurring member of the Justice League Dark subdivision. The character also made notable appearances in several title crossovers and Bendis's run on the Justice League title.
In late 2022, Nassour was revealed to be among the cast of characters in Geoff Johns' upcoming Justice Society of America limited comic book series, which would include the exploration of the character as a legacy hero and continue the story established from V's backup issues of Justice League Dark. The title addresses timeline discrepancies, noting events like "Zero Hour" occurred eight years earlier and the 2015 Doctor Fate series is set one year prior. However, Khalid's appearances in other titles and in the series suggest a tenure longer than four years, as he is depicted as a first-year resident physician. The character would later appear in several other company crossovers, including Dark Crisis alongside its spin-offs. In 2023, the character made several appearances in Knight Terrors. In the same year, the previous histories of Doctor Fate was later restored, retroactively making the character the eighth person within the DC Universe to adopt the mantle, whereas past stories imply he is the second succeeding Nelson.
In 2024, the character appears in the Absolute Power crossover. Coinciding with the DC All In initiative, a new JSA series was announced in July with writer Jeff Lemiere and illustrator Diego Olortengui as part of the creative team. Lemiere revealed Nassour as an important character within the series. He is also slated to make an appearance in the event DC K.O., featured in variant covers and previews for the crossover event and previews.
Fictional character biography
In the character's origin story "Blood Price", Khalid Nassour is a twenty-two year old summa cum laude graduate and aspiring physician who is chosen by Bastet to inherit the Doctor Fate mantle. With the support of the Egyptian deities, archangels connected to his Muslim faith, and the spirit within the helmet, Nabu the Lord of Order, he is tasked with overcoming the foe, Anubis. While initially reluctant to take the role, he accepts the role and manages to defeat the god, the victory marks the beginning of his journey as Doctor Fate.Struggling to balance his dual life due to his limited supernatural knowledge as he battles various foes interconnected to those around him, Nassour encounters his great uncle, who reveals himself as his predecessor. Nassour is then mentored by Nelson, with his skills improving and managed to prove worthy to Osiris and defeats another foe with power over manipulating the fate of others. Sometime later in the second Justice League Dark comic book series featuring a new incarnation of the team led by Wonder Woman, Nassour's apprenticeship is interrupted for nearly a year when he is sealed by Nabu following hijacking Nelson's body in response to a growing threat from the otherworldly creatures known as the Otherkind, known to feed on magic. Nassour is freed by Kirk Langstrom, explaining to both Justice League Dark team members and allies of Nabu's plan to destroy the Sphere of the Gods, the source of magic and various mystical dimensions in the DC Universe, to kill off the magic-eating Otherkind and is assisted by other Lords of Order. With the efforts of a chaos magic-empowered Justice League Dark and other allies, Nabu and the Lords of Order are defeated. In the aftermath, Nassour joins the team on a consultant basis but rejects the idea of being Doctor Fate in place of Nelson even at his mentor's insistence.
The All-New Doctor Fate
The sorceress supervillain Circe founds the Injustice League Dark and strikes at the team with her newfound power, possessing Hecate's mystical power, revealed to be a progenitor of magic in the DC Universe. When she strikes a powerful blow to the Justice League Dark, Nassour responds by donning the helm once more, officially succeeding Kent and plays a critical role in defeating the Injustice League Dark and later bringing balance of the elemental forces. As the sole Doctor Fate, Nassour is a trusted member of the Justice League and Justice League Dark.Nassour becomes involved in the efforts to defeat Upside-Down Man but is rendered unconscious in the battle and is replaced by Kent, who sacrifices himself and depletes the helm in the process but allows an opportunity for Zatanna to ultimately defeat the villain. Nassour later partners with Langstrom to restore power to the helm but becomes inhabited by Hauhet, who replaces Nabu and grants him disturbing visions of his impending defeat and destruction of the Tower of Fate. He helps the JLD battle an evil Merlin who seeks to control magic and resurrects Arion, a Lord of Order intimately connected to a nearly uncontrollable source of magic. He also helps various heroes with both his mystical and medical expertise while taking in Stitch, a teenaged, animated, non-binary ragdoll as his apprentice and sent them to Teen Titans Academy to learn the values of heroism.
During a team-up to battle reoccurring foe Xanadoth, Nabu temporarily returns to aid the Justice League and Justice League Dark when the Lord of Chaos possess Black Adam. Shortly afterward, following the seemingly death of the Justice League's core members, he joins the Justice Society and helps in efforts to defeat Pariah and the Great Darkness.