HISTORY

During the Kali Yuga, the strain on the current Doctor Fate host (Kent Nelson) was so immense that he was becoming weaker each time he donned the Helmet of Nabu. Both Kent and Inza began to age rapidly, causing Inza to lose her sanity and commit suicide. Kent Nelson and Nabu had to find a new host. The new host chosen was Eric Strauss, an eight-year-old boy. Nabu aged the boy to manhood in minutes so he could prepare him to become the new Doctor Fate with virtually no training. During his first battle with Typhon, a Lord of Chaos, Nabu had abandoned Eric. Eric was left alone in the form of Doctor Fate to battle Typhon. Typhon forced Doctor Fate to revert back to Eric Strauss and Eric was left mentally scarred from the battle. Doctor Benjamin Stoner (working for Typhon) locked Eric in Arkham Asylum. Typhon recovered the magical items of Fate and chose Doctor Benjamin Stoner as the new Anti-Fate to strike chaos on the world. Linda Strauss, Eric's stepmother searched everywhere for her stepson and eventually met with Kent Nelson.

The Justice League and the Phantom Stranger tried valiantly to fight the onslaught of Chaos but failed. Eventually Eric escaped from Arkham and met with Linda and Kent Nelson. They traveled to Giza in Egypt, a focus point of Fate's power. During this time, Kent discovered that the true power of Fate was meant to be a triad: Man, Woman and Fate. In Egypt, the Anti-Fate was about to destroy Eric, who could only be saved if Linda joined with him. Nabu held her back, but Kent persuaded him to allow Linda and Eric to join. They became the new Fate and defeated the Anti-Fate (Benjamin Stoner) and Typhon. Order had once again defeated Chaos. However, Kent Nelson did not want to go on living in his frail old body. He wanted to die and join his wife, Inza. Nabu finally allowed Kent to die just moments before the Lords of Order summoned Nabu. For Nabu's role in preventing the Kali Yuga, the Lords of Order banished Nabu to earth, where he joined with Kent Nelson's old body. Nabu, having become human with very little of his cosmic powers left, vowed to stay with Eric and Linda as a teacher.

Dr. Fate's first adventure encountered Joachim Hesse, an Occultist who unleashed a horde of demons on Earth. Fate banished all except for one that sought Fate out and eventually became his companion. The demon occasionally took on the form of a dog and was named Petey. During the second Dr. Fate's career, Nabu insisted on being called Kent and gradually learned how to be human. Although Nabu still retained a small amount of his powers he endangered himself each time he used them. During this time, the Lords of Order wanted to end the universe prematurely and chose Andrew Bennet, a vampire, to carry out this task. If Andrew Bennet succeeded the Lords of Order would release him from being "undead" so that he could truly die. However, the Lords of Chaos sent Typhon to make a pact with the Nabu and Dr. Fate II to prevent this from happening.

Andrew Bennet would drink from the Holy Grail and be transported to India where he would play a flute that would end the universe. This would cause Mahapralaya, the all-embracing Sleep of Brahma. During this uneasy alliance, Typhon slowly teased Eric by haunting his mind with images of Arkham when he and Doctor Benjamin Stoner tortured and tormented him. Eric could not think straight as Dr. Fate, so Linda took over and becomes the first female Dr. Fate. (Doctor Fate v2 #4) Dr. Fate, Typhon, Nabu and Petey found Andrew Bennet but were unable to stop him from playing the flute. The universe was destroyed and recreated in an instant. Fate fought and defeated Typhon, banishing him. Eric slowly began to get sick from his transformation into Dr. Fate. He found that the energies Nabu used to control and strengthen Nelson were instead killing him.

Darkseid noticed the new Dr. Fate on Earth and realized that Eric and Linda were the first of a new, post-Kali Yuga humanity, one that would not need gods anymore. Darkseid summoned the Lords of Order and Chaos and reported his discovery to them, noting that the Lords of Chaos and Order both had something to gain if Fate would be destroyed. Thus Darkseid came to Earth to destroy Dr. Fate. Darkseid banished Eric to Apokolips where he was attacked by thousands of parademons. Kent/Nabu summoned Linda where she made the painful transformation into Dr. Fate. Linda arrived on Apokolips to rescue Eric.

Eric and Linda defeated Darkseid by sharing their love for each other with him, something that Darkseid has never wanted to feel again. However, a lone soldier of Darkseid threw a spear at Linda in order to appease his master. Eric dove in front of it to save Linda's life, and died in her arms. (Doctor Fate v1 #12) Linda tried to find Eric's soul in Limbo, where she met a guide who took her to Eric. However, Eric wished to stay. The guide showed Eric and Linda that they are soul mates: they have shared millions of lives together as brothers, sisters, lovers and enemies, and they will continue to share countless more lifetimes together.

Nabu's long-time enemy Wotan attacked Nabu and kidnapped him. Petey and Linda asked the JLA for help in getting Nabu back. They tracked Wotan and Nabu to a temple in India, where Wotan planned to meet the Avatar of God. After defeating the JLA and Dr. Fate, Wotan entered the temple, and rang the bells to receive the knowledge and power he sought. He reemerged from the temple a changed man blind from his experience. He pledged his life to the Avatar of God and is no longer a threat to anyone.

Eric was eventually reincarnated into Eugene DiBella, who was recently in a car accident. Eric discovered that in his new life, he is married to Wendy and has a daughter named Raina, who able to see many magical beings. When the Lords of Chaos brought back Benjamin Stoner as the Anti-Fate to destroy Fate once and for all, Kent/Nabu, Linda, Petey and Jack C. Small visited the tower of Dr. Fate. There, Nabu revealed that when Eric died the Helmet and Amulet returned to the Tower, but when Linda tried to reclaim them they rejected her.

Nabu now planned to prepare the way for the TRUE Dr. Fate: Kent and Inza Nelson. As they looked into the Amulet of Anubis, they saw the souls of Kent and Inza Nelson. Jack and Petey entered the Amulet to find the Nelsons while Linda and Nabu prepared to fight the Anti-Fate. With Nabu's help, Linda found she could touch the items and become Fate with Nabu. Together, they created a four-armed Dr. Fate to battle the Anti-Fate, but failed and the Anti-Fate rejected the Lords of Chaos. Within the Amulet, Jack and Petey discovered Hesse inside the Amulet, and with his help they found the Nelsons, who were enjoying normal lives in what they believed to be the afterlife, but was actually a dream world inside the Amulet. They had even had a son named Kent. Jack, Petey and Hesse tried to persuade them to return to Earth. Inza did not want to leave but eventually agreed that they could make this life happen on Earth.

Linda died from wounds inflicted during the battle with the Anti-Fate, and her soul entered the recently deceased Wendy DiBella. There she was reunited with her husband Eugene (Eric) and their daughter Raina. Nabu, given the choice between humanity and being an immortal Lord of Order, chose humanity and entered Wendy's unborn child. (Doctor Fate v2 #24) Inza Nelson became the new Doctor Fate. (See Dr. Fate III)

Eugene (Eric) and his daughter Raina played a large part in the final issues of Fate. (See Fate #19-22) With help from the spirit of Kent Nelson, Nabu tricked Kent to become Doctor Fate one last time in an attempt to regain his powers from Fate. Nabu used the half helm of Kent Nelson as a conduit for Dr. Fate. While Kent Nelson possessed the body of Eugene with help from his magically innate Daughter, Nabu managed to tap into the power of Fate. As Doctor Fate, Nabu would have the power to defeat Fate and reclaim his power in order for him to battle Chaos. He was defeated by Fate and as punishment for his crimes, Nabu was turned into a Lord of Chaos by the Lords of Order & Chaos. Eugene and Raina continued to live their normal lives, unaware of the brief interruption while Kent and Inza Nelson were escorted to the gates of heaven by former members of the JSA, Fate and the Spectre.

NOTE: Although Book of Fate removed most of the events of Fate from DCU history, the appearances of Jared Stevens in JSA Secret Files #1 and JSA #1 ignore the changes made by the second series, and it is unclear which one DC Comics considers canonical.

POWERS

PRINCIPLE ADVERSARIES

• Darkseid - Dr. Fate #11 & 12 - defeated by Eric & Linda
  
• Gray Man II (Justice League Europe)
• Jack C. Small (The Champion for the Lords of Order)
• Jack C. Small (Host body for Typhon)
• Typhon - Dr. Fate v1 #1-4
• Wotan - Dr. Fate v2 #14 & 15 - defeated by God