Kent V. Nelson (New Earth)

{{DC Database:Character Template Celestine Babcock-Nelson (great-grandaunt, deceased) Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson) (paternal granduncle) Kent Nelson, Jr. (1st cousin once removed, deceased) Aarona Babcock (father) Doctor Fate (Inza Cramer-Nelson) (grandaunt, deceased) Marissa Nelson (ex-wife) Laryn Nelson (daughter)
 * Image                  = Kent_V._Nelson 01.jpg
 * ImageText              = Doctor Fate
 * RealName               = Kent V. Nelson
 * CurrentAlias           = Doctor Fate
 * Distinguish1           = Doctor Fate
 * Distinguish2           = Kent Nelson
 * Aliases                =
 * Identity               =
 * Alignment              = Good
 * Affiliation            =
 * Relatives              = Sven Nelson (great-granduncle, deceased)
 * Universe               = New Earth
 * BaseOfOperations       = Las Vegas, Nevada


 * Gender                 = Male
 * Height                 = 6
 * Weight                 = 184 lbs.
 * Eyes                   = Brown
 * Hair                   = Blond
 * UnusualFeatures        = None


 * Citizenship            = American
 * MaritalStatus          = Divorced
 * Occupation             = Unemployed; former psychiatrist
 * Education              = College graduate, Doctorate


 * Origin                 = Down-and-out Dr. Kent V. Nelson discovered the Helmet of Fate while lying in a dumpster. Looking for something to cover his head, Kent put the Helmet on - and found it had chosen him to become the new Doctor Fate.


 * PlaceOfBirth           =
 * Creators               = Steve Gerber; Justiniano
 * First                  = Countdown to Mystery #1

Fate had been good to psychiatrist Dr Kent V. Nelson. He had a lovely wife and daughter, a well-heeled practice, recognition in the community, and taught an annual seminar at the university.
 * HistoryText            =

This made Kent's affair with a university student reckless in the extreme. To compound the situation, he left the evidence lying around; when his wife found out, she left him, taking their daughter with her.

Kent slid into depression, barely able to care about his patients any more. He pretended he was listening, faked giving them his attention, but even that began to pall eventually. Ultimately, it was this lack of attention which led to his final downfall.

One of Kent's patients, a man who claimed he was being tormented by an unearthly creature, had a psychotic episode, driving his car along the Las Vegas Strip, running people down. Thirteen died, and many more were injured. Kent, aware he'd failed the man, used his family gift, the ability to see into others' minds, to find out what had driven him to it.

What Kent saw shook him so badly, he shut the memory out, trying desperately to forget it.

Kent was blamed for the deaths, standing by and doing nothing when his patient went off his meds. He was sued by the victims' families for negligence and wrongful claims - and by his patient's family for malpractice. He lost his house and his job. His wife divorced him, and his lover left him.

Several months later, Kent had ended up a derelict on the streets, taking part in bumfight videos for money. After being left in a dumpster to "sleep off" his second fight, he fumbled around for something he could use to cover himself against the storm overhead.

He found the Helmet of Fate, which had landed in the dumpster after traveling through the realms of existence. Thinking only of how he could use it to cover his head, Kent put it on - only to find the Helmet taking him on a mental tour of its recent past, from the end of the Day of Vengeance onwards, after Captain Marvel had hurled it into space. Then, much against Kent's will, it took him on a tour of his /own/ recent past.

Nelson learns spells gradually and uses the helmet for gambling. He meets a woman named Maddy, who runs an occult bookstore, where he goes into an intense inter-dimensional meditation exploring the pains of his psyche. He drags her along into his vision. After this incident, Kent uses the magic in the real world to fly, but sinking into self-pity and depression after forgetting both his daughter's birthday and the magic word for flying, he falls into a large, nearby fountain and nearly drowns until he is saved by an intrepid young comic writer named Inza. The potential reunion between reincarnated lovers is tragically cut short when Inza is completely liquefied while Nelson is taking a shower - the doing of Negal, a demon Kent thwarted in the beginning of his adventure. After the death of Inza, Kent V. Nelson seems all but certain to retreat further into alcoholism.

Despairing, Nelson decides he has had enough of this mystic interference in his life, and gives the helmet to Maddy. He is immediately captured by Negal. On her first attempt at using the helmet Maddy is also brought to despair by Negal's sidekick, Ymp, and brought to him alongside the captured Nelson and the remains of Inza.

Maddy was inspired by Kent's efforts to overcome his self-absorption to distract Negal with an image of Inza's character Killhead. This gives enough time for an elf with a gun to shoot Negal. The elf then departs, as a quacking voice invites him to share a beer with the "big guy", "Thunny", "Megs" and "Bev" before the big guy has to "head upstairs". Nelson and Inza recover, and Maddy gives him back the helmet. As they return to Vegas, Nelson says that whatever happened, it took all three of them, and that the helmet still has a lot to teach them.

Nelson sees his life flashing before his eyes, as Negal gloats that he will now destroy Dr. Fate forever. Nelson seizes on the happy moments in his life, and claims that killing him never achieved anything, and he should know. He tells Negal that Dr. Fate is an ideal, and has returned before. Since Nelson is no longer consumed by self-pity, Negal (lord of the self-despised) is powerless and returns them all to where he left them, claiming that he will return. With Inza back in her apartment and Maddy back at the bookshop, Nelson returns to the casino, reflecting that every journey must end, through chance or fate.

Maddy tried to wake Nelson, but cannot. In his dream, Nelson has a conversation with one of his patients, Mr. Mardillo, who is drawn to resemble Steve Gerber, and the scene takes the form of a text piece, a common occurrence in Gerber's work. Mordillo explains fate is the hand you are dealt, but destiny is the way you play it. Negal hates fate because, as a demon, he has no way of changing his destiny. Mardillo points out that Nelson seems resigned to the same thing, and talks him through his problems. As in the previous story, Nelson's newfound hope gives him power against Negal and, although he acknowledges his depression will return, for the moment he is able to use the helmet to free himself and the others, briefly gaining the original Dr. Fate's costume while doing so. Back in Vegas, he is astonished to find a note from Mardillo in his pocket, but is unable to read the handwriting.

Maddy was "tripping" on the power in the helmet and unable to use it effectively. Upon seeing Kent awaken, she gives him the helmet. Finding Inza is now a living statue, he asks her if she wants to live and, when she says yes, points out to Negal that she still has hope, and is therefore beating him. Using his psychiatric skills, he diagnoses Negal's obsession with causing and feeding on misery as indicating an addictive personality with narcissistic tendencies. Acknowledging his own faults, he adds that he was still good at his job, and offers to help Negal. The final panel shows Kent flying across Vegas, with Inza and Maddy in tow, reflecting on how well Negal's therapy is going and that he may be falling in love with Inza.

Kent V. Nelson has made sporadic appearances in the Reign in Hell mini-series, in the finale he helps a group of magic-using heroes escape from Hell.

Recommended Reading

 * Countdown to Mystery


 * Powers                 =

Thought Sharing: Kent has a family gift, a talent that runs in his family. He can share in someone's thoughts by looking directly into their eyes.


 * Doctor Fate possesses a variety of mystical powers. In general, even without wearing the Helmet of Nabu, the host can fly, is highly resistant to injury, has minor telekinesis, and has greater-than-human strength.

In all of his incarnations, Doctor Fate is an accomplished sorcerer, and at his most potent able to match most other wizards in the DC Universe.

Psychiatrist: Kent is a qualified psychiatrist, with a particular facility for listening to people. He is easily able to read people's personalities and understand the motivation behind their actions. Allowing him to predict their actions, making him amazingly tactical when fighting enemies. Kent normally has the strength of a middle-aged man who engages in little exercise. Loud Noise: Loud noise impairs Kent's ability to 'hear' what the Helmet tells him, making it difficult for him to cast spells.
 * Abilities              =
 * Strength               =
 * Weaknesses             =
 * Equipment              =
 * Helmet of Fate The helmet that Doctor Fate wears is the focus of the Doctor Fate identity. It originally housed Nabu's spirit and allowed him to possess the current host, it later only allowed him to advise the host instead. The helmet is what provides the link to Nabu and by not wearing it, as Kent Nelson did at one time, Doctor Fate loses much of its power and knowledge.

Putting on the helmet usually results in its wearer being clad in the other raiments of Doctor Fate, unless the one with the actual claim to the helmet wants to prevent it. On several occasions, villains seeking the power of Doctor Fate have stolen the helmet, in which case the result has typically been that the thief goes insane when he or she puts the helmet on.

At one time a half-face version of the helm was created when Kent felt the Nabu entity had become too dominant


 * Transportation         =
 * Weapons                =


 * Notes                  =


 * According to Steve Gerber, the new Fate's creator, Kent is the grandnephew of the Golden Age Doctor Fate, Kent Nelson, named for his elder relative. Specifically, he's a descendant of the elder Kent's uncle. However, Kent is unaware his great-uncle was Doctor Fate.
 * Solicitations for upcoming issues of Justice Society of America by new series writers Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham show Dr. Fate returning to the team.
 * Whether Kent can cast spells without the Helmet is as yet unknown.

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 * Trivia                 =
 * DC                     =
 * Wikipedia              = Doctor Fate
 * Links                  =