Warning: contains spoilers for Justice Society of America #6!
DC Comics has finally recognized its most underrated legacy hero, and they’re not even in the Bat-Family. DC is known for its many legacy heroes, such as the Flash, Green Lantern, Starman, and others. However, there is one legacy DC hero whose origins stretch back to the Golden Age of Comics who is rarely mentioned in the same breath as others — but in Justice Society of America #6, the name Doctor Fate finally gets its due.
As of Justice Society of America #6 by Geoff Johns, Marco Santucci, Ivan Plascencia, and Rob Leigh, Stargirl has returned from her own adventure with an army of formerly missing teen sidekicks in tow. Among the returning time-lost sidekicks is Salem the Witch Girl, whose mentor was none other than the original Doctor Fate, Kent Nelson. Salem vanished from the time stream in 1943, and eighty years later she meets Khalid Nassour, the current Doctor Fate. Salem grills Khalid, unwilling to accept him as the new Fate.
But he then recounts the history of Doctor Fate, naming off all those who have held the mantle: Kent Nelson, Eric and Linda Strauss, Jared Stevens, and others. Khalid summons up images of his predecessors to show Salem that Doctor Fate’s legacy is in good hands. Khalid offers to help Salem, but she declines.
Doctor Fate Should Get More Credit as a Legacy Hero
Doctor Fate has a long and winding history at DC Comics. Created by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman in 1940, Doctor Fate is one of the most powerful magic users in the DC Universe. Possessing the powerful Helmet of Nabu, Doctor Fate serves the Lords of Order in their campaign against the forces of darkness. Nabu’s Helmet has been passed down to many people since his debut, making Doctor Fate one of DC’s legacy heroes, on par with the Flash or Green Lantern — yet he never receives much recognition in this department.
Legacy heroes are one of the pillars of the DC Universe. The publisher has crafted long and storied legacies for some of their biggest characters. There have been numerous Flashes and many Green Lanterns; there have even been multiple Starmen. Fans often point to these characters as perfect examples of legacy heroes and rightfully so. The seemingly disparate characters that comprise these legacies are some of DC’s greatest heroes: both Jay Garrick and Alan Scott, the Golden Age Flash and Green Lantern respectively, are the “elder statesmen” of the DC Universe, and Barry Allen and Hal Jordan are emblems of the Silver Age. The entire Bat-Family is another excellent example of DC’s emphasis on legacy, and, in some ways, they stand above the rest.
Legacy Heroes Are DC’s Bread and Butter
Despite being around as long as the Flash or Green Lantern, Doctor Fate does not receive the recognition as one of the publisher’s best legacy heroes — until now. There have been multiple Doctor Fates throughout the character’s history, all of them heroes in their own way. The current Doctor Fate, Khalid, keeps this tradition alive by offering to help Salem (despite her protests), and surely their mentor/mentee relationship will continue to develop. The Bat-Family may be DC’s premiere team of legacy heroes, but the publisher is finally acknowledging that Doctor Fate belongs in this category as well.
Justice Society of America #6 is on sale now from DC Comics!
