#Inza is taking control where she can

[cosmicmordecai]

Facts about the current Dr. Fate

In 2015, a new incarnation known as Khalid Nassour debuted in his own short-lived solo series and he’s one of the neatest characters introduced in recent years. He’s also one of the few Arab-based (Egyptian) Muslim characters to occupy a significant role in the DC Universe as supposedly one of their premier magic superheroes.

It’s not always perfect but there’s a variety of cool things about him compared to other incarnation of Doctor Fates that makes him standout. And I want to highlight those things. The internet in various places gets the wrong idea about the character and this post aims to address it. So without further ado.

He’s a trained Dr. Fate

Don’t let DC’s insistence on his youthfulness deceive you: Khalid is actually one of the most trained Doctor Fates, right behind Kent Nelson. Now if you’re an avid reader, you’ll probably point out Inza, Kent V., & Hector seemed to be trained too. Within their stories, they’re treated as powerhouses themselves especially in crossovers.

Here’s the kicker: Khalid is a person of color. Inza, Kent V, & Hector are white characters.

Despite the fact that Hector was a novice himself, his first major storyline that debuted him as Dr. Fate has him butt heads with Mordru literally just being out of diapers and hold his own and later defeat. Even Nabu in a later JSA storyline taunted Mordru being beaten by a novice sorcerer.

Inza gets done dirty in canon after briefly being Dr. Fate but she was said to be more talented than Kent and got to use chaos magic of all magics and was pretty darn good with it. It later got substitute for being powered by life but nothing of her abilities changed.

Kent V. started out sucking so bad Enchantess in Reign in Hell was unimpressed but towards the end of 2011 right before New 52, he got to be hailed as Sorcerer Supreme 4 years after his debut. Compared that to Khalid, who been in publication since 2015 & is approaching his 9th year and he’s competing with Zatanna & Constantine roughly, hailed for his abilities a lot less.

While there’s a odd trend of PoC whom occupy traditionally white mantles having to “work” their way up and Khalid gets that a lot and some writers think his shtick is being “new”, it does give him the distinction that you’ll see an illusion of progress. You’ll read his solo and then his appearances in Justice League Dark and see there’s progress in his abilities becoming more advanced.

Towards the end of the Justice League Dark solo, Kent feels he’s taught Khalid all he can. With that, the only thing left for Khalid is to get practical experience as Dr. Fate.

His designation is backed by Allah

A major difference between him and any version of Doctor Fate is that this incarnation was chosen, in part, by Allah (The Presence within DC context) himself. This is reflected in his solo, where he gets direct guidance by both angels and the Egyptian gods. The series attempts to blend the elements together by suggesting that Allah created the Egyptian gods to as a kind of Djinn but the gods view themselves as something else and although the angels find them pretenders compared to Allah, they respect their divine station, agency, and perspective.

Given his Muslim roots, it makes sense for Khalid’s destiny to involve whom he worships. It also makes him incredibly unique in that the Lords of Order don’t directly control his designation and that he chooses to follow their direction of order because he believes in it. It gives the character agency other Dr. Fates tend to lack.

Talk about job security.

He is the rightful choice because he makes sense.

Sorry to the others but Khalid is the rightful bearer. With all the hiccups, his character not having the benefit of being an insta-master. He doesn’t get the shinny cool feats of taking down the biggest bad guy to supplant his role. He doesn’t get to be convenient “immune” to magic to make him tougher. Hell, the helm gets depowered because of Kent & it’s up to him to address that problem.

But it’s not about the power level or if Nabu is there. What makes Khalid worthy is that he IS a character. Look, he’s the only Dr. Fate you can follow that makes a lot of sense.

With Eric & Linda Strauss, you got an even creepier example of Shazam-ing things where the aged up child still has a mind of a 12 year old & ends up hooking up with his step-mother. I don’t care how the writer tried justifying it as them being reincarnated lovers. With Inza, it’s complicated since she died & comes back in a new young body and it’s tied to resurrection. She was the next closest good option though. I’ll have to do a post about her another time.Jared could have been interesting but too much of that character disassociated with the good things with the mantle. Hector is weird with his convoluted history, connections with Hawkman, and everyone confuses his tenure for Kent. And Kent V. is confusing with his name ahd the consequence of ‘revamping’ and ‘simplifying’ things but using the same names to circumvent doing honest character work to ensure Dr. Fate doesn’t need constant rebooting.

Compared to that, Khalid had a normal life for 22 years before become Dr. Fate. No resurrections, hooking up with pedos, random age-ups, or being stuck as a love interest with a brief tenure. And no being an edgy 90s character.

He is accomplished

As with any superhero, you’ll ask what kind of ways has xyz contributed to the DC Universe at large and Khalid himself has actually accomplished a few things under his belt to help make him a worthwhile Dr. Fate:

For the start of things, his debut storyline has him save the world. It’s pretty much a basic thing and happens in its own corner but starting your tenure as Dr. Fate fighting a death god out the bat does give him some credit.

He eventually becomes a member of the Justice League & Justice League Dark. He’s a good example of not every hero in their 20s is connected to the Titans or that the Justice League is conveniently separated with people in their 30s.

When Circe absorbed Hecate’s power to become a even more powerful sorceress, it was Khalid who convinced Nabu of all characters to help his team and cede all his power to him, granting him agency and the opportunity needed to defeat Circe by helping Wonder Woman and stopping the Injustice League Dark.

Within the world of magic, he is the Dr. Fate responsible for performing the Parliment of Life ritual to allow the elemental forces of nature to work in harmony once more instead of fighting for supremacy (despite Constantine’s character muddying the event to an extent).

That’s not half-bad for a PoC character who tends to be regulated to background work overtime in favor of whit(er) characters. He is still contributing nicely here and there. He’s doing more than Eric/Linda that’s for sure.

There’s still more

Yeah there’s more things but that’s when checking out the characters comes in. If you want to see more of the character and what makes him stand out, check out:

Doctor Fate Vol. 1-3 (2015 series). The Blood Price, Prisioners of the Past, and Fateful Threads.

Justice League Dark’s second series. Lords of Order. Witching Hour. Last Age of Magic. Great Wickedness.

Justice Society of America (2023). The New Golden Age.

These here are just major issues with the character involved if you want to get to know the character more. Be mindful anything above is my opinion and I am an avid supporter of diversity. I want comics to do their best to reflect people of all walks of life, to experiment and normalize non-white characters doing cool things.

And there you go: facts about the current version of Doctor Fate, ladies and gentlemen.

[daydreamerdrew]

back-up story to The Flash (1959) #312, as republished in Immortal Doctor Fate (1985) #3

[justaclassytrashpanda]

Mating Displays

Most humans revered their supernatural kin. Be it the small, dandelion-fluff fae floating and shimmering on the breeze, to the mischievous pixies who peeked from under mushroom heads, they were simply a part of everyday life. 

But some chose to engage with them more closely. Respect and even friendship can be earned with some individuals. Bards sung of Hunters  interactions with roaming herds of Centaurs, of the mutual respect or mistakes made. Some were more feared than others. Harpies, for instance, were accepted in most islands. Either they were tolerated or they were more like feral scavengers, but most folks living in such areas understood this. But even they averted their eyes as men set forth, almost ashamed of something that had been going on for centuries. Usually there were set places; a nice little rock plateau or dried river or some such which was swept and tidied. If one suitor glimpsed another there was a silent awkwardness in which one would slip away to go on a short walk, out of sight, to return when the other had made his claim. Sometimes, and more thrillingly, they challenged each other. Not as some displays went: no wrestling matches or shows of strength. But glares and dominance was challenged and established. This, from crags and overlooks, was noted by watchful eyes. 

The first timers or casual groups were obvious. Though bright and fine clothes was encouraged, extreme gaudiness was noted as being too forward. Too offensive to keen eyes. Bells too were often a sign of simple merriment, and many came and danced for the strange womenfolk, jingling and ringing madly as they flailed and grinned, and, strangely, often got attention from them. Some would come down in ones or twos and circle the performing male, eyes darting all over, head bobbing this way and that, stuck between cautious and amused. The bells and silly display would cause laughter and brief touches to be given. A bell gifted to a Harpy who requested such an amusing bauble or toy could earn a nice rock or feather or somesuch token in return. Many such jesters asked for kisses in return, hence the common expression of “kisses for bells” or “bells for kisses”, when someone offers something of little worth for a high price or vice versa. Young females sometimes risked a kiss on the cheek, or a nuzzle or something just as equally questionable as the Matrons watched on disapprovingly. More often than not playful swats were aimed at the cheeky offender and he would leap and dart away, jingling all the while...not all tolerated such behaviour however. In some cases menfolk simply did not return from the Displays. 

On craggy islands, a few scarred men dared to haul net-fulls of fish before cruel jagged cliffs and shouted over the crash of waves to creatures just as opportunistic and hardy as them. Sometimes they were jeered and pelted with fishbones. Sometimes, the womenfolk were so haughty in their rejection they even left the precious amounts of food to simply rot and stink in mounds where they sat. Othertimes fishermen recognised wing patterns that they often saw diving into the surf to retrieve fish, and there was a foundation of admiration already laid without a word said.

But the serious men came from all over to the flocks that tolerated such pairings. Fresh food, (impressive amounts and varieties) was a good start. Some painted or decorated the performance area. Shows of strength, oratory skill, and dance were all usual choices. Some kept returning for a few years, and eventually would earn favour with one, such as Oswin of Shawworth. A shy boy who came home one night and called his family outside to meet a small and slim figure who shied from the torchlights. They did not know he had gone three years in a row, each time receiving little or no response from the silent trees. Others came boldly, loaded with carts of possessions all laid forth for offerings. Although this did not mean instant reciprocation in displays, it certainly helped in grabbing the attention. A man was to care for his mate, and if he broke said bond then the flock would seek him and harry his livestock, steal and destroy his crops and home, and in extreme cases, torment his family. 

Some brought expensive mirrors and reflective surfaces some harpies found so fascinating. Such were prized objects by all, and so even a simple handmirror was the same as a wedding band. But there were those who went above and beyond. Those who flung open capes to reveal stitched in stained glass that shone and reflected lights that had heads strain over ledges to peer down and had harpies fly down to view in wonder, darting back to settle down with the others and then returning. Many came to circle that particular man (a brash and dramatic merchant of some renown) and though many came forth, a few brushing his shoulders or hair with their fingertips, seeing who he responded to and admiring him closer, he eventually rounded on a young thing, all shy wonder who simply stood and stared and stared. He turned and closed the space between them and he waited for her to show some sign of interest, sensing those around him go from envy to a tense watchfulness. As a human noble he may have swept in to kiss and seduce her, but such forwardness would cause him to be rebuked here. Overcome, the little sparrow fled, much to his disappointment, but then a female was sent to wave him forth, his bride-to-be standing blushing next to who was probably her mother.

 And to the arid south west and furthest east, men tied lengths of silk or cloth to them as they danced, showing muscle and grace much akin to a bird, and this found them a admiring females whose hands brushed over arching backs and curled limbs, reflecting movements breathlessly without realising. Some danced together for some time, such as in the famous tale of The Prince and Inza, showing how man too could be as swift and graceful as they themselves. His dances, his honeysweet words dripping from soft lips, his speed and skill in swordsmanship and on the horse. Most know the story, as it is both historical fact and beautifully laced with impossibilities that only true heroes in love can accomplish. Inza refused to accept all suitors as no human man matched up to her. Even the Prince of the Great Ruler of the Ten Kingdoms did not have her respect. Each and every time he came calling she challenged him at a skill. 

Somehow, he would beat her each time, or at least be her equal. She challenged him to a test of wills, and wandered the desert with her sisters watching from on high. The Prince almost killed himself and collapsed, being delivered to his camp and being kept to recuperate for months. Inza collapsed as soon as she heard she had won, and believed the admirable human to no longer bother her. But the two had bonded over all this time, and the Prince announced how there was no woman of her equal, and even if she were not perfect, he loved her. The Doctors tried to assure his father it was delerium still but the wise ruler shook his head softly and insisted he knew true love’s gentle sureness when he heard it. 

So, having risked death, he returned to her, and Inza felt more respect for him than even any of her sisters or any she had met before, but Inza’s need to be better still controlled her. His success and affection made her flush with confusion, desire, and anger, and so insisted upon an impossible challenge: he was to shoot a target carried in her claw with an arrow. Inza was of those fast, predator types, and to even keep up with her over the dunes was a struggle. Then to release the reigns of his mighty steed and try and shoot further than a human eye could see? No man would agree to it, unless he were a fool!

But, as before, he simply bowed and agreed to her terms, his quiet confidence and bravery shown so gallantly prickling her. But for once she found her tongue unable to call him a fool, for when she had in the past, it had been when she first met him, and thought him some arrogant idiot who expected everyone to fall at his feet due to his wealth. A fool he was not. Inza was astounded when he kept pace with her. She rose higher in the air and was infuriated to see him take his bow and notch an arrow, training it on her! Infuriated, she darted sideways, smiling to herself in her cunning. He would have to stare into the hot desert sun to shoot.....he wouldn’t be able to. But the man so loved Inza he stared into the sun and loosed his arrow, falling from his horse with a cry a second before the arrow, sent wide from his tumble, pierced Inza’s leg and she shrieked out her pain, clutching at her leg. Looking down, her rage dissipated as she saw a small speck rolling down a dune....a body of someone who had come to mean much to her. Diving, she landed and limped, then fell to his side. Cradling him, she rolled him over. Blinded and defeated, his first words were only of concern for her, and he feared he had killed her with the arrow when he heard her scream. To know she was dead as he staggered about the desert dying would truly be the most horrible yet just cosmic act for his foolishness. But, sobbing, Inza insisted he was no fool, and it was she who was. Her pride had caused her not only to reject a desirable coupling, but to cause this beautiful man to fall so low....thus, weeping, she stayed with him until her sisters came and helped them both back to where both men and winged woman stood waiting breathlessly. Time passed; his blindness faded, and her wound healed. The two were inseparable, changing how the many lands under his rule saw harpies, and spawned the beautiful Winged Princes of that mighty Empire’s Golden period.... 

And still, on certain dates presently, men steal from their homes, dressed as brightly as fools, laden with goods like merchants, and with shifty eyes and guilty expressions like naughty schoolboys, perhaps hoping to find their own Inza...

[daydreamerdrew]

I’m very intrigued by this one specific way the origins of Kent Nelson and the Post-Crisis Billy Batson diverge: how the respective higher power manipulates the parents and what their intentions with the parents were.

I find Kent Nelson and Billy Batson such interesting characters to compare because there are these obviously similar elements between them, but they’re taken in such different directions, which culminates in Kent’s life being a horror story and Billy’s life being a superhero adventure story.

In Kent Nelson’s origin as Doctor Fate, he’s brought along with his archeologist father to a dig where he discovers the preserved prior host of Fate, Nabu. In opening Nabu’s tomb, Kent inadvertently releases a gas that immediately kills his father, as shown here in DC Special Series (1977) #10, and Inza Nelson frames this as “Leaving Kent alone with Nabu in the tomb. Miles from human help. Which is exactly as the Lords of Order wished it.”

And then Doctor Fate (1987) #2 suggests that Kent’s father was manipulated into bringing him there in the first place, with Kent realizing “It was so out of character for him. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lords of Order planted the idea in his head.”

It’s all this that allows Fate to take over Kent’s life, transforming him into an adult and then influencing his mind so that he won’t question or resist him.

Whereas neither Billy or Mary are at the archeological excavation in The Power of Shazam! (1994) original graphic novel when C.C. and Marilyn Batson and Theo Adam discover the tomb of Teth Adam. When Theo Adam attacks to Batsons in order to take a scarab from the tomb, C.C. tells Marilyn to go get help from someone outside while he fends off Theo. After doing so Marilyn runs to their hotel room, thinking “Why in God’s name am I here anyway? I should be at the local police!” And she realizes that she actually took the scarab with her and asks “What compelled me to-?”

Marilyn was mentally manipulated by the Wizard Shazam into taking the scarab, which contained Teth Adam’s spirit and therefore his powers from when he was the Wizard’s champion, and hiding it from Theo. But the Batsons were not manipulated into going to the dig in the first place. In fact, The Power of Shazam! (1995) #12 established that the Wizard didn’t know that they were going there until it was too late to prevent it.

The Power of Shazam! #12 also established that the Wizard had actually originally chosen C.C. Batson as his champion, not Billy, and C.C. would have become Captain Marvel had he not been murdered in circumstances outside of the Wizard’s control. 

After C.C. and Marilyn are killed, the Wizard spends several months watching Billy as he’s given into the care of his Uncle Ebenezer and then is abandoned and lives on the streets of Fawcett City before finally deciding to make Billy his champion.

Some adults do automatically see something dark in the story of a mysterious shadowed figure guiding young Billy Batson to the Rock of Eternity where an ancient wizard gives him superpowers, and I think it was ingenious choice on Jerry Ordway’s part to add this new element to the mythos when modernizing the character in the 90s. Because when the Wizard Shazam himself was manipulated by how Billy is truly destined to become Captain Marvel, it limits how much you can judge the Wizard for choosing Billy and maintains the character as someone you can tell fun superhero adventures stories with.

But while I don’t see anything dark in the premise behind Billy Batson, I think you always have to acknowledge the elephant in the room regarding his publishing history. The darkening of the Doctor Fate mythos occurred over time and so comes across as a natural development that’s still in line with the spirit of the original character, whereas Billy inherently couldn’t receive a natural development that changed much about him at all.

The character was forcibly removed from comic books in 1953, right before the Silver Age began, and then missed the entirety of it. When DC revived the character in the 70s, the decision was to publish them as they were before, effectively making them Golden Age characters being published in the Bronze Age. Since then we’ve seen quite a few different reboots of the character.

It’s not so much that there’s anything inherent about the premise behind him that makes him incompatible with changing, but that his complex publishing history has prevented him from being changed in the process of being continuously published across comic book eras, so he’s forever less malleable in the eyes of fans. I’m certainly not immune to this- I balk at the idea of criticizing the Wizard for choosing Billy!

But, at the same time, many of those aforementioned fans were drawn to Billy because they found his Golden Age styling appealing. And I have felt that it’s better to maintain that styling that makes him unique, and to write those darker comics about characters- like Doctor Fate- who already have the groundwork for it laid in their history.