Dr. Khalid Nassour (Arabic: خالد نصور) 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 (May, 2015) and is the eighth version of Doctor Fate. Unlike prior versions, the character has profound ties to the ancient Egyptian aesthetic of the Doctor Fate moniker, 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.
Debuting as a mixed Egyptian-American and chosen by ancient Egyptian deities 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, the character is grand-nephew of the original Doctor Fate and is supported by archangels in relation to his faith and Nabu, one of the Lords of Order. Unlike past versions of Fate, Nassour has agency in the role as Doctor Fate, and Nabu is characterized as a spiritual guide. The character began as a medical student but later status quo changes led to him being a physician, the sole incarnation of Doctor Fate in modern stories, and is alternatively supported by the goddess Hauhet in place of Nabu.
First featured in his own Doctor Fate solo title, he is often a reoccurring character in Justice League Dark and Justice Society of America comic book titles.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 (Kent Nelson), 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 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 Ram V 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. Nassour also appeared in the event DC K.O., featured in variant covers and previews for the crossover event and previews.
Characterization
Fictional character biography The characters' history is subjected to varying inconsistencies; originally the direct successor of Kent Nelson, Nassour has been placed as the eight successor of Doctor Fate (after Kent V. Nelson) and recently, he is considered the fourth successor. His origin story was also clarified to take place during the "Darkseid War" and "Dark Nights: Metal" storylines.
Born to Mohammend Nassour and Elizabeth Nassour (nee Nelson), Khalid Nassour is a second-generation Egyptian-American and Muslim whose paternal family lineage is connected to ancient Egyptian pharaohs. By age twenty-two, Nassour is a former EMT and summa cum laude college graduate with aspirations to become a physician. Just before starting medical school, he is chosen by Bastet as the newest incarnation of Doctor Fate due to his pharaoh bloodline awakening magical powers and is granted the Helmet of Fate. With the aid of Nabu, the spiritual guide of the Helmet of Fate, he is tasked with overcoming Anubis, who threatens to destroy the world and testable a new hierarchy of power. While initially reluctant to take the role, he accepts the role and manages to defeat the god. While balancing his superhero and ordinary life, he battles various foes and encounters great uncle Kent Nelson, who reveals himself as the original Doctor Fate and before mentoring him in the mystic arts.Sometime later, his apprenticeship is interrupted for when he is imprisoned by Nabu in a vase, whom hijacked Nelson's body and turns to extreme methods to battle the Otherkind, who feed on magic, and removes Nassour to deter him. He is freed by Man-Bat, a new member of Wonder Woman's incarnation of the Justice League Dark team studying magic in a humanoid hybrid form that allows him to retain intelligence. Aiding the team, he is instrumental in stopping Nabu and the Lords of Order's plans to destroy all magic to starve the Otherkind, which would include countless magical dimensions and beings connected to magic as causalities. Nabu is sealed into the Helmet of Fate once more, unable to be used without a willing host, and Nassour joins the Justice League Dark alongside Kent Nelson as an advisor but rejects Kent's insistence on Khalid being the next Doctor Fate. He rescinds his decision a short time afterwards when the sorceress supervillain Circe founds the Injustice League Dark and strikes at the team with her newfound power, possessing Hecate's mystical power. When the villains gain the upper-hand, Nassour convinces Nabu to let him don the helm with agency and cede his power successfully, and helps defeat the villains and officially succeeds Nelson as Doctor Fate. He would become a trusted member of the Justice League and Justice League Dark, aiding the team in balancing the elemental forces and was pivotal in opposing Upisde-Down Man (leader of the Otherkind) but was knocked out during the battle. Kent would step in his place and sacrificed himself to deal a blow but depletes the helm in the process and Zatanna ultimately defeats the magical being. Nassour would partner with Man-Bat to aid in restoring his helm's power and finds it inhabited by a new Egyptian spirit, the deity Hauhet and warns him of his impending defeat and destruction of the Tower of Fate at a evil Merlin's hands. He aids the Justice League Dark in fending off Merlin's agents (including a resurrected Arion) but he escapes.
He also helps various heroes (Flash, Superman, Naomi, etc.) 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. While the Justice League and Justice League Dark banded together to battle Xanadoth, whom possessed Black Adam, Nabu temporarily returns to aid them. Following the supposed demise of core Justice League members, Nassour joins the Justice Society of America and helps in efforts to defeat Pariah and the Great Darkness. Some time after Nezha's reemergence, it is deduced by Batman that Khalid would have been bested by the demon, explaining his possession of the Helmet of Fate and his disappearance. Batman would enlist new hero Dreamer to track him down and rescue him in a bid to track the Helmet of Fate.