Khalid Nassour is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Paul Levtiz and artist Sonny Liew, Khalid originally appeared in Aquaman: Convergence #2 (July 2015) before headlining his own Doctor Fate series with Levitz creating Khalid with an emphasis on diversity and wanting to make him distinct from the original incarnation of Doctor Fate created by Gardner Fox. He is notable one of DC Comic's Arab/Muslim superheroes.

Within the DC Universe, Khalid Nassour is a medical student of both Egyptian and White American heritage who came into contact with Ancient Egyptian deities and Nabu, a member of the fictional Lords of Order and Mesopotamian figure. Nassour was chosen to be designated as the next sorcerous hero known as Doctor Fate to protect the world from supernatural threats despite it coming to conflict with his heritage, faith, and social life. Eventually, the character was revealed to be the grand nephew of the original Doctor Fate, Kent Nelson, through his maternal line and became his apprentice, successor after Nelson's death during the "A Costly Trick of Magic" storyline, and a recurring character in the Justice League & Justice League Dark roster.

Nasour would also make his first animated appearance in the fourth season of Young Justice. Although similar to his comic book counterpart, the series featured more emphasis on his Muslim heritage alongside other changes.

After the conclusion of the Convergence limited series in June 2015 and the start of the "DC Rebirth" line, DC launched a new Doctor Fate ongoing series, written by Paul Levitz and drawn by Sonny Liew. The title focused on the newest Doctor Fate, an Egyptian-American medical student named Khalid Nassour. According to Levitz, Dan Didio and Jim Lee wanted a different feel from the original incarnation when Gardner Fox created him during the Golden Age of Comic Books. Levitz said the Egyptian connection of the original is what fascinated him the most.

"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?"^[1]

"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."^[1]

The series ran for 18 issues from June 2015 to November 2016.^[2] In the series, Khalid's origin story revolves around him coming to terms with his destiny to oppose the dark god Anubis, having been chosen by the Egyptian gods (Bastet notably) and Nabu himself as the next sorcerer in line to bear the mantle "Doctor Fate". Thrusted into conflict with Anubis, Khalid eventually embraces his destiny and pharaoh ancestry, defeating Anubis in the process and becoming the new Doctor Fate.^[3] The series also featured stories involving Khalid using his powers to defusing riots at the United Nations while balancing his life as a medical student. It is also revealed his mother, Elizabeth Nassour, to be the niece of Kent Nelson, who he becomes an apprentice under.^[4][5]

In 2018, DC launched a second Justice League Dark series written by James Tynion IV starring a new roster lead by Wonder Woman. In this roster, Khalid was revealed to be an eventual new member of the Justice League as the lead Doctor Fate instead of Kent Nelson. The character also was redesigned with a new Doctor Fate costume.^[6]

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 award-winning author Ram V featuring a new storyline with Khalid remaining a reoccurring member of the Justice League Dark subdivision.^[7] Khalid would also appear in several title crossovers such as Superman, Teen Titans Academy, and The Flash.

The son of an Egyptian physician turned taxi cab driver and an American archaeologist, Mohammed and Elizabeth Nassour respectively, Khalid is an Egyptian-American student graduate set on going to medical school alongside his girlfriend. While looking for his girlfriend in the Brooklyn Museum, he comes across a statue of the ancient Egyptian deity, Bastet, and is presented the Helmet of Fate (called the Helm/Mask of Thoth in the story) though he initially rejects the artifact. Khalid soon discovers he possess magical powers while saving a child from mortal danger and encounters Bastet in the form of family pet, Puck, who bestows to him the helm, becoming Doctor Fate (called Fate in the story).. Khalid soon learns of the unnatural weather phenomenon being caused by the ancient Egyptian death god, Anubis, who had overstepped his cosmic duties and his role in blinding his Mohammed in a car accident, having targeted the Nassour bloodline for their connection to ancient pharaohs of old. While battling the supernatural occurrences caused by Anubis, Khalid also attempts to balance out his newfound life with his old life as a first year medical student. Eventually, Khalid battles with Anubis and loses before being dragged by the death god into the afterlife. While Anubis tries to damn Khalid's fate, Thoth appears to his defense and denounces his attempts at overstepping his bounds though Anubis attacks Thoth, gaining the upper-hand due to the ancient Egyptian religion having lost its worshippers, leaving other ancient deities of the pantheon with far lesser power. Thoth bestows Khalid his staff, allowing him to be reanimated once more and battle Anubis again. Drawing power from his blood, the power of his staff combined with his pharaoh blood making him a chosen priest of Atum, he is able to invoke power over Anubis and defeat him. Although the death god is defeated, he learns that this was only the beginning of his duties as Doctor Fate.^[3]

While balancing his newfound life as Doctor Fate and personal life, Khalid struggles with his lack of knowledge of the supernatural and the vague guidance of the Lord of Order, Nabu. It would late be revealed that Khalid's mother, Elizabeth, was the niece of Kent Nelson, making him his great uncle. Khalid meets Nelson and discovers his past as the previous Doctor Fate, agreeing to mentor and tutor him into his newfound role while also simultaneously acting as Doctor Fate, having ascended to a level where he no longer needed to wear the artifacts associated with Doctor Fate to draw their power. The two of them would come into conflict with Osiris, who is behind the sudden resurrections of mummies and the Ghost of Julius Caesar during a protest in Egypt.^[5][4]

Khalid would make a re-appearance years later in the Justice League Dark's "The Last Age of Magic" storyline; Still an apprentice to Kent Nelson, Khalid is revealed to have been imprisoned inside a vase while the Justice League Dark team go to speak to Nelson to learn more information about the Otherkind , supernatural creatures that feed on magic, and its connection to the newly made Tree of Wonder. When the vase is broken by Ragman, Khalid is momentarily freed from imprisonment long enough to warn some members of Justice League Dark that Nabu had hijacked his mentor's body for weeks and imprisoned him before the vase reconstructs itself, imprisoning Khalid once more.^[8]

It is revealed through a series of flashbacks that prior to his imprisonment, he had witnessed an argument between Nabu and Nelson over the course of action to take with the re-emergence of the Tree of Wonder and the Otherkind. While trying to sleep, he hears and follows his mentor sleepwalking due to Nabu's actions of hijacking his body and making him don the helm. Following Nabu into the Realm of Order, he overhears Nabu and the other Lords of Order's plan to destroy the Sphere of the Gods, the origin point of magic in the universe, to starve out the Otherkind to death with the collateral effect of destroying all creatures and realms made up of magic, extinguishing them. He pleads with the Lords of Order to reconsider their plan. Nabu attempts to kill Khalid only for Nelson's body to intervene, his strength of will prohibiting Nabu from killing his grand-nephew.

After events of the Witching Hour, Man-Bat brings the vase containing Khalid back to JLD Headquarters, where he uses magic for the first time and performs a spell that frees Khalid from his imprisonment. Man-Bat and Khalid journey to Myraa where he allies himself with the resistance group lead by Blue Devil and Detective Chimp to fight Nabu and the other Lords of Order. As their efforts nearly fail, Wonder Woman and Zatanna arrives with newfound power given to them by Mordru, making them and other members of Justice League Dark Lords of Chaos temporarily, giving them the power to oppose the Lords of Order. In the ensuring battle, Khalid binds Nabu and gives Jason Blood time to use the Demon Three to free Nelson's body from Nabu's control. As the battle turns in favor to the Justice League Dark's team, Nabu fends off the forces alone. With the combined efforts of Khalid, Nelson, Blood, Phantom Stranger, and Zatanna, Nabu is imprisoned back into the helm, unable to permanent use his own power without the need of a host.

In the aftermath of the battle, Wonder Woman approaches Nelson on becoming a member of Justice League Dark as Doctor Fate, seeing the figure as a symbol of power despite Nabu's latest action against the magical community. Nelson rejects becoming Doctor Fate and although he recommends Khalid possibly being Doctor Fate, Khalid also rejects the idea. He and Nelson both agree to be a member of the Justice League Dark to act as wizard advisors behind the scenes while benching the Doctor Fate mantle due to the risks.^[9]

Now a member of Justice League Dark, Khalid along with the group come into conflict with the Injustice League Dark, the super-villain counterpart of their team led by a transformed Circe, having gathered the power of Hecate for herself, and enlisted other well known super-villains' of magical origin: Klarion the Witch Boy, Papa Midnite, Floronic Man, and Solomon Grundy. As Circe begins converting magical power sources to herself and rewriting the "rules of magic" and reality itself, the team struggles to battle Circe within her newfound power and allies, losing Swamp Thing in the process. As Circe's plan comes to fruition of hijackings Wonder Woman's body and enlisting Eclipso alongside her cause, Khalid dons the helmet once more and turns the tide of the battle, allowing Wonder Woman the opportunity to barter Circe to be imprisoned in her own world with the power of Hecate residing within Wonder Woman. Khalid permanently becomes the sole acting Doctor Fate, with Nabu moved by his host's words regarding his importance and agreed to cede all control of Doctor Fate to Khalid.^[10]

In the final storyline of the Justice League Dark title, Khalid is instrumental in helping the Justice League Dark restore order among the elemental forces of the DC Universe, re-convening a ritual known as the "Parliment of Life" which would balance out the elemental forces known as The Green, The Red, The Grey, and The Divided. While Nabu attempted to strong arm the representatives of the forces to no avail due to feeling as though humanity is doomed, Khalid counters their claims stating that humanity's very belief in them makes them. Later, Khalid alongside the Justice League Dark would battle the Upside Down Man, the leading force behind the Otherkind while having to believe their magic is able to defeat their foe. Khalid is incapacitated in the ensuing battle, causing Nelson to don the helm for a final time and sacrifice himself to unleash a spell powerful enough to hurt the Upside Down Man entity at the cost of his body. The effort is successful and eventually leads to Upside Down Man's defeat by Zatanna, who lets him absorb her and destroys the majority of his presence and imprison him inside of her in a far more weakened form.^[11]

In the "Mythological" Superman storyline, Khalid appears as Doctor Fate and teams up with Superman to battle the supernatural entity known as Xanadoth, the reputed former ruler of the Lords of Chaos whose power and ambition was feared commonly by both the Lords of Order, Lords of Chaos, and the Lords of Eternal Balance.^[12]

In the Teen Titans Academy "X Marks the Spot" storyline, it is revealed that one of the Teen Titans Academy student, Stitch, is actually Doctor Fate's newest apprentice whom had since enlisted into the academy to help her understand what it means to be a hero.^[13]

In the Justice League Dark storyline, Khalid mysteriously finds that Nabu has disappeared from inside the Helm of Fate while plagued with visions of the future, seeing the Tower of Fate falling before a powerful wizard, whom is revealed to be DC Comic's version of Merlin. A new entity has also inhabited the Helm of Fate in place of Nabu, whom is revealed to eventually be Hauhet, an Egyptian goddess and ally of Nabu whose presence in the helm disturbs Khalid from her more ambiguous intentions. The visions plaguing Khalid are occurrences that supposedly will precede the series of events depicted in DC Comic's Future State that will cause the fall of the Tower of Fate, Merlin's control of the magical forces of Earth, and the recruiting of powerful magicians such as Jason Blood, The Enchantress, and Arion as his subordinate magical knights.

Due to the manipulations of Yuga Khan, father of Darkseid, the normally heroic wizard is cast into a villainous role as he attempts to control the world of magic through a series of pawns and gambits of controlling magic. When Khalid and Justice League Dark find themselves pitted against Merlin, he proves to be a powerful and guile foe. During their hunt for him, they are assisted by other related magicians and warriors such as re-introduced character Randhir Singh, newly recruited Elnara Roshtu (Eternal Knight), Mister E, and Aquaman. Merlin works to re-trace the past sites of ancient Atlantis with intent of location the Atlantean font of power that allows him to draw into the magical reserve known as Darkworld, an extra-dimensional source of old Atlantean magic connected to the Great Darkness and the origin point of ancient Atlantean deities. While Justice League Dark assists Aquaman and the Silent School under the belief Merlin is attempting to control a form of magic considered untamable, the fulcrum of his plan is revealed that instead of seeking to control a force he knows he cannot control, he instead will control it through a mind controlled pawn with a natural connection to it long thought dead, a revived Arion. Justice League Dark and Atlantis suffer heavy losses as the team is forced to contain the threat of the Upside-Down Man, whose influence is revealed to linger inside Zatanna, and the damage created by Merlin's opening of Darkworld in Atlantis. With no strategy to effectively counter Merlin, Mister E appears and reveals to them of how Merlin's turn of evil came to be, having witnessed it backwards from outside space-time. Khalid and Zatanna would establish a secret pact with Mister E unbeknownst to the other Justice League Dark members, agreeing to trade in a portion of Merlin's soul containing his childish personality responisble for shaping him to being an eventual hero over his callous, cold front, for the magical artifact on Merlin's persons that would enable him to murder magicians. Reluctantly, Zatanna forges the pact in blood with Mister E, with Khalid cautious at the potential sacrifice.^[14]

Unlike previous iterations of Doctor Fate, Paul Levitz created Khalid's character with an emphasis on Doctor Fate's Egyptian aspect by making the character bi-racial of both Egyptian and White American heritage and while young, the character was emphasized to be a medical student and not college age, making him slightly older. Levitz's characterization with Khalid in the Doctor Fate series was intended to take inspiration from characters like Spider-Man and Doctor Strange (the latter whom Levitz collaborated with often throughout his career), being a young man thrusted with great responsibilities going through a journey of self-discovery in a world similar to the likes of Doctor Strange.^[1]

Sika A. Dogbovie-Mullins from Mixed-Race Superheroes opined that Khalid's rise to super heroics is not stemmed from his mixed race heritage but instead through virtue of his blood (through his father's side) and a "divine right of kings" and follows a Chosen One archetype. Unlike other American and Americanized superheroes like Batman or Superman, heroes who choose to fight truth, justice, and the American way, Khalid is chosen to fight for truth, justice, and the "(ancient) Egyptian ways".^[15]

Khalid Nassour is a skilled sorcerer and considered one of Earth's most powerful magicians,^[11] possessing a natural affinity for magic due to his pharaoh bloodline.^[3] While he initially had little understanding of his powers and the world of magic, he would come to study under the tutelage of the previous Doctor Fate, Kent Nelson, whose lessons made Khalid into a formidable sorcerer.^[16] Khalid often combines his sorcery with other artifacts, notably the Helm of Fate. In addition to his magical powers, Khalid is knowledgeable in the occult and the workings of the universe.^[16] He also has extensive medical knowledge and is a certified emergency medical technician (EMT).^[4]

As Doctor Fate, Khalid has access to powerful talismans associated with its bearers: most powerful of them is the Helmet of Fate, acting as a repository of godly level power and containing the spirit of the Lord of Order, Nabu, the Helm of Fate (sometimes called the Helm of Thoth) bolsters Khalid magical abilities and bestows to him power given to its bearers: flight, healing, control over the natural elements (wind, fire, earth, air) and lightning, and intangibility.^[17] Bearers of the helm also are given the Amulet of Anubis, a magical artifact that houses a pocket dimension and increases the power of Doctor Fate's sorcery. He also is granted the Cloak of Destiny, a magical clock granting the user superhuman strength, limited invulnerability, and is considered fireproof. Unique to Khalid is the Staff of Power, bestowed to him by Thoth capable of controlling and projecting magical energy and is powered by his pharaoh bloodline. The staff was given to him during his second battle with Anubis.^[3][17]

In the original Doctor Fate 2015 series, several characters have an influence on Khalid's life and his activities as a superhero. Mohammed, Khalid's Islamic and Egyptian father and former physician turned taxi driver, was born and raised in Egypt before moving to America after marrying his American wife and archaeologist, Elizabeth. His father is aware of his endeavors as Doctor Fate, has knowledge of their family history, and supports his son in both his personal and superhero life as he yearns for him to be a physician, an opportunity he no longer has due to moving to the United States. Although his mother is initially unaware of her son's double life, she learns of it and supports him.^[3][5] After becoming Doctor Fate, he is mentored by both Nabu and later Kent Nelson, the former initially characterized as vague and cryptic in his teaching. Later characterizations in other titles depicts Nabu as a stern and abrasive mentor who is fond of Khalid though their relationship becomes strained for a time until he embraces him once more, ceding control of his power to Khalid unlike the previous Doctor Fate. Nelson is also characterized as a strict and stern mentor, encouraging him to fix his own mistakes regardless of how he feels. Overtime, the two develop a deep familial bond. The fictional depiction of Egyptian Bastet often also serves as a figure of guidance, having chosen him to bear the mantle of Doctor Fate. While she initially questions her decisions in choosing him, she later comes to accept and deems Khalid worthy.^[3]

Akila and Shaya Halim both serve as his love interests in the Doctor Fate series. The former a Muslim activist and childhood friend of Khalid, she encourages Khalid towards activism though she is unaware of his secret life as a mystical superhero. Although she has come to have feelings for Khalid, he seems unaware of it. Despite this, she is seemingly preferred by both Elizabeth and Nabu alike, the both of them insinuating (the former more than once) Khalid possibly having feelings for, in which he denies and sees her as a close platonic friend.^[4] Shaya differs from Akila in that she is Khalid's preferred love interest, the two of them explicitly affectionate and planning a future with one another, both sharing the goal of becoming physicians.^[3]

At some point after Nelson's passing, Khalid would also take on an apprentice by the name of Stitch. A non-binary, magically animated rag-doll, the two character's histories is unknown but by the time of the events in Teen Titans Academy, she is his apprentice who was sent to the academy in order to learn what it means to be a superhero.^[13]

In the Doctor Fate series, Khalid faced a small number of villains; the most notable and reoccurring opponent faced by Khalid was Anubis, the fictional depiction of the Egyptian god of the same name. Anubis targets the Nassour family due to their bloodline and relation to pharaohs of ancient Egypt, whose status as chosen priests of Atum makes them able to invoke influence over hm.^[3] He also faced a ghostly version of Julius Caesar whom is a powerful spirit due to being declare a deity after his death, such an act empowering him in his afterlife. He comes into conflict with Khalid when his summoner, an unnamed Egyptian General who pilfers artifacts and practices magic, uses him and his powers to summon ancient spirits of fallen soldiers to quell protests. Khalid frees him from the Egyptian General's control, allowing him to return to the afterlife.^[4]

Khalid appears in the fourth season of Young Justice: Phantoms, voiced by Usman Ally. While him being Kent Nelson's great-nephew and his biracial Arab heritage is intact, his Muslim roots is more emphasized and is a member of the fictional Homo Magi race, a sub-race of human beings whom are descendants of Arion in the Young Justice continuity and are capable of naturally manipulating magic. He is also a member of the Young Justice's version Sentinels of Magic, a group of students who are proteges of Zatanna Zatara. He becomes Dr. Fate in the episode "Kaerb Ym Traeh!" as part of a rotation agreement with Zatanna, Traci 13, and Giovanni Zatara.

Jessica Plummer of Book Riot acknowledged the superhero and compared the likeness of the superhero to Marvel Comics Kamala Khan. While Khan is an original Muslim superhero, so is Khalid. "He's got a great design and is part of a demographic that is still woefully underrepresented in comics" according to her.^[18]

Doctor Fate (2015)

Zachary, Brandon (26 September 2019). "Khalid Nassour: What Happened to DC's Last Doctor Fate?". CBR. Retrieved 3 April 2020.

• Doctor Fate at the DC Database