Kent Nelson is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in More Fun Comics #55 (May 1940). He is the first character to become Doctor Fate and is the best known version of the character.

In the DC Universe, Kent Nelson and his father discovered a tomb that held the ancient being known as Nabu. When Kent's mind was forced by Nabu to release him, the gas that filled the tomb killed his father. Feeling bad, Nabu said he would take the young Kent Nelson as his apprentice. Nabu used his magical powers to age him to adulthood and helped him become Doctor Fate.

Many people would replace Nelson as Doctor Fate such as Hector Hall, Jared Stevens, and his grand-nephew, Kent V. Nelson.

Nelson's version of Doctor Fate is often seen as one of the most powerful versions of the character.^[1][2][3] Since Nelson has lived a long life in both publication history and within the DC Universe, he is also seen as an "elder statesmen".

Wearing the Helmet of Fate makes Nelson vulnerable to being possessed by Nabu, the ancient being that controls Doctor Fate. While wearing the helmet, Nelson is unable to remember events from his time as Doctor Fate, only remembering key moments in his memory.^[4]

Kent Nelson as Doctor Fate has appeared in the television series Smallville, where he was played by Brent Stait. He appeared in the DC Extended Universe movie Black Adam, where he is played by Pierce Brosnan.^[5]

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