Doctor Strange may be the Sorcerer Supreme most prevalent in the public consciousness due to his prominence in the MCU, but DC’s Doctor Fate has been kicking around the comics for a longer time. A Lord of Order, the wizard Nabu’s spirit inhabits the Helmet of Fate, which was discovered in a tomb by archaeologist Kent Nelson.
Nabu trained Nelson in the mystic arts, and Doctor Fate, one of DC’s most powerful magicians, was born. How powerful is he? Here are Doctor Fate’s top 10 powers and abilities, ranked.
10 FLIGHT
The basis of Doctor Fate's powers and capabilities is magic, which allows him the ability to fly. This might seem somewhat humdrum when considering how many superheroes can do this, but a lot of them can't, so it remains an important ability.
With flight, Doctor Fate can travel from place to place with ease, allowing him to get to crisis centers quickly and unencumbered. It also affords him the ability to be more maneuverable, giving him a tactical advantage in battle.
9 TELEKINESIS
Telekinesis may be most closely associated with Jean Grey or Professor X, but Doctor Fate is also capable of moving things with his mind. Granted, he may not be as powerful as the Phoenix Force or the most powerful mutant mind on planet Earth, but Fate can focus his mind strong enough to affect change in the physical world.
This ability is more powerful when the host is wearing the Helmet of Fate, but is present without it, albeit to a lesser degree.
8 STRENGTH
The Lords of Order are powerful mystic beings, representatives of structure in the cosmos, and sworn enemies of the Lords of Chaos. As one of them, Nabu has tremendous physical strength which he can share with his human host.
Also, with magic augmenting his power, Doctor Fate's physical strength is considerable, as he can lift objects such as cars and buildings with relative ease. Doctor Fate has been able to go toe-to-toe with Superman and hold his own, indicating the extreme levels of his strength.
7 ENERGY & ELEMENTAL CONTROL & PROJECTION
For one of DC's preeminent sorcerors, manipulating the elements is as easy as getting The Joker to smile. Doctor Fate can control and conjure powerful energies, directing them into concussive bolts to subdue opponents. He also can form those energies into flame, ice, or lightning, choosing from amongst them as the situation dictates.
With Doctor Fate on one's side in a battle, villains susceptible to the elements are at a severe disadvantage and should give him a wide berth.
6 FORCE FIELD PROJECTION
Another useful ability in Doctor Fate’s repertoire is his ability to create force fields. Much like the Fantastic Four’s Invisible Woman, Fate can conjure defensive shields to protect himself and others from all forms of projectiles, energy projections, and debris.
Fate can also use them as Green Lantern does, as spherical transportation nodules for himself and others. Finally, he can create fields as force projections and invisible battering rams to attack opponents or smash through walls.
5 INVULNERABILITY
Between Doctor Fate’s status as a Lord of Order, his mastery over magic, and his ability to conjure force fields, it should come as no surprise that invulnerability is also one of his capabilities.
Like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Captain Marvel, Doctor Fate is impervious to most forms of projectile attacks and can deflect everything from bullets to energy bolts. It would take a tremendous amount of force to faze Doctor Fate, so unless his opponent is a powerful magician or has access to cosmic energies, his invulnerability will keep him safe.
4 INTANGIBILITY
As if the good doctor wasn’t powerful enough, he can also transmute his body into an intangible form. As the Martian Manhunter, when Doctor Fate wills it, his immaterial form can pass effortlessly through any substance, allowing him unparalleled reconnaissance abilities.
It also affords Fate the chance to allow bullets or any other projectiles to pass through him. The only instance in which this ability can be counteracted is magical; if one of his enemies casts a blocking spell, Doctor Fate cannot pass through the area where the spell is in effect.
3 TELEPATHY
It may not be obvious, but Doctor Fate is a powerful telepath who has no problem reading just about anyone’s mind. Affording him a unique ability to telegraph his adversaries’ next moves in battle or interrogate them without them even knowing, Doctor Fate’s telepathy is unbelievably useful to himself and his allies in terms of battle tactics and intelligence gathering.
Fate's telepathy also affords him the ability to raise mental shields, eliminate delusions from someone’s mind, and alter memories at a whim.
2 SPELL-CASTING
If Doctor Fate is one of the DC Universe’s most powerful magicians, it logically follows that spell-casting would be one of his most powerful abilities. Seeing as how Nabu, the Lord of Order who inhabits the Helmet of Fate, has spent millennia honing his magical skills, the variety and extent of his mystical ability is vast and near-infinite.
Although his tutoring of Kent Nelson in those skills is extensive but far from complete, Doctor Fate can conjure anything from energy blasts to trans-dimensional portals with nearly no limitations save for one: He can’t undo someone else’s spells.
1 TRANS-DIMENSIONAL TELEPORTATION
Of all the spells Doctor Fate can cast, by far his most powerful is the opening of trans-dimensional portals and his ability to teleport through them. With this spell, Fate can appear anywhere he wishes at any time instantaneously, increasing his efficacy in matters of battling evil. He can also transport others away, bringing allies with him where he or they needs to be or banishing evildoers and malevolent entities to alternate dimensions.
Trans-dimensional transport is something most comic book heroes and villains spend lifetimes researching and trying to attain, which Doctor Fate can do effortlessly.