DC Makes a Major Change to Doctor Fate's Helmet

With the theatrical release of Black Adam last month, an entirely new audience is talking about the mantle of DC's Doctor Fate. The otherwordly sorcerer has been a part of the comics for decades now, with the mantle being worn by multiple people in dramatically different contexts. Along the way, the lore surrounding the Helmet of Fate has changed here and there — and it looks like recent DC comics, particularly he most recent issue of Batman vs. Robin, are no exception. Spoilers for Batman vs. Robin #3 from Mark Waid, Mahmud Asrar, and Scott Godlewski below! Only look if you want to know!

The issue reveals that the Helmet of Fate has been co-opted by Nezha and Mother Soul, who are seeking to remake the world in their mystical and maniacal image. To do so, they have forced Black Alice to use her magic-stealing abilities to turn the Helmet into a storage device for mystical powers. The Queen of Fables, and multiple other magic users like Madame Xanadu and The Phantom Stranger, have had their abilities siphoned off by Alice and transferred into the Helmet — hypothetically making its next wearer even more powerful than the usual arrangement with Nabu.

Based on previews, and even early looks at the upcoming Lazarus Planet event, it seems like Helmet will eventually be worn by Batman, so it will be interesting to see what this influx of power does for him going forward.

What is DC's Lazarus Planet?

DC has announced its first details surrounding Lazarus Planet, a weekly event that will begin in January of 2023. According to DC, Lazarus Planet will be kickstarted by the events of Batman vs. Robin #4, which will be released in comic shops this December. In the event, the Lazarus Volcano has erupted—spewing dangerous and transformative chemicals into Earth's atmosphere, resulting in chaos across the DC universe! As these Lazarus clouds rain down upon the planet, people across the globe begin to develop strange new abilities, watch their already-extraordinary abilities change, and witness a whole host of chaos unlike anything the DCU has experienced before!

The event will be showrun by Waid, with creators also including Riccardo Federici, Gene Luen Yang, Billy Tan, Nicole Maines, Skylar Patridge, Francis Manapul, Dan Watters, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and Josie Campbell. Full details and creative teams will be announced at a later date.

What do you think of the change made to Doctor Fate's helmet? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!