The Legion of Super-Heroes has always featured a wide assortment of heroes. The original version of the team even had strict rules that required each member to have some unique abilities or power. Although the series has always been grounded in sci-fi, magic usually plays some kind of role in the series, especially in regards to some of those powers.
The new version of the Legion seems to be following suit, with the revealed roster containing a number of different looking heroes. Notably, one figure in the back of the shot Brian Michael Bendis shared of Ryan Sook's team portrait last week on Late Night with Seth Meyers even seems to be wearing an extremely potent and powerful mystical artifact: the Helmet of Nabu. That apparently means that the new Legion will include a future version of Doctor Fate among their roster.
Anyone who wears the Helmet of Fate (and also wields the Amulet of Anubis and the Cloak of Destiny) can become the mortal avatar of Nabu, the Lord of Order and Fate, or more simply, Doctor Fate. This grants them immense magical abilities, making them arguably one of the most powerful magical users in the universe. The main Doctor Fate in DC continuity is Kent Nelson, the son of an archeologist who was raised by Nabu in repentance for accidentally killing his father.
Nelson is one of the oldest superheroes in the DC Universe, premiering as a member of the Justice Society of America. But he's hardlythe only person to have worn the helm. There have been multiple people who have assumed the title of Doctor Fate over the years after the (multiple) deaths of Kent. This has included Eric Strauss and his stepmother Linda, Kent's resurrected wife Inza, the former smuggler Jared Stevens and the modern college student Khalid Nassour. Since anyone who picks up the Helmet can become Doctor Fate, seeing a version of the character deep into the future has always been a possibility.
Magic users have been featured as members of the Legion of the Super-Heroes before. One of them even appears to still be a member of the team: White Witch, the sister of fellow Legionnaire Dream Girl. Born on the planet Nabor, White Witch was one of the few members of her race who didn’t have precognition, so she trained in the mystical arts instead. She has a great deal of power that has helped save the Legion more than once. However, White Witch is somewhat limited by only being capable of memorizing a handful of spells at a time.
Having the 32nd-century version of Doctor Fate among their number would give the Legion a significantly more powerful mystical member. Doctor Fate possesses a wide range of powers and abilities and is usually considered to be one of the most powerful magic users in the DC Universe at all, having existed in some form and gleaned knowledge for centuries. Given Fate's incredible staying power in the DC Universe, the continued presence of Nabu's avatar in the far future is hardly surprising.
Nabu is one of the defining mystical figures in the DC Universe, but Doctor Fate has never played a major role in the Legion before. That’s why it’s exciting to see him as a member of the team, interacting in a corner of the DC Universe where he's never been a major presence. The various artifacts that empower people to become Doctor Fate would make for a potentially unstoppable magic-user, especially in a world where magic is undervalued compared to technology.
Having an avatar of an actual god could also be a good contrast for White Witch, too. She’s had to perfect her magical abilities, and she comes with a certain set of limitations, and she could find a potential rival, mentor or ally in Fate.
Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #1 lands in stores Sept. 18, followed by Issue 2 on Oct. 2, and the launch of the ongoing Legion of Super-Heroes in November.
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