Tower of Fate (DC)
The Tower of Fate is a place that features in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Pre-Crisis
The Tower of Fate was a mystical structure that was tied to Doctor Fate.
Some claimed that Vikings had constructed the tower prior to the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. (More Fun Comics v1 #58)
The Tower of Fate was broken into by the Amazing-Man who was following the orders of the Ultra-Humanite to find and steal the Helmet of Fate. He was able to accomplish this feat with his ability to take on the properties of any substance he touched allowing him to move through the impenetrable walls of the Tower. In the midst of the theft, he was confronted by Doctor Fate and the Atom who he battled for the mystical relic. (All-Star Squadron v1 #23)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
After the death of Jared Stevens, the Tower disappeared with it initially being believed to had been destroyed with Scarab revealing its true fate. He cautioned the Justice Society about the danger posed by the Dark Lord and urged them in finding the mystical tower before it was too late as Mordru sought the Fate-Child. (JSA v1 #2) He then arrived in the Tower in order to claim the power of Fate through the Fate-Child who he had abducted. Upon arriving, he murdered the Scarab who had sought to stop him with this being witnessed by the Star-Spangled Kid who had followed the hero. The Justice Society managed to arrive on the scene where they battled Mordru who easily overpowered each of them but the fight allowed the spirit of Kent Nelson to call upon Courtney Whitmore's aid to unleash the potential within the infant Fate-Child who became the new Doctor Fate. (JSA v1 #3)
Later on, Mordru managed to trick Hector Hall allowing him to switch places with him and thus gaining control over his body where the Lord of Chaos embarked on his plans at conquering the world. He and his allies thus gathered within the Tower of Fate where he made his plans at remaking the universe in his own image. (JSA v1 #48)
In an effort to free himself from Neron, Felix Faust decided to sacrifice Ralph Dibny and took on the appearance of the Helm of Nabu. From there, he sought to gain Ralph's trust by promising to reunite him with his dead wife Sue Dibny with the pair conducting a ritual at the Tower of Fate. However, Ralph had long discovered Faust's plans and trapped him in the Tower in order to learn of his motivations. When Neron arrived to claim Faust, Dibny goaded the demon into mortally wounding him but this was a trap as he had cast a spell of binding that trapped he two villains in the Tower. (52 v1 #42)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
After Doctor Fate's avatar was destroyed, the Helm of Nabu conversed with Terri Magnus and asked her to take him to Kent Nelson who was within the Tower of Fate. The Lord of Order magically guided her to the hidden location of the Tower in order to revive the mystically asleep Nelson. (Blue Beetle v10 #9)
The newest incarnation of the Justice League Dark sought out the Tower to consult with Doctor Fate about a string of mystical deaths affecting the magical community. They were unaware that Nabu had forcibly taken control of Doctor Fate and had summoned the Otherkind into the cosmos to purge it of magic. (Justice League Dark v2 #2)
The current Doctor Fate took Superman to the Tower of Fate when the Man of Steel wanted to consult him about a matter. During this time, the Tower's barriers were breached by the recently reed Lord of Chaos Xanadoth who intended to claim the power of the Helm of Nabu. This was because she wanted to reconstitute her form and be freed from the prison that contained her. Unable to stop her alone, Doctor Fate merged his power with Superman where together with the Justice League Dark they were able to defeat Xanadoth whose host was freed from her control. (Superman v5 #24)
Overview
In appearance, it resembled a stone tower that had windows but no doors with sliding panels allowing entry or exit. (More Fun Comics v1 #58) In one instance, it was referred to as Castle Destiny. (More Fun Comics v1 #83)
The library contained numerous texts some of which were saved by Nabu from the Library of Alexandria prior to its destruction. Another chamber was a room that contained numerous scrying windows through which a person could witness events from around existence. Certain powerful magical beings were capable of shattering their respective window to prevent someone from seeing their activities. (Doctor Fate v3 #1)
The structure existed outside of time and space without it not capable of being destroyed with only aspects of it suffering from such a fate. (JSA v1 #2) As such, it served as a doorway with a tear between the mortal reality and another leading to it being considered a beacon of magical power. (Justice League Dark v2 #2) On the Earthly plane, it was situated on a hill-top in a ghostly-haunted Salem. (More Fun Comics v1 #58) It was the site of an extra-dimensional nexus in a place called the 'subtle realms' that was an area beyond space and time. Time was said not to exist within the boundaries of the tower. (JSA v1 #3) It was considered a place of no true reality and inhabited an endless series of worlds beyond time and space. (JSA v1 #4) Within the labyrinth, there were doorways to every corner of the universe including every known and unknown dimension. (JSA v1 #23) The Tower's appearance in Earth's dimension was cyclical with it materialising and disappearing at regular intervals. (JSA v1 #78) As a nexus for all realities, it served as a crossroads that existed in every dimension and on every plane of consciousness. (JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice v1 #1)
Inhabitants
- Nabu :
- Kent Nelson :
- Inza Cramer Nelson :
- Hector Hall :
Notes
- The Tower of Fate was created by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman where it made its first appearance in More Fun Comics v1 #58 (August, 1940).
Alternate Versions
- In Earth 2 v1 #10 (2013), an alternate universe version of the Tower of Fate was shown in the Post-Flashpoint Multiverse on Earth-2. It was shown to had resided in the Realm of Nabu that was something like a pocket realm with ancient texts from various people and races giving it a wide variety of names. Among these included it being referring to as the 'Tower of God', the 'Place of Broken Souls', the 'Tower of Babel', the 'Mad Ark' and as the 'Great Beast'. It was believed that as long as the Tower existed that Nabu's energies were safe within it.
- In The Multiversity: The Society of Super-Heroes: Conquerors of the Counter-World v1 #1 (2014), an alternate version of the Tower was shown to reside in the Multiverse on Earth-20. It was a black tower skyscraper located in midtown New York on 5th Avenue. It was the home of Doc Fate who gathered the Society of Super-Heroes in battling the various threats on their respective Earth.
- In Future State: Justice League v1 #2 (2021), an alternate version of the Tower of Fate appeared in the possible timeline of Future State. By 2030, Merlin in his quest to purge the world of magic came to cast a glamour spell from the Tower of Fate that would hide his actions from the rest of the world. Later on in the year 1,000,000, the Unkindness and the Lords of Chaos began wiping out the cosmos with the survivors headed by the Quintessence taking shelter in the Tower of Fate that became the last bastion of magic.
In other media
Television
- In the DC Animated Universe, the Tower of Fate made a number of appeared in the shared continuity setting.
- In Superman: The Animated Series, the unidentified tower made an appearance though was not named where it appeared in the episode "The Hand of Fate". It was the home of Doctor Fate and his wife In a who had for years operated as heroes to battle the forces of evil. This changed when he grew tired of the never ending battle and retired. Superman sought his aid after the demon Karkul was freed. Initially, Dr. Fate refused but was convinced to aid in defeating the demon.
- In Justice League Unlimited, the unidentified tower made a number of appearances in the DC Animated Universe series. It appeared in the episode "The Return" where Dr. Fate brought the android A.M.A.Z.O. to the tower when the robot sought guidance from the mystic on his purpose to life.
- In Young Justice, the Tower of Fate was the home of Dr. Fate and made an appearance in the episode "Denial". It was an invisible tower in Salem, Massachusetts that only manifested when summoned by Dr. Fate. In August 2010, the Team were dispatched to help Kent Nelson when he was targeted by the Lord of Chaos Klarion and Abra Kadabra when the pair sought the Helm of Nabu.
Films
- In Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, the unnamed tower made an appearance in the animated film. It was the home of Dr. Fate who was empowered by Nabu who gifted his helmet to select champions to become Earth's mystical champion. Steel Maxum was among the latest in a long line of mortals to had taken this role. Within the tower, there were numerous mystical relics that were contained with the most prized being the 'Get Out of Hell Free' Card. Maxum whilst on a date allowed Scandal Savage and Knockout into the tower where the pair stole the 'Get Out of Hell Free' Card. For his actions, Nabu grew displeased with Steel and stripped him of his position as Dr. Fate whereupon Maxum was barred from the tower which disappeared.
Video games
- In Injustice: Gods Among Us, the Tower of Fate was mentioned in the ending of Zatanna in this world where High Councilor Superman took over the world to eliminate crime. During this time, Zatanna used the Tower as a safe haven for those escaping the One Earth Regime until the defeat of High Councilor Superman. The Tower of Fate was then used as a prison for those that supported Superman but when the Earth governments voted to execute the Regime members. Zatanna opposed this move and instead kept them imprisoned in the Tower where they were kept in cells but alive.
Appearances
- More Fun Comics v1: (1940)
- All-Star Squadron v1:
- Fate
- JSA v1:
- 52:
- Earth-2 v1:
- Justice League Dark v2:
- Superman v5:
External Links
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