Hector Hall
Encyclopedia
Hector Hall was a superhero
who appeared in DC Comics
's Infinity, Inc., Sandman and JSA
. He has gone by the names Silver Scarab, Sandman
and, before his death, Dr. Fate.
and Shiera Hall, the Golden Age
heroes known as Hawkman
and Hawkgirl
. Carter and Shiera were reincarnation
s of an ancient Egypt
ian pharaoh and his wife, both of whom had been killed and cursed by their rival Hath-Set
. Unbeknownst to either of them, however, Hath-Set's curse also concerned any children that might be conceived by the pair. The curse of Seketh, the Ancient Egypt
ian God of Death, prophesied the combination of the Silver Scarab and the Eye of Ra, which would practically mean the end of the world. As such, when Hector was born during an archaeological dig near Cairo
, he was born without a soul
, destined to be a vessel for the Silver Scarab, an agent of vengeance called forth by Hath-Set.
To further anger Hector, his parents would frequently visit the city of Feithera and spend time with their godson Norda Cantrell
(who would become Northwind). Although the two children would be playmates as well, Hector carried a grudge against Norda for his wings and the attention he got from Hector's parents. It turned out later that, as Hector had been prophesied to become an agent of Hath-Set, Norda's destiny would be to stop him.
Young Hector Hall would sometimes also play with the other children of the Justice Society, such as Al Rothstein (godchild of the first Atom
), Lyta Trevor
(child of the first Fury
, who would grow up to marry Hector) and Rick Tyler
(the son of the first Hourman
). During one of these meetings, the kids ended up flying a jet, and almost crashed into the White House, where they were of course stopped and reprimanded by their parents.
Feeling neglected by his crime-fighting parents, in college Hector constructed a suit out of the Nth Metal
that granted his parents the power of flight, while also adding some solar improvements. Hector had enrolled at UCLA and met his childhood friend, Lyta Trevor. The two quickly fell in love and began to date. Lyta wished to follow in her mother's footsteps and become the next Fury, and Hector shared the secret of his Silver Scarab suit with her. As such, the two decided to apply for membership in the Justice Society of America, the group their parents had helped form. Inviting Al Rothstein to apply with them as well as Norda Cantrell, who would codename himself Northwind, all four would be turned down due to their age and inexperience. Not willing to give up, the four applied again with Jenny Hayden
and Todd Rice
, both Alan Scott
's children. Feeling pity on the youngsters, Star-Spangled Kid
decided to leave the JSA in order to create a new group, in which they were also joined by Power Girl
and Brainwave Jr., calling themselves Infinity, Inc.
The team would publicly divulge their secret identities (revealing those of their parents in the process), where Hector also announced his engagement to Lyta. They would have little time to enjoy their happiness as the entity that had been within him since his birth came forth, thanks to the manipulation of Hath-Set
. The reincarnated Silver Scarab fought Infinity, Inc. alongside Hath-Set and summoned the Eye of Ra. The heroes managed (largely thanks to the help of the returned Northwind) to win, but at the cost of Hector's life. As he died, he learned that Lyta was carrying his child, the one thing that was his undoing, for the child carried with him the purity and goodness of Hector Hall, resulting in the Silver Scarab being unable to fully control the Eye.
Hector Hall would cheat death like his parents before. His consciousness had been cast into the Dreaming, where it was discovered by Brute and Glob, former servants of Morpheus, the Sandman. Left at a loose end following the imprisonment of Morpheus in the early 20th century, Brute and Glob had taken to recruiting mortals as surrogate "dream kings," which they hoped to use as a means to seize control of the entire Dreaming. Hector was one such pawn, and he adopted the costumed identity of the Sandman
. In his new persona, Hector could only leave his "dream dimension" for one hour a day.
He increasingly made use of this time to visit Lyta in her dreams, where he discovered that she had become pregnant with his child. This pattern continued for a long time before Hector was finally "caught" by his friend Al Rothstein, who had come to visit Lyta and propose to her. He told Lyta of his new role and asked her to marry him. She agreed, and the two of them departed for the dream dimension.
The "Dream Dimension" was nothing more than a part of the Dreaming inside the mind of a young boy named Jed Walker
which Brute and Glob had severed. Inside, Lyta slowly started to drift off, becoming less and less in touch with reality, and her pregnancy had completely halted for nearly two years. Hector became more and more obsessed with his role as the Sandman, and devolved from a serious superhero to one who fought nonsensical battles against weak villains.
It was only a short time later that Morpheus escaped his captivity and set about putting the Dreaming back into order. Eventually, his attention fell on Brute and Glob. Ending their schemes, Morpheus returned Hector to the realm of the dead, and laid claim to his yet-to-be-born son, Daniel, who was destined to become the next Lord of Dreams.
, a powerful sorcerer who had previously been a member of the Justice Society of America. As soon as he had adopted the vestments of Fate, he was forced to fight Mordru
and was able to best him, capturing him inside the Amulet, thanks to the advice of Kent Nelson, who resided in the Amulet with his wife Inza.
The parents of Hector's current body are Hank Hall
(no relation) and Dawn Granger, better known as the super-heroes Hawk and Dove. Since they were empowered by the Lords of Chaos and Order
respectively, the new Doctor Fate was, like Stevens, an agent of balance.
While acting as Dr. Fate with the Justice Society, there was still a piece missing in Hector Hall's life, his wife. Searching for her valiantly, he and the team had travelled inside the Amulet of Anubis, where Mordru revealed she was alive, and he returned to the place where he was reborn. There he found his second mother to be comatose, but concluded that Mordru had put up a spell of deception and that this woman was in fact Lyta.
Hector sought his aid in reviving his wife from her coma with the JSA, and while he left her with them, he traveled to Thanagar. He came to rescue Hawkgirl
and also witnessed the resurrection of his father. The two were now reunited, and although they were happy to see one another, their emotional connection had worsened.
Hector tried all of his magic to wake Lyta, but he was unsuccessful and thus returned to his Tower. He learned from what he believed to be Nabu, to travel to Gemworld, where he would uncover the secret behind Mordru's spell. It turned out that the Amulet had been created on Gemworld, and that Nabu had come from a world known as Cilia, with the Amulet being all that is left of the planet. Similarly, he learned that Mordru was in fact not a corporeal being, but a form of body-hopping energy. Hector left Gemworld with this new knowledge, and took with him the skull of Lord Wrynn, a man who had been consumed by Mordru. Hector started to prepare for the ritual involving the skull, although Nabu disapproved, wanting Hector to study more.
At one point, the JSA confronted the Injustice Society, and after the elder heroes had been teleported away, the Spectre
revealed himself, who told them that they would have to fight a demon called Legacy, after healing old emotional wounds. When Hector met with Nabu, he was confronted with his 'destiny'. Apparently, he was fated to kill Hawkgirl, after which he would be killed by his own father. Hector did not accept this destiny and instead swore that he would form his own path and fate. Hector and the rest of the JSA confronted Legacy who was actually revealed to be an old villain called Wizard, and they proceeded to beat him.
Afterwards, Hector returned to his goal of freeing Lyta. When he had undone Mordru's spell, he found that Mordru had placed another spell, and that the woman was in fact Dawn Granger. Hector was both sad and disappointed that he had still not found Lyta and became unhinged.
Rejoining the JSA, he became aggressive to both protestors and his own teammates. Hawkman ordered him to remove his helmet and to their shock, Mordru had managed to replace Hector under the helm of Fate. Hector was now prisoned in the cell he had created for Mordru in the Amulet. Fortunately, the Agents of Order that had come before helped him and it was revealed that Mordru had been disguised as Nabu the entire time and that he had taken over the body of Arion
, a Lord of Order
. He was brought to the house of the Nelsons, where he was told his wife was dead, which he still refused to accept.
Hector gathered his strength and managed to return to reality to confront Mordru. In the ensuing battle, Hector called forth every ounce of magic he possessed, tapping into every magical realm at his disposal. After showing Mordru his future, a future of humiliation and failure, Hector imprisoned Mordru within the Rock of Eternity at the end of the universe.
Hall had operated as Doctor Fate from Salem since then, with Nabu - again inhabiting the helm, but no longer controlling Fate - advising him. The Nelsons' souls still resided within the amulet, and they were occasionally able to contact the outside world (including Kent once having encountered the 1990s Starman). Hall's identity is known to a clever few who have figured it out, and in his secret identity
, he socialized with some of the inhabitants of Salem, being on the whole more gregarious than his predecessors.
When faced with the monstrous magical might of the being known as the Curse (a being that Nabu himself had not been able to completely vanquish), the still somewhat inexperienced Hector was killed. As his body lay dying in the streets of Salem, Hector's spirit met with Nabu inside the helmet. Nabu had been verbally abusing Hector ever since the latter had taken on the mantle (because even though Hector was stated to have the most power as Dr. Fate, he wasn't living up to his potential). Finally, after Nabu continued his assault, telling Hector he might as well die so another could claim the mantle, Hector finally had enough, decked Nabu and returned to his body. He was able to revive his body and ended up capable enough to beat the Curse. Now Hector was truly secure and confident in his role.
On a later adventure to Kahndaq
with the JSA, Hector and Nabu clashed again, as Nabu took control of Doctor Fate, and worked against the JSA, stating that Hector was simply blindly following his father. While controlling his host, Nabu undid the magic which had turned the Feithereans into simple birds and apparently switched over to the side of Black Adam
, who was also an old ally of Nabu in Ancient Egypt. Although the Society questioned what had happened, Hector's father Hawkman strode on, stating with a smile that his 'son could take care of himself'.
Later, Hector with the help of the Nelsons and the other previous incarnations of Fate was able to trap Nabu in the Amulet and once again took control. At that same time, Hector's wife Lyta
was revealed to have been imprisoned by Nabu to manipulate Hector. The couple were reunited as they appeared in Kahndaq again, just as Black Adam was defeated by the Justice Society.
With their reunion, Lyta and Hall returned to the Tower and lived happily, until they were trapped in a section of Hell by the Spectre
, who was going on a rampage to destroy all magic. The two were dropped atop a frozen mountain, where Hector was forced to fend off various demons that threatened him and Lyta. Meanwhile, Lyta was unconscious, and in fact communicating with their son Daniel, Lord of the Dreaming. Daniel proposed they join him in the Dreaming, and when Lyta woke up, Hector had collapsed near her, close to death. She decided to take him up on his offer, and together with Hector, knowing they could never return, they entered the portal to the Dreaming. As their physical bodies froze to death atop the mountain, their spirits joined their son.
At his most potent, Fate is an accomplished sorcerer, able to match most other wizards in the DC Universe, but not as powerful as true extra-human beings such as the Spectre
. Fate has been observed throwing bolts of mysical energy, crafting solid objects out of energy and transforming objects into other kinds of matter. The full limits of his magical skills are unknown.
Fate commands magic as an agent of balance of Chaos and Order.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who appeared in DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
's Infinity, Inc., Sandman and JSA
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
. He has gone by the names Silver Scarab, Sandman
Dream (comics)
Dream is the fictional protagonist of DC Comics' Vertigo comic book series The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman. One of the seven Endless, inconceivably powerful beings older and greater than gods, Dream is both lord and personification of all dreams and stories, all that is not in reality...
and, before his death, Dr. Fate.
Childhood
Hector Hall is the son of CarterCarter Hall (comics)
Carter Hall is a DC Comics superhero, the original Hawkman. Created by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville, he first appeared in Flash Comics # 1 . The history of this character is somewhat confusing, due mainly to the fact that his origins were retroactively changed with the Crisis on Infinite Earths...
and Shiera Hall, the Golden Age
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
heroes known as Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
and Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
. Carter and Shiera were reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
s of an ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian pharaoh and his wife, both of whom had been killed and cursed by their rival Hath-Set
Hath-Set
Hath-Set is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain created by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville. The character is a recurring nemesis of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.-Fictional character biography:...
. Unbeknownst to either of them, however, Hath-Set's curse also concerned any children that might be conceived by the pair. The curse of Seketh, the Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian God of Death, prophesied the combination of the Silver Scarab and the Eye of Ra, which would practically mean the end of the world. As such, when Hector was born during an archaeological dig near Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, he was born without a soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
, destined to be a vessel for the Silver Scarab, an agent of vengeance called forth by Hath-Set.
To further anger Hector, his parents would frequently visit the city of Feithera and spend time with their godson Norda Cantrell
Northwind (comics)
Northwind is a fictional avian human hybrid published by DC Comics.Created by Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway and Mike Machlan, Northwind first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25...
(who would become Northwind). Although the two children would be playmates as well, Hector carried a grudge against Norda for his wings and the attention he got from Hector's parents. It turned out later that, as Hector had been prophesied to become an agent of Hath-Set, Norda's destiny would be to stop him.
Young Hector Hall would sometimes also play with the other children of the Justice Society, such as Al Rothstein (godchild of the first Atom
Atom (comics)
The Atom is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe.There have been five characters who have shared the Atom codename. The original Golden Age Atom, Al Pratt, was created by Ben Flinton and Bill O'Connor and first appeared in All-American Publications'...
), Lyta Trevor
Fury (DC Comics)
Fury is the codename shared by three DC Comics superheroes, two of whom are mother and daughter, both of whom directly connected with the Furies of mythology, and the third who is an altogether different character.-Pre-Crisis:...
(child of the first Fury
Fury (DC Comics)
Fury is the codename shared by three DC Comics superheroes, two of whom are mother and daughter, both of whom directly connected with the Furies of mythology, and the third who is an altogether different character.-Pre-Crisis:...
, who would grow up to marry Hector) and Rick Tyler
Rick Tyler
Hourman is a fictional character, a superhero who was created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas and Todd McFarlane and first appeared in Infinity Inc. #20 as Rick Tyler, son of the original Hourman, who quickly joined Infinity Inc. as the second Hourman in #21 of that book.-Childhood:Rick Tyler was born...
(the son of the first Hourman
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
). During one of these meetings, the kids ended up flying a jet, and almost crashed into the White House, where they were of course stopped and reprimanded by their parents.
The Silver Scarab
Nth metal
Nth metal is a fictional metal in the .-Fictional history:It is native to Thanagar, the home planet of Katar Hol and Shayera Thal, the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Among the unusual properties of Nth metal is the ability to negate gravity, allowing a person wearing an object made of Nth...
that granted his parents the power of flight, while also adding some solar improvements. Hector had enrolled at UCLA and met his childhood friend, Lyta Trevor. The two quickly fell in love and began to date. Lyta wished to follow in her mother's footsteps and become the next Fury, and Hector shared the secret of his Silver Scarab suit with her. As such, the two decided to apply for membership in the Justice Society of America, the group their parents had helped form. Inviting Al Rothstein to apply with them as well as Norda Cantrell, who would codename himself Northwind, all four would be turned down due to their age and inexperience. Not willing to give up, the four applied again with Jenny Hayden
Jade (comics)
Jade is a fictional character, a superheroine in the . Known affectionately as "Jennie" or "Jen", she is the daughter of Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern. Her mother is Rose Canton, the Golden Age villain known as Thorn...
and Todd Rice
Obsidian (comics)
Obsidian is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway. According to an Infinity, Inc...
, both Alan Scott
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
's children. Feeling pity on the youngsters, Star-Spangled Kid
Star-Spangled Kid
Star-Spangled Kid is the name of several fictional superheroes in the DC Comics' main shared universe.-Sylvester Pemberton:The original Star-Spangled Kid was Sylvester Pemberton, a Golden Age character. He became the Star-Spangled Kid in order to battle Nazism during World War II. He was unique...
decided to leave the JSA in order to create a new group, in which they were also joined by Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
and Brainwave Jr., calling themselves Infinity, Inc.
The team would publicly divulge their secret identities (revealing those of their parents in the process), where Hector also announced his engagement to Lyta. They would have little time to enjoy their happiness as the entity that had been within him since his birth came forth, thanks to the manipulation of Hath-Set
Hath-Set
Hath-Set is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain created by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville. The character is a recurring nemesis of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.-Fictional character biography:...
. The reincarnated Silver Scarab fought Infinity, Inc. alongside Hath-Set and summoned the Eye of Ra. The heroes managed (largely thanks to the help of the returned Northwind) to win, but at the cost of Hector's life. As he died, he learned that Lyta was carrying his child, the one thing that was his undoing, for the child carried with him the purity and goodness of Hector Hall, resulting in the Silver Scarab being unable to fully control the Eye.
The Sandman
Sandman (DC Comics)
Sandman is the name of seven fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. All are connected in one way or the other, though there are three largely dissimilar concepts, with two or three persons having served in each role various times...
. In his new persona, Hector could only leave his "dream dimension" for one hour a day.
He increasingly made use of this time to visit Lyta in her dreams, where he discovered that she had become pregnant with his child. This pattern continued for a long time before Hector was finally "caught" by his friend Al Rothstein, who had come to visit Lyta and propose to her. He told Lyta of his new role and asked her to marry him. She agreed, and the two of them departed for the dream dimension.
The "Dream Dimension" was nothing more than a part of the Dreaming inside the mind of a young boy named Jed Walker
Jed Walker
Jed Walker is a DC Comics character. He appeared in Jack Kirby and Joe Simon's short-lived series The Sandman, where he was protected from nightmare monsters by the titular hero. He lived with his grandfather, Ezra Paulsen, a fisherman on Dolphin Island, and, after his grandfather's death, with a...
which Brute and Glob had severed. Inside, Lyta slowly started to drift off, becoming less and less in touch with reality, and her pregnancy had completely halted for nearly two years. Hector became more and more obsessed with his role as the Sandman, and devolved from a serious superhero to one who fought nonsensical battles against weak villains.
It was only a short time later that Morpheus escaped his captivity and set about putting the Dreaming back into order. Eventually, his attention fell on Brute and Glob. Ending their schemes, Morpheus returned Hector to the realm of the dead, and laid claim to his yet-to-be-born son, Daniel, who was destined to become the next Lord of Dreams.
Doctor Fate
Like his parents, however, Hector was in a reincarnation cycle. When he returned again several years later, he was chosen to adopt the vestments of Doctor FateDoctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
, a powerful sorcerer who had previously been a member of the Justice Society of America. As soon as he had adopted the vestments of Fate, he was forced to fight Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
and was able to best him, capturing him inside the Amulet, thanks to the advice of Kent Nelson, who resided in the Amulet with his wife Inza.
The parents of Hector's current body are Hank Hall
Hank Hall
Hank Hall is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe who first appeared in Showcase #75 as Hawk of Hawk and Dove. He later became the supervillain Monarch in the crossover event limited series Armageddon 2001...
(no relation) and Dawn Granger, better known as the super-heroes Hawk and Dove. Since they were empowered by the Lords of Chaos and Order
Lords of Chaos and Order
The Lords of Chaos and Lords of Order are complementary groups of supernatural entities with godlike powers that appear in DC Comics. They have also been retconned into the histories of Amethyst, Doctor Fate, Kid Eternity, the Phantom Stranger, Shazam and Hawk and Dove...
respectively, the new Doctor Fate was, like Stevens, an agent of balance.
While acting as Dr. Fate with the Justice Society, there was still a piece missing in Hector Hall's life, his wife. Searching for her valiantly, he and the team had travelled inside the Amulet of Anubis, where Mordru revealed she was alive, and he returned to the place where he was reborn. There he found his second mother to be comatose, but concluded that Mordru had put up a spell of deception and that this woman was in fact Lyta.
Hector sought his aid in reviving his wife from her coma with the JSA, and while he left her with them, he traveled to Thanagar. He came to rescue Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
and also witnessed the resurrection of his father. The two were now reunited, and although they were happy to see one another, their emotional connection had worsened.
Hector tried all of his magic to wake Lyta, but he was unsuccessful and thus returned to his Tower. He learned from what he believed to be Nabu, to travel to Gemworld, where he would uncover the secret behind Mordru's spell. It turned out that the Amulet had been created on Gemworld, and that Nabu had come from a world known as Cilia, with the Amulet being all that is left of the planet. Similarly, he learned that Mordru was in fact not a corporeal being, but a form of body-hopping energy. Hector left Gemworld with this new knowledge, and took with him the skull of Lord Wrynn, a man who had been consumed by Mordru. Hector started to prepare for the ritual involving the skull, although Nabu disapproved, wanting Hector to study more.
At one point, the JSA confronted the Injustice Society, and after the elder heroes had been teleported away, the Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
revealed himself, who told them that they would have to fight a demon called Legacy, after healing old emotional wounds. When Hector met with Nabu, he was confronted with his 'destiny'. Apparently, he was fated to kill Hawkgirl, after which he would be killed by his own father. Hector did not accept this destiny and instead swore that he would form his own path and fate. Hector and the rest of the JSA confronted Legacy who was actually revealed to be an old villain called Wizard, and they proceeded to beat him.
Afterwards, Hector returned to his goal of freeing Lyta. When he had undone Mordru's spell, he found that Mordru had placed another spell, and that the woman was in fact Dawn Granger. Hector was both sad and disappointed that he had still not found Lyta and became unhinged.
Rejoining the JSA, he became aggressive to both protestors and his own teammates. Hawkman ordered him to remove his helmet and to their shock, Mordru had managed to replace Hector under the helm of Fate. Hector was now prisoned in the cell he had created for Mordru in the Amulet. Fortunately, the Agents of Order that had come before helped him and it was revealed that Mordru had been disguised as Nabu the entire time and that he had taken over the body of Arion
Arion (comics)
Arion is a fictional sword and sorcery hero published by DC Comics. He debuted in Warlord #55 , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Jan Duursema.-Publication history:...
, a Lord of Order
Lords of Chaos and Order
The Lords of Chaos and Lords of Order are complementary groups of supernatural entities with godlike powers that appear in DC Comics. They have also been retconned into the histories of Amethyst, Doctor Fate, Kid Eternity, the Phantom Stranger, Shazam and Hawk and Dove...
. He was brought to the house of the Nelsons, where he was told his wife was dead, which he still refused to accept.
Hector gathered his strength and managed to return to reality to confront Mordru. In the ensuing battle, Hector called forth every ounce of magic he possessed, tapping into every magical realm at his disposal. After showing Mordru his future, a future of humiliation and failure, Hector imprisoned Mordru within the Rock of Eternity at the end of the universe.
Hall had operated as Doctor Fate from Salem since then, with Nabu - again inhabiting the helm, but no longer controlling Fate - advising him. The Nelsons' souls still resided within the amulet, and they were occasionally able to contact the outside world (including Kent once having encountered the 1990s Starman). Hall's identity is known to a clever few who have figured it out, and in his secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
, he socialized with some of the inhabitants of Salem, being on the whole more gregarious than his predecessors.
When faced with the monstrous magical might of the being known as the Curse (a being that Nabu himself had not been able to completely vanquish), the still somewhat inexperienced Hector was killed. As his body lay dying in the streets of Salem, Hector's spirit met with Nabu inside the helmet. Nabu had been verbally abusing Hector ever since the latter had taken on the mantle (because even though Hector was stated to have the most power as Dr. Fate, he wasn't living up to his potential). Finally, after Nabu continued his assault, telling Hector he might as well die so another could claim the mantle, Hector finally had enough, decked Nabu and returned to his body. He was able to revive his body and ended up capable enough to beat the Curse. Now Hector was truly secure and confident in his role.
On a later adventure to Kahndaq
Kahndaq
Kahndaq is a fictional Middle Eastern country in the DC Comics Universe. Its real world location is on the continent of Africa, between Egypt and Israel...
with the JSA, Hector and Nabu clashed again, as Nabu took control of Doctor Fate, and worked against the JSA, stating that Hector was simply blindly following his father. While controlling his host, Nabu undid the magic which had turned the Feithereans into simple birds and apparently switched over to the side of Black Adam
Black Adam
Black Adam is a fictional comic book character, created in 1945 by Otto Binder & C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. Originally created as a one-shot villain for Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family team of superheroes, Black Adam was revived as a recurring supervillain after DC Comics began publishing Captain...
, who was also an old ally of Nabu in Ancient Egypt. Although the Society questioned what had happened, Hector's father Hawkman strode on, stating with a smile that his 'son could take care of himself'.
Later, Hector with the help of the Nelsons and the other previous incarnations of Fate was able to trap Nabu in the Amulet and once again took control. At that same time, Hector's wife Lyta
Fury (DC Comics)
Fury is the codename shared by three DC Comics superheroes, two of whom are mother and daughter, both of whom directly connected with the Furies of mythology, and the third who is an altogether different character.-Pre-Crisis:...
was revealed to have been imprisoned by Nabu to manipulate Hector. The couple were reunited as they appeared in Kahndaq again, just as Black Adam was defeated by the Justice Society.
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
, who was going on a rampage to destroy all magic. The two were dropped atop a frozen mountain, where Hector was forced to fend off various demons that threatened him and Lyta. Meanwhile, Lyta was unconscious, and in fact communicating with their son Daniel, Lord of the Dreaming. Daniel proposed they join him in the Dreaming, and when Lyta woke up, Hector had collapsed near her, close to death. She decided to take him up on his offer, and together with Hector, knowing they could never return, they entered the portal to the Dreaming. As their physical bodies froze to death atop the mountain, their spirits joined their son.
Powers and abilities
- As the Silver Scarab, Hector wore a suit made of Nth MetalNth metalNth metal is a fictional metal in the .-Fictional history:It is native to Thanagar, the home planet of Katar Hol and Shayera Thal, the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Among the unusual properties of Nth metal is the ability to negate gravity, allowing a person wearing an object made of Nth...
. This metal was developed by his father, Carter Hall, and improved upon by Hector. The suit enabled him to fly, and project solar-powered ray blasts. - As Sandman, Hector had extraordinary strength, the power of flight, and lived in a place called “The Dream Stream”, which enabled him to see other people's dreams and he could project himself into the real world for one hour every twenty-four hours, and could travel through “The Dream Stream” almost immediately from anywhere in the real world to any other place during that one hour.
- As Dr. Fate, Hector possessed a wide variety of powers. In general, he could flyFlightFlight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
, was resistant to damage, and had greater-than-human strength. Hall was able to "speak" with Nabu, the previous Doctors Fate, Kid Eternity, and Lyta through the helmet of Nabu, which gave him access to a wide variety of spells. He was susceptible to toxinToxinA toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms; man-made substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded...
s in the air, however.
At his most potent, Fate is an accomplished sorcerer, able to match most other wizards in the DC Universe, but not as powerful as true extra-human beings such as the Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
. Fate has been observed throwing bolts of mysical energy, crafting solid objects out of energy and transforming objects into other kinds of matter. The full limits of his magical skills are unknown.
Fate commands magic as an agent of balance of Chaos and Order.