I picked this one for two reasons: (1) it's one of Fred's favorites, and (2) it neatly ties into DC's pending revival of the Justice Society.
Wildcat and Dr. Fate are both Golden Age characters, dating back to the early 1940s. Wildcat was a professional boxer, framed for murder by his managers. On the run from the police, a kid inspires him with the story of how Green Lantern wears a costume to hide his identity while fighting crime, leading Wildcat to put together a costume and prove his innocence....which he did mainly by beating the crap - and confessions - out of those responsible. Somehow, I don't think that Fifth Amendment rights have much standing in the world of costumed vigilantes.
About the only thing that has stayed the same about Dr. Fate over the years is his house. His origin and magical powers have displayed a remarkable lack of consistency, but basically, the helmet is the embodiment of a Lord of Order called 'Nabu' (not to be confused with the computer system from the early eighties), extending its influence over the wearer. Now you know why your mother always warned you about putting on strange hats.
DC has been slowly reprinting the original Golden Age stories over the last several years, in their high-end 'Archives Edition' format. Unfortunately, high-end means high-priced, leaving young readers with few opportunities to get into these stories the way I did. You see, back in the early seventies, DC published several titles in a 100-page, fify cent format. Superman, Batman, Justice League, World's Finest, etc. Each of these had the expected new twenty-two pages of story and art, and the rest of the book was filled by reprints from the vault. I don't know what kind of thought process - if any - went into choosing which stories were reprinted. All I know is that I was hooked. The DC Universe was a vast, wonderful playground to escape into, with a rich history of heroes, villains, and assorted hangers-on.
It was a fun place to visit.
- NP
