Inza Nelson
Created by: Gardner Fox & Howard Sherman
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #55
Strengths/Abilities: Magic user; able to wear the Helm of Fate as Dr. Fate
Allies/Teams: Kent Nelson, the Justice League
Inza Nelson, née Inza Cramer, met Dr. Fate as the result of an attack by the villain Wotan. She became a significant supporting character in Dr. Fate’s series and soon learned of Dr. Fate’s secret identity as Kent Nelson. The two hit it off and began dating, eventually getting married. Inza was a major feature in Dr. Fate’s adventures, oftentimes saving Kent. When Dr. Fate decided to become a real doctor, Inza also began to practice medicine as a nurse. The two got married and began to live in the Tower of Fate, kept magically youthful for many decades.
Nabu, however, likes to ruin everything, and Nabu’s demands towards Kent took their toll on Inza and their marriage. A series of events lead to Nabu being weakened and the Nelsons aging rapidly as a result, and Kent and Inza both perished.
However! They were soon resurrected back in younger bodies. Inza discovered that she now had the ability to wear the Helm of Fate herself, becoming the latest Doctor Fate, aiming to use the powers of fate to help as many people as possible rather than keeping them to herself. Eventually she and Kent were able to use the helmet at the same time.
Her time as Doctor Fate was not to last, as Zero Hour struck and the villain Extant used his time altering powers to forcibly separate the Nelsons from the Helm of Fate and rapidly age them again. Inza was not so lucky this time and she has had minimal appearances since her demise in the 90s.
Recommended Reading
Dr. Fate Vol 2 25-41 by Bill Messner-Loebs
More Fun Comics 55-90 by Gardner Fox et al.
CotM artwork by Vince Giarrano and Lovern
CotM Voting: “Where Are They Now?”
Voting Breakdown:
| Character | # of Votes |
|---|---|
| Inza Nelson | 13 |
| Nightstar | 10 |
| Sir Ystin | 5 |
| Eddie Bloomberg | 4 |
| Cobalt Blue | 4 |
| Simon Dark | 2 |
| Pinball Wizard | 2 |
| Gay Ghost | 2 |
I was hoping Cobalt Blue would win, but I’ll be able to nominate him again sooner or later. There were other characters I considered nominating, like an old enemy of Superman named Ignition, and Centipede from the Dial H series. Wonder how many votes they would’ve gotten. That’s the problem when you think of more than one good character, you have no way of knowing which one has the best chance of winning.
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Wow, this is the first vote since Trans & Non-Binary Characters (which was 18 months ago) where more than 7 characters were nominated.
Alas, poor Inza.
It’s funny how it says “Nabu, however, likes to ruin everything.”
SrsR,, r
YESSS! I thought for sure she'd lose to Nightstar. Glad to see my favorite character managed to eek out the win. Go read Messner-Loebs' Doctor Fate!! It's the best Fate run ever and it's a crime it hasn't been collected yet.
Also, if you've ever liked something from Messner-Loebs, maybe consider donating on patreon to support him! He and his wife are still struggling financially due to compounding medical bills. They currently live in separate elderly care homes, although they would like to be together.
Pinball Wizard got a vote. I’m so proud of you all.