| Doctor Occult | |
|---|---|
 Doctor Occult as depicted inConstantine #17 (October 2014). Art by Edgar Salazar and Jay Leisten. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | New Fun #6 (October 1935) |
| Created by | Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Richard Occult |
| Team affiliations | Justice Society of America All-Star Squadron Sentinels of Magic The Trenchcoat Brigade Justice League |
| Notable aliases | Doctor Mystic |
| Abilities |
|
Doctor Occult (Richard Occult, sometimes nicknamed theGhost Detective, and one time referred to asDoctor Mystic) is asuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. Created byJerry Siegel andJoe Shuster (the creators ofSuperman), Doctor Occult is anoccult detective,private investigator and magic user who specializes in cases involving the supernatural.[1] Doctor Occult first appeared in 1935 during thePlatinum Age of Comic Books. He was published byNational Comics Publications andCentaur Publications within anthology titles. He is the earliest recurring, originally featured fictional character still used in theDC Universe. He is sometimes affiliated with theAll-Star Squadron and has appeared in paranormal-related stories by DC andVertigo Comics titles.[2]
Doctor Occult first appeared in the sixth issue of theanthology comic books seriesNew Fun in October 1935.[3] (New Fun was retitledMore Fun beginning with issue #7 and again toMore Fun Comics with issue #20.) The character was credited to "Leger and Reuths" — partial anagrams of Siegel and Shuster's surnames.[4] Later, Siegel and Shuster left the character for the more popularSuperman.[1]
Occult was depicted as asupernatural detective whose detecting style was in the style ofSam Spade, but with supernatural abilities. Supporting characters in the strip included Rose Psychic and Occult's butler.[5] Writers such asLes Daniels have cited the character as a prototype of Superman.[6]
Renamed to "Dr. Mystic", Occult also appeared inCentaur Publications'The Comics Magazine #1 (May 1936), with that story continuing in DC'sMore Fun Comics #14-17. In this story, he travels to a mystic realm where he flies and wears a cape, making him the first caped comic book superhero.[7] Doctor Occult's lastGolden Age appearance was inMore Fun Comics #32 in 1938.
After years of obscurity, the character was revived in the 1980s, appearing in issues ofAll-Star Squadron,[1][8]Swamp Thing,[9] andCrisis on Infinite Earths.[10][11]
The character had a featuredorigin story inSecret Origins #17 (1987).[1] He later appeared in comics such asNeil Gaiman'sThe Books of Magic (1991),[12]The Trenchcoat Brigade (alongsideMister E, thePhantom Stranger, andJohn Constantine) (1999),[13] and "Day of Judgement" (1999) as part of theSentinels of Magic.[14][15]
InThe New 52 continuity reboot, Doctor Occult appears inJustice League Dark,Constantine,Secret Six, andThe Books of Magic series.
Doctor Occult appears in comic books outside of the mainstreamDC Universe in what is referred to as themultiverse. Many are adaptation tie-ins, includingJustice League Unlimited (vol. 1) #14,Batman: The Brave and the Bold #9, andInjustice: Gods Among Us: Year 3 Annual #1.
Occult also appears in issue #2 of theElseworlds comic seriesSuperman & Batman: Generations II.
The fictional character's origin was revealed inSecret Origins (vol. 2) #17. (August 1987) by E. Nelson Bridewell and Roy Thomas. They depicted him and his partner Rose Psychic being slated as human sacrifices at the hands of a demonic cult, but were rescued by a shadowy group called "The Seven". The two were later trained in the use of occult magics themselves. Thirty-six years later, Doctor Occult establishes a detective agency and joins the All-Star Squadron during World War II. After Occult sacrifices his soul to defeat the Stalker, Rose fuses with him to save his life.[11] Occult has used sorcery to halt his aging, causing him to appear middle-aged despite being born in the late 1800s.[1][16]
In 1991, Occult appeared inThe Books of Magic, written byNeil Gaiman. He,Mister E, thePhantom Stranger, andJohn Constantine mentorTimothy Hunter and guide him to become a powerful magician.[17]
InDay of Judgment, Occult joins theSentinels of Magic, a group created to prevent artifacts such as theSpear of Destiny from falling into the wrong hands.[11]
Occult appears as a main character inReign in Hell, where he entersHell to find Rose Psychic.[11]
In The New 52, Occult is depicted as the keeper of theHouse of Secrets.[18] In theDC All In seriesJustice League Unlimited (vol. 2), he joins the expandedJustice League.[19]
Doctor Occult has the powers of astral projection, hypnosis, illusion creating, and telekinesis. He wields a powerful talisman, a sphere or disc with a black and white pattern, called the Mystic Symbol of the Seven. It grants him the powers of clairvoyance, exorcism, deflection, and force field projection.
Bill Reed ofComic Book Resources praised the character saying thatDC Comics could portray more of him despite him not having the staying power as other supernatural heroes such asPhantom Stranger orJohn Constantine.[21]
