| 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 includedRose 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) byE. Nelson Bridwell andRoy Thomas. They depicted him and his partnerRose 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 opened up his own detective agency, specializing in crimes of a mystical nature and duringWorld War II he joined the All-Star Squadron. At some point, Occult and Rose were fused into one being; the exact circumstances vary between stories.[11] Doctor Occult has used sorcery to halt or greatly slow the aging process, causing him to appear middle-aged despite being born in the late 1800s.[1][16]
In 1991,Neil Gaiman brought the character back into the spotlight with a prominent supporting role inThe Books of Magic. In the third issue he acts asTim Hunter's guide to otherworlds. When visitingFaerie, he takes the form of Rose Psychic. Hunter's other guides areMister E, thePhantom Stranger, andJohn Constantine, the last of whom sarcastically nicknames the group theTrenchcoat Brigade. The four would return later at a summons from Hunter, who, having lost everything at that point, needs a new direction in life.[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]
InThe 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]
