Doctor Occult first appeared the sixth issue of the anthology comic books series New Fun in October 1935.[3] (New Fun was retitled More Fun beginning with issue #7 and again to More Fun Comics with issue #20.) The character was credited to "Leger and Reuths" โ partial anagrams of Siegel and Shuster's surnames.[4]
Occult was depicted as a supernatural detective whose detecting style was very much in the style of Sam Spade, but with supernatural abilities. Supporting characters in the strip included Rose Psychic and Occult's butler.[5] Writers such as Les Daniels have cited the character as a prototype of Superman.[6]
Renamed to "Dr. Mystic," Occult also appeared in Centaur Publications' The Comics Magazine #1 (May 1936), with that story continuing in DC's More 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 last Golden Age appearance was in More Fun Comics #32 in 1938.
Doctor Occult appears in comic books outside of the mainstream DC Universe in what is referred to as the multiverse. Many are adaptation tie-ins such as:
The character was portrayed by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in many anthology pages as the "Ghost Detective", a private investigator who specializes in cases involving the supernatural. Siegel and Shuster then left the character for the more popular Superman.[1]
The character was then revised in September 1985 in the All-Star Squadron series comic books by Roy Thomas and was utilized many times by the author as affiliated by the superhero team.[1]
The fictional character's origin was revealed in Secret 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 opened up his own detective agency, specializing in crimes of a mystical nature and during World War II he joined the All-Star Squadron. At some point, he and Rose become fused into one being. Doctor Occult has used sorcery to halt or greatly slow the aging process, so that he appears in modern comics to still be a man in his late thirties or early forties, even though he was born at the end of the 19th century.[1][15]
In 1991, Neil Gaiman brought the character back into the spotlight with a prominent supporting role in The Books of Magic. In the third issue he acts as Tim Hunter's guide to otherworlds. When visiting Faerie, he transforms into Rose. Tim learns many important things from Dr. Occult, while nearly being trapped in the realm of the fae. This journey is meant to guide Timothy on the role to his becoming the most powerful magician of the current era. The other guides on this mission are Mister E, the Phantom Stranger, and John Constantine, the last of whom sarcastically nicknames the group the Trenchcoat Brigade. The four would return later at a summons from Timothy, who, having lost everything at that point, needs a new direction in life.[17]
Later stories would continue the idea of Occult and Rose Psychic being one with two different origin stories given to explain how they became one person.[16]
The fictional character then appears as a main character in the backup story by Keith Giffin in the Reign in Hell mini-series where he enters Hell to find Rose Psychic.[16]
The New 52
In the reboot he is depicted as the keeper of the House of Secrets and was killed off in Justice League Dark #12.[18]
Powers and abilities
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, fighting exorcism, deflection, and force field projection.
^Walton, Michael (2019). The Horror Comic Never Dies: A Grisly History. McFarland & Co. pp. 25โ26. ISBN9781476635125.
^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 344. ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.