DR. OCCULT
Real Name: Richard Occult
Class: Human magic-user
Occupation: Private investigator
Group Affiliation: Trenchcoat Brigade, formerly All-Star Squadron, Sentinels of Magic
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: New York City, 1930s to present
First Appearance: New Fun Comics #6 (October, 1935)
Powers: Dr. Occult had an analytical mind, and was a proficient detective. He possessed a number of mystic powers, including the ability to travel great distances over the Earth using the astral plane as a shortcut, limited phasing and telekinetic powers, and the ability to cast illusions. Dr. Occult was marked with the magical symbol of the Seven, allowing him to repel magic and exorcize supernatural beings. For a brief period the Seven equipped Dr. Occult with a sword and belt possessing mystic powers, including flight and the ability to turn people to stone.
History: (New Fun Comics #6) - On December 31, 1899 a cult intended to sacrifice two kidnapped infants to Satan. The cultists attracted the attention of the demonic Koth, who rejected the offering and killed the cultists. Zator, a discipline of the mystics known as the Seven, rescued the infants, and brought them to a hidden citadel. The Seven recognized mystic potential in the infants, and decided to raise them, naming them Doc and Rose. When they were of age Doc proved the most adept at magic, so the Seven bestowed him with a seal of protection and gave him the full name Dr. Occult. They named the girl Rose Psychic, and the two of them were sent to use their powers to battle evil. Arriving in N.Y. Dr. Occult set himself up as a private investigator with Rose as his assistant. Together they fought many supernatural menaces during the 1930s. In 1936 Dr. Occult helped the Seven defeat Koth, and was not heard from again for several decades.
(Swamp Thing II #49, 50) - Dr. Occult was summoned by John Constantine to help defeat the Shadow Creature that threatened Heaven.
(Books of Magic I #3 (fb, BTS), Trenchcoat Brigade #4 (fb, BTS)) - At some point Rose Psychic's mind and body merged with Dr. Occult. The lovers knew they could never again be able to touch each other, but the merge was necessary to save the world from an unspecified threat.
(Books of Magic I #1-4) - The Phantom Stranger recruited Dr. Occult to help teach the young mystic Tim Hunter. Occult transformed Tim's yo-yo into an animal familiar named Yo-Yo to aid the boy in his learning. He also showed the boy the magical realms of Faerie, Gemworld, Skartaris and the Dreaming.
(Underworld Unleashed #3) -
(Trenchcoat Brigade #1-4) - John Constantine called together Occult and the Trenchcoat Brigade to have a talk with Mister E. E told them he suffered from visions of a world eaten up by the cancer god M’nagalah, and knew that Pyotr Konstantin somehow caused it. E took the Trenchcoat Brigade on a trip to the possible future of his vision, where the only person left alive was Pyotr. Pyotr summoned the Whining Ones to attack the Brigade. The Brigade won the fight and Pyotr told them they could avert the tragedy he caused if they took him back in time to the 1600s. In the past Pyotr cast a spell to force the Brigade to confront and deal with each other’s past failures and guilt while he set off to prevent his past self from setting off the chain of events that unleashed M’nagalah. The Brigade conquered each other’s guilt and found Pyotr, who’d failed to stop his past self. The Brigade traveled to the time of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, when Pyotr’s past self and Elliana of the Leshy, whose people had been destroyed by mankind, would bring M’nagalah to Earth. The Brigade used a containment spell on M’nagalah but Phantom Stranger, who’d dealt with Occult’s guilt over never being able to touch Rose again and felt he was in a similar situation, was ready to abandon the fight. Occult changed into Rose and convinced Stranger that where there was life there was hope. The Brigade vanquished M’nagalah.
(Day of Judgment #1-5, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.#4) - Dr. Occult noted weeping statues, crimson lightning and other signs of the apocalypse. He was recruited by Zatanna to join the Sentinels of Magic, whose purpose was to battle Spectre / Asmodel, who'd unleashed Hell on Earth. Dr. Occult recruited Mary Marvel, CM3, Captain Marvel, Star-Spangled Kid II and S.T.R.I.P.E. to fight the horde of demons that was threatening N.Y. during the Day of Judgment. The Sentinels separated Asmodel from most of the Spectre-Force, imprisoning it in Madame Xanadu's globe. It was only a temporary solution, and the Sentinels knew they needed the Spear of Destiny to defeat Asmodel. Spectre was wounded by the Spear, allowing the soul of Green Lantern Hal Jordan to become Spectre's new host, but a new threat emerged when Neron possessed Superman. Hal defeated Neron, sending him back to Hell.
(JLA #40) - Occult was among the legion of heroes summoned by the JLA to quell worldwide outbreaks of warfare that were incited by Mageddon.
(Martian Manhunter II #28) - Occult and the Sentinels of Magic battled the Demon, who’d been separated from Jason Blood and was tapping into the power of Stonehenge. At Phantom Strangers request Martian Manhunter joined the Sentinels in battle, and Occult divided him into Martian Manhunter and John Jones. Jones went to Jason Blood’s apartment and freed Jason Blood from Morgan Le Fay. With Demon an Blood reunited they were no longer a threat, but as a measure of vengeance Le Fay made Occult’s spell permanent, and Jones and Manhunter staid as separate beings.
(JSA: Our Worlds at War #1) - During the Imperiex War Occult was called in as a JSA reserve on a mission to disrupt Imperiex’s link to his ship’s power supply. The JSA found that Imperiex’s ship was leeching it’s power from the planet Daxam, which Imperiex had pulled out of its’ orbit. Occult managed to send Daxam back into proper orbit, and Imperiex’s ship, no longer having a power supply, imploded.
(JLA #68) - Atlantis, ancient and in ruins, appeared on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. Dr. Occult and several mystics cast a spell on the JLA to send them to 1,000 B.C. and determine the fate of the Atlantis that Tempest had sent back in time during the Imperiex War.
(JSA #49-51) - As a JSA reservist Occult battled Kobra cultists who were launching terrorists attacks against Philadelphia after the Princes of Darkness pulled the moon from its’ orbit and Kobra declared the event signaled the impending end of the world. Occult used teleportation spells to keep Philadelphia’s citizens well away from the carnage. Dr. Fate sent a psychic transmission asking Hawkgirl, Dove and Power Girl to come to Gemworld and free the soul of Arion, so Dr. Occult opened a portal to Gemworld, allowing the heroines to cross over. Occult and the JSA defeated the Kobra cultists, and Sand undid the damage to displaced moon did to the Earth. Occult aided the JSA in defeating Mordru.
Comments: Created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster
In the pre-Crisis DC Universe Dr. Occult lived on Earth-2.
Dr. Occult received profiles in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #6 and Who's Who Update '88 #1.
All characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © DC Comics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please visit The Official DC Comics Site at: http://www.batman.com