With the death of Kent Nelson, Nabu begins his search for a new host. This search brings him to Eric and Linda Strauss. They are bound so that they must merge in order to become Doctor Fate, but besides that they lead separate lives. Nabu then animates Kent Nelson’s corpse to serve as an adviser and instructor. Due to the fact that the tower Nelson used as a sanctum is destroyed, the pair runs their operations out of Linda’s apartment. Later they are joined by a small demon they name Petey and a lawyer by the name Jack C. Small. This pair provides moral support and even manage to assist in some of the battles.
During a battle on Apokolips, Eric is killed, leaving Linda to serve as Dr. Fate on her own. The Helm eventually rejects her. Eric’s soul, instead of passing on, is placed in the dying body of Eugene DiBellia, who had been mortally wounded in a car accident. Eugene is the father of a girl named Raina, who will usher in a new age for all mankind.
Though she is no longer Doctor Fate, the Anti-Fate, returns to plague her. This forces Linda to merge with Nabu and become Doctor Fate once again. Though they are forced to retreat, the Lords of Chaos succeed in assaulting Linda Strauss and killing her. Same as Eric, her soul is placed into the dying body of Wendy DiBellia, so that she and Eric can take care of Raina. The DiBellias had always been fated to die, but thanks to the intervention of the Phantom Stranger and someone serving as a human avatar of God, Raina is not left without her caretakers.