The Spectre
Origins - The Divine Wrath of Vengeance, as The Spectre is known, has taken on may forms since it's creation. It was formed in order to right the wrongs of those that had met with an unjust death. Basically a ghost but one that searches for justice and enlightenment. None of the earlier Spectres operated in the public eye, and none gained world-wide recognition. That changed in the 1940s, when detective Jim Corrigan became the latest host for the Spirit of Vengeance. Corrigan was murdered in a gangland killing. Upon his death, he found himself in Limbo, where he was bonded with the Spectre Force and tasked with its mission, to confront evil wherever he found it. Corrigan returned to the world of the living taking inspiration from the 'mystery men' of the day, he created the identity of the Spectre. With Dr. Fate vouching for him, he became one of the founding members of the Justice Society. Adolph Hitler came into possession of the Spear of Destiny, the weapon that had pierced Jesus's side on the cross. With the Spear's power, Hitler created a 'sphere of influence' around Axis-controlled Europe; any meta human who entered the sphere would fall under Hitler's control. The Spectre could sense where the sphere's borders were, but could not enter without falling under it's influence. With the end of the war, the sphere came down, and the Justice Society were free to enter Europe. When they discovered the concentration camps, the Spectre was driven to righteous fury, preparing to unleash his vengeance. Fearing that he might wipe out all of Germany, the rest of the Justice Society managed to restrain him, convincing him to let the Nuremberg Trials do their work. Although the Spectre took no action, the incident darkened his view of life. Sometime after this, the Spectre's mission on Earth was ended, and he became the guardian of Heaven and Hell. This did not last long, though; during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Spectre and the Anti -Monitor fought at the beginning of time, resulting in the creation of just one single universe. In time, Corrigan grew tired, the anger and rage that had kept him going now a burden. He relinquished his role as the Spectre and passed on into Heaven, letting the Spectre Force return whence it came. The demon Entrigan tricked the Spectre Force into bonding with the rogue angel Asmodel. With the Spectre's power, Asmodel subdued Neron, Hell's ruler, and unleashed the forces of Hell on Earth. In search of assistance, a group of Earth's mystics went to Heaven to convince Jim Corrigan to become the Spectre once more, but Corrigan refused. The mystics then visited Limbo, where they recruited the assistance of former Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Given the choice between Asmodel, Neron and Hal, the Spectre Force chose Hal, making him its new host. Unknown to Hal, the Spectre had alternate reasons for choosing him as his host. Hal Jordan's soul had become a host of Parallax , the living embodiment of fear, who had gained a foothold in Hal following the destruction of Coast City and caused his subsequent mental breakdown. The Spectre had hoped to burn Parallax out of Hal's soul and cast judgment on the demonic parasite. But Parallax would not be denied. He sought dominance over Hal and the Spectre, to corrupt the Spectre's power and spread fear across the universe. By the time the Spectre revealed the truth to Hal, Parallax had reached the point where he could suppress both entities. However, this was the demon's undoing. Now aware of Parallax's existence, Hal was able to fight through Parallax, and helped the Spectre separate all three from each other. That done, the Spectre answered the call of the Presence, to return and await a new host. When the Spectre next appeared on Earth, however, it was without the presence of a host. Lacking the judgment a host would provide, he enacted punishment on any who transgressed, no matter how minor the transgression. Confused and lacking direction, the Spectre easily fell prey to Eclipso, now possessing the body of Jean Loring, who convinced the Spectre that magic was the source of all evil, and that by destroying it, he would achieve his mission. The Spectre would go on declare was on all things magical. During his assault he defeated The Shadowpact, a group of heroes whose specialty lies in the magical realm. After fighting Captain Marvel for several days he was able to defeat him and head for the Rock of Eternity where he found the wizard Shazam. He would destroy the rock after killing the wizard and then headed for Atlantis where he sent the city back down into the ocean. The Spectre went as far as killing the all the Lords of Chaos and Order but one; Nabu the Wise, the driving force behind Dr. Fate. Nabu goaded the Spectre into killing him - for with Nabu's death, the Ninth Age of Magic would end, and the Tenth begin. The Spectre, still focused on the destruction of magic, struck him down. In killing Nabu, the Spectre finally overstepped his bounds. The Presence took notice, and called the Spectre back from the mortal realm to answer Its judgment. The Presence bound the Spectre into a new host, murdered detective Crispus Allen. Originally, Allen's ghost refused to bond with the spirit, something which had never happened before. The Spectre gave Crispus one year to reconsider and after returning seeking an answer, Crispus accepted. Crispus's first task as the Spectre was to exact vengeance upon his son for killing Crispus' murderer. He ended his son's life peacefully; however, this made him extremely unhappy with his role as the Spectre. During the events of Final Crisis: Revelations, he was sent to pass judgment upon his old partner, Renee Montoya. He attacked her in Gotham the day the Anti-Life Equation was broadcast, and due to his interference she lost the powerful Spear of Destiny. The reborn Cain then used the Spear to enslave the Spectre and force it to rebuild reality in the name of Darkseid. During the Blackest Night storyline, the Spectre, due to the fact that a dead man is the host for the spirit is turned into a Black Lantern. With vengeance on his mind, The Spectre seeks out Hal Jordan. Jordan, knowing that the Spectre fears Parallax, allows the fear entity to enter his body once again. Red Lantern Atrocitus, powered by rage, sees the Spectres need for vengeance as a fitting example of a Red Lantern. Atrocitus attempts to turn the Spectre into his own rage entity, but fails, the Spectre telling him that "he is God's Rage" and of the true rage entity, and warning him not to trifle with it. Parallax tears into the Spectre and is able to separate the real Spectre from the facsimile. The Spectre is then able to defeat Parallax by using his own fear coupled with the love that Carol Ferris had for Hal Jordan. The Spectre then tries to put and end to Nekron's run of power but is unable to do anything to the master of the Black Lanterns because Nekron does not have a soul. After Crispus Allen regains control of the Spectre, he once again has a run in with Atrocitus. The Spectre attempts to judge the Red Lantern but is unable after he discovers that Atrocitus' mission is deemed a "holy one". The Spectre allows Atrocitus to continue on but warning him that it will not last forever and some day Atrocitus will trip up and open himself wide for judgment.
Powers and Abilities - As a servant of God, The Spectre is granted limitless power, being capable of nearly any feat within his imagination. The Spectre is said to be one of the most powerful beings in the universe. His powers vastly increased over the years. At times the Spectre utilized the mystic Ring of Life to perform feats beyond his powers. He can turn himself invisible as well as fly at just about any speed. He can render himself intangible and is capable of teleportation. The Spectre can increase or decrease his overall volume to nearly any size he chooses. The limits of this ability are subject only to the degree of power available to him at any one time. At the height of his power, the Spectre has been able to make himself large enough to literally straddle planets. It should be noted that although his volume may increase, this does not necessarily mean that his mass or density will increase in proportion (although it could if he so chooses). There have been many instances where the Spectre has increased his volume to mountain-sized levels without causing any structural damage to the environment around him. In contrast, the Spectre can compress his corporeal form and has been known to become small enough that he could exist inside of a needle. The Spectre can alter his basic physical form into any number of geometric shapes. This is used primarily as an intimidation tactic, and if he chooses, he can alter his traditional physical appearance to include extraneous characteristics such as extra limbs, horns, claws, etc. The Spectre's mien usually adapts facial characteristics from his human hosts such as Jim Corrigan, Hal Jordan and Crispus Allen. The Spectre's physical form, comprised mostly of ectoplasm, can stretch and compress to varying lengths and thickness. He is able to cast fear into the hearts of those that oppose him as well as cast illusions for the same reason. He possess a mastery over nearly all forms of magic. The Spectre knows many secrets of the universe and its inhabitants, though even he is not omniscient. The Spectre can sometimes get glimpses into the future, although this is not without great difficulty. The only time he was given a long, vivid glimpse into the future was when the Presence granted him one in order to warn the JLA and prevent universal destruction. The Spectre has superhuman strength (which is near-limitless as the Spectre was able to sink Atlantis simply by stepping on it), stamina, endurance, and invulnerability. Being a spiritual entity, the Spectre cannot be slain in the conventional sense, though he can be destroyed by sufficiently powerful means.
Weaknesses and Limitations - The Spectre can be injured or even slain by sufficient magic force, most notably the Spear of Destiny or a fully empowered Eclipso. In WWII the Spear of Destiny kept him from entering Nazi Germany. It was also shown that his powers weakened when he was exposed to anti-matter. The Presence can impose limits on what the Spectre is able to do, as it did in binding the Spectre to a mortal host. There are certain boundaries even the Spectre must not cross. If it does, it faces the punishment of the Presence. When the Spectre killed Nabu, it drew the Presence's attention, and was recalled.
Origins - The Divine Wrath of Vengeance, as The Spectre is known, has taken on may forms since it's creation. It was formed in order to right the wrongs of those that had met with an unjust death. Basically a ghost but one that searches for justice and enlightenment. None of the earlier Spectres operated in the public eye, and none gained world-wide recognition. That changed in the 1940s, when detective Jim Corrigan became the latest host for the Spirit of Vengeance. Corrigan was murdered in a gangland killing. Upon his death, he found himself in Limbo, where he was bonded with the Spectre Force and tasked with its mission, to confront evil wherever he found it. Corrigan returned to the world of the living taking inspiration from the 'mystery men' of the day, he created the identity of the Spectre. With Dr. Fate vouching for him, he became one of the founding members of the Justice Society. Adolph Hitler came into possession of the Spear of Destiny, the weapon that had pierced Jesus's side on the cross. With the Spear's power, Hitler created a 'sphere of influence' around Axis-controlled Europe; any meta human who entered the sphere would fall under Hitler's control. The Spectre could sense where the sphere's borders were, but could not enter without falling under it's influence. With the end of the war, the sphere came down, and the Justice Society were free to enter Europe. When they discovered the concentration camps, the Spectre was driven to righteous fury, preparing to unleash his vengeance. Fearing that he might wipe out all of Germany, the rest of the Justice Society managed to restrain him, convincing him to let the Nuremberg Trials do their work. Although the Spectre took no action, the incident darkened his view of life. Sometime after this, the Spectre's mission on Earth was ended, and he became the guardian of Heaven and Hell. This did not last long, though; during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Spectre and the Anti -Monitor fought at the beginning of time, resulting in the creation of just one single universe. In time, Corrigan grew tired, the anger and rage that had kept him going now a burden. He relinquished his role as the Spectre and passed on into Heaven, letting the Spectre Force return whence it came. The demon Entrigan tricked the Spectre Force into bonding with the rogue angel Asmodel. With the Spectre's power, Asmodel subdued Neron, Hell's ruler, and unleashed the forces of Hell on Earth. In search of assistance, a group of Earth's mystics went to Heaven to convince Jim Corrigan to become the Spectre once more, but Corrigan refused. The mystics then visited Limbo, where they recruited the assistance of former Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Given the choice between Asmodel, Neron and Hal, the Spectre Force chose Hal, making him its new host. Unknown to Hal, the Spectre had alternate reasons for choosing him as his host. Hal Jordan's soul had become a host of Parallax , the living embodiment of fear, who had gained a foothold in Hal following the destruction of Coast City and caused his subsequent mental breakdown. The Spectre had hoped to burn Parallax out of Hal's soul and cast judgment on the demonic parasite. But Parallax would not be denied. He sought dominance over Hal and the Spectre, to corrupt the Spectre's power and spread fear across the universe. By the time the Spectre revealed the truth to Hal, Parallax had reached the point where he could suppress both entities. However, this was the demon's undoing. Now aware of Parallax's existence, Hal was able to fight through Parallax, and helped the Spectre separate all three from each other. That done, the Spectre answered the call of the Presence, to return and await a new host. When the Spectre next appeared on Earth, however, it was without the presence of a host. Lacking the judgment a host would provide, he enacted punishment on any who transgressed, no matter how minor the transgression. Confused and lacking direction, the Spectre easily fell prey to Eclipso, now possessing the body of Jean Loring, who convinced the Spectre that magic was the source of all evil, and that by destroying it, he would achieve his mission. The Spectre would go on declare was on all things magical. During his assault he defeated The Shadowpact, a group of heroes whose specialty lies in the magical realm. After fighting Captain Marvel for several days he was able to defeat him and head for the Rock of Eternity where he found the wizard Shazam. He would destroy the rock after killing the wizard and then headed for Atlantis where he sent the city back down into the ocean. The Spectre went as far as killing the all the Lords of Chaos and Order but one; Nabu the Wise, the driving force behind Dr. Fate. Nabu goaded the Spectre into killing him - for with Nabu's death, the Ninth Age of Magic would end, and the Tenth begin. The Spectre, still focused on the destruction of magic, struck him down. In killing Nabu, the Spectre finally overstepped his bounds. The Presence took notice, and called the Spectre back from the mortal realm to answer Its judgment. The Presence bound the Spectre into a new host, murdered detective Crispus Allen. Originally, Allen's ghost refused to bond with the spirit, something which had never happened before. The Spectre gave Crispus one year to reconsider and after returning seeking an answer, Crispus accepted. Crispus's first task as the Spectre was to exact vengeance upon his son for killing Crispus' murderer. He ended his son's life peacefully; however, this made him extremely unhappy with his role as the Spectre. During the events of Final Crisis: Revelations, he was sent to pass judgment upon his old partner, Renee Montoya. He attacked her in Gotham the day the Anti-Life Equation was broadcast, and due to his interference she lost the powerful Spear of Destiny. The reborn Cain then used the Spear to enslave the Spectre and force it to rebuild reality in the name of Darkseid. During the Blackest Night storyline, the Spectre, due to the fact that a dead man is the host for the spirit is turned into a Black Lantern. With vengeance on his mind, The Spectre seeks out Hal Jordan. Jordan, knowing that the Spectre fears Parallax, allows the fear entity to enter his body once again. Red Lantern Atrocitus, powered by rage, sees the Spectres need for vengeance as a fitting example of a Red Lantern. Atrocitus attempts to turn the Spectre into his own rage entity, but fails, the Spectre telling him that "he is God's Rage" and of the true rage entity, and warning him not to trifle with it. Parallax tears into the Spectre and is able to separate the real Spectre from the facsimile. The Spectre is then able to defeat Parallax by using his own fear coupled with the love that Carol Ferris had for Hal Jordan. The Spectre then tries to put and end to Nekron's run of power but is unable to do anything to the master of the Black Lanterns because Nekron does not have a soul. After Crispus Allen regains control of the Spectre, he once again has a run in with Atrocitus. The Spectre attempts to judge the Red Lantern but is unable after he discovers that Atrocitus' mission is deemed a "holy one". The Spectre allows Atrocitus to continue on but warning him that it will not last forever and some day Atrocitus will trip up and open himself wide for judgment.
Powers and Abilities - As a servant of God, The Spectre is granted limitless power, being capable of nearly any feat within his imagination. The Spectre is said to be one of the most powerful beings in the universe. His powers vastly increased over the years. At times the Spectre utilized the mystic Ring of Life to perform feats beyond his powers. He can turn himself invisible as well as fly at just about any speed. He can render himself intangible and is capable of teleportation. The Spectre can increase or decrease his overall volume to nearly any size he chooses. The limits of this ability are subject only to the degree of power available to him at any one time. At the height of his power, the Spectre has been able to make himself large enough to literally straddle planets. It should be noted that although his volume may increase, this does not necessarily mean that his mass or density will increase in proportion (although it could if he so chooses). There have been many instances where the Spectre has increased his volume to mountain-sized levels without causing any structural damage to the environment around him. In contrast, the Spectre can compress his corporeal form and has been known to become small enough that he could exist inside of a needle. The Spectre can alter his basic physical form into any number of geometric shapes. This is used primarily as an intimidation tactic, and if he chooses, he can alter his traditional physical appearance to include extraneous characteristics such as extra limbs, horns, claws, etc. The Spectre's mien usually adapts facial characteristics from his human hosts such as Jim Corrigan, Hal Jordan and Crispus Allen. The Spectre's physical form, comprised mostly of ectoplasm, can stretch and compress to varying lengths and thickness. He is able to cast fear into the hearts of those that oppose him as well as cast illusions for the same reason. He possess a mastery over nearly all forms of magic. The Spectre knows many secrets of the universe and its inhabitants, though even he is not omniscient. The Spectre can sometimes get glimpses into the future, although this is not without great difficulty. The only time he was given a long, vivid glimpse into the future was when the Presence granted him one in order to warn the JLA and prevent universal destruction. The Spectre has superhuman strength (which is near-limitless as the Spectre was able to sink Atlantis simply by stepping on it), stamina, endurance, and invulnerability. Being a spiritual entity, the Spectre cannot be slain in the conventional sense, though he can be destroyed by sufficiently powerful means.
Weaknesses and Limitations - The Spectre can be injured or even slain by sufficient magic force, most notably the Spear of Destiny or a fully empowered Eclipso. In WWII the Spear of Destiny kept him from entering Nazi Germany. It was also shown that his powers weakened when he was exposed to anti-matter. The Presence can impose limits on what the Spectre is able to do, as it did in binding the Spectre to a mortal host. There are certain boundaries even the Spectre must not cross. If it does, it faces the punishment of the Presence. When the Spectre killed Nabu, it drew the Presence's attention, and was recalled.
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