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Warning: contains spoilers for Wonder Woman #16!
DC finally knows what to do with its most powerful hero, meaning Darkseid can go find himself another punching bag. The DC Universe is loaded with mega-powerful characters that make Superman look pathetic, and perhaps none more so than the Spectre. However, DC has largely been unable to make the character work, but in Wonder Woman #16, he potentially finds a new purpose befitting his powers.
Wonder Woman #16 is written by Tom King and drawn by Bruno Redondo. Detective Chimp needs information from Circe, but instead she attacks him. As soon as Circe does, the Spectre pounces.
Later, fans learn that Chimp used the Spectre as a supernatural interrogator, prying information out of Circe over the course of several weeks. For Circe, whose legacy of evil spreads across millennia, this was an agonizing process, as the Spectre made her feel the full brunt of the sorrow she has caused.
The Spectre Is An Important Character in DC–and Comic Book, History
Sadly, Many Creators Have Had Trouble Making the Spectre an Interesting Character–But a Few Succeeded
One of DC’s oldest characters, and an influence on all the supernatural characters who would follow, the Spectre is also one of the publisher’s most powerful heroes. The literal embodiment of God’s judgement, the Spectre’s powers and abilities are virtually limitless. He has shown the ability to travel the multiverse, transmute matter and a host of other abilities. The Spectre is so powerful that most creative teams have difficulty making his adventures exciting: very little can hurt a character this powerful. However, some writers and artists have had great success with the Spectre.
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Perhaps the best known attempt at making the Spectre into an interesting and compelling character was John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake’s acclaimed run from 1992 to 1998. While the book trafficked in the Spectre’s usual supernatural/magical stories, it also provided deep explorations of hot button topics such as gay rights, as well as meditations on the concepts of forgiveness and mercy. Ostrander and Mandrake made the Spectre into a legacy character, revealing multiple versions across history. Their run was considered so definitive that when they finished their story, the book ended.
Writer Micheal Fleisher and artist Jim Aparo teamed up for a controversial run on the Spectre that pushed the boundaries of what the Comics Code Authority would accept.
After Jim Corrigan, the then-host of the Spectre, passed to the next life, the mantle fell to Hal Jordan, who was deceased at the time. Under the direction of writer JM Dematteis, Jordan altered the Spectre’s mission, from one of judgement to one of redemption. This phase, and Jordan’s career as the Spectre, did not last long. During the New 52 era, writer Ray Fawkes and artist Ben Templesmith reimagined the Spectre again, this time giving him a Hulk-like relationship with Corrigan. Like his time as the Spirit of Redemption, this phase did not last either.
The Last Few Years Have Not Been Kind to the Spectre
The Spectre Has Run Afoul of DC’s Other Powerful Beings
Since Rebirth, the Spectre has been a punching bag for some of the most powerful villains in the DC Universe. At the beginning of the publisher’s Infinite Frontier initiative, Darkseid pummels the Spectre as the villain tears through the Quintessence. Then, in DCeased, Mister Mxyzptlk used his Fifth Dimensional powers to beat up on the Spectre, and he had another run-in with Darkseid during DC All-In #1, in which the Lord of Apokolips merged with the ghost, creating an extremely powerful deity, whose death reverberated across the multiverse.
The Spectre’s ability to peer into a person’s soul and see what evil they have committed means no one would be able to hide the truth from him.
The Spectre’s stint as a punching bag for more powerful characters like Darkseid came about simply because the creators were not sure what to do with him. Yet King and Redondo have seemingly found a great new role for the Spectre: as an interrogator. The Spectre’s ability to peer into a person’s soul and see what evil they have committed means no one would be able to hide the truth from him. The Spectre was able to ferret information out of Circe that proved valuable to Detective Chimp, information he may not have gotten otherwise.
The Spectre’s New Role Could Be Controversial
The Spectre Reveled in Torturing Circe
Unfortunately, the Spectre’s new role comes with a disturbing downside: his methods are tantamount to torture. Circe’s “interrogation” was several weeks, meaning she was subjected to physical and mental agony as the Spectre extracted the information he needed from her. Circe’s torture may have lasted as long as it did due to her considerable age, but there is nothing to suggest the Spectre will pull his punches with anyone else. The Spectre’s new role elevates him beyond a whooping boy for Darkseid, making good use of the character’s powers and background in law enforcement.
Wonder Woman #16 is on sale now from DC Comics!
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