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86-550: Eclipso is a powerful magical entity often portrayed as a primordial manifestation of divine wrath, believed to be linked to the wrath of God. Comparable to the Spectre , Eclipso is considered an Angel of Vengeance. Following his removal from his original position, the character is sometimes associated with the Lords of Chaos as their agent. In the New 52 continuity onward, additional information about

172-562: A barrel filled with cement, which is then thrown into a body of water. Corrigan's spirit is refused entrance into the afterlife, and is instead sent back to Earth by an entity referred to only as "the Voice " to eliminate evil. The Spectre seeks bloody vengeance against Corrigan's murderers in grim, supernatural fashion. One of them was turned into a skeleton upon touching him. Corrigan soon creates his signature costume, breaks off his romance with Clarice, and continues to live as Jim Corrigan, assuming

258-484: A black diamond called the "Heart of Darkness". The Heart is later shattered into 1,000 pieces which enable Eclipso to possess others when they touch them. Over the next 100 years, Eclipso gathers the diamond shards with the intention of destroying them all, freeing his true power. When Lar Gand discovers Eclipso's palace on the moon, Eclipso is inspired to possess all of Earth's heroes and use them to conquer Earth and obtain revenge against God for his imprisonment. Eclipso

344-525: A divine level. The character carries with him a seemingly unbreakable mystical sword and is a considerable swordsman. Originally, Eclipso's abilities in possession were derived from contact with the Heart of Darkness. In later iterations, Eclipso's possession capabilities have become even more potent. After overtaking Maxwell Lord, his ability to possess and corrupt individuals was significantly amplified. Unlike before, Eclipso no longer requires physical contact with

430-632: A flirtatious relationship with Nuklon . Yolanda later retires after Infinity, Inc. disbands, but resurfaces to fight Eclipso , during which she is killed. Years later, Wildcat is resurrected in Doomsday Clock and joins the Justice Society of America . Wildcat is a metahuman who possesses cat-like agility and claws. An alternate universe variant of Yolanda Montez / Wildcat from Earth-2 appears in Earth 2: World's End and Convergence . This version

516-516: A human host prevents the Spectre from extreme acts counterproductive to his divine mission to punish the wicked. Additionally, the character is susceptible to powerful forms of magic despite none being able to permanently damage him. He is also notably vulnerable to the arcane artifacts known as the Spear of Destiny, able to kill divine creatures such as himself due to it being bathed in the blood of Jesus . Only

602-399: A light source—would transform Gordon into Eclipso. Any bright flash of light would banish Eclipso back into Bruce Gordon's body or reverse the change. In the early 1990s, DC retconned Eclipso in a company-wide crossover built around the miniseries Eclipso: The Darkness Within . Eclipso was revealed not simply to be Bruce Gordon's dark half, but a vengeful demon who was imprisoned inside

688-454: A massive explosion to destroy the device and return the colliding Earths to their own dimensions. In the 1970s, DC revived the Spectre again in the superhero anthology series Adventure Comics . Editor Joe Orlando explained that this was the Earth-One version of the Spectre, though some at DC said otherwise. Later stories explained that the Spectre had moved from Earth-Two and taken over

774-612: A pivotal role in the Crisis on Infinite Earths and Zero Hour: Crisis in Time storylines. In both cases, in the final struggle against the main villain (the Anti-Monitor and Parallax , respectively), the Spectre is the only hero capable of standing against the villains directly, allowing the other heroes time to put a plan into action that would destroy the villains once and for all. Although all of these versions are usually considered to be from

860-545: A prism, trapping him in the Black Diamond. In The New Golden Age , Eclipso is revealed to be possessing Wildcat . He battles the Justice Society before Legionnaire defeats him and traps him in the Black Diamond. Eclipso is a formidable and powerful spiritual entity, representing the primordial embodiment of God's Wrath. Possessing extraordinary abilities, Eclipso's powers are diverse and impressive. Fueled by rage,

946-530: A scientist specializing in solar energy. While in the jungle to view a solar eclipse, Gordon is attacked by tribal sorcerer Mophir, who wounds him with a black diamond and causes him to transform into Eclipso during eclipses. During this period, Eclipso was portrayed as a conventional villain, possessing super strength, partial invulnerability, and optic blasts. Eclipso's transformations are later altered so that any type of natural eclipse would split Eclipso and Gordon, while an "artificial eclipse"—an object blocking out

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1032-461: A secondary player in his own series. The feature's final installment was in issue #101 (February 1945) and the Spectre made his last appearance in the superhero group the Justice Society of America at roughly the same time in All Star Comics #23 (winter 1944–1945). In the mid-1950s and 1960s Silver Age of Comic Books , DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz revived the Spectre and returned him to

1118-488: A shard of the Heart of Darkness gem. Furthermore, Eclipso has demonstrated the ability to absorb the powers of the Spectre and project potent energy from their hands, capable of stunning or even killing adversaries. Having once served God, Eclipso possesses the ability to communicate in the angelic language, which encompasses elements of harmony, discordance, vibration, and telepathy. This linguistic skill enhances Eclipso's command over their powers and facilitates communication on

1204-788: A tour and shown various atrocities, such as piles of children's corpses. They escaped with the assistance of the Creeper and formed a group of heroes dubbed the Shadow Fighters . This group was led by Amanda Waller , formerly of the Suicide Squad . In issue #13 of the series, Eclipso defeated them, killing Wildcat II , the second Doctor Mid-Nite , the Creeper, Commander Steel , the Manhunter IV (a Mark Shaw ringer), and Major Victory . The Creeper has returned to action in his own series. The Peacemaker

1290-408: A vengeance-fueled rampage. Not only is it killing murderers, it also kills people for minor crimes, such as petty theft. Its lack of a human host deprives it of the ability to effectively judge the sins in their appropriate context. As detailed in the miniseries Day of Vengeance , Jean Loring is transformed into the new Eclipso . She goes after the Spectre and seduces him into removing all magic in

1376-426: Is James "Jim" Corrigan , a Gotham City detective who was killed and resurrected as the Spectre. Hal Jordan also became the Spectre to redeem himself after his actions as Parallax, becoming a force of redemption. Crispus Allen , another Gotham detective, served as a host despite his doubts about God's existence. The character has appeared in various media adaptations. Most notable, the character appeared within

1462-575: Is a fictional superheroine in DC Comics ' shared universe , the DC universe . She first appeared in Infinity, Inc. #12 (March 1985), and was created by Roy Thomas , Dann Thomas , and Don Newton . The character appeared in the television series Stargirl , portrayed by Yvette Monreal . Roy and Dann Thomas originally intended to create a Canadian superheroine named "The Lynx" for new 1980s-era descendants of

1548-516: Is a god of vengeance and originates from Gemworld. Later, the Black Diamond is delivered to disgraced scientist Gordon Jacobs . Eclipso possesses Jacobs and claims that he cannot leave him without killing him. In the DC Rebirth event Justice League vs. Suicide Squad , Maxwell Lord and the Suicide Squad steal the Heart of Darkness, allowing Eclipso to expand his powers worldwide. Eclipso possesses Lord before Killer Frost uses her powers to create

1634-490: Is eventually defeated while Will Payton destroys his moon base. Following the crossover event, Eclipso appeared in a solo series. He conquered the South American country of Parador by possessing one person at a time. The United States sent an investigation team consisting of Cave Carson , Bruce Gordon, and Gordon's fiancé Mona Bennet. Carson's legs were broken and he was left at the border. Gordon and Bennet were taken on

1720-511: Is going on and was already busy trying to end a violent gang war in Gotham. Corrigan and Batwing investigate and discover a demonic Deacon Blackfire commanding an army of corrupted humans and demons in the sewers beneath the asylum. Corrigan eventually joins Gotham's Detailed Case Task Force, a small precinct responsible for investigating supernatural events off the books. Within the DC Universe ,

1806-457: Is once again forced into a human host, stopping his mad rampage. Nabu reveals before dying that originally he and the other Lords had been working towards forming the perfect host for the Spectre, but those plans are cut short. The text of the story is unclear on who the Great Lords were. Nabu (introduced in 1942 as the powerful entity responsible for Kent Nelson becoming Doctor Fate ) was one of

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1892-509: Is revealed that the Voice chose Corrigan to be "the mirror of his desire for justice" (though Corrigan believes in vengeance) and imbued him with divine powers. Corrigan returns to work as a police detective in Gotham City , but his rage causes him to practice vengeance rather than justice in his alter ego as the Spectre. The Phantom Stranger attacks Corrigan's police precinct, convinced that Corrigan

1978-742: Is the demonic avatar of the Red, a cosmic force connecting animal life. Yolanda Montez appears in Stargirl , portrayed by Yvette Monreal . This version is a high school student, a fan of Ted Grant , and the ex-girlfriend of Henry King Jr. Three months prior to the series, she became an outcast when her rival Cindy Burman leaked a risqué photo she had sent to Henry during a school presidential election to ruin her candidacy, which also soured her relationship with her Catholic parents and led to her pouring her frustrations into boxing. Montez later takes up Grant's identity of Wildcat at Stargirl 's request to help rebuild

2064-571: The Day of Judgment storyline written by Geoff Johns , when a fallen angel attempts to gain the Spectre's power. Corrigan is asked to come back, but refuses as he has found peace. The Spectre-Force chooses Jordan as his new host because Jordan seeks to atone for his universe-threatening actions as the villainous Parallax . His next appearance was in a four-part story arc in Legends of the DC Universe #33–36. In

2150-489: The All-Star Squadron . An early incarnation of Wildcat named "La Garro" appears in promotional material for Infinity Inc. Yolanda Montez is the daughter of Maria Montez and Juan Montez , and possesses cat-like abilities due to Maria being exposed to experimental drugs while pregnant. She later succeeds her godfather Ted Grant as Wildcat following his retirement. During this time, she joins Infinity, Inc. and has

2236-520: The Arrowverse . One version appears on Constantine portrayed by Emmett J. Scanlan and another alternate version appears in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, portrayed by Stephen Lobo . The Spectre debuted in More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940) when hard-boiled cop Jim Corrigan , on his way with his fiancée Clarice to their engagement party, is murdered by thugs who stuff him into

2322-504: The Justice Society of America (JSA). Montez would later go on to forgive Henry before he is killed by his father Brainwave and avenge him by killing the latter. In the second season, Montez becomes a part-time waitress, but suffers from PTSD as a result of her killing Brainwave. This eventually leads her to quit the JSA after suffering hallucinations of Henry and Brainwave, though she later agrees to return to help her friends defeat Eclipso . In

2408-607: The Lords of Order . The Spectre had apparently killed the others, along with their counterparts the Lords of Chaos, with the exception of Mordru and Amethyst (whom he battled on Gemworld). Amethyst is among those gathered by the Phantom Stranger to aid in rebuilding the Rock of Eternity, and survives into the Tenth Age. Alexander Luthor also revealed that he was indirectly responsible for

2494-527: The Spirit King . The Spirit King had managed to "resurrect" the ghosts of all those the Spectre had damned to Hell, as Hal's attempt to turn the Spectre's mission to redemption weakened his hold on the damned. The JSA attempted to keep the spirits contained, but ultimately they were only defeated when Hal 'accepted' his original mission of vengeance, concluding that his goal of redemption was only about helping himself. In Green Lantern: Rebirth , written by Johns,

2580-525: The 1992 Darkness Within miniseries modified the character to be an evil and megalomaniacal entity. Eclipso's character laments the power he once had as a spirit of divine vengeance. Eclipso would frequently seek to possess beings of incredible power like Superman , Lar Gand , and Captain Marvel to achieve his ends. Eclipso's early comics debut is tied to his first modern host, Bruce Gordon (named after Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon as an inside joke),

2666-589: The Black Diamond destroyed. S.T.A.R. Labs recover the shards, learning that they are sending signals to each other. Steve Lombard later takes one of the shards, causing him to be possessed by Eclipso until Hank Henshaw and Green Lantern defeat him and take the shards into space. Spectre (DC Comics character) The Spectre is the name of several antiheroes who appear in American comic books published by DC Comics . The original version first appeared in More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940). The character

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2752-590: The Black Diamonds originate from Apokolips . In Countdown to Mystery , Eclipso corrupts the heroes Plastic Man , the Creeper , and Dove and reassembles the Heart of Darkness. The Spectre encourages Bruce Gordon to take control of Eclipso, but is unable to separate the two. Following Brightest Day , Eclipso kills the Spectre and absorbs his powers. He destroys the Moon and attempts to destroy Earth before being defeated. In The New 52 continuity reboot, Eclipso

2838-630: The Black Lantern to repress it again and, discarding the Stranger and Blue Devil, leaves to carry out its intention to cast vengeance on Hal Jordan. In Coast City, Hal Jordan encounters the Black Lantern Spectre. Using the real Spectre-Force's power to protect itself, it is rendered immune to the combination of emotional lights that usually destroy Black Lanterns. Knowing that the Spectre is afraid of Parallax, Jordan allows himself to be possessed by

2924-482: The Black Lantern's body, freeing the real Spectre-Force and destroying the facsimile. 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 then attempts to destroy the Spectre, who uses his own fear of the entity coupled with the love Carol Ferris feels for Hal, to separate Parallax from its host. The Spectre then confronts Nekron ,

3010-478: The Bold #75 (January 1968), this time teamed with Batman . In The Spectre , the creative credits varied in the 10 issues published, with introduction of a then-newcomer to comics, Neal Adams , who drew issues #2–5 and wrote issues #4–5. For its final two issues, the comic became in effect a horror anthology, with the title character being little more than a narrator in several short stories. The Spectre title suffered from

3096-453: The Bold , DC Comics Presents and All-Star Squadron . A new Spectre series was planned for 1986, with Steve Gerber as writer and Gene Colan as penciler. However, Gerber missed the deadline for the first issue so that he could watch the last day of shooting on the film Howard the Duck and DC cancelled the series in response. Among the many changes made to DC Comics' characters during

3182-519: The DC Universe. Eclipso explains to the Spectre that all things that follow the rules of the physical universe follow God's law. Anything that breaks those rules thus breaks God's law and is therefore evil. Consequently, as magic breaks the rules of the physical universe, it is an originating source of tremendous evil (this line of logic makes sense to the unstable Spectre-Force). The Spectre destroys magical constructs, institutions that teach magic and magical dimensions. In one such dimension, his acts include

3268-640: The Earth-Two of the Pre- Crisis DC Multiverse (the same continuity started during the Golden Age), an Earth-One version of the Spectre was shown to team up with Batman and Superman on a few occasions. Eventually, Corrigan's soul finds peace. He relinquishes the Spectre-Force and goes on to Heaven. The role of the Spectre is later assumed by Hal Jordan, the spirit of the former Green Lantern , during

3354-535: The Presence possess true control over the Spectre's abilities. Each of the hosts of the Spectre have their own enemies: The character won the 1961 Alley Award as the Hero/Heroine Most Worthy of Revival and the 1964 Alley Award for Strip Most Desired for Revival . IGN ranked the Spectre as the 70th greatest superhero of all time. Wildcat (Yolanda Montez) Wildcat ( Yolanda Montez )

3440-477: The Spectre in his aspects as both the embodied Avenging Wrath of the Murdered Dead and as a brutal 1930s policeman. Ostrander placed the Spectre in complex, morally ambiguous situations that posed certain ethical questions, one example being: What vengeance should be wrought upon a woman who killed her abusive husband in his sleep? Other notable dilemmas included: Ostrander also added several new concepts into

3526-458: The Spectre in two. Eclipso then absorbs the Spectre's immense powers, which he then uses to shatter the moon with a single blow from his sword before attempting to use them to fulfill his sinister agenda. Eclipso is defeated by the reserve Justice League. Jim Corrigan is a Gotham City Police Detective whose fiancé is kidnapped. He is guided by the Phantom Stranger on the instructions of

Eclipso - Misplaced Pages Continue

3612-575: The Spectre is defeated by the Great Evil Beast. Next, in the Last Days of the Justice Society of America special, the Spectre fails to resolve a situation and is punished by God for his failure. In his fourth solo series and second self-titled comic, The Spectre , under writer Doug Moench , Corrigan became the central figure in this story of an occult -oriented private detective agency. The Spectre's powers were significantly reduced here, with even

3698-531: The Spectre is widely regarded as one of the most formidable beings, often considered to be among the most powerful superheroes in the fictional universe. The Spectre is often portrayed as surpassing other characters possessing substantial supernatural abilities, including Doctor Fate , the Wizard Shazam , Nabu , Etrigan , and Captain Marvel/Shazam . As an agent of The Presence, the Spectre has demonstrated

3784-424: The Spectre remains widely regarded as the most potent spirit on Earth, possessing a diverse range of abilities. These include the capacity to become intangible, animate and possess objects, intrude upon an individual's mind or soul, and draw others into his own being, where his power reigns supreme. While an extremely formidable being, the Spectre is known to possess several weakness. The character's requirement for

3870-608: The Spectre was not the first embodiment of God's anger, but was the replacement for the previously minor DC character Eclipso . Ostrander chose to portray this as a distinction between the Spectre's pursuit of vengeance and Eclipso's pursuit of revenge . In a historical context, Eclipso was responsible for the biblical Flood , while the Spectre was the Angel of Death who slew the firstborn Egyptian children . The Spectre and Eclipso have battled numerous times through history, but neither entity can be fully destroyed. The Spectre has also played

3956-521: The Spectre's actions in Day of Vengeance . Under Alexander Luthor's orders, the Psycho-Pirate gave Eclipso's diamond to Jean Loring, making her manipulate the Spectre-Force so that magic could be undone and used as fuel for Luthor's Multiverse tower. In Gotham Central #38, Crispus Allen is killed by a corrupt policeman coincidentally named Jim Corrigan (not the same Corrigan that was formerly associated with

4042-520: The Spectre's history: He revealed that the Spectre was meant to exist as the embodiment of the Wrath of God, and Jim Corrigan was but the latest human spirit assigned to guide him while he existed on Earth. It was also shown that the Spectre was a fallen angel named Aztar who had participated in Lucifer 's rebellion, but then repented, and that serving as the embodiment of God's anger was its penance. Furthermore,

4128-553: The Spectre). While Allen's body is in the morgue, the Spectre-Force is forced against its will to enter Crispus Allen, taking Allen as its new host. During the 2009–2010 Blackest Night storyline, Black Hand reveals that the Spectre must be moved out of the way in order for the universe to be at peace. For that, he uses the Black Lantern Pariah , who unleashes more black rings which latch themselves onto Crispus' body (who

4214-452: The Spectre-Force's decision of choosing Jordan as his host was retconned into being not because of Jordan's worthiness, but as an effort to destroy the Parallax entity, which was infecting Jordan's soul. After the Spectre-Force was able to purge Parallax from Jordan, it departed to move on to the next recipient of the spirit. Without a human host, the Spectre-Force becomes unstable and goes on

4300-401: The Spectre. Writer John Ostrander chose to portray this as a distinction between the Spectre's pursuit of "vengeance" and Eclipso's pursuit of "revenge". In a Biblical context, Eclipso was responsible for Noah's Flood , while the Spectre was the Angel of Death who slew the first-born Egyptian children. The Spectre destroys the Heart of Darkness, along with the remains of Eclipso's palace on

4386-446: The Voice. He leads Corrigan to the abandoned warehouse where his girlfriend is being kept, but this turns out to be a trap. Corrigan and his girlfriend are killed by the kidnappers and he is then transformed into the Spectre, who accuses the Phantom Stranger of betraying him. As the Spectre is about to attack the Phantom Stranger, the Voice intervenes and sends the Spectre off to inflict his wrath on those who are more deserving of it. It

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4472-595: The ability to neutralize or undo forces created by his master, such as the Lords of Chaos and Order . At the peak of his abilities, the character is recognized as possessing near omnipotent magical and physical abilities, making him capable of virtually any feat, including the ability to control space, time, reality, and matter. He also possesses an extensive mastery over other "basic" superpowers such as energy manipulation, superhuman strength, flight and possesses extensive mental abilities capable of inducing illusions and hallucinations. Even when depowered by The Presence,

4558-407: The ability to overshadow individuals who come into contact with the cursed Heart of Darkness gem. Once overshadowed, Eclipso controls the host's powers, manipulates their behavior, and alters their memories to serve his own purposes. Additionally, he can augment his host's existing abilities or grant them new powers, thereby strengthening them. Despite Eclipso's considerable power, he remains bound by

4644-541: The act of emerging from Corrigan's physical body being painful to both. This run ended with issue #31 (November 1989). A few months after this, the Spectre had a cameo in writer Neil Gaiman 's The Books of Magic , a four-issue miniseries starring many DC occult characters. Three years after the cancellation of the Doug Moench version, the Spectre was again given his own series, this time written by writer and former theology student John Ostrander , who chose to re-examine

4730-457: The angel Zauriel and begins to torture him to draw the attention of the Spectre. The plan succeeds, with the Spectre traveling to the moon to rescue Zauriel, only to be ambushed by Jade and the members of the Justice League's reserve roster, all of whom had been brainwashed by Eclipso. Once the heroes wear the Spectre down, Eclipso confronts his old nemesis and seemingly kills him by cleaving

4816-493: The body of the Jim Corrigan of Earth-One . Beginning with the 12-page "The Wrath of ... the Spectre" in issue #431 (February 1974), writer Michael Fleisher and artist Jim Aparo produced 10 stories through issue #440 (July 1975) that became controversial for what was considered gruesome, albeit bloodless, violence. Comics historian Les Daniels commented that the Spectre had ...a new lease on life after editor Joe Orlando

4902-475: The character exhibits attributes such as invulnerability and immortality. Eclipso's vast magical powers enable the performance of godlike feats. These include manipulating the weather and seas, causing natural disasters like floods and thunderstorms. The character can also alter their size, growing to giant proportions, has the ability to emit deadly rays of dark light from his left eye and a powerful burst of paralyzing black light from his right eye by looking through

4988-592: The character reveals that Eclipso occasionally reincarnates into different lives. One such incarnation is Kaala , also known as the Lord of the House Onyx, hailing from Gemworld . Throughout Eclipso's history, the character is frequently depicted as an adversary of the Justice League, its affiliated teams, and Amethyst , Princess of Gemworld. Notably, Eclipso possesses the ability of possession, marked by distinctive blue facial markings resembling an "eclipse." Eclipso appeared as

5074-482: The diamond fragments from him. Despite the loss of the other black diamonds, the disembodied Eclipso possesses Superman. Captain Marvel exploits Superman's weakness to magic to defeat him and recruits the Spectre to exorcise him. In Day of Vengeance , Jean Loring obtains the Black Diamond and is possessed by Eclipso. After Loring is killed in battle with Mary Marvel , Eclipso abandons her and returns to Bruce Gordon. Furthermore, Countdown to Mystery reveals that

5160-845: The divine laws set by the Presence, and transgressing these bounds can result in severe punishment from the Presence. Additionally, Eclipso has a vulnerability in the form of the Heart of Darkness, which can be used to seal him away. Certain adept practitioners of magic, such as Doctor Fate and Sebastian Faust, have demonstrated the ability to hinder and exorcise Eclipso's possession through the use of specific magical spells and abilities. The Bruce Gordon incarnation of Eclipso appears in Smallville Season 11: Chaos . Amidst an archaeological dig in Africa, Eclipso possesses Gordon, travels to Metropolis , and battles Superman before eventually possessing him and Superboy , leaving Gordon to be taken into custody and

5246-529: The escape, Mona's father was snatched from their vehicle, but he later returned alive. The survivors arrived in the United Nations building, just in time to foil another plot of Eclipso by landing their vehicle on his intended victim. Bruce Gordon and Mona Bennet led Earth's superheroes in an attack on Parador, in an attempt to destroy Eclipso once and for all. Eclipso revealed that he dares not kill Gordon and Bennet because their unborn child will time travel to

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5332-562: The fear entity once more to stop him. The powers of the Spectre also become of interest to the Red Lantern Corps leader Atrocitus , as he senses the Spectre's real nature despite being influenced by the black ring: an embodiment of rage and vengeance. Atrocitus desires to harness the spirit's power for his corps and his own vengeance against the Guardians of the Universe . Parallax tears into

5418-472: The final Supergirl story arc, "Many Happy Returns" by Peter David , revealed that the Spectre ( Hal Jordan ) is aware of the Crisis on Infinite Earths . He is one of the few DC Universe characters with this knowledge. After The Spectre (vol. 4) was cancelled, Jordan was forced to return, temporarily, to the Spectre's mission of vengeance, following a confrontation between the new Justice Society of America and

5504-531: The final issue of Wrath of the Spectre , a four-issue miniseries in 1988 that reprinted the 10 original Fleisher-Aparo stories in its first three issues and three newly drawn stories in the fourth one. Fleisher had stated in 1980 that only two scripts were left undrawn. The Spectre also made a guest appearance in the " Doctor Thirteen " feature in Ghosts #97–99 (February–April 1981) and would go on to periodic guest appearances in such other DC titles as The Brave and

5590-464: The gem to influence others. He can remotely possess multiple hosts, as long as he can first corrupt them. Moreover, his influence tends to amplify the darker tendencies within those under his control. The individuals he possesses undergo a visible transformation, adopting a more monstrous physical appearance. When manifested into his true form, the character often wears the Heart of Darkness on his chest and channels its power. On its own, Eclipso possesses

5676-535: The latter half of the 1980s following the Crisis on Infinite Earths miniseries, the Spectre fought the Anti-Monitor largely depowered. Prior to this, the Spectre is revealed to be guarding an entrance to Hell in Swamp Thing (vol. 2) Annual #2 by writer Alan Moore and artists Stephen R. Bissette and John Totleben . Then, in the conclusion to Moore's "American Gothic" storyline in Swamp Thing (vol. 2) #35-50,

5762-485: The main antagonist of the second season of The CW television show Stargirl , portrayed as an adult by Nick E. Tarabay and Jason Davis and as a young boy by Milo Stein. Eclipso first appeared in House of Secrets #61 (August 1963) and was created by Bob Haney and Lee Elias . Originally, Eclipso was written as a generic villain who would routinely enact an elaborate plot to fulfill his hedonistic motivations. However,

5848-526: The man that the Butcher possessed, but Atrocitus argues that his method of judgment is flawed. The Spectre calls off his judgment and is unable to judge Atrocitus, discovering that his mission is a "holy" one, although he warns Atrocitus that this will not last forever. The Spectre later appears during James Robinson 's "Rise of Eclipso" storyline in Justice League of America . In the story, Eclipso captures

5934-481: The mass murder of over 700 battle-hardened magicians. His actions cause havoc to other very powerful magic-based characters: The Spectre also destroys the magic-fueled kingdom of Atlantis (the home of Aquaman ) during his rampage. In Day of Vengeance: Infinite Crisis Special #1, the Spectre kills Nabu, the last of the Great Lords of the Ninth Age and the Presence's attention is finally drawn into action. The Spectre

6020-580: The master of the Black Lanterns, but discovers that Nekron is without a soul and is thus immune to his powers. The Spectre is then removed from the battlefield by Nekron to parts unknown. In the Brightest Day storyline, the Spectre resurfaces, again with Crispus Allen as its host, in the hills of Montana on the trail of the Butcher, the Red Lantern entity. The Spectre confronts Atrocitus once again when

6106-568: The mid-1940s, the popularity of superhero comics began to decline and the Spectre was reduced to playing the role of guardian angel to a bumbling character called "Percival Popp, the Super Cop", who first appeared in More Fun #74 (December 1941). When Corrigan enlisted in the military and departed to serve in World War II , in More Fun #90 (April 1943), the Spectre became permanently invisible, becoming

6192-575: The moon, burning them and casting the ashes into outer space. Eclipso returns after several years' absence in the "Princes of Darkness" storyline in JSA as an ally of Mordru and Obsidian . Alexander Montez, Wildcat's cousin, vows revenge on Eclipso for her death. To this end, he gathers 1,000 black diamonds, liquefies them, and injects them into himself, gaining Eclipso's powers. However, Eclipso takes control of Alex, leading him to commit suicide. Following this, Eclipso's followers acquire Alex's body and extract

6278-409: The past as an adult and free Eclipso from the diamond. Eclipso was finally defeated when the Phantom Stranger gathered all 1,000 black diamond shards and fused them into the Heart of Darkness, imprisoning Eclipso again. His physical body, the adult child of Bennet and Gordon, evaporated in front of his parents. The Spectre (vol. 3) reveals Eclipso to be the first avatar of God's wrath, preceding

6364-505: The role of an avenging spirit, beginning in Showcase #60 (February 1966). Under writer Gardner Fox and penciller Murphy Anderson , his power was vastly increased, at times approaching omnipotence. A 1987 magazine retrospective on the character said this revival had been initially announced as a team-up with Doctor Mid-Nite . After a three-issue try-out in Showcase , the Spectre appeared in

6450-542: The same problem that vexed the Golden Age series: writing meaningful stories using a character who was virtually omnipotent. This era's end came at the climax of a JLA/JSA crossover when Doctor Fate frees the Ghostly Guardian from a crypt in time to block a collision between Earth-One and Earth-Two caused by an alien device planted inside the android Red Tornado . The Spectre's body is torn apart when Doctor Fate creates

6536-453: The secret identity of the Spectre whenever he is needed. He eventually turns down an offer to relinquish his mission to destroy all evil. The Spectre soon is awarded charter membership in the first superhero team, the Justice Society of America in All Star Comics . Jim Corrigan is resurrected in More Fun #75 (January 1942), after which the Spectre's ghostly form enters and emerges from Jim Corrigan, functioning independently of him. During

6622-480: The series The Spectre (vol. 4), written by J. M. DeMatteis , Jordan bends the Spectre's mission from one of vengeance to one of redemption and makes appearances elsewhere in the DC Universe , such as advising Superman during the "Emperor Joker" storyline or helping Wally West keep his family safe by erasing public knowledge of his true identity. In the 2001 Green Arrow storyline "Quiver" written by Kevin Smith and

6708-644: The superhero-team comic Justice League of America #46–47 in that year's team-up of the titular group and its 1940s predecessors, the Justice Society of America : written by Gardner Fox. A few months later, he co-starred with the Silver Age Flash in The Brave and the Bold #72 (July 1967). The Spectre was given his own title, premiering in December 1967, while simultaneously making another appearance in The Brave and

6794-521: The two locate the Butcher, who is about to possess a man whose daughter had been killed by a death row inmate. Despite the Spectre's attempts to stop it, the Butcher succeeds, killing the criminal. The Butcher then attempts to possess Atrocitus, revealing that Atrocitus had a wife and children who were killed in the Manhunters' attack. With the Spectre's help, Atrocitus wards off the Butcher and imprisons it within his power battery. The Spectre attempts to judge

6880-536: Was also involved in this action. He died in a helicopter crash while trying to destroy Eclipso's tanks. These tanks were attacking the sole surviving member of the Shadow Fighter attack force, Nemesis . The other survivors of the Shadow Fighters, those who had not attacked Eclipso directly, regrouped. Eclipso attacked them with a Parador missile, which they evaded using Nightshade 's teleportation ability. During

6966-399: Was created by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily although some sources attribute creator credit solely to Siegel, limiting Baily to the artist assigned to the feature. The Spectre is a divine entity representing vengeance on behalf of The Presence , considered God in the context of Abrahamic religion. Initially a demon named Aztar , he rebelled against God but later sought forgiveness and

7052-433: Was granted a divine role. As the Spectre, Aztar possesses immense power, making him one of the most formidable beings in the DC Universe . He is bound to a human host who assists him in judging the transgressions of humanity and other beings, determining suitable punishments. These judgments are often delivered in a harsh and creatively ironic manner. The Spectre has had multiple hosts throughout its history. The primary host

7138-414: Was killed by Eclipso ), turning him into a Black Lantern and sealing the Spectre-Force inside its host. Changing into a giant version, the Black Lantern Spectre declares that it wants Hal Jordan back. The Phantom Stranger and Blue Devil work together in an attempt to distract the Black Lantern Spectre from seeking out Hal Jordan. The Phantom Stranger manages to temporarily free the real Spectre, only for

7224-608: Was mugged and decided the world needed a really relentless super hero. The character came back with a vengeance ... and quickly became a cause of controversy. Orlando plotted the stories with writer Michael Fleisher, and they emphasized the gruesome fates of criminals who ran afoul of the Spectre. The Comics Code had recently been liberalized, but this series pushed its restrictions to the limit, often by turning evildoers into inanimate objects and then thoroughly demolishing them. Jim Aparo's art showed criminals being transformed into everything from broken glass to melting candles, but Fleisher

7310-521: Was quick to point out that many of his most bizarre plot devices were lifted from stories published decades earlier. In the series' letter column , some fans indicated uneasiness with this depiction. In issue #435 (October 1974), Fleisher introduced a character that shared their concerns, a reporter named Earl Crawford. The series was cancelled with three scripts written, but not yet drawn. Several years later, these remaining three chapters were penciled by Aparo, lettered and inked by others, and published in

7396-548: Was the one who kidnapped his family out of revenge. After the two exchange blows physically and verbally, the Voice himself intervenes in the form of a Scottish Terrier (his sense of humor) and informs the Stranger of his mistake, setting him on the right path. The Voice also sets Corrigan straight on his duty, making him realize he is meant to exact justice, not vengeance. Batman calls in Corrigan and Batwing to investigate Arkham Asylum , because he believes something supernatural

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