DC finally knows what to do with its most powerful hero, so Darkseid can find a new punching bag

Warning: contains spoilers Wonder Woman #16!

DC finally knows what to do with its most powerful hero, i.e. Darkseid You can go find another punching bag. The DC Universe is filled with mega-powered characters that make Superman look pathetic, and perhaps none more so than the Spectre. However, DC was largely unable to make the character work, but in Wonder Woman #16, he potentially finds a new purpose befitting his powers.

Wonder Woman #16 was written by Tom King and drawn by Bruno Redondo. Detective Chimp needs information from Circe, but she attacks him instead. As soon as Circe does so, the Specter attacks.

Later, fans learn that Chimp used the Specter as a supernatural interrogator, prying information from Circe over the course of several weeks. For Circe, whose legacy of evil spans millennia, this was an agonizing process, as the Specter made her feel the full weight of the sadness it caused.

The Specter is an important character in DC – and in the comics, in history

Unfortunately, many creators have had trouble making the Specter an interesting character - but some have succeeded

One of DC's oldest characters and an influence on all the supernatural characters that would follow, the Specter is also one of the publisher's most powerful heroes. The literal embodiment of God's judgment, the Spectre's powers and abilities are virtually limitless. He has shown the ability to travel across the multiverse, transmute matter, and a host of other abilities. TThe Specter is so powerful that most creative teams have a hard time making their adventures exciting: very little can hurt such a powerful character. However, some writers and artists have had great success with the Spectrum.

Perhaps the best-known attempt to turn the Specter into an interesting and compelling character was John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake's acclaimed run from 1992 to 1998. Although the book trafficked in the usual supernatural/magical Specter stories, it also provided in-depth explorations of important topics. such as homosexual rights, as well as meditations on the concepts of forgiveness and mercy. Ostrander and Mandrake turned the Specter into a legacy character, revealing multiple versions throughout the story. Their journey was considered so definitive that when they finished the story, the book ended.

After Jim Corrigan, the then host of the Spectrum, passed on to the next life, the mantle fell to Hal Jordan, already deceased at the time. Under the direction of writer JM Dematteis, Jordan altered the Spectre's mission from judgment to redemption. This phase and Jordan's career as a Specter did not last long. During the New 52 era, writer Ray Fawkes and artist Ben Templesmith reinvented the Specter again, this time giving him a Hulk-like relationship with Corrigan. Just like his time as the Spirit of Redemption, this phase also did not last.

The last few years have not been kind to the spectrum

The Specter has come into conflict with other powerful DC beings

Since Renaissancethe Specter has been a punching bag for some of the most powerful villains in the DC Universe. At the beginning of the publishing house Infinite Frontier initiative, Darkseid punches the Specter while the villain destroys the Quintessence. So, in DCcessedMister Mxyzptlk used his Fifth Dimensional powers to defeat the Spectre, and he had another run-in with Darkseid during DC all inclusive #1, in which the Lord of Apokolips merged with the ghost, creating an extremely powerful deity, whose death reverberated throughout the multiverse.

The Spectre's role as a punching bag for more powerful characters like Darkseid came about simply because the creators weren't sure what to do with him. However, King and Redondo have apparently found a great new role for the Specter: as an interrogator. The Spectre's ability to peer into a person's soul and see the evil they have committed means that no one would be able to hide the truth from him. The Specter was able to extract information from Circe that proved valuable to Detective Chimp, information he might not have obtained otherwise.

Spectrum's New Role May Be Controversial

The Specter Revealed in Torturing Circe

Unfortunately, the Spectre's new role comes with a disturbing downside: his methods amount to torture. Circe's “interrogation” lasted several weeks, meaning she was subjected to physical and mental agony while the Specter extracted the information he needed from her. Circe's torture may have lasted so long due to her considerable age, but there is nothing to suggest that the Specter will control anyone else. The Spectre's new role elevates him beyond a convulsive boy to Darkseidmaking good use of the character's powers and experience in law enforcement.

Wonder Woman #16 is on sale now from DC Comics!