YMMV / The Spectre

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Good is Not Nice or villain who just happens to go after other villains (while not caring about who gets in the way)? Also raises questions about the DCU's version of God for employing him, but that's potentially a more touchy subject.
  • Who has more influence over the Spectre? The host or the angel?
• Audience-Alienating Era: Hal Jordan's tenure is derided by critics and fans for turning The Spectre from the Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant to an incompetent Failure Hero.
• Badass Decay: Following the loss of Hal Jordan as his human anchor, the Spectre went on a rampage of Disproportionate Retribution before being manipulated by the new Eclipso (Jean Loring). Some of the decay was briefly undone after Crispus Allen became the new host, until the spirit was first subdued by a reawakened Cain, then left weakened at the hands of Mandrakk in Final Crisis. He became completely overcome by a Black Lantern ring in Blackest Night, and after he regained control he couldn't do a thing to Nekron because he has no soul.
• Complete Monster:
  • Pre-Crisis:
    • "The Gasmen and...the Spectre" ^note originally published in (Weird) Adventure Comics #436; republished in Wrath of the Spectre #2: Field Marshall Offel is a terrorist playing the part of a psychotic Insane Admiral initiating "Operation Green Cloud". Offel has a car show gassed to the last man, woman and child, murdering fifty to sixty people and gleefully threatening more attacks of similar caliber should he not be paid ten billion dollars, which Offel means to fund his bloody "World Revolution".
    • "The Human Bombs and... the Spectre" ^note originally published in (Weird) Adventure Comics #437; republished in Wrath of the Spectre #3: The nameless Mad Scientist behind the "human bomb" plot is a hypnotist who has his thugs round up a group of innocents to place in captivity. Once apprehended, he hypnotizes said thugs to throw themselves to his ravenous barracudas and then brainwashes his hostages to collect money or else detonate as suicide bombers with massive collateral damage. Upon being tracked by the Spectre, he tries to have all his hostages explode and to feed the Spectre to his hungry alligators, to whom he regularly feeds human flesh.
  • "Ghosts in the Machine" arc: Richard Redditch, a seemingly-average man who in actuality is a Serial Killer who collects ears from his victims, becomes far worse after illicit experimentation to activate his meta-gene turns his soul into electrical energy. Able to channel himself into any electrical device anywhere, Redditch glories in his new power with a series of murders, brainwashing other people to mutilate and murder other innocent people for him in his mission to "be heard". Unsatisfied, Redditch figuratively and literally destroys all conscience holding him back and drags the souls of one million people into his own private digital world to become power batteries and slaves for him, intending to initiate a nuclear holocaust on the world above to drag all of humanity into the same fate to become his tortured, mindlessly-worshipping playthings for all eternity.
• Creepy Awesome: He's built around this trope. His powers mean unless the plot requires him to lose, he will tear through anything in his path in the most horrific way imaginable, literally, since his powers are only limited by whatever he ways he can think of.
• Funny Moments: Even someone as creepy as the Spectre can have some more light-hearted moments. Case in point, in a crossover with Scooby-Doo, the dog becomes the host of the Spectre.◊ Yes, really.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • His encounter with Michael Holt. A despairing Holt was on the verge of suicide after the deaths of his wife and unborn child. He was saved from a group of young thugs. The Spectre tells him the story of Terrry Sloane, another man who was on the verge of suicide but found new meaning as the hero Mister Terrific He then follows it up with a Dare to Be Badass
  A void exists and needs to be filled. No one can ever be replaced. Not your wife, not Terry Sloane, but their passing leaves a void that needs to be filled. Mr. Terrific served a purpose and that purpose isn't filled by Superman or Batman or even the Spectre. He worked at the street level. There is a need for that kinda hero today. You game?
  • At the end of the issue, Michael Holt has taken up the mantle of Mister Terrific and stands up to the Spectre, in defense of the same gangbangers who had tried to mug him earlier arguing they deserve a chance for redemption. The Spectre then backs off, privately musing that he deliberately gave Michael the chance to face off with him in order to boost his reputation and burnish the legacy that Terry Sloane left behind.
• Magnificent Bastard: Batman: The Brave and the Bold: The Spectre, personification of vengeance, makes a wager in his first appearance with The Phantom Stranger, stating that if Batman should kill the man who killed his parents, Joe Chill, Batman will fall under his sway and become an agent of vengeance. To this end, the Spectre asks Batman what he will do when Batman finds Chill, and sways him closer toward vengeance when he has no easy answer. The Spectre helps Batman find Chill, and urges him toward vengeance. Even when refused, the Spectre manages to end Chill's life using the environment. In his next appearance, the Spectre aids Batman in tracking down the evil scientist Dr. Milo. He once more debates Batman to urge him toward killing, and once refused again, doubles back and turns Milo to cheese, then lets loose his mind-controlled rats, who eat Milo alive.

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