Spectres

Spectres
Information
Home planet(s)	Earth
Language(s)	English
Characteristic(s)	Humanoid

Spectres are a rare type of spirit that are in tune with the energies of the multiverse.

History

A Spectre is created when a deceased individual is "called to a higher purpose".

At some point, Jim Corrigan became a Spectre, holding this title for an undisclosed amount of time.

After Oliver Queen was killed during the Anti-Monitor Crisis, his soul was sent to Purgatory. When John Constantine, John Diggle, and Mia Smoak went there to retrieve Oliver's soul and bring it back to his body they were confronted by Corrigan, who told Oliver that it was "his turn now", and proceeded to pass on the power of the Spectre to him, as it was his destiny.

Powers and abilities

Powers

• Spirit physiology: When the deceased Oliver refused to return to his body and decided to become the Spectre, Oliver was empowered with many spiritual abilities by his mentor Jim Corrigan, to prepare him for the ultimate battle against the Anti-Monitor. Describing his capabilities as channeling the entire multiverse, even after it was destroyed, Oliver, in this state, proved himself to be even capable of overcoming Mobius and recreating the destroyed multiverse, ultimately making him one of the most powerful beings in existence.
  • Antimatter manipulation: As the Spectre, Oliver is able to manipulate antimatter to defeat the Anti-Monitor in the dawn of time, as upon getting close to Mobius, he was able to disperse his antimatter blast and then with aid from the Paragons, was able to use it along with matter to explode the Anti-Monitor and recreate the multiverse, allowing Earth-Prime to be created, although at the cost of his life.
  • Energy shield: When facing Mobius, Oliver was able to protect himself from Mobius's antimatter blast with a blue barrier of energy that was strong enough to resist all of the Anti-Monitor's efforts to overcome him to get close.
  • Interdimensional travel: As the Spectre, Oliver can easily travel across dimensions at will, as he traveled from Purgatory to the Vanishing Point at ease to warn the Paragons of their next mission. He can also utilize his interdivisional abilities to telepathically project himself in the Speed Force to communicate with Barry Allen.
    • Bioluminescence: When Oliver’s powers activate, his eyes glow green, just like Jim Corrigan.
    • Precognition: As the Spectre, Oliver at his dying breath told Barry Allen and Sara Lance the future, warning them that the Anti-Monitor Crisis is not over yet and that they have a chance to win.
    • Retrocognition: During Oliver's training in Purgatory, he was able to view past events, like the Siege, his battle with Slade Wilson, his fight with Ra's al Ghul, and his victory over Damien Darhk.
    • Speed Force connection: Through unexplained ways, Oliver as the Spectre has a connection to the multiverse's energy, including the Speed Force. He used this connection to the Speed Force to holographically communicate with Barry and help the Paragons navigate their way to the Dawn of Time to stop Mobius from making his destruction of the multiverse, permanent.
      • Chronokinesis: Oliver, via his connection to the multiverse, was able to navigate the paragons on their time travel to the Dawn of Time to stop Mobius from enacting his final endgame.
    • Vessel creation: Somehow as the Spectre, Oliver was able to create a corporeal form to inhabit when he crossed over from purgatory into the real world to rescue and aid the Paragons. In this corporeal human body, Oliver is still capable of dying when he is still inhabiting that body, as shown when he over used his Spectre powers to destroy Mobius, at the cost of his life.
  • Levitation: Oliver was able to fly to quickly catch up to the Anti-Monitor in mid-air.
  • Materiokinesis: As the Spectre, Oliver was able to manipulate Matter, as when he contained the Anti-Monitor using antimatter, he blasted matter waves from his eyes so that the Paragons may create Earth-Prime; at the cost of his own life.
  • Power bestowal: When at the Vanishing Point, speaking to the Paragons; Oliver was able to amplify Barry's connection to the Speed Force; in order to travel back in time to defeat the Anti-Monitor. Jim Corrigan was also able to use this to transfer the mantle and the power of the Spectre to Oliver.
  • Superhuman strength: Oliver was strong enough to restrain the Anti-Monitor with a firm grip to his shoulders, despite the Anti-Monitor displaying strength easily greater than that of Superman of Earth-96 while possessing Harbinger.

"Why must you cosmic types be so obtuse?"
"If i knew [what you're supposed to do] I'd tell you."

—Lex and Oliver

• • Near-omnicence: As the Spectre, Oliver displayed knowledge of how reality worked. Even that the power of the Spectre would poison the speed Force if given to Barry to boost his speed. Oliver admitted that while he knew he was to spark the birth of a new multiverse at the Dawn of Time, he had no clue how to "fan the flames" to ensure it succeed; something he left to Lex Luthor, a mad genius.

Known Spectres

Oliver Queen

Jim Corrigan

Appearances

The Flash

Season 6

• "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three"
• "Death of the Speed Force" (flashbacks)

Arrow

Season 8

• "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Four"
• "Fadeout" (mentioned)

DC's Legends of Tomorrow

Season 5

• "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five" (mentioned)

Trivia

• Spectres are beyond Mar Novu's knowledge.

Behind the scenes

• In DC comics, the Spectre, known as Aztar, is a cosmic entity described as being the "Spirit of Vengeance", the "Wrath of God", and one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe. He is rivalled only by his opposite, the "Spirit of Wrath" known as Eclipso.
  • The Spectre did indeed take part in the Crisis on Infinite Earths comics event and even fought against the Anti-Monitor himself.
• While the Spectre has assumed many different hosts in the comics, this is the first time Oliver Queen has been given the mantle, other than briefly in DC Universe Online.
  • Many other hosts have also been present in the Arrowverse, though haven't assumed the mantle of Spectre, such as Jean Loring, J'onn J'onzz and Madame Xanadu. In addition, though only referenced in the Arrowverse, Hal Jordan also served as a host in the comics.
• In DC comics, the power of the Spectre originates from Heaven and is the wrath of God, while in the Arrowverse the power is referred to as "infernal", presumably meaning that it comes from Hell.
• Another Jim Corrigan appeared in Constantine, being shown shrouded in a green aura through a vision of the future by Zed in "Danse Vaudou", an obvious nod to his future transformation into the Spectre.
  • However, it was the Jim Corrigan from Purgatory who was later shown as the Spectre, meaning one of three things:
    • That the previous version of Jim Corrigan did not become the Spectre, possibly as a result of time manipulation or Zed mistaking the two Jim Corrigans for each other.
    • He did become the Spectre and eventually passed it onto his Purgatory counterpart.
    • He becomes the Spectre at an even later date, possibly in the new multiverse.