Spencer Young is a former blogger who reported on meta-humans in her blog, Spyn Zone. After her phone was enhanced with dark matter during the Enlightenment, she used its powers to "create" news in an effort to make herself famous before being stopped and arrested by the Flash. Spencer's crimes brought meta-tech to Team Flash's attention.
Biography
Early career
Spencer Young worked as a junior reporter at Central City Picture News alongside Iris West-Allen. However, she eventually grew frustrated with CCPN's standards for journalism and resigned, wanting to make a name for herself. Spencer created a blog called Spyn Zone, which reported on meta-humans, similar to Iris's blog on the Flash.[1]
Gaining meta-tech
During the Enlightenment, Spencer, ignoring the danger, began live streaming the chaos from her cell phone and attempted to get a closer look at the falling debris. She noticed the Flash and another speedster take out the largest piece of the S.T.A.R. Labs satellite. The second speedster then saved her from being hit by debris, allowing Spencer to identify her savior as female. Spencer tried to ask for a selfie with the mysterious speedster, but she had already run off. Spencer then noticed that her phone was hit with dark matter-laced debris, turning it into meta-tech.[1]
News spree
Several weeks later, Spencer wished to cash in on the newest speedster in town using her phone's powers. During a charity softball game between the Central City Police Department and Fire Department, she hypnotized Officer Jones into stealing a bomb from the police precinct and setting it off. She then hypnotized the female speedster into stopping Jones. After recording the incident, Spencer quickly published her pre-written story and left the scene.
Later that afternoon, Spencer was working on her blog at CC Jitters when she encountered Iris. Surprised to see her again, Spencer asked about Iris's marriage to Barry Allen and complimented the fellow blogger for her articles exposing Clifford DeVoe. Iris revealed off-the-record that a serial killer was targeting and killing meta-humans, accidentally letting it slip the new female speedster was called "XS", much to Spencer's excitement. Iris tried to explain how Spencer's stories on XS are putting a target on the speedster's back, only for Spencer to bring up how Iris publicly reported on the Flash. She claimed her articles would make XS famous and threatened to discredit Iris's blog.
That evening, Spencer somehow caused a fire at Central City Picture News and secretly recorded the event with some onlookers. When the Flash and XS arrived, she grew frustrated at their inaction and hypnotized the Flash into speeding to Las Vegas to raise the stakes. XS was then forced to diffuse the fire by herself and succeeded. Spencer happily recorded the event before publishing her story.
After getting coffee at Jitters, Spencer suggested to a barista that they name a drink after XS. Just then, she bumped into Nora West-Allen, who claimed to be a fan of Spyn Zone. Spencer began flirting with Nora, stating she was pleased to meet an "adorable" fan like her. Iris soon interrupted them and urged Nora to check her "watch". Slightly confused, Spencer left shortly after, saying she hoped to see Nora again soon.
The next day, Spencer reported a false bomb threat in a sports stadium. Once the Flash and XS arrived, she hypnotized XS into trying to kill the Flash. Spencer secretly recorded the speedsters' battle, eagerly cheering on XS. However, her plan failed when Iris arrived and tranquilized XS. Spencer then attempted to flee, only to be caught by the Flash, who cuffed her and confiscated her phone. He quipped that Spencer would "be trading in this cell for a new one", much to her annoyance. Spencer was incarcerated at Iron Heights Prison.[1]
Personality
A savvy and aspiring blogger, Spencer is eager to report on the latest meta-human news in Central City. However, as noted by Barry Allen and Iris West-Allen, Spencer is negligent when it comes to journalism ethics and doesn't care for the real story; she only desires fame and will take any road to get it. Underneath her polite, bubbly, and perky facade, Spencer embodies a ruthless, power-hungry determination.
Upon discovering the abilities of her meta-tech phone, Spencer grew increasingly reckless and immoral; using her phone's powers to further her career, Spencer hypnotized people into causing disasters just so she could be the first to report on the exploits of the city's new female speedster, XS - without regard for any innocent lives endangered in the process. Spencer was willing to cause a fire just to get XS's attention and force the speedster to put out the flames on her own, even though the latter was a novice who could've failed at the task and injured bystanders.
In addition to her complete disregard for innocents, Spencer also has no problem using others as tools for her own pleasure or gain, as seen with Jones and XS. When Iris tried to warn her against putting XS in the crosshairs of a serial killer through her stories, Spencer selfishly refused to listen due to the hype her blog was receiving from reporting on XS, and even threatened to get Iris's own blog shut down. She went as far as to try and hypnotize XS into murdering the Flash, all for the sake of writing a juicy headline for her blog.
Spencer's attention-grabbing nature is also connected to her social interactions, as she is very flirtatious, particularly with her fans. Spencer was also shown to have some respect for fellow journalists.
Powers and abilities
Powers
- Abilities via phone: All of Spencer's powers come from her phone, which allowed her to hypnotize people.
- Hypnotism: Via her phone, Spencer could hypnotize people through her written articles, which forced the concerned individual when they saw and read the text into carrying out whatever action she desired.
Equipment
Former equipment
- Meta-tech phone: During the Enlightenment, Spencer's phone was hit by falling debris saturated with dark matter, transforming it into meta-tech. She then used its powers of written hypnosis to "create" stories for her blog. After Spencer was arrested, the Flash confiscated her phone.
Appearances
The Flash
Season 5
- "News Flash"
- "O Come, All Ye Thankful" (mentioned)
- "The Flash & The Furious" (pictured)
- "Seeing Red" (mentioned)
- "Goldfaced" (mentioned)
- "Time Bomb" (name seen)
- "Gone Rogue" (mentioned)
Trivia
- Spencer Young is the eighth case of gender-bending in The Flash. The others are Brie Larvan, Linda Park of Earth-2, Mina Chaytan, Izzy Bowin, Janet Petty, Joslyn Jackam, and Raya Van Zandt.
Behind the scenes
- Spencer's powers and abilities are similar to the mainstream villain Spin. Known only as Mr. Auerbach, Spin could control people by using televised reports.
- Spencer's lack of ethics in her goal to be a famous reporter, including using powers of manipulation and murder, is similar to the Smallville character Linda Lake.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "News Flash"