DC's Strongest Hero Debuts Jaw-Dropping New Costume

Warning: contains spoilers for JSA #20!

The Spectre just might be the most powerful hero in the DC Universe, and now he has just unveiled a jaw-dropping new look. Since comics’ Golden Age, the Spectre has dished out cold, supernatural vengeance to both common criminals and demons alike. Evildoers throughout the DC Universe tremble at Spectre’s name.

One of the founding members of the Justice Society of America, the Spectre is an instrument of divine wrath. Some versions of the character even link the Spectre to the Biblical “Angel of Death.” Multiple people have held the power of the Spectre throughout history, with detective Jim Corrigan being the best known. After he was killed in the line of duty, Corrigan was bound to the Spectre, and the two have had a testy relationship since. There have been times when Corrigan has been free of the Spectre’s influence, but they always seem to find their way back to each other.

Currently, in the pages of JSA, the Spectre is searching for a new host. The attendant chaos has forced his old teammates in the Justice Society to help him find one. Yet as anyone who has worked with the Spectre-force knows, it is powerful, and possesses a mind of its own. Now, the Society is clashing with the Spectre in JSA #20, leading to an epic new look for the DC icon.

The Hourman and The Flash Fall Under the Spectre's Influence, And Get Awesome New Looks

JSA #20 was written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Diego Olortegui. The now host-less Spectre confronts Hourman and the Flash Jay Garrick. The heroes try to help their old friend, to no avail. The Spectre first takes hold of Hourman, altering the hero's costume in the process, turning it green and white. The power of the Spectre is too much for Hourman, and it then jumps to the Flash, changing his costume to reflect its own. The Flash has as much luck containing the Spectre, and the entity flees.

The effect of seeing both Hourman and the Flash given Spectre-like makeovers is creepy yet jaw-dropping. Hourman and the Flash have iron willpower, but the Spectre still overruns them. The Spectre-force not only took their bodies, but their minds. Hourman and the Flash, like Corrigan before them, went from heroes to killers under the entity’s influence, ready to dispense God’s judgement on evil. At the same time, the “Spectre-fied” Hourman and Flash are undeniably cool looking. The two Justice Society veterans have some of the best costumes in the DC Universe, and the Spectre’s power co-opted those looks.

The Spectre Has Taken Different Forms in DC's History

Hal Jordan Gave the Spectre His Most Heroic Look Yet

This is not the first time in the Spectre’s history his outfit has changed. While the basic green and white color scheme remains, there have been small tweaks made over the last 80 years. The Spectres who came before Corrigan modified their looks to reflect the cultures and timeframes they lived in, only keeping the colors.

Prior to JSA #20, the Spectre’s biggest costume change occurred when Hal Jordan possessed the mantle. After sacrificing himself at the climax of The Final Night, Jordan lingered in limbo, unable to move on due to the stain of having killed the Green Lantern Corps. Only his sacrifice in The Final Night kept him out of Hell. During 1999’s Day of Vengeance crossover, the Spectre force was bound to Jordan, allowing the former Lantern to seek redemption. As the Spectre, Jordan’s outfit kept the colors but also paid homage to his past as the greatest Green Lantern.

The JSA Must Find a New Host for the Spectre

The Next Spectre Has the Potential to Have an Even Cooler Costume

As seen in JSA #20, the Spectre is without a host, which spells bad news for the DC Universe. Numerous stories, including 2005’s Infinite Crisis lead-in Day of Vengeance, have shown what happens when the Spectre does not have someone to anchor itself. Without a human host to temper its darker impulses, the Spectre can become an engine of merciless killing. In the Spectre’s eyes, every soul is tainted with sin, and therefore subject to punishment. Hosts like Corrigan and Jordan keep the Spectre in check.

The identity of DC’s new Spectre has not been revealed yet. JSA #20 ends with Metron of New Genesis joining the hunt. Now that the powerful denizens of the Fourth World have taken an interest, the hunt for the Spectre’s new host becomes even more imperative. The entity will change its look to mirror its anchor soul, and if that turns out to be another hero, then DC has the golden opportunity to give the Spectre a new and definitive look.

JSA #20 is on sale now from DC Comics!