Why The Spectre Is The Next DC Superhero Who Deserves A Movie
James Gunn sparked fans' excitement recently when he shared an illustration from the landmark DC comic "Kingdom Come" on Twitter. The 1996 miniseries, from Alex Ross and Mark Waid, remains not only the most beloved comic of DC's Elseworlds imprint but is also considered to be one of the company's best stories in general. Gunn posted a picture of Superman and co. gathered around a table with just two words: "Making plans." While some thought this could mean a "Kingdom Come" film is on the way — which would be amazing — it might also simply be alluding to the fact that Gunn and Peter Safran are making a lot of big plans for the future in their new positions as heads of brand new Warner Bros. Discovery film division, DC Studios.
We know about DC's immediate movie plans, but the future of this universe has seemed somewhat up in the air as of late. "Kingdom Come" is indeed a fantastic story about a Justice League forced out of retirement by a new generation of heroes lacking a moral compass. The book is very much a Superman story, though it also prominently features plenty of other DC characters, most notably Wonder Woman, Batman, and Shazam. However, there is another, far more under-appreciated hero at the center of the tale as well: The Spectre.
I recently wrote about how cool it would be if DC made a film headlined by Animal Man or the Authority, but there are quite a few more heroes and villains who could make for a great movie. The Spectre is one of the most powerful characters in the entire DC Universe and it's time for his live-action film debut.
Who is the Spectre?
The Spectre was created by "Superman" co-creators Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily. He made his first appearance in "More Fun Comics" #52 in 1940. The Spectre has had more than one host, including Green Lantern Hal Jordan after all that Parallax business (if you know, you know). But the first, most prominently featured, and best Spectre yet is definitely Jim Corrigan. He was a brash cop murdered by organized crime members, who stuck him in a barrel filled with cement and sank him to the bottom of the sea. Luckily, or unluckily perhaps, that wasn't the end for Corrigan, who was sent back to Earth basically to act as God's fist and wreak bloody vengeance on those deserving.
These early tales are pretty wild, setting the stage for the Spectre's near-limitless powers that he uses in some pretty unique ways. The stories were pre-Comics Code Authority, which enabled the creative team to lean into some of the stranger and scarier aspects of the character. The Spectre soon became a member of the Golden Age version of the Justice Society of America and even got a goofy sidekick — a decision that drastically altered the character, and not for the better. He then disappeared from comics for twenty years or so and, like most superheroes of the time, was somewhat reinvented for the Silver Age (1956-1969).
One of the most difficult lifts for writers taking over the title was how to have actual stakes in a story whose central character is essentially omnipotent. Superman scribes have often struggled with the same issue and the Spectre is far more powerful than the Man of Steel. He can do just about anything, so for some writers, the only option was the most frustrating: significantly depower him or strip him of his abilities altogether.
A Spectre for a new age
If you want to read about the Spectre, "Kingdom Come" is a great place to start. It's a classic and he plays a pivotal role. He also shows up in Alan Moore's "Swamp Thing" run, which I mention because everyone should read it! However, the place where Spectre's solo comics really take off is with the John Ostrander/Tom Mandrake run from the '90s. Ostrander — who's responsible for the modern iteration of the Suicide Squad — initially studied theology and had planned on becoming a priest. The writer's beliefs evolved as he got older, but his complex thoughts on morality served a story about the Wrath of God quite well. Mandrake's art is absolutely phenomenal, with so many creative ways of showcasing the Spectre's unique power set (as seen above).
Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of this run is Ostrander's exploration of who Jim Corrigan was before he merged with the avenging spirit of the Spectre. It turns out the hard-boiled cop wasn't such a great guy to begin with. A flawed man became a flawed vengeful spirit, doling out justice the way he saw fit.
Another of Ostrander's smart additions to the Spectre's story was Amy Beitermann, a social worker and love interest who makes the Spectre realize the importance of understanding why people do terrible things in the first place. Amy falls for Jim, but she doesn't accept what he does as the Spectre, and constantly chastises him for his harsh punishments, reminding him of the importance of mercy. The Spectre had previously been treated in largely black and white terms. Ostrander chose to explore more shades of grey.
The nature of vengeance
Revenge is a common theme in superhero comics and their film counterparts, but a story that truly examines what it means to physically embody vengeance is pretty compelling. While some writers have really leaned into the horrific aspects of the character, the fact that he is a cosmic entity could be a far more unique avenue to explore.
One of the coolest things about the Spectre is that his powers are only limited by his imagination, but as someone who turns villains into oil, cuts them in half with giant scissors, or ingests them whole, that seems to be an area in which he isn't lacking. The Spectre's punishments have ranged from absolutely ridiculous to incredibly disturbing, depending on the decade, but he was nothing if not creative. He was indeed the Wrath of God, but was also later revealed to be a fallen angel named Aztar, who wound up regretting his part in the rebellion and, as penance, the Presence (DC's version of God) made him an instrument of vengeance.
This entity needs a human host to help with his judgment, but one of the most fascinating things about Corrigan is that he's hardly the perfect man for such a job. Amy's words on the importance of mercy resonate with him and he tries to incorporate them into his work, but is often driven by his anger and overly simplistic understanding of the binary that is good and evil. Even the Spectre in "Kingdom Come" came to Norman McCay for aid, because he had drifted too far from humanity to see the situation clearly.
Why The Spectre deserves a movie
A movie about the Spectre could have a fresh perspective. Long ago, Jim Corrigan used to be alive. And much like how he is meant to temper the Spectre, he needs others to help balance him out as well. After all, it's too easy to become blinded by vengeance, especially when you have unlimited power. Jim is also quite isolated — What's more lonely than being an entity responsible for passing judgment?
John Ostrander's run specifically asks really difficult questions about the nature of both revenge and redemption. Perhaps most vitally, he never really gives any easy answers, leaving much up to the reader's interpretation. There are plenty of fantastic artists who drew the Spectre before and after Tom Mandrake, but few have captured the true breadth of his abilities with the same kinetic energy. He made so many wonderful and unexpected choices, and the idea of seeing any of those visuals play out in live-action seems both necessary and impossible.
I'd love to see a "Kingdom Come" movie, but that feels more like something DC should build up to. What better way to do that than to introduce the Spectre in his own film? I want a strange and visually arresting movie that isn't afraid to explore the hero's fractured humanity, his rage, and his loneliness — also his wild methods of punishment.
DC Studios is already majorly shaking up the status quo, with things that were concrete conclusions no longer being a sure bet. We could be getting a cinematic reboot that leaves all our current major players behind. If that's the case, we'll be waiting quite a while for DC to dig deep enough into the back issues for a Spectre movie, but that doesn't make me want one any less!