What Exactly Can Spectre Do?

[Supergirl Kara]

I mean, is it magic? What does he do?

[Zel]

It's magic. Basically the spectre can alter reality and do pretty much whatever he wants. His only limit is that he has to be extracting vengeance on someone. That someone being chosen by what passes for the christian version of god in the dcu.

[Supergirl Kara]

So by what standard power wise is he? is he unbeatable?

[Blake Petit]

If you're guilty, pretty much...

[Supergirl Kara]

Wow.......

[J. Robb]

He's deus ex machina in a cape.

[Blake Petit]

His human host (currently Crispus Allen) keeps him anchored, keeps him from going overboard. The real question, how exactly which sinners are chosen to punish, remains a mystery.

[Matt]

The Spectre is an odd one, his power capabilities go up and down depending on what the plot requires. Sometimes he's like an intangible guy in speedos, others he can crack the Universe in half with his little pinky.

He has the power of Plot.

[Supergirl Kara]

Can he fire blasts? Use Magic?

[Blake Petit]

It's more along the lines of warping reality to deal out poetic justice. For example, there was a killer with a fear of his bones growing brittle, so he took away his bones. Another guy got eaten from the inside-out with spiders, another was impaled to death with rolled-up cash.

Basically, whatever you've done or whatever you fear, he can turn it into a torture.

[filthysize]

Yeah, though sometimes he just does something that has nothing to do with the guy. Like he turns this one gangster into melting wax once. I don't think there was any poetic justice there. It's just something gruesome he can do.

[Blake Petit]

In cases like that, I just assume it's poetry we don't know about. Some deeeeeeep, hidden secret. :D

(Yeah, I know, I'm rationalizing... so what?)

[marshal99]

The spectre can do anything he wants , but as someone said , his power levels can go up and down like a yoyo dependant on the plot but he is DCU's biggest gun so to speak.
Only artifact that is known to be able to defeat the spectre is the spear of destiny , the thing that kept him away from germany and Hitler in world war II.

[Guts/Batman]

Thirding or fourthing whoever said he can do basically whatever the Hell he wants to do. He's just so sickeningly powerful that he can't be anything other than a plot device.

The Spear of Destiny affects The Spectre because it was the spear (or lance) thrust into Jesus' side when he was crucifed (since they didn't break his legs but pierce his side), and Jesus was supposed to be the original host for the Spectre, but wasn't in the end, to my knowledge. Not sure if I have that right though...

That's how it makes sense to me.

I like how they had Hitler taint the Spear by pouring all of his hatred into it. His hate is almost like a power.

[Kid Kyoto]

Yes.

Whatever it is, the Spectre can do it.

This one time him and Azmodeus were tossing planets at each other.

He once kicked the tar out of the silver age superman, just cause he didn't like how fast Supes was flying.

And he created the universe in COIE, but it made him real tired.