How would you incorporate The Spectre back into the JSA?

[Doctor Know]

That's a bold move. It could actually work if you built up to it in both titles. But it would also upset a LOT of Titans fans. Not too many JSA fans though, I should think. What with training up and coming heroes being the JSA's mission. Raven isn't the typical JSA recruit, having quite a bit of experience, but it's a better move than straight to the League. It might even help Raven reach a wider audience...and help the JSA itself, and would supply a powerful but not too powerful replacement for the Spectre...if you think the JSA needs one.

Definitely. The JSA is already stacked with magical heroes. The JSA is also stacked with teenagers/young adults. Billy and Mary Batson, Courtney, Jade, JJ Thunder. Raven wouldn't be out of place. Plus, Raven brings her own rogues from the TT to the JSA. Trigon, Brother Blood, Phobia, and Jinx.

I'd add Pandora as a recurring influence on Raven and Billy. Pandora can see and is menaced by the Seven Deadly Sins. Raven's empathic abilities and being Trigon's daughter gives her insight into the wickedness of others. Billy's job as Shazam is to keep those sins in check.

Add in the Phantom Stranger and have him send Raven, Fate and the others on an impossible quest.

Take the mystics to Gemworld. Fight the cancer that is Mordru is the past, present and future (old man Legion of Superheroes version).

Skies the limit really.

[Jim Kelly]

See, I never liked this nit picking that ends up pushing characters out of books. That always happened with Marvel, where this and that character couldn't be in the Avengers for reasons. D.C. had always taken the opposite approach. This character is popular, that character is popular, let's put them together in the same book.

The reason the Spectre was in ALL-STAR COMICS was because he was one of their most popular characters. He didn't leave the J.S.A. because he was too powerful. He left for two reasons: 1. he had lost his following in MORE FUN COMICS, pushed out of his own series by Percival Popp the Super-Cop, and 2. Max Gaines severed his connection with D.C., so all the D.C. characters were ejected from ALL-STAR and only All-American characters were kept.

[achilles]

Well, like it or not, certain characters just don't belong in certain books that try to tell certain kinds of stories. For example, a lesser example, early on in the Chuck Dixon run on BoP, Power Girl guested a few times, and was later shown to have been Oracle's first BoP type partner. Then...she was dropped, and for a very good reason; she by her presence, obviated the set-up for the whole book. What exactly would Canary and Huntress, much less later members, DO with her around? Listen for the "woosh", say something snappy to the suddenly bound bad guys, avoid the dramatic big fight scenes BoP relies on, and go to the pub?

The same dynamic happens between the Spectre and the JSA. Plus...at least Canary and Huntress mostly would agree with how PG would handle the bad guys; but I can't see ANY of the JSA agreeing with the Spectre's ...er....style of justice.

[Will Evans]

Well, like it or not, certain characters just don't belong in certain books that try to tell certain kinds of stories. For example, a lesser example, early on in the Chuck Dixon run on BoP, Power Girl guested a few times, and was later shown to have been Oracle's first BoP type partner. Then...she was dropped, and for a very good reason; she by her presence, obviated the set-up for the whole book. What exactly would Canary and Huntress, much less later members, DO with her around? Listen for the "woosh", say something snappy to the suddenly bound bad guys, avoid the dramatic big fight scenes BoP relies on, and go to the pub?

The same dynamic happens between the Spectre and the JSA. Plus...at least Canary and Huntress mostly would agree with how PG would handle the bad guys; but I can't see ANY of the JSA agreeing with the Spectre's ...er....style of justice.

Hawkman would.

[achilles]

Hawkman would.

Heh, I'll give you that one.

[phantom1592]

I'm of the belief that Phantom Stranger has zero business EVER being on any kind of team. He's at his best when he's mysterious and unexpected. Once he's chilling in the break room and shooting pool on his off days, there isn't much mystery to him any more. He needs to be used VERY sparingly to have maximum impact.

[Jim Kelly]

I'm of the belief that Phantom Stranger has zero business EVER being on any kind of team. He's at his best when he's mysterious and unexpected. Once he's chilling in the break room and shooting pool on his off days, there isn't much mystery to him any more. He needs to be used VERY sparingly to have maximum impact.

Rod Serling appeared at the beginning and end of 155 episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE in its original run. To me the Phantom Stranger is the Rod Serling of the D.C. Universe--even in his own book that was often his main function. So I can certainly envision P.S. having a permanent home in any D.C. book--in fact, it would probably improve the title. I'm not expecting him to solve any problems--he's too detached for that, but he likes to watch.

[DrNewGod]

No. That’s not what I meant. I mean I know whoever is the current Spectre will be just as powerful, so they can’t also be on the team.

I mean an offshoot of the Spectre. Like Jade to Alan. Or Northwind to Hawkman. To fill in the Spectre’s spot on the team.

Hm. Interesting question.

A new version of Phantasm might work. Imagine a kid that's not dead, but paralyzed or maybe lost limbs, and has massive telekinetic/clairvoyant abilities focused through an old cloth. Follow me:

An athlete is crippled by criminals, wrapped up in an old overcoat and left for dead. The Spectre hears his or her bitter prayers for vengeance, and can't help remembering his own plight in the words. There's just enough humanity echoing in the old haunt that he feels a twinge of pity, and he figures he'd better do something about this before The Presence takes notice and drafts the kid the way it once did Corrigan.

The Spectre opens the kids access to a large portion of the psionic potential all humans have, using the coat as a kind of fetish to focus the kids remote perceptions and TK. The kid enters a comatose state when projecting their power, can only maintain the trance for a few hours at a time, and psychic, mystical, or electrical attacks on the fetish do harm to the kid. Realizing the angry kid probably needs some mentoring that The Spectre is ill-suited to provide, The Spectre manipulates events so that his old JSA colleagues will undertake some of his supervision.

[phantom1592]

When did Spectre go full on 'Wrath of God'?

I haven't read a lot of his original golden age stuff... but I remember he wasn't THAT powerful. He was basically 'a ghost' who fights evil. I remember the Ostrander series went full on all powerful wrath of God.... but there isn't any reason that you couldn't have another 'ghost' on the JSA that fills that Spectre roll. For that matter There are enough dead JSA members that can come back and be 'a ghost' without the omnipotent fury of God...

[king81992]

Move Raven off the TT, and put her on the JSA. Raven wears a purple cloak and Spectre wears a green one. Make Raven a teenage gal pal of Courtney/Stargirl.

I always thought that Raven should train with Dr.Fate.

[DrNewGod]

When did Spectre go full on 'Wrath of God'?

I haven't read a lot of his original golden age stuff... but I remember he wasn't THAT powerful. He was basically 'a ghost' who fights evil. I remember the Ostrander series went full on all powerful wrath of God.... but there isn't any reason that you couldn't have another 'ghost' on the JSA that fills that Spectre roll. For that matter There are enough dead JSA members that can come back and be 'a ghost' without the omnipotent fury of God...

Nah, he was still pretty ludicrously powerful. There was no feat he couldn't do, even from day one. He just wasn't often facing threats that made him really flex.

[Doctor Know]

When did Spectre go full on 'Wrath of God'?

Infinite Crisis lead up “Day of Vengeance” and Infinite Crisis itself.

I always thought that Raven should train with Dr.Fate.

Raven was a member of the Sorcerer’s Kings. Along with Zatanna, Fate and Enchantress.




And a member of the Sentinels of Magic.

[Ascended]

Really liking some of these answers. Spectre haunting the mansion (or wherever the HQ is) is straight up brilliant.

I'm not really in a rush to see this guy back on the roster though. I think he works best as an occasional guest star or as a solo act. Less is more with Spectre, yknow?

It's like Darkseid. It is supposed to be a big gods damn deal when Darkseid walks onto the page. When Darkseid involves himself directly, it's supposed to be a damn near Crisis level event. Spectre is like that; he's not supposed to show up every issue and help Doc Mid-Nite beat up the Royal Flush Gang.

But if I had to do it? I'd have him show up and announce that he's been sent to watch the JSA itself. Someone on the roster is going to do something so terrible it requires the Spectre sit in judgement, and the situation demands the Spectre observe this person beforehand. The spin? He won't say who he's watching.

[Rod G]

How do you incorporate the Spectre back into the JSA?

Two words:


You don’t.

[Sutekh]

Use the Spectre to JUstice society like how the Phantom Stranger was used to the Bronze Age JUstice League.

Yeah, this. Just have him show up as a spectral figure, able to appear and give dire warnings, but not actually do anything. (Although he might later show up right in front of a villain, to distract him and draw his fire, opening him up to attack by the others!)