Specter vs Phantom Stranger

[John Venus]

It depends on the writer.

I always saw the Phantom Stranger as being cosmically aware of things, things that could happen or will happen and makes his plans accordingly. Pre-Nu52 I also interpreted him as immune to all the timeline/universe altering events. Whereas the Spectre is just ludicrously destructive.

the Phantom Stranger is immensely powerful as well, and is an agent of god, until he earns his redemption if I recall correctly, but he is not endowed with the unlimited power of the Specter, as he is not supposed to use his powers to determine the outcome of events.

I've read some stories where he is an agent of the Lords of Order and Chaos then others where he is an agent of the Big G himself. When did the switch up happen.

[NaVi]

If we talk about raw power Specter, but it is so useless that somehow it would end up defeated. seriously in DC there is no one more useless than Specter.

[Rac7d*]

Spectre, totally.

Phantom Stranger serves generally more as a plot device that shows up and warns the heroes of danger, and zaps them to and from the action. He's an early warning system and a magic bus, for the most part. He can mix it up, but is less likely to do so than Dr. Fate or Etrigan, both of whom seem MUCH 'tankier' than him when it comes to getting into magical combats.

Spectre grows up to sixty feet tall (or larger!) and starts dishing out the wrath. Him and Wotan used to throw *planets* at each other, back in the wild and crazy days when people like them (and Superman) could throw planets. Even at today's more sedate power levels, he's a level above Fate, Etrigan and the Stranger.

guess I know where YJ is going with him, he appears to be a more active version of the Watcher

[phantom1592]

Spectre, totally.

Phantom Stranger serves generally more as a plot device that shows up and warns the heroes of danger, and zaps them to and from the action. He's an early warning system and a magic bus, for the most part. He can mix it up, but is less likely to do so than Dr. Fate or Etrigan, both of whom seem MUCH 'tankier' than him when it comes to getting into magical combats.

Spectre grows up to sixty feet tall (or larger!) and starts dishing out the wrath. Him and Wotan used to throw *planets* at each other, back in the wild and crazy days when people like them (and Superman) could throw planets. Even at today's more sedate power levels, he's a level above Fate, Etrigan and the Stranger.

Agreed. Honestly, I've never really seen Phantom Stranger... DO anything! It's always hinted at or implied that's he's really powerful, but I think 80% of his apperances have his powers as 'very mysterious...' and leaving it at that. From what I've seen, I may put him in the Dr. Fate/Dr. Strange kind of level of 'amazing sorcerer' who COULD be awesome... but I'm never going to find any screenshots, because I doubt they actually exist :P

Spectre on the other hand... DOES stuff.

Keeping the universes apart in Crisis was an epic picture.. But I think my favorite was back in the Year One Annual. He goes into a hell dimension to face off against a Lovecraftian Old One... and obliterates it. Going off memory something like Growing exponential and screaming 'Foul slug of Hell. If you're not content to exist as heaven has allowed... then by heaven you will exist no more!' Then one shotting it and going back to his own dimension. Basically freaking out Dr. Fate.

Phantom Stranger.... just doesn't DO stuff like that.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Agreed. Honestly, I've never really seen Phantom Stranger... DO anything! It's always hinted at or implied that's he's really powerful, but I think 80% of his apperances have his powers as 'very mysterious...' and leaving it at that. From what I've seen, I may put him in the Dr. Fate/Dr. Strange kind of level of 'amazing sorcerer' who COULD be awesome... but I'm never going to find any screenshots, because I doubt they actually exist :P

Spectre on the other hand... DOES stuff.

Keeping the universes apart in Crisis was an epic picture.. But I think my favorite was back in the Year One Annual. He goes into a hell dimension to face off against a Lovecraftian Old One... and obliterates it. Going off memory something like Growing exponential and screaming 'Foul slug of Hell. If you're not content to exist as heaven has allowed... then by heaven you will exist no more!' Then one shotting it and going back to his own dimension. Basically freaking out Dr. Fate.

Phantom Stranger.... just doesn't DO stuff like that.

Irresistible force vs. immovable object.

Stranger's offense is practically non-existent, but I don't recall him ever really being hurt. He's the man with the plan

[Gaius]

It depends on the writer.

I always saw the Phantom Stranger as being cosmically aware of things, things that could happen or will happen and makes his plans accordingly. Pre-Nu52 I also interpreted him as immune to all the timeline/universe altering events. Whereas the Spectre is just ludicrously destructive.



I've read some stories where he is an agent of the Lords of Order and Chaos then others where he is an agent of the Big G himself. When did the switch up happen.

That's kind of how I always viewed Stranger too, he's powerful but not in the sense he can lift really heavy things or what the Spectre can do.

[Robanker]

Irresistible force vs. immovable object.

Stranger's offense is practically non-existent, but I don't recall him ever really being hurt. He's the man with the plan

See, I think he's more in the vein that he could easily be slain but it just wouldn't have an effect. The Spectre is a powerful force, but the Stranger is more an eventuality. He's far more patient.

Think of someone really angry trying to catch up to you in a car vs. a hitchhiker that is somehow always ahead of you that you can't shake, always waiting for you to accept fate.

I may or may not have just watched that episode of the Twilight Zone.










Also, The Spectre would take his lunch money if push came to shove.

[williamtheday]

How about The Spectre vs. Golden age Black Widow vs. Hell Girl (Jigoku Shoujo)?

[Thor-Ul]

Hands down, the Spectre wins in raw power.
But the Phantom is more tricky.

I like the idea of an amalgam character called the Adam Stranger. It's a name I've heard fans toss about--I don't know if he appeared in a comic book at some point or just fan fiction.

There was a super-hero called Bob Phantom, published by M.L.J. (Archie) in the 1940s. There's Silk Spectre. I suppose if Geoff Johns ever got his hands on that he'd make it that there are a whole Corps or Family of Spectres derived from fabrics. Cotton Spectre, Tweed Spectre, Leather Spectre, Nylon Spectre, Velvet Spectre, Linen Spectre, Cashmere Spectre, Hemp Spectre.

Now I want a series about the Velvet Spectre.