My first gut-reaction answer to you about the Spectre is that he would be more wrathful, at the very least without a host. Although that would beg the question of why he hasn't come up yet. Obviously the real answer to that is that there are a lot of plates to keep spinning with this many possible characters to play with and we hadn't gotten around to him yet. But narratively, here's an idea.

The Spectre of this world was indeed more wrathful, which lead to him being sealed away at some point in the possibly ancient past. Now there's a place or item out there with the literal Vengeance of God made manifest sealed away in it and that's a lot of cosmic power for the wrong people to try and find and get their hands on.

I'll end with the disclaimer that the only thing I've really read with Specter in it is Kingdom Come, as well as being somewhat aware of his actions in Day of Vengeance.

I'm only a lurker in the HRS (though I've had to fight the urge to dive in), but reading the current discussion on Spectre, I wanted to throw out a suggestion... dovetailing out of McGuffin's post... what if Spectre were a variation on Ghost Rider? The being is trapped in a host. It was kind of alluded to in the Amalgam one shot "Speed Demon".

Just a thought... I'll go back to lurking now :D

Here's a thought: the Spectre, like the Changers, is aware that things aren't right in the world.

However, instead of trying to guide it back on the right path, he's opted instead to wipe the slate clean and let God remake it.

Scary, doomsday-bringing Spectre.

The provocateur in me is feeling quite content, especially as TheFreak quit lurking for a bit in order to answer! Props, bro! ... Just saying those last two words made me feel old.

I love so many of these ideas, but I think the best question I have read is "why has such a powerful creature not surfaced?"

The point is well noted: let's face it : EVERYONE should know the Spectre....

Unless... he was stuck in some kind of cosmic struggle with the Ghost Rider or some equally powerful entity. Problematically, this sturggle has just ended and Spectre sees just how bad this world has become. Tabula Rasa much?

What do you guys think? Who or what was he facing? Was he possessed and by whom? What is his reaction at seeing this terrible, terrible world? Is he stronger or weaker for the whole thing?

Again, I'm looking at this through Kingdom Come-tinted glasses but if the Specter's been out of it struggling with I don't know who, say Ghostrider for example, I'd think he'd be weakened by it. Which would actually open things up to an interesting scenario where the Changers are racing to find him a sympathetic mortal host (he seems to do his best thinking with one of those, instead of on his own), while some powerhungry malevolent force seeks to twist the Specter to serve their own purposes.

Depending on how that plays out, it might be time to either fix things, go Tabula Rasa or accelerate the bad to the point that the world tears itself apart and start anew from there.

I love all these ideas about the Spectre. I actually wonder if this timeline would be harsh enough to go full darkest timeline:

What if someone's weaponized the Spectre?

No longer an agent of the divine, he's been turned into some kind of spiritual battery, chained away somewhere, and when he gets out, he's going to want vengeance, perhaps not in line with whatever cosmic force granted him his role...

Universal Church of Truth? or, to my preference, Purifiers? Can you imagine the Marvel version of the KKK having a weaponized Spectre?

I see some really good stuff here, so I will naturally go left field. OR this may be the perfect Spectre combo.

As I get back to work, I notice an old brick of Mutant Mayhem (or is it Monsters? the one after Avengers) and crack it open. Great stuff. And I have to say, when I pulled Mimic, I asked myself, why is this guy not a serial killer in this timeline?

Bear with me.... Bear... Heehee. Mimic can imitate any mutant (or other source according to Dark Reign). Why would he not go around killing folks and blaming it on other mutants.... ?

I will now attempt narrative collusion. This will feel a little forced. What if Mimic has been hosting a Spectre weakened by some cosmic battle? Perhaps Spectre gets weaponized in just this way? However, what if someone ever tried to weaponize Cleatus Cassidy? Only more powerful? I believe we may have a worthy tangent threat if we consider this possibility...

OR.... is Spectre simply pretending to be a personality of Legion's? Best way to stay hidden, amireite?

Stan Carter The Sin-Eater is good one. Two duality vying for control of The Specter, vengeance vs justice.

Plus Stan died in my Gotham crime war play through.
A twisted version of caligan.

Just put together the story component for Chapter 9--I'm pretty psyched about what's coming up. Edit: POSTED NOW!

I'm going to try to do something with all this Spectre talk for the bonus mission this chapter. So much great discussion for world-building.