DC Finally Remembered Who Its Strongest Hero Really Is

The DC Universe's most powerful hero returns with a breathtaking display of their virtually limitless power. The hierarchy of power in the DC Comics Universe is led by entities like the supreme creator deity "The Presence," alongside the primordial forces of the Endless: seven conceptual siblings including Dream, Death, and Destiny who personify the fundamental rules of existence. Beneath these truths sit cosmic titans like Michael Demiurgos and Lucifer Morningstar, celestial brothers who wield the power to forge and rewrite infinite realities from absolute nothingness, and The Spectre, the cosmic embodiment of the Divine Wrath of God.

While the Justice League handles the modern cosmos, the Justice Society of America rank among the most formidable mortals to ever walk the Earth. Doctor Fate commands the reality-warping sorcery of the Lords of Order, which allows him to rewrite reality and banish multi-dimensional demons with a single incantation. Kent Nelson's power is matched by Alan Scott, whose connection to the Starheart grants him limitless hard-light creation unconstrained by the typical vulnerabilities of the modern Green Lantern Corps. Alongside the djinn-powered constructs of Johnny Thunder's Thunderbolt and Jay Garrick's connection to the Speed Force, the JSA is a mythic cabal of living gods.

While the Justice Society is an all-star team of DC powerhouses, their ranks are quite unbalanced in terms of power, as a single member completely overshadows the rest when their power is fully unleashed.

The Spectre Reminds The Justice Society He's Unstoppable

JSA #20; Written By Jeff Lemire; Art By Diego Olortegui & Luis Guerrero

The end of a cycle has arrived, as Aztar a.k.a. the Spectre has begun its search for a new host. In JSA #19, the Spectre chooses Kid Eternity, who manages to run away from the spirit. Frustrated, the Spectre makes itself seen, adopting a giant kaiju-like physical form and attacking Manhattan. In JSA #20, the Spectre attacks dozens of civilians until Alan Scott and the Justice Society intervene before it can possess any of them. The Spectre focuses on finding its next host, yet its rampage could only be matched by a monster the size and ferocity of Godzilla.

Unlike other creatures this size, the Spectre possesses a wide variety of superpowers, including shapeshifting, phasing through solid matter, flight, and the ability to summon supernatural entities of all kinds. In only a few pages, the Spectre summons beehives, giant nails, and what seems to be a creature made of multiple oversized flies. Several spirits appear to be trying to exit a traffic light, and the Spectre itself materializes out of garbage while running after one of its targets. If the Spectre weren't holding back, the Justice Society would have little chance to stop it.

The DC Universe Is Lucky The Spectre Has Limitations

The Spectre Could Singlehandedly End Entire DC Crossovers

As the literal instrument of divine vengeance, the Spectre can reshape matter and alter universal laws with a mere thought. However, its supreme power is permanently restrained by his mandatory connection to a human host, such as Jim Corrigan or Hal Jordan. This human anchor is a deliberate cosmic safety valve that filters the Spectre's fury through human morality. The Spectre is strictly bound by the laws of The Voice (The Presence), which forbids it from interfering in the natural free will and destiny of mortals. Without these metaphysical chains, the Spectre's wrath would transform the universe into a hyper-punitive wasteland.

When these divine restrictions are severed, the resulting displays of the Spectre's unchecked power leave the entire DC Multiverse trembling. During Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Spectre stands at the Dawn of Time, physically wrestling with the Anti-Monitor in a clash of cosmic scale that determines the rebirth of the remaining universes. Decades later, during the cataclysmic prelude to Infinite Crisis known as Day of Vengeance, a hostless and manipulated Spectre goes rogue and wages a unilateral war against magic. Hopefully, the Spectre's next host has what it takes to keep the Spirit of Vengeance in check.

Would you like to see the Spectre show off his full power more often in DC Comics?

JSA #20 is available from DC Comics June 3, 2026.