 | This article is about a/an villain in Power Rangers in Space, the last installment in the Zordon Era. |
- "I am Dark Specter, monarch of all that is evil! I have captured the mighty Zordon and am draining him of his powers! As his strength drains, the lava will rise extinguishing the Power forever!"
- ―Dark Specter's first words when gloating about his multiple victories to his allies.[src]
Dark Specter, also known throughout the universe as the Grand Monarch of Evil, was the head of the United Alliance of Evil and one of the main antagonists in Power Rangers in Space. He is a massive alien monster who is likely one of the most powerful monsters in the universe (seeing as the villains from 5 different seasons obeyed him). He can be seen as the main antagonist of the Zordon Era since he acted as the mastermind for almost the entire series.
History
Little is known about Dark Specter or how he came to become the Grand Monarch of Evil. What is known is that he was responsible for the attack on Eltar and the capture of Zordon. Zordon is one of his foremost aggravating enemies. According to Andros, Dark Specter was also behind the attack on KO-35.
Dark Specter was first (indirectly) mentioned at the beginning of Zeo when Zordon refferenced the Untited Alliance of Evil after the Machine Empire had broken away from it. (A Zeo Beginning- part II.)
The first time that Dark Specter was directly mentioned was when his messenger told Divatox to come to the Cimmerian Planet . (Chase into Space -part II).
Dark Specter brought forth a union of villains known as the United Alliance of Evil, including Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd, the Machine Empire, Divatox, and Astronema. Selecting Astronema to battle the Space Rangers, Dark Specter made sure they never rescue Zordon from his clutches. He was usually a background character during Power Rangers in Space, leaving it to his underlings - namely Astronema - to crush the rangers.
The only time Dark Specter personally confronted the rangers was during one of their later attempts to rescue Zordon. A reformed Astronema led her brother and his teammates to Zordon's alleged prison, only for it to be revealed that Dark Specter was posing as Zordon. After taunting Andros and reaffirming his faith in Astronema's evil, he teleported away, leaving Astronema and Darkonda to deal with the captive rangers. However, Astronema freed the rangers and they escaped, with the help of Ecliptor. Refusing to let Astronema leave the side of evil so easily, Dark Specter temporarily handed control of the Dark Fortress to Darkonda and commissioned him to reprogram Ecliptor. He then sent an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, which lured Karone into a trap. She was then tragically reprogrammed by Darkonda with cybernetic implants, suppressing her emotions and making her pure evil.
Darkonda's technology worked a little too well, however, turning Astronema so evil that she desired to overthrow Dark Specter. She created the Psycho Rangers, whose power was channeled directly from Dark Specter. Dark Specter's energy drained with each fight by the Psychos, and he called on Astronema to find the cause, much to her pleasure. Eventually, the Rangers would destroy the Psychos, and Dark Specter would recover. He never discovered the true cause of his energy drain, believing Astronema to be loyal to him.
In Countdown to Destruction, Dark Specter finally initiated his master plan and launched an all-out invasion of the entire universe, assaulting the worlds of Earth, Gratha, the Vica Galaxy, KO-35, and the homeworld of the Phantom Ranger, in an attempt to destroy the forces of good. Though the attack was going well, Dark Specter was assaulted by Darkonda, who tried to slay Dark Specter with a planet-destroying missile. Though the attack was enough to destroy Dark Specter, the Grand Monarch was able to hang on long enough to swallow Darkonda's fighter jet whole, destroying the traitorous bounty hunter with him.
Dark Specter is nearly identical in appearance to the lava demon Maligore (even Divatox acknowledged the resemblance), and is capable of spitting fireballs. The true extent to Dark Specter's power is unknown, but he is probably more powerful than any of the villains, since they all listen to him. His status before forming his alliance is unclear, since there was never any mention of him from Rita, Zedd, or the Royal House of Gadgetry. He is usually depicted as giant sized, though is able to change his size from normal shaped to planet sized. Dark Specter never fought the Rangers personally.
Personality
Destructive, brutal, cruel, arrogant, and sadistic, Dark Specter is a vicious tyrant and a power-mad monster all rolled into one. He desires control, and displays intimidation, violence, and dominance onto his own minions. He despises humanity and compassion, and routinely threatens and abuses Astronema/Karone whenever she strays from her path of evil. Despite this, he seems to value her over his other allies, to which made him responsible for his own downfall, because he sends the alien sadist Darkonda to kidnap Karone to transform her into Astronema to reign on the universe, but he neglects often Darkonda and prefers his protégé more, who ironically neglects his kidnapper too. Envious, Darkonda was driven by vengeance and hatred for them as a result. At the final, Andros will be reunited with his sister and Dark Specter and Darkonda both destroyed themselves in the latter's assassination attempt. Even more ironic was when Dark Specter brainwashed Karone into Astronema again it still seemed to be his own downfall as Astronema still tried to overthrow him by draining his power into creating the Psycho Rangers, and then using them against him. Apparently, he can be gullible due to his arrogance, as he was victim to manipulations by both Darkonda and Astronema herself.
Known Powers and Abilities
- Teleportation (Can appear from blue lightning bolts/Can vanish).
- Capable of blowing fireballs from his mouth.
- Capable of making his face appear in a sky (i.e. The Delta Discovery and Astronema Thinks Twice).
- Shape-shifting.
Notes
- In Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue, Olympius reveals a rock that resembles Dark Specter's hide that could decimate Mariner Bay in seconds.
- Dark Specter is mentioned as a direct rival to Lord Zedd. Goldar's brother Silverback wanted to join Dark Specter instead of Zedd but was destroyed by Zedd instead in the comic Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual #1 (2016).
- Dark Specter is one of the three villains who are larger than a Megazord. The second would be Omni from Power Rangers SPD, and the third would be Imperious from Power Rangers Mystic Force.
- Dark Specter's costume was previously used in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie for Maligore.
- In "From Out of Nowhere, Part 1", Divatox mentions how much Dark Specter reminds her of her fiancé, Maligore. This is a reference to the previously-stated costume sharing.
- It is presumably that Maligore and Dark Specter were twin brothers or members of the same species.
- In the Japanese dub of Power Rangers In Space, Dark Specter is voiced by Yūji Kishi, who also dubbed TJ Johnson and originally played Kyosuke Jinnai (Red Racer) in Gekisou Sentai Carranger.
- Dark Specter is similar to four major villains in Super Sentai:
- His concept in being a ruler who rules by fear and is moving forward to conquering the entire universe is similar to Star King Bazoo, the final villain of Dengeki Sentai Changeman. Unlike Bazoo, his treatment toward his subordinates isn't as psychologically torturous and he does not threaten the other villains homeworlds for their failures or consume planets.
- Similarly, him being the ultimate evil that all the over villains answer to is similar to Dai-Satan in Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Dai-Satan was the master of Witch Bandora (Rita Repulsa's sentai counterpart). Dark Spectre however, is able to speak unlike Dai-Satan who just laughs, and has a bigger amount of forces at his command
- His appearance as a giant being in space is similar to Reckless Dash Emperor Exhaus from Gekisou Sentai Carranger; his final death is likewise similar to Exhaus' own downfall, with another villain delivering what would be his final blow. Unlike Gynamo against Exhaus, Darkonda's betrayal is not out of a change of heart, but so he can rule the universe for himself.
- His connection in empowering the Psycho Ranger and being weakened as a cost is similar to Evil Electro-King Javious I of Denji Sentai Megaranger (the series that was adapted into In Space). There are 2 differences however. First is that the death of the Psycho Rangers doesn't cause his own. Second, his death was caused directly by Darkonda (his counterpart Gurail had no treasonous moments against Javious) in contrast to Dr. Hinelar's indirect betrayal.
Appearances
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See Also
- Evil Electro-King Javious I - Super Sentai counterpart in Megaranger. See comparison page.
- Star King Bazoo - Sentai equivalent who likewise wished to conquer the entire universe under his own alliance.
- Maligore: His Turbo counterpart
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