 This article is about a/an villain in Power Rangers in Space, the last installment in the Zordon Era.
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Dark Specter, from the world Infernus, known throughout the universe as the Grand Monarch of Evil, was the head of the United Alliance of Evil and the the over-arching main antagonist of Power Rangers in Space. He is a massive alien monster of uncertain but immense power.
Contents
History
| This article contains content in reference to the main TV series, as well as supplemental material, such as the comics. A sliding/floating timeline applies. Story instances for TV and other media will be clearly marked. |
Origin
Little is known about Dark Specter or how he came to become the Grand Monarch of Evil. 
TV STORY-Chase into Space
Heir to Darkness
Dark Specter was behind the training of Astronema.
Around 1984 Dark Specter hired the bounty hunter known as Darkonda to travel to the planet KO-35 in the Karova System to capture a child named Karone and gave her to Ecliptor so he can turn her into Astronema. Dark Specter eventually had Darkonda and Ecliptor both train new students to become his heir. Most notable among them were the young D-32897, Mal and Astronema, Dark Specter also had Darkonda kill Astronema's parents for being too dangerous and he led her falsely believe that the Power Rangers were responsible. During a final death match, the young Astronema won against D-32897 and was named as the heir of Dark Specter. 
COMIC STORY- Power Rangers Unlimited: Heir to Darkness
The Psycho Path
At an unknown point, Dark Specter made contact with Trek, the Supersonic Green Ranger, and started to fill his head with the idea that in the eyes of his team, he was worthless and they never considered him one of them, this idea eventually drew the Ranger to follow Dark Specter's commands. Dark Specter formulated a plan in which they could use Trek's Sonic Morpher in order to project false images to the Supersonic Red Ranger, leading the team to a trap where the building they were occupying exploded, killing all of the Rangers and leaving Trek to report his success to him.
Dark Specter in the shadows
With this victory and his new ally, the villain finally had access to the Morphin Grid, now making him an equal to his enemies on Eltar, he made Trek step forward and mixing his Dark Energy with his ally's Morpher, Dark Specter created his first very own Ranger, Psycho Green. He then commanded his lackey to find Rita Repulsa and bring her to him, as she stole a Power Coin and he couldn't let Zordon retrieve it.
As Psycho Green leaves his planet, Dark Specter reflects on his creation, believing that he will eventually find more Rangers that can be swayed by the dark, adding more soldiers that will crush his enemies, as the Psycho Rangers will make the universe scream. Unfortunately Trek never could complete his mission. COMIC STORY- The Psycho Path
Further attacks
Dark Specter eventually launched an attack on KO-35 with his army, his forces were stopped by the two Space Rangers Andros and Zhane. TV STORY-From Out of Nowhere The two Rangers fought against the army but they were relentless and too many, this caused Zhane to be mortally wounded. Due to him being the one who ordered the attack, Dark Specter was also responsible for leaving the Silver Space Ranger out of commission as Andros kept him alive by freezing him in a cryogenic tube inside the Astro Megaship. TV STORY-Survival of the Silver
Dark Specter also led the United Alliance of Evil which was composed by villains and armies of that later faced different Rangers. Dark Specter was (indirectly) mentioned when Zordon referenced the United Alliance of Evil after the Machine Empire had broken away from it, though they later rejoined after being defeated by the Zeo Rangers. TV STORY-A Zeo Beginning
Capture of Zordon
Dark Specter posing as Zordon.
Dark Specter and most of the United Alliance of Evil forces then attacked Eltar, Zordon's home planet. They captured Zordon, and resigned Alpha 5 and Dimitria to an unknown fate.Later his messenger told Divatox to come to the Cimmerian Planet just after she had defeated the Turbo Rangers. TV STORY-Chase into Space
Dark Specter eventually brought forth the union of villains from the United Alliance of Evil, including Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd, the Machine Empire, Divatox, and Astronema. Selecting Astronema to battle the Space Rangers when Andros was revealed to be in their gathering, Dark Specter also schemed to ensure that the Rangers never rescue Zordon from his clutches. TV STORY-From Out of Nowhere Dark Specter then remained mostly in the background, leaving it to his underlings - particularly Astronema - to crush the Rangers.
The only time where 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. TV STORY-The Rangers' Leap of Faith
Being betrayed
Dark Specter's decaying state.
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 returning her to the side of evil. TV STORY-Dark Specter's Revenge
Darkonda's technology worked a little too well, however, and the even more villainous Astronema decided to overthrow Dark Specter. To this end she created the Psycho Rangers, whose power was channelled directly from Dark Specter. TV STORY-Rangers Gone Psycho Dark Specter's energy drained with each fight by the Psychos, and he called on Astronema to find the cause, a situation that she relished. Eventually, the Rangers would destroy the Psychos, and Dark Specter recovered, never discovering that his trusted lieutenant had betrayed him. TV STORY-The Enemy Within
Death
Dark Specter is destroyed.
Eventually, Dark Specter finally initiated his master plan and launched an all-out invasion of the entire universe, assaulting worlds including 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 attacked by Darkonda, who turned a planet-destroying missile on the monarch. Though the attack succeeded in destroying Dark Specter, the Grand Monarch of Evil was able to hang on long enough to swallow Darkonda's fighter jet whole, taking the traitorous bounty hunter with him. TV STORY-Countdown to Destruction
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 uses intimidation, violence, and domination on 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, treating her with an almost fatherly concern. He never considers that she might have betrayed him and expends both effort and good will among his minions in his attempts to guide her, despite his many powerful underlings. Indeed, his affection for Astronema seemingly emboldens Darkonda's grudge against both of them. Dark Specter also fails to perceive Darkonda's aspirations for his throne, demonstrating a continual blindness to the treacherous nature of his allies, though whether it stems from faith or arrogance is unclear.
Known Powers and Abilities
- Power: Although he is never shown fighting and the full extent of his powers is completely unknown, Dark Specter was the most powerful villain of the entire Zordon Era and the most powerful villain up to that point. Rita, Zedd, King Mondo, and Divatox were all terrified by him, his mere name convincing Divatox to stop her search for the Turbo Rangers in the Command Center/Power Chamber ruins and immediately stop her row with Rita.
- Durability: Dark Specter took multiple shots from Darkonda's star fighter without injury. It took a missile with the power to destroy the Earth to kill him.
- Lightning Teleportation: He can appear from blue lightning bolts and vanish at will.
- Mouth Fireballs: Dark Specter can shoot fireballs from his mouth.
- Face Projection: In episodes such as "The Delta Discovery" and "Astronema Thinks Twice", Dark Specter was able to make his face appear in a sky.
- Shape Shifting: In the episode "The Rangers' Leap of Faith", he posed as Zordon to trick the Rangers into a trap.
- Size Changing: Whilst posing as Zordon, Dark Specter was human sized despite being the size of a planet otherwise. It is unclear if he can do this normally when he isn't assuming a specific planet.
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 in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual #1 (2016). Goldar's brother Silverback wanted to join Dark Specter instead of Zedd but made the mistake of insulting the emperor to his face and was destroyed.
- Dark Specter's costume is recycled from Maligore in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie. This was lamp-shaded in "From Out of Nowhere, Part 1", where Divatox mentions how much Dark Specter reminds her of her fiancé. Aside from this, any further connection between Maligore and Dark Specter was never elaborated upon.
- In the Japanese dub of Power Rangers In Space, Dark Specter is voiced by Yūji Kishi, who also dubbed T.J. Johnson and originally played Kyosuke Jinnai (Red Racer) in Gekisou Sentai Carranger.
- Dark Specter is similar to four major villains in Super Sentai:
- As a ruler who rules by fear and is moving forward to conquering the entire universe, he 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.
- Being the ultimate evil that all other villains answer to makes him similar to Dai-Satan from Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Dai-Satan was the master of Witch Bandora (Rita Repulsa's Sentai counterpart) and eventually got adapted as Lokar.
- His appearance as a giant being in space is similar to Reckless Dash Emperor Exhaus from Gekisou Sentai Carranger (previously used for Goldgoyle). His death is likewise similar to Exhaus' demise, with another villain delivering what would be his final blow. Unlike Gynamo, 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 adapted directly from Evil Electro-King Javious I of Denji Sentai Megaranger. There are 2 differences however; the destruction of the Psycho Rangers released Dark Specter's energy and he recovered, unlike Javious who perished when his power, channelled by the Nezirangers, died with them.
Appearances
Power Rangers Zeo
- Episode 1: A Zeo Beginning, Part I (indirect mentioned only)
- Power Rangers Turbo
- Episode 45/Finale: Chase into Space, Part II
- Power Rangers in Space (mentioned only)
- Episode 1: From Out of Nowhere (1)
- Episode 4: Shell Shocked
- Episode 11: The Delta Discovery
- Episode 19: Invasion of the Body Switcher
- Episode 24: Zhane's Destiny
- Episode 26: The Secret of the Locket
- Episode 27: Astronema Thinks Twice
- Episode 28: The Rangers' Leap of Faith
- Episode 29: Dark Specter's Revenge (1)
- Episode 30: Dark Specter's Revenge (2)
- Episode 33: A Rift in the Rangers
- Episode 34: Five of a Kind
- Episode 35: Silence is Golden
- Episode 36: The Enemy Within
- Episode 42: Countdown to Destruction (1)
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: The previous use of his costume.
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