Dark Specter

Main

2016 comic

This article is about a/an villain in Power Rangers in Space, the last installment in the Zordon Era.

Dark Specter
Gender:	Male
Villain Type:	Monarch of Evil Demon
Season:	In Space
First Appearance:	From Out of Nowhere
Last Appearance:	Finale (Part 1)
Number of EpisodeAppearances:	14 (In Space) 1 (HyperForce) Full list of appearances
Actors:	Terence J. Rotolo (suit) Christopher Cho (voice) Malika Lim (HyperForce)

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"I am Dark Specter, monarch of all that is evil! I have captured the mighty Zordon and I'm 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]

"Who dares fire upon me?! (...) Nooooooo! (...) Darkonda! (...) Traitor!"

―Dark Specter's final words before his demise.^[src]

Dark Specter, known throughout the universe as the Grand Monarch of Evil, was the head of the United Alliance of Evil and a major antagonist in the Power Rangers franchise. He served as the main antagonist of the Zordon Era as well as the overarching antagonist of Power Rangers in Space.

History

Past

Little is known about Dark Specter or how he came to become the Grand Monarch of Evil. Though he was once trapped outside the main dimension at one point, as a disembodied spirit. Using his influence, he united the Evil Space Aliens, Machine Empire and Divatox's Crew into the United Alliance of Evil which he ruled with fear.

Around 1983, Dark Specter hired the bounty hunter Darkonda to travel to the planet KO-35 in the Karova System to capture a random child. The victim turned out to be Karone who was given to Ecliptor so he could turn her into Astronema. TV STORY-Never Stop Searching

Dark Specter eventually launched an attack on KO-35 with his army but his forces were stopped by 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

Zeo

Dark Specter is indirectly mentioned when Zordon references the United Alliance of Evil after the Machine Empire had broken away from it to attack Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd in an attempt to conquer Earth. TV STORY-A Zeo Beginning

After the Royal House of Gadgetry is blown up by Lord Zedd's bomb, Dark Specter has them rebuilt with their loyalty to him restored. TV STORY-Good as Gold

Turbo

Originally, Dark Specter is supposed to lead his forces in a successful conquering the universe in 2000. However, after the Blue Senturion travels back in time to 1997, it causes the future to change so that Dark Specter leads his forces in 1998. TV STORY-The Millennium Message

Dark Specter and most of the United Alliance of Evil forces then conquer Eltar, Zordon's home planet. They capture Zordon and resign Alpha 5 and Dimitria to an unknown fate. Later, Dark Specter sends his messenger to tell Divatox to come to the Cimmerian Planet just after she defeats the Turbo Rangers. Although she initially refuses, she changes her mind when the messenger mentions Dark Specter. TV STORY-Chase into Space

In Space

Dark Specter brings together the entire United Alliance of Evil on the Cimmerian Planet for a conference to celebrate the conquest of Eltar. After it is revealed that he has Zordon captive to drain his powers, Andros is revealed to be at the meeting and escapes after destroying two Velocifighters. Dark Specter then selects Astronema to pursue him, even though Rita and Divatox compete to be chosen instead. TV STORY-From Out of Nowhere

Dark Specter then remains mostly in the background, leaving it to Astronema to crush the Rangers.

Dark Specter posing as Zordon.

The only time where Dark Specter personally confronts the Rangers is during one of their later attempts to rescue Zordon. A reformed Astronema leads her brother and his teammates to Zordon's alleged prison only for it to be revealed that Dark Specter is posing as Zordon. After taunting Andros and reaffirming his faith in Astronema's evil, he teleports away to leave Astronema and Darkonda to deal with the captive Rangers. However, Astronema frees the Rangers and they escape with the help of Ecliptor. TV STORY-The Rangers' Leap of Faith

Dark Specter's decaying state.

Refusing to let Astronema leave the side of evil so easily, Dark Specter temporarily hands control of the Dark Fortress to Darkonda and commissions him to reprogram Ecliptor. He then sends an asteroid on a collision course with Earth which lures Karone into a trap who is 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 works a little too well though as the even more villainous Astronema decides to overthrow Dark Specter. To this end she creates the Psycho Rangers whose power is channeled directly from Dark Specter. TV STORY-Rangers Gone Psycho

Dark Specter's energy drains with each fight by the Psychos, and he calls on Astronema to find the cause, a situation that she relishes. Eventually, the Rangers destroy the Psychos, and Dark Specter recovers although he never discovers that his trusted lieutenant had betrayed him. TV STORY-The Enemy Within (In Space)

Dark Specter is destroyed.

Eventually, Dark Specter finally initiates his master plan and launches an all-out invasion of the entire universe, assaulting worlds including Earth, Gratha, the Vica Galaxy, KO-35, and the home-world of the Phantom Ranger, in an attempt to destroy the forces of good. Though the attack goes well and the United Alliance of Evil, whilst Astronema reports to Dark Specter, Darkonda decides to destroy the Dark Fortress with a missile designed to destroy Earth. Dark Specter is destroyed with the missile but also swallows Darkonda's Velocifighter in his death throes, killing them both. TV STORY-Countdown to Destruction

Cosmic Fury

Dark Specter is mentioned by Master Zedd, with Zedd wishing Dark Specter could be present to see him in action.

Personality

Destructive, brutal, cruel, arrogant, and sadistic, Dark Specter was a vicious tyrant and a power-mad monster all rolled into one. He desired control, and used intimidation, violence, and domination on his own minions. He despised humanity and compassion, and routinely threatens and abused Astronema whenever she strayed from her path of evil. Despite this, he seemed to value her over his other allies, treating her with an almost fatherly concern. He never considered that she might have betrayed him and expended both effort and good will among his minions in his attempts to guide her despite his many powerful underlings. Dark Specter also failed to perceive Darkonda's aspirations for his throne, demonstrating a continual blindness to the treacherous nature of his allies, though whether it stemmed from faith or arrogance is unclear.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

• 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, Queen Machina and Divatox were all terrified by him, his mere name convincing Divatox to stop her search for the Turbo Rangers in the Power Chamber ruins, immediately stop her row with Rita and head to the Cimmerian Planet.
• Lightning Teleportation: Dark Specter could appear from blue lightning bolts and vanish at will.
• Mouth Fireballs: Dark Specter could 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", Dark Specter 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.

Abilities

• Master tactician: Dark Specter is capable of elaborating genius plans. In his final battle, he decides to use all villains of his United Alliance of Evil to conquest the universe and to destroy the Rangers as well as their allies across the universe.

Weaknesses

• Durability: Dark Specter took only two shots from Darkonda's star fighter before he died. However, it took a missile with the power to destroy the Earth to kill him.

Arsenal

• Claws: Dark Specter had massive, razor sharp brown claws, though he never used them.

Relationships

Allies

Villain Groups

United Alliance of Evil

• Astronema
• Ecliptor
• Darkonda - Former Ally & Traitor
• Quantrons
  • Velocifighters

Evil Space Aliens

• Lord Zedd
• Rita Repulsa
• Goldar
• Squatt
• Finster
• Z Putty Patrollers
• Tenga Warriors

Master Vile's Forces

• Master Vile

Machine Empire

• King Mondo
• Queen Machina
• Prince Sprocket
• Klank & Orbus
• Cogs
  • Quadrafighters

Divatox's Crew

• Divatox
• Elgar
• Rygog
• Porto
• Piranhatrons

General Havoc's Army

• General Havoc

Family

to be added

Others

to be added

Enemies

Rangers

• Space Rangers
  • Andros
  • Carlos Vallerte
  • T.J. Johnson
  • Ashley Hammond
  • Cassie Chan
  • Zhane

Family

to be added

Others

to be added

Behind the Scenes

Portrayal

• Dark Specter was played by Terence J. Rotolo and voiced by Christopher Grey, the latter credited under his pseudonym Christopher Cho. Grey is most well known as the voice of Nukus in Big Bad Beetleborgs, whereas Rotolo was the voice of Frank West in the Dead Rising series.
• In the Japanese dub of Power Rangers In Space, Dark Specter was voiced by Yuji Kishi who also dubbed T.J. Johnson and originally played Kyosuke Jinnai/Red Racer in Gekisou Sentai Carranger.

Design

• Dark Specter's costume was recycled from Maligore in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie to save money. This was lamp shaded when Divatox mentioned how much Dark Specter reminded her of her fiancé. In fact, some fans have theorized that Maligore and Dark Specter were related to each other or that they were from the same species.

Etymology

to be added

Notes

• One of the early drafts of the "Forever Red" episode of Power Rangers Wild Force was supposed to have a loyalist cult's attempt to revive Dark Specter be the reason why all the Red Rangers united to fight to thwart their plans.
• Dark Specter is the first villain to have an alliance of past villains.
• Dark Specter is the first overarching antagonist of Power Rangers entire series.
• Dark Specter is the only overarching antagonist and the only main antagonist to be betrayed and killed by one of his generals.
• After Dark Specter's death, Lord Zedd is referred again as the Emperor of Evil.

Appearances

• TV Show
• Tabletop Games

• Power Rangers Zeo
  • Episode 2: A Zeo Beginning, Part II (indirect mentioned only)
• Power Rangers Turbo
  • Episode 45/Finale: Chase into Space, Part II (mentioned only)
• Power Rangers in Space
  • Episode 1: From Out of Nowhere, Part 1 (first appearance)
  • Episode 2: From Out of Nowhere, Part 2 (mentioned only)
  • Episode 3: Save Our Ship (mentioned only)
  • Episode 4: Shell Shocked
  • Episode 11: The Delta Discovery
  • Episode 12: The Great Evilyzer (mentioned only)
  • Episode 15: T.J.'s Identity Crisis (mentioned only)
  • Episode 19: Invasion of the Body Switcher
  • Episode 20: Survival of the Silver (mentioned only)
  • 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, Part 1
  • Episode 31: Rangers Gone Psycho (mentioned only)
  • Episode 33: A Rift in the Rangers
  • Episode 34: Five of a Kind
  • Episode 35: Silence is Golden
  • Episode 36: The Enemy Within
  • Episode 37: Andros and the Stowaway (mentioned only)
  • Episode 41: A Line in the Sand (mentioned only)
  • Episode 42: Countdown to Destruction, Part 1 (final appearance and death)
• Power Rangers Cosmic Fury
  • Episode 9: Master Plan (mentioned only)
• Power Rangers HyperForce
  • Episode 24: Finale (Part 1)

Power Rangers Deck-Building Game

Dark Specter appears in Power Rangers Deck-Building Game.

Dark Specter appears in the Power Rangers Deck-Building Game as an opponent in the "Flying Higher" expansion. He is classified as a Villain.

Power Rangers Roleplaying Game

Dark Specter appears in the Power Rangers Roleplaying Game as a Threat in the "Across the Stars" expansion.

See Also

• Evil Electro-King Javious I - Super Sentai counterpart in Megaranger. See comparison page.