Full spoilers for DC's Legends of Tomorrow's Season 2 fall finale continue below.
The midseason finale of Legends of Tomorrow featured the first major battle between the Legends and their new foes, the Legion of Doom. And when the dust finally settled, viewers learned exactly what Reverse-Flash, Damien Darhk and Malcolm Merlyn are trying to accomplish: they're seeking the Spear of Destiny, a mythical weapon that they believe will grant them total control over time.
As with most elements on this show, the Spear of Destiny is a significant artifact in DC Comics lore, and one that's been at the forefront of several major stories over the years. Scroll down for a brief history of the real-world artifact, how it factors into the DC Universe and how its debut might shape the direction of Legends of Tomorrow in 2017.
Fra Angelico's 15th Century depiction of the origins of the Spear of Destiny.
Before we dig into how the Spear of Destiny could be used in the DC Universe, it's key to understand its historic connotations. In the real world, the Spear of Destiny is also referred to as the Holy Lance or the Lance of Longinus. This ancient artifact is the head of a spear that, according to Biblical texts, was used by a Roman centurion to pierce the body of Jesus Christ after his death by crucifixion. That inspired legends that the spear was charged with divine power once it was touched by Jesus' blood. There are several religious relics that are purported to be the original spear, though obviously none have been positively identified.
Over time, those old legends have inspired a number of stories where the spear is used to grant its wielder superhuman powers of one sort or another. The spear has popped up as a plot device in everything from the Wolfenstein 3D prequel Spear of Destiny to Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal to the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. And much like the ongoing hunt for the fabled Holy Grail, many have become obsessed with tracking down the true Spear of Destiny, including military leaders like Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler.
Hitler actually gained possession of one of these relics after Germany annexed Austria in 1938. That spear was later reclaimed by the Allied forces and returned to Austria. This inspired a popular conspiracy theory that the spear is cursed and causes the death of its owner soon after they abandon it. Hitler committed suicide shortly after losing possession of the spear, and General George S. Patton died from injuries due to an automobile accident not long after returning the spear to Austria.
The real-world ties between Hitler and the Spear of Destiny, however exaggerated they might be, were a direct inspiration for the spear's role in the DC Universe. The spear is used as the in-story explanation for why World War II still happened in the DC Universe and why heroes like Superman and the Justice Society of America didn't stop the Axis Powers sooner. The DCU version of Hitler was able to wield the spear and form a magical barrier around the European continent. This barrier caused any superhuman and magical-based heroes who crossed it to fall under Hitler's control. Because of this, it was left up to the ordinary soldiers of the Allied powers to fight the bulk of the war.
We have to wonder if the spear will be used as a catalyst to bring the show back to World War II and focus more on the Justice Society. Perhaps both the Legends and the Legion of Doom will head to 1938-era Austria in a desperate race to track down the spear. None of the JSA members have mentioned anything about the spear or having been prevented from fighting in the war because of a mysterious, magical barrier. But this could be one more example of Reverse-Flash mucking with the timeline. Maybe he'll allow Hitler to borrow the spear's power, suddenly altering the entire course of the war and forcing the Legends to find a way of setting things right.
Few DC characters are more closely intertwined with the Spear of Destiny than the Spectre. And perhaps the most exciting prospect now that the spear is in play is the fact that the Spectre could be next.
The Spectre is one of the most powerful supernatural characters in the DCU. Dubbed "The Spirit of Vengeance," the Spectre is essentially DC's answer to Ghost Rider. He's tasked by a higher power (the nature of which is either religious or secular, depending on a particular writer's interpretation) to seek out evildoers and punish them in a manner befitting their crimes. The Spectre has a habit of killing his victims in dramatically appropriate ways. He also frequently wrestles with thorny moral dilemmas, such as the question of whether to punish a woman for killing her abusive husband.
Going hand in hand with the complicated morality of his never-ending quest is the fact that the Spectre is usually bonded to the soul of an ordinary human. This is meant to give him perspective on the struggles faced by ordinary humans. The most significant of those hosts is murdered police Jim Corrigan, though other hosts have included Gotham detective Crispus Allen and even Green Lantern himself, Hal Jordan.
Jim Corrigan as he appeared in Constantine.
Corrigan has close ties to the JSA, as he used his Spectre abilities to fight alongside the JSA during World War II. Given the heavy focus on the JSA this year, we wouldn't be at all surprised to see Corrigan make his debut soon. Technically, the character already exists in the Arrowverse. He appeared in two episode of the short-lived Constantine series, and the show alluded to his future death and transformation into the Spirit of Vengeance. Will we see actor Emmet J. Scanlon reprise his role soon?
Vandal Savage is another DC character with close ties to the Spear of Destiny, thanks to the comic book series Final Crisis: Revelations. In that story, a group called the Religion of Crime gathered both the spear and the rock that Cain used to slay Abel at the dawn of man. Together, these two supernaturally charged artifacts were used to summon forth the spirit of Cain and bond him with Vandal Savage. Savage was then able to use the spear to separate the Spectre from his human host and harness the power of the Spirit of Vengeance in service of Darkseid. A perfect storm of villainy, in other words.
Given that Savage was the primary villain of Legends of Tomorrow's first season, we have to wonder if the show might delve into this material. Probably not the Darkseid-related portion of Final Crisis: Revelations, but at least the Religion of Crime and the connection between Savage and Cain. We could be looking at the imminent return of a villain the Legends spent months trying to defeat. Malcolm Merlyn already helped Savage cheat death once before, and having Vandal Savage as a member of the Legion of Doom would certainly elevate their threat level.
Vandal Savage as seen in Final Crisis: Revelations.
This could also be a way for Legends to bring the Arrowverse version of Savage a little more in line with the comic book source material. In the show, Savage's past dates back to the days of ancient Egypt, but in the comics he's far older. It could be fun to see the team travel back to the very dawn of man and do battle with the world's first murderer. And if the show throws Cro-Magnon superhero Anthro into the mix, so much the better.
The real question now that the Spear of Destiny is in play is just how much of DC's supernatural library will follow. At this point, a universe that began with Arrow now has speedsters, aliens, immortals and time-travelers all bumping elbows. We've seen some supernatural elements in play already thanks to characters like John Constantine and Damien Darhk, but The CW really has yet to lean into magic in the same way it has metahuman powers and time travel. The Spear of Destiny seems like a major step forward in that regard.
And if magic will become a bigger focus in the Arrowverse, isn't there a need for a TV series that can explore that realm in greater depth? It's clear John Constantine alone isn't quite enough to support his won series, but what if he were part of a team of magic-based heroes? We've already heard the trouble with incorporating Constantine back into the Arrowverse, but what if the Arrowverse introduced its version of the Justice League Dark?
DC clearly has a desire to emphasize the Justice League Dark. They're the subject of DC's next direct-to-DVD animated movie, and Doug Liman is bringing the heroes to the big screen. Why not bring the concept to television as well? We could see a Justice League Dark series spinning out of Legends in the same way Legends piggybacked on Flash and Arrow last year. Or perhaps Legends itself could evolve from a time travel-driven series to one more steeped in magic. We assume one of these years The CW will finally bring the long-running Supernatural to a close, and at that point there will be a void that a Justice League Dark series would be poised to fill.
What direction would you like to see Legends of Tomorrow take the Spear of Destiny? Let us know in the comments!
Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.
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