Eclipso

History

 
A  magical being of incalculable strength, Eclipso has demonstrated the power of flight and the ability to emit deadly rays of dark light from his/her left eye and focused through Eclipso's black diamond. Eclipso is able to possess anyone who touches the cursed gem, controlling the host's powers to Eclipso's own twisted ends.

In the beginning, God's spirit of wrath was made flesh to punish the wicked and wash the Earth clean of vice and iniquity. Wrath, by definition, is driven largely by anger. Whereas vengeance requires a lighter touch. As the Old Testament gave way to the fairer and more balanced God of the new, the spirit of wrath was stripped of rank and privileges by its successor, the Spectre. Split asunder by God's newly anointed spirit of vengeance, Wrath's physicality was trapped within the heart of darkness, a black diamond mined on distant Apokolips that brought only woe and misery to anyone who came into its possession. What remained of God's wrath was banished quite appropriately to the dark side of the moon. But not for long. A single, well-placed strike can split a seemingly indestructible diamond. The heart of darkness was thus shattered, a thousand shards of equal cut and carat, each containing a sliver of evil, were scattered across the globe. Dr. Bruce Gordon discovered his in a South Pacific Jungle. While attempting to film a rare solar eclipse, Gordon was scratched by one such cursed gemstone by the maddened tribal seer mophir. And so began Gordon's long, strange trip in the company of his evil alter ego Eclipso.

The solar scientist's self-appointed crusade became thwarting his dark half at every turn. in time, the two were finally separated, Yin and yang, as Eclipso sought to plunge Earth into eternal darkness and despair by possessing the planet's stalwart superheroes. For some, resistance was fatally futile. To avenge his slain sister, Alex Montez etched his skin in mystic runes and injected himself with liquefied black diamonds, thus imprisoning Eclipso within his own body. But, fearing Eclipso's boasts that he would escape eventually, Montez chose suicide in a misguided attempt to cage the evil within him for all time. Of course, Eclipso sought a new and more suggestible host. Diamonds, even black-hearted baubles, are a girl's best friend after all. In Jean Loring, Eclipso found a willing soul mate, both desiring reveng upon Earth's brightly hued heroes. The spirit of wrath forged an unlikely alliance with the Spectre, seducing the spirit of vengeance and waging the genocidal war on Earth's mystics and mages, a conflict that led to a climactic confrontation with Captain Marvel and the newly formed Shadowpact. In defeat, she was trapped by perpetual daylight in permanent orbit around the sun, still casting a long shadow across Earth. Again, Eclipso's escape was inevitable. Even now, Eclipso darkens everything she touches.

Eclipso was the first incarnation of the Spirit of Vengeance, as revealed by the Phantom Stranger to then Reverend Richard Craemer. It was Eclipso who created the flood of Noah's time and was known for his ruthlessness, which quickly caused him to lose his station and become imprisoned in a black crystal forged in Apokolips by Darkseid. He has been known to play a game of chess every now and then against the dreaded lord of Apokolips.

With the imprisonment of Eclipso, a new angel, Aztar, was turned into The Spectre--who Eclipso views as a usurper to his rank as the Spirit of Vengeance.

Hosts

 
As any spirit must be bound with a human host (as per the "new rules" following the crucifixion of Jesus), Eclipso too much be bound with a human to walk the Earth. 

Bruce Gordon

 
His first host was a man named Bruce Gordon, a physicist specializing in solar energy, who was attacked by a sorcerer. Gordon became in possession of one of the black crystals that allows for Eclipso to maintain a host. In time, however, Eclipso's many crystals were forged into a single crystal--to prevent the spread of the spirit and the possession of multiple people.

Alex Montez

 
Alex managed to acquire the crystal as multiple small crystals, which he liquefied and injected into his bloodstream--save one which he use to summon the entity. The spirit of Eclipso was kept in check by the use of various tattoos. Alex worked with Black Adam, following Adam's expulsion from the JSA to keep some form of order.

Alex later killed himself following the breaking of one of his tattoos, to prevent Eclipso from controlling him.

Jean Loring

 
Following the events of Identity Crisis, Jean Loring was placed in Arkham Asylum where she was plagued by the voice of Eclipso. Eventually, Loring submitted to the voices and became the newest host for Eclipso. Loring-Eclipso was the driving force behind the events of Day of Vengeance, manipulating The Spectre into destroying many of the entities of magic. Eclipso is seen first talking to the Spectre in his head until he makes her appear. Eclipso tells him that she was sent to him from higher powers who want him to continue to do what he was doing. she tells him that he need to fight the source of evil which she tells him is magic. She is with Spectre when he is fighting Captain Marvel. While Spectre is fighting Shadowpact tries to dispose of her, but she puts up a fight. Eclipso gets back alive after Blue Devil pulls the trident from her body. She then grabs the weak Spectre and flies him away before anyone can see them. Eclipso comes with Spectre to fight Shadowpact. She fights them until Nightshade teleports her to the sun.

Loring also influenced heroes like Mary Marvel, causing them to be unnaturally wicked.

Loring and the entity eventually seperated from each other, leaving Loring to die.

Bruce Gordon, Once More

 
The Spectre, with the host Crispus Allen, found and used Bruce Gordon to bring about a new Eclipso, with him as the host. However, Eclipso has, at this time, been seen corrupting various heroes such as Plastic Man while also trying to be "tamed" by Gordon.

In other media

Animation

Possessing the "Sarge"

Justice League - "Eclipsed"

Video games