.gif)
Spectre (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero
who has appeared in numerous comic book
s published by DC Comics
. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics
#51 (Jan. 1940) and received his first story the following month, #52 (Feb.1940). He was created by Jerry Siegel
and Bernard Baily
, although several sources attribute creator credit solely to Siegel, limiting Baily to being merely the artist assigned to the feature.
The Spectre debuted in More Fun Comics
#52 (Feb. 1940) when hard-boiled cop Jim Corrigan
was murdered, stuffed into a barrel (which was then filled with cement) and thus drowned. His spirit was refused entry into the afterlife, however, instead being sent back to Earth
to eliminate evil by an entity referred to only as "The Voice". He saw his body when he appeared at the bottom of the waterfront.
The Spectre begins by seeking bloody vengeance against Corrigan's murderers in a grim, supernatural fashion. One of them turned to a skeleton when touching him. The Spectre is eventually awarded charter membership in the first ever super-hero team, the Justice Society of America
in All Star Comics
. Jim Corrigan is resurrected in More Fun #75 (Jan. 1942), after which the Spectre's ghostly form enters and emerges from him, though he also functions independently. The Spectre, and other JSA members, were prevented from entering occupied Europe due to the Spear of Destiny, a magical item which is one of the only things that could hurt the Spectre, which had been obtained by Adolf Hitler
, and gave him control over superheroes that entered Nazi occupied areas.
During the mid-1940s, the popularity of superhero comics began to decline, and the Spectre was reduced to playing the role of "guardian angel" to a bumbling character called "Percival Popp, the Super Cop", who first appeared, More Fun #74 (Dec. 1941). When Corrigan enlisted in the military and departed to serve in World War II
, in More Fun #90 (April 1944), the Spectre became "permanently" invisible, becoming a secondary player in his own series. The feature's final installment was in issue #101 (Feb. 1945), and the Spectre made his last appearance in the superhero group the Justice Society of America
at roughly the same time, in All Star Comics
#23 (Winter 1944–1945).
, DC Comics
editor Julius Schwartz
had the Spectre revived and returned to the role of an avenging undead
spirit, beginning in Showcase
#60 (Feb. 1966). Under writer Gardner Fox
and penciller
Murphy Anderson
, his power was vastly increased, and at times he approached the level of omnipotence. A 1987 magazine retrospective on the character said this revival had been initially announced as a team-up with Doctor Mid-Nite
After a three-issue try-out in Showcase, the Spectre appeared in the superhero-team comic Justice League of America
#46-47 (Sept-Oct 1966) in that year's team-up of the titular group and its 1940s predecessors, the Justice Society of America
(which had also been written by Fox). A few months later, he co-starred with the Silver Age Flash
inThe Brave and the Bold
#72 (July 1967). The Spectre was given his own title, premiering with a cover date of December 1967, while almost simultaneously he made a second appearance in The Brave & the Bold #75 (Jan. 1968), this time teamed with Batman
. In The Spectre, the creative credits varied widely over the 10 issues published, with perhaps the most notable participant being a then-newcomer to comics, future industry art legend Neal Adams
, who drew issues #2-5 (and also wrote #4-5). For its final two issues, the comic became in effect a horror anthology, with the title character being little more than a host/narrator in several short stories. The end to this era came in Justice League of America #83 (Aug. 1970), when, at the climax of another JLA/JSA crossover, the Ghostly Guardian (as DC nicknamed the character) appeared to be destroyed. His cameo at a JSA meeting in the previous issue spawned fan speculation about how he got from there to being imprisoned in a crypt, as found and freed by Doctor Fate
in JLA #83).
In the 1970s, DC revived the Spectre in the superhero anthology series Adventure Comics
. Beginning with the 12-page "The Wrath of ... the Spectre" in issue #431 (Feb. 1974), writer Michael Fleisher
and artist Jim Aparo
produced 10 stories through issue #440 (July 1975) that became controversial for what was considered gruesome, albeit bloodless, violence. As comics historian Les Daniels
observed, the Spectre had
In the series' letter column
, some fans indicated uneasiness with this depiction. In issue #435 (Oct. 1974), Fleisher introduced a character that shared their concerns, a reporter named Earl Crawford. The series was canceled with scripts written but not yet drawn. Several years later, these remaining chapters were penciled by Aparo, lettered and inked by others, and published in the final issue of Wrath of the Spectre, a four-issue miniseries in 1988 that reprinted the ten original Fleisher-Aparo stories in its first three issues, and three newly drawn stories. Fleisher had stated in 1980 that only two scripts were left undrawn.
The Spectre also made a guest appearance in the "Doctor Thirteen
" feature in Ghosts
#97-99 (Feb.-April 1981), and go on to periodic guest appearances in such other DC titles as The Brave and the Bold
, DC Comics Presents
and All-Star Squadron
.
Among the many changes made to DC Comics' characters during the later half of the 1980s following the Crisis on Infinite Earths
miniseries, where the Spectre fought the Anti-Monitor
, the Spectre was largely depowered. Prior to this, the Spectre is revealed to be guarding an entrance to Hell
in a Swamp Thing
Annual story by writer Alan Moore
. Then, in the conclusion to Moore's "American Gothic" serial in the regular Swamp Thing comic, the Spectre is defeated by the Great Evil Beast
. Next, in the Last Days of the Justice Society of America
special, the Spectre fails to resolve a situation and is punished by God for his failure.
In his fourth solo series and second self-titled comic, the Spectre, under writer Doug Moench
, Corrigan became the central figure in this story of an occult
-oriented private detective
agency. The Spectre's powers were significantly reduced here, with even the act of emerging from Corrigan's physical body being painful to both. This run ended with issue #31 (Nov. 1989). A few months after this, the Spectre has a cameo in writer Neil Gaiman
's The Books of Magic
, a four-issue miniseries starring many DC occult characters.
student John Ostrander
, who chose to re-examine the Spectre in his aspects both as the embodied Avenging Wrath of the Murdered Dead and as a brutal 1930s policeman.
Ostrander placed the Spectre in complex, morally ambiguous situations that posed certain ethical questions, one example being: What vengeance should be wrought upon a woman who killed her abusive husband
in his sleep? Other notable dilemmas included, among others:
Ostrander also added several new concepts into the Spectre's history: He revealed that the Spectre was meant to exist as the embodiment of the Wrath of God, and Jim Corrigan was but the latest human spirit assigned to guide him while he existed on Earth. It was also shown that the Spectre was a fallen angel
named Aztar who had participated in Lucifer
's rebellion, but then repented, and that serving as the embodiment of God's anger was its penance.
Furthermore, the Spectre was not the first embodiment of God's anger, but was the replacement for the previously minor DC character Eclipso
. Ostrander chose to portray this as a distinction between the Spectre's pursuit of vengeance and Eclipso's pursuit of revenge. In a historical context, Eclipso was responsible for the biblical Flood
, while the Spectre was the Angel of Death who slew the firstborn Egyptian children
. Spectre and Eclipso have battled numerous times through history but neither entity can be fully destroyed.
Unfortunately, with one exception, there are no trade paperback editions of Ostrander's run currently published.
The Spectre has also played a pivotal role in the Crisis on Infinite Earths
and Zero Hour
storylines. In both cases, in the final struggle against the main villain — the Anti-Monitor
and Parallax
, respectively — the Spectre was the only hero capable of standing against the villains directly, allowing the other heroes time to put a plan into action that would destroy the villains once and for all.
Although all of these versions are usually considered to be from the Earth-Two of the Pre-Crisis DC multiverse, the same continuity started during the Golden Age, an Earth-One version of The Spectre was shown to team-up with Batman and Superman on a few occasions.
Eventually, Corrigan's soul finds peace; he relinquishes the Spectre, and goes on to the afterlife. The role of the Spectre is later assumed by Hal Jordan, the spirit of the former Green Lantern
, during the Day of Judgment
storyline written by Geoff Johns
, when a fallen angel
attempts to gain the Spectre's power. Corrigan is asked to come back, but refuses as he has found peace. The Spectre chooses Jordan as his new host because Jordan seeks to atone for his universe-threatening actions as the villainous Parallax
. His next appearance was in a four-part story arc in Legends of the DC Universe #33-36. In the series The Spectre vol. 4, written by J. M. DeMatteis
, Jordan bends the Spectre's mission from one of vengeance to one of redemption, and making appearances elsewhere in the DC Universe
, such as advising Superman
during the "Emperor Joker" storyline.
The 2001 Green Arrow
story "Quiver" (written by Kevin Smith
) and the final Supergirl
story arc, "Many Happy Returns" (by Peter David
), revealed that the Spectre (Hal Jordan
) is aware of the Crisis on Infinite Earths. He is one of the few DC Universe characters with this knowledge.
After The Spectre vol. 4 was cancelled, Jordan was forced to return, temporarily, to the Spectre's mission of vengeance, following a confrontation between the new Justice Society of America
and the Spirit King
, who had managed to "resurrect" the ghosts of all those the Spectre had damned to Hell. In Green Lantern: Rebirth
, written by Johns, the Spectre's decision of choosing Jordan as his host was retconned into being not because of Jordan's worthiness, but as an effort to destroy the Parallax entity, which was infecting Jordan's soul. After the Spectre was able to purge the Parallax from Jordan, he departed in order to move onto the next recipient of the spirit.
With no human host, the Spectre becomes unstable and goes on a vengeance-fueled rampage. Not only is he killing murderers, he also kills people for minor crimes, such as petty theft. As covered in one of the lead-ins to Infinite Crisis
, Day of Vengeance
, Jean Loring
is transformed into the new Eclipso
. She goes after the Spectre and seduces him into removing all magic in the DC Universe. Eclipso explains to the Spectre that all things that follow the rules of the physical universe follow God's law. Anything that breaks those rules, breaks God's law and is therefore evil. Consequently, as magic breaks the rules of the physical universe, it is an originating source of tremendous evil (this line of logic makes sense to the unstable Spectre). The Spectre destroys magical constructs, institutions that teach magic, and magical dimensions. In one such dimension, his acts include the mass murder of over 700 battle hardened magicians. His actions cause havoc to some of the more powerful magic-based characters:
The Spectre also destroys the magic-fueled kingdom of Atlantis
, the home of Aquaman
, during his rampage.
In the Day of Vengeance: Infinite Crisis Special, the Spectre kills Nabu, the last of the Great Lords of the Ninth Age and the Presence's attention is finally drawn into action. The Spectre is once again forced into a human host, stopping his mad rampage. Nabu reveals, before dying, that originally he and the other Lords had been working towards forming the perfect host for the Spectre, but those plans are cut short.
The text of the story is unclear on who the Great Lords were. Nabu, introduced in 1942 as the powerful entity responsible for Kent Nelson becoming Doctor Fate
, was one of the Lords of Order
. The Spectre had apparently killed the others, along with their counterparts the Lords of Chaos, with the exception of Mordru
and Amethyst
, whom he battled on Gemworld. Amethyst is among those gathered by the Phantom Stranger to aid in rebuilding the Rock of Eternity, and survives into the Tenth Age.
Alexander Luthor
also revealed that he was indirectly responsible for the Spectre's actions in Day of Vengeance. The Psycho-Pirate
, under Luthor's orders, gave Eclipso's diamond to Jean Loring, making her manipulate the Spectre so that magic could be undone and used as fuel for Luthor's Multiverse tower.
#38, Crispus Allen is killed by a policeman coincidentally named Jim Corrigan (not the same Corrigan formerly associated with the Spectre). While Allen's body is in the morgue, the Spectre is forced against his will to enter Crispus Allen, taking Allen as his new host.
reveals that the Spectre must be moved out of the way in order for the universe to be at peace. For that he uses the Black Lantern
Pariah
, who unleashes more black rings which latch themselves onto Crispus' body, turning him into a Black Lantern and sealing the Spectre inside its host. Changing into a giant version, the Black Lantern Spectre declares that it wants Hal Jordan back. The Phantom Stranger
and Blue Devil
work together in an attempt to distract the Black Lantern Spectre from seeking out Hal Jordan. The Phantom Stranger manages to temporarily free the real Spectre, only for the Black Lantern to repress it again and, discarding the Stranger and Blue Devil, leaves to carry out its intention to cast vengeance on Hal Jordan.
On Coast City, Hal Jordan encounters the Black Lantern Spectre. Using the real Spectre's power to protect itself, it is rendered immune to the combination of Emotional lights that usually destroy Black Lanterns. Knowing that the Spectre is afraid of Parallax, Jordan allows himself to be possessed by the fear entity once more in order to stop him. The Powers of the Spectre also become an interest to the Red Lantern Corps
leader Atrocitus
, as he senses the Spectre's real nature despite being influenced by the black ring: an embodiment of rage and vengeance. Atrocitus desires to harness the spirit's power for his Corps and his own vengeance against the Guardians of the Universe
. Parallax tears into the Black Lantern's body, freeing the real Spectre and destroying the facsimile. Atrocitus attempts to turn the Spectre into his own rage entity, but fails, the Spectre telling him that "he is God's Rage" and of the true rage entity, and warning him not to trifle with it. Parallax then attempts to destroy the Spectre, who uses his own fear of the entity, coupled with the love Carol Ferris feels for Hal, to separate Parallax from its host. The Spectre then confronts Nekron
, the master of the Black Lanterns, but discovers that Nekron is without a soul, and thus, immune to his powers. The Spectre is then removed from the battlefield by Nekron to parts unknown.
miniseries Kingdom Come
, the Spectre takes a preacher named Norman McCay
through the events of a possible future of the DC Universe. Here, Spectre is to determine who is responsible for an impending apocalyptic
event. However, here his "faculties are not what they once were" (Kingdom Come #1), and he is said to need a human perspective to properly judge the events they witness.
A conversation between McCay and the character Deadman
in Kingdom Come #3 reveals that, with the passing of time, Spectre has become further and further removed from humanity. The illustrations show him only wearing his cloak to cover an otherwise nude body. As the series progresses, the cloak darkens from his traditional green to an ashen black. In Kingdom Come #4, he is convinced by McCay to try to see things through the perspective of his human host, who is indeed revealed to be Jim Corrigan. Corrigan becomes a member of McCay's congregation and, in the epilogue set in a superhero-themed restaurant, expresses irritation that the meal named after him, "Spectre platter", is a mix of spinach
and cottage cheese
.
The Spectre was ranked as the 168th greatest comic book character of all time. IGN
also ranked the Spectre as the 70th greatest superhero of all time quoting him he’s a problematic figure for the Justice League to comprehend.; IGN stated that believing that The Spectre is God’s true spirit of vengeance means that you believe there is a God in the first place. And in the universe that the DC heroes occupy, sometimes that’s hard to grasp.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who has appeared in numerous comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics
More Fun Comics
More Fun Comics, originally titled New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine a.k.a. New Fun Comics, was a 1935-1947 American comic book anthology that introduced several major superhero characters and was the first American comic-book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of...
#51 (Jan. 1940) and received his first story the following month, #52 (Feb.1940). He was created by Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
and Bernard Baily
Bernard Baily
Bernard Baily was an American comic book artist best known as co-creator of the DC Comics characters the Spectre and Hourman, and a comics publisher, writer, and editor.-Early life and career:...
, although several sources attribute creator credit solely to Siegel, limiting Baily to being merely the artist assigned to the feature.
Golden Age version
More Fun Comics
More Fun Comics, originally titled New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine a.k.a. New Fun Comics, was a 1935-1947 American comic book anthology that introduced several major superhero characters and was the first American comic-book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of...
#52 (Feb. 1940) when hard-boiled cop Jim Corrigan
Jim Corrigan
Jim Corrigan is the name of three fictional characters that have appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The first Corrigan initially appeared in More Fun Comics #52 , a deceased cop acting as host to the cosmic entity the Spectre, and was created by Jerry Siegel and Bernard...
was murdered, stuffed into a barrel (which was then filled with cement) and thus drowned. His spirit was refused entry into the afterlife, however, instead being sent back to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
to eliminate evil by an entity referred to only as "The Voice". He saw his body when he appeared at the bottom of the waterfront.
The Spectre begins by seeking bloody vengeance against Corrigan's murderers in a grim, supernatural fashion. One of them turned to a skeleton when touching him. The Spectre is eventually awarded charter membership in the first ever super-hero team, the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
in All Star Comics
All Star Comics
All Star Comics is a 1940s comic book series from All-American Publications, one of the early companies that merged with National Periodical Publications to form the modern-day DC Comics. With the exception of the first two issues, All Star Comics primarily told stories about the adventures of the...
. Jim Corrigan is resurrected in More Fun #75 (Jan. 1942), after which the Spectre's ghostly form enters and emerges from him, though he also functions independently. The Spectre, and other JSA members, were prevented from entering occupied Europe due to the Spear of Destiny, a magical item which is one of the only things that could hurt the Spectre, which had been obtained by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, and gave him control over superheroes that entered Nazi occupied areas.
During the mid-1940s, the popularity of superhero comics began to decline, and the Spectre was reduced to playing the role of "guardian angel" to a bumbling character called "Percival Popp, the Super Cop", who first appeared, More Fun #74 (Dec. 1941). When Corrigan enlisted in the military and departed to serve in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in More Fun #90 (April 1944), the Spectre became "permanently" invisible, becoming a secondary player in his own series. The feature's final installment was in issue #101 (Feb. 1945), and the Spectre made his last appearance in the superhero group the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
at roughly the same time, in All Star Comics
All Star Comics
All Star Comics is a 1940s comic book series from All-American Publications, one of the early companies that merged with National Periodical Publications to form the modern-day DC Comics. With the exception of the first two issues, All Star Comics primarily told stories about the adventures of the...
#23 (Winter 1944–1945).
Silver Age version
In the mid-1950s and 1960s Silver Age of Comic BooksSilver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
, DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
editor Julius Schwartz
Julius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
had the Spectre revived and returned to the role of an avenging undead
Undead
Undead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
spirit, beginning in Showcase
Showcase (comics)
Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing...
#60 (Feb. 1966). Under writer Gardner Fox
Gardner Fox
Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer best known for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories....
and penciller
Penciller
A penciller is an artist who works in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms.The penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. These artists are concerned with layout to showcase...
Murphy Anderson
Murphy Anderson
Murphy Anderson is an American comic book artist, known as one of the premier inkers of his era, who has worked for companies such as DC Comics for over fifty years, starting in the 1930s-'40s Golden Age of Comic Books...
, his power was vastly increased, and at times he approached the level of omnipotence. A 1987 magazine retrospective on the character said this revival had been initially announced as a team-up with Doctor Mid-Nite
Doctor Mid-Nite
Doctor Mid-Nite is a fictional superhero physician in DC Comics. The figure has been represented in the comics by three different individuals, Charles McNider, Beth Chapel and Pieter Anton Cross. Dr. Mid-Nite was originally created by writer Charles Reizenstein and artist Stanley Josephs Aschmeier...
After a three-issue try-out in Showcase, the Spectre appeared in the superhero-team comic Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
#46-47 (Sept-Oct 1966) in that year's team-up of the titular group and its 1940s predecessors, the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
(which had also been written by Fox). A few months later, he co-starred with the Silver Age Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
inThe Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold is the title shared by many comic book series published by DC Comics. The first of these was published as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983...
#72 (July 1967). The Spectre was given his own title, premiering with a cover date of December 1967, while almost simultaneously he made a second appearance in The Brave & the Bold #75 (Jan. 1968), this time teamed with Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. In The Spectre, the creative credits varied widely over the 10 issues published, with perhaps the most notable participant being a then-newcomer to comics, future industry art legend Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
, who drew issues #2-5 (and also wrote #4-5). For its final two issues, the comic became in effect a horror anthology, with the title character being little more than a host/narrator in several short stories. The end to this era came in Justice League of America #83 (Aug. 1970), when, at the climax of another JLA/JSA crossover, the Ghostly Guardian (as DC nicknamed the character) appeared to be destroyed. His cameo at a JSA meeting in the previous issue spawned fan speculation about how he got from there to being imprisoned in a crypt, as found and freed by Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
in JLA #83).
Bronze Age version
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
. Beginning with the 12-page "The Wrath of ... the Spectre" in issue #431 (Feb. 1974), writer Michael Fleisher
Michael Fleisher
Michael L. "Mike" Fleisher is an American writer known for his DC Comics of the 1970s and 1980s, particularly for the characters the Spectre and Jonah Hex.-Early life and career:...
and artist Jim Aparo
Jim Aparo
James N. "Jim" Aparo was an American comic book artist best known for his 1960s and 1970s DC Comics work, including on the characters Batman, Aquaman and the Spectre....
produced 10 stories through issue #440 (July 1975) that became controversial for what was considered gruesome, albeit bloodless, violence. As comics historian Les Daniels
Les Daniels
Leslie Noel Daniels III, known as Les Daniels was an American writer.-Background:He attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he wrote his master's thesis on Frankenstein, and he worked as a musician and as a journalist.-Career:He was the author of five novels featuring the...
observed, the Spectre had
In the series' letter column
Comic book letter column
A comic book letter column is a section of a comic book where readers' letters to the publisher appear. Comic book letter columns are also commonly referred to as letter columns , letter pages, letters of comment , or simply letters to the editor...
, some fans indicated uneasiness with this depiction. In issue #435 (Oct. 1974), Fleisher introduced a character that shared their concerns, a reporter named Earl Crawford. The series was canceled with scripts written but not yet drawn. Several years later, these remaining chapters were penciled by Aparo, lettered and inked by others, and published in the final issue of Wrath of the Spectre, a four-issue miniseries in 1988 that reprinted the ten original Fleisher-Aparo stories in its first three issues, and three newly drawn stories. Fleisher had stated in 1980 that only two scripts were left undrawn.
The Spectre also made a guest appearance in the "Doctor Thirteen
Doctor Thirteen
Dr. Terrence Thirteen, known simply as Doctor Thirteen or Dr. 13, is a fictional character in comic books set in the DC Universe. The character's first published appearance is in Star Spangled Comics #122, ....
" feature in Ghosts
Ghosts (DC Comics)
Ghosts is a comic book series published by DC Comics for 112 issues from September-October 1971 to May 1982. Its tagline was "True Tales of the Weird and Supernatural" , changed to "New Tales of the Weird and Supernatural," as of #75 , and dropped after #104...
#97-99 (Feb.-April 1981), and go on to periodic guest appearances in such other DC titles as The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold is the title shared by many comic book series published by DC Comics. The first of these was published as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983...
, DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 featuring team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters of the DC Universe...
and All-Star Squadron
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
.
Among the many changes made to DC Comics' characters during the later half of the 1980s following the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
miniseries, where the Spectre fought the Anti-Monitor
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
, the Spectre was largely depowered. Prior to this, the Spectre is revealed to be guarding an entrance to Hell
Hell (DC Comics)
Hell is a fictional location, an infernal underworld utilized in titles published by DC Comics. It is the locational antithesis of the Silver City. The DC Comics location known as Hell is based heavily on its depiction in Judeo-Christian mythology...
in a Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
Annual story by writer Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
. Then, in the conclusion to Moore's "American Gothic" serial in the regular Swamp Thing comic, the Spectre is defeated by the Great Evil Beast
Great Evil Beast
The Great Evil Beast, also known as The Great Darkness or The Ultimate Darkness, is a powerful cosmic entity that appeared in the DC Comics Swamp Thing storyline, "American Gothic."-Fictional character biography:...
. Next, in the Last Days of the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
special, the Spectre fails to resolve a situation and is punished by God for his failure.
In his fourth solo series and second self-titled comic, the Spectre, under writer Doug Moench
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench , better known as Doug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok.-Biography:...
, Corrigan became the central figure in this story of an occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
-oriented private detective
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
agency. The Spectre's powers were significantly reduced here, with even the act of emerging from Corrigan's physical body being painful to both. This run ended with issue #31 (Nov. 1989). A few months after this, the Spectre has a cameo in writer Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's The Books of Magic
The Books of Magic
The Books of Magic is a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has also been published in a single-volume collection under the Vertigo...
, a four-issue miniseries starring many DC occult characters.
Modern Age version
Three years after the cancellation of the Doug Moench version, the Spectre was again given his own series, this time written by writer and former theologyTheology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
student John Ostrander
John Ostrander
John Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.-Career:...
, who chose to re-examine the Spectre in his aspects both as the embodied Avenging Wrath of the Murdered Dead and as a brutal 1930s policeman.
Ostrander placed the Spectre in complex, morally ambiguous situations that posed certain ethical questions, one example being: What vengeance should be wrought upon a woman who killed her abusive husband
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
in his sleep? Other notable dilemmas included, among others:
- The tiny (fictional) nation of Vlatava, the history of which was an endless cycle of civil warCivil warA civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
, ethnic cleansingEthnic cleansingEthnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
, retribution, and blood feuds that had endured for centuries. The Spectre responded by judging the whole nation guilty, razing the land and killing the entire population except for two opposing politicians, one of them the on-and-off supervillain Count VertigoCount VertigoCount Werner Vertigo is a DC Comics supervillain. First appearing in World's Finest Comics #251 , Count Vertigo is the last descendant of the royal family that ruled the small eastern European country of Vlatava that was taken over by the Soviets and later became devastated by the Spectre.-Starting...
. - The pending execution of a wrongfully convicted man. His death sentenceCapital punishmentCapital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
was commutedPardonClemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
to life imprisonmentLife imprisonmentLife imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
after the Spectre threatened to kill the entire population of the state of New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in retribution, arguing that if the execution was carried out, the "people of the state of New York" would become guilty of murder in his eyes. - A 90-year-old woman who had spent her entire life trying to atone for the single murder she had secretly committed in the 1920s. The Spectre found her on her deathbed.
Ostrander also added several new concepts into the Spectre's history: He revealed that the Spectre was meant to exist as the embodiment of the Wrath of God, and Jim Corrigan was but the latest human spirit assigned to guide him while he existed on Earth. It was also shown that the Spectre was a fallen angel
Fallen angel
Fallen angel is a concept developed in Jewish mythology from interpretation of the Book of Enoch. The actual term fallen angel is not found in either the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament. Christians adopted the concept of fallen angels mainly based on their interpretations of the Book of...
named Aztar who had participated in Lucifer
Lucifer (DC Comics)
Lucifer is a DC Comics character that starred in an eponymous comic book published under the Vertigo imprint, whose entire run was written by Mike Carey...
's rebellion, but then repented, and that serving as the embodiment of God's anger was its penance.
Furthermore, the Spectre was not the first embodiment of God's anger, but was the replacement for the previously minor DC character Eclipso
Eclipso
Eclipso is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
. Ostrander chose to portray this as a distinction between the Spectre's pursuit of vengeance and Eclipso's pursuit of revenge. In a historical context, Eclipso was responsible for the biblical Flood
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
, while the Spectre was the Angel of Death who slew the firstborn Egyptian children
Plagues of Egypt
The Plagues of Egypt , also called the Ten Plagues or the Biblical Plagues, were ten calamities that, according to the biblical Book of Exodus, Israel's God, Yahweh, inflicted upon Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to release the ill-treated Israelites from slavery. Pharaoh capitulated after the tenth...
. Spectre and Eclipso have battled numerous times through history but neither entity can be fully destroyed.
Unfortunately, with one exception, there are no trade paperback editions of Ostrander's run currently published.
The Spectre has also played a pivotal role in the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
and Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
storylines. In both cases, in the final struggle against the main villain — the Anti-Monitor
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
and Parallax
Parallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
, respectively — the Spectre was the only hero capable of standing against the villains directly, allowing the other heroes time to put a plan into action that would destroy the villains once and for all.
Although all of these versions are usually considered to be from the Earth-Two of the Pre-Crisis DC multiverse, the same continuity started during the Golden Age, an Earth-One version of The Spectre was shown to team-up with Batman and Superman on a few occasions.
Hal Jordan, Spirit of Redemption
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
, during the Day of Judgment
Day of Judgment (comics)
Day of Judgment was a DC Comics limited series and crossover storyline during the autumn of 1999. The limited series was written by Geoff Johns, with art by Matthew Dow Smith....
storyline written by Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
, when a fallen angel
Fallen angel
Fallen angel is a concept developed in Jewish mythology from interpretation of the Book of Enoch. The actual term fallen angel is not found in either the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament. Christians adopted the concept of fallen angels mainly based on their interpretations of the Book of...
attempts to gain the Spectre's power. Corrigan is asked to come back, but refuses as he has found peace. The Spectre chooses Jordan as his new host because Jordan seeks to atone for his universe-threatening actions as the villainous Parallax
Parallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
. His next appearance was in a four-part story arc in Legends of the DC Universe #33-36. In the series The Spectre vol. 4, written by J. M. DeMatteis
J. M. DeMatteis
John Marc DeMatteis is an American writer of comic books.-Early career:Born in Brooklyn, DeMatteis graduated from Midwood High School and Empire State College. He worked as a music critic before getting his start in comic books at DC Comics in the late 1970s...
, Jordan bends the Spectre's mission from one of vengeance to one of redemption, and making appearances elsewhere in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, such as advising Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
during the "Emperor Joker" storyline.
The 2001 Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
story "Quiver" (written by Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
) and the final Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
story arc, "Many Happy Returns" (by Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
), revealed that the Spectre (Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
) is aware of the Crisis on Infinite Earths. He is one of the few DC Universe characters with this knowledge.
After The Spectre vol. 4 was cancelled, Jordan was forced to return, temporarily, to the Spectre's mission of vengeance, following a confrontation between the new Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
and the Spirit King
Spirit King
The Spirit King is a character in the DC Universe; he was initially an adversary of the original Mister Terrific, but later expanded to be a threat to the entire Justice Society, particularly the Spectre and the Flash.-Fictional character biography:...
, who had managed to "resurrect" the ghosts of all those the Spectre had damned to Hell. In Green Lantern: Rebirth
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Green Lantern: Rebirth was a six-issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver...
, written by Johns, the Spectre's decision of choosing Jordan as his host was retconned into being not because of Jordan's worthiness, but as an effort to destroy the Parallax entity, which was infecting Jordan's soul. After the Spectre was able to purge the Parallax from Jordan, he departed in order to move onto the next recipient of the spirit.
Day of Vengeance
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance is a six-issue comic book limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong, published in 2005 by DC Comics.-Publication history:...
, Jean Loring
Jean Loring
Jean Loring is a fictional character in comic books published by DC Comics, formerly associated with superhero the Atom for whom she was a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in Showcase #34 , created by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane...
is transformed into the new Eclipso
Eclipso
Eclipso is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
. She goes after the Spectre and seduces him into removing all magic in the DC Universe. Eclipso explains to the Spectre that all things that follow the rules of the physical universe follow God's law. Anything that breaks those rules, breaks God's law and is therefore evil. Consequently, as magic breaks the rules of the physical universe, it is an originating source of tremendous evil (this line of logic makes sense to the unstable Spectre). The Spectre destroys magical constructs, institutions that teach magic, and magical dimensions. In one such dimension, his acts include the mass murder of over 700 battle hardened magicians. His actions cause havoc to some of the more powerful magic-based characters:
- Phantom StrangerPhantom StrangerThe Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
, whom he turns into a mouse; - Black AdamBlack AdamBlack Adam is a fictional comic book character, created in 1945 by Otto Binder & C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. Originally created as a one-shot villain for Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family team of superheroes, Black Adam was revived as a recurring supervillain after DC Comics began publishing Captain...
, who fights the Spectre when the spirit invades his kingdom of Khandaq and causes plagues of destruction; - Doctor FateHector HallHector Hall was a superhero who appeared in DC Comics's Infinity, Inc., Sandman and JSA. He has gone by the names Silver Scarab, Sandman and, before his death, Dr. Fate.-Childhood:...
, who is imprisoned in a dimension inside his helmet; - Madame XanaduMadame XanaduMadame Xanadu is a fictional character, a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.-Publication history:...
, whose eyes are destroyed (and made incapable of restoration through magic) by the Spectre to prevent her from reading her magical tarot cards; - RavenRaven (comics)Raven is a fictional superheroine who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez...
, who can no longer properly control her powers; and - The wizard ShazamShazam (comics)Shazam is a comic book character created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. He is an ancient sorcerer who gives young Billy Batson the power to transform into the superhero Captain Marvel...
, who, despite the intervention of his champion Captain MarvelCaptain Marvel (DC Comics)Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
, is killed by the Spectre.
The Spectre also destroys the magic-fueled kingdom of Atlantis
Atlantis (DC Comics)
Atlantis is a fictional location in the DC Comics Universe. The very first DC Universe version of Atlantis debuted in Action Comics #18 , and was created by...
, the home of Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
, during his rampage.
In the Day of Vengeance: Infinite Crisis Special, the Spectre kills Nabu, the last of the Great Lords of the Ninth Age and the Presence's attention is finally drawn into action. The Spectre is once again forced into a human host, stopping his mad rampage. Nabu reveals, before dying, that originally he and the other Lords had been working towards forming the perfect host for the Spectre, but those plans are cut short.
The text of the story is unclear on who the Great Lords were. Nabu, introduced in 1942 as the powerful entity responsible for Kent Nelson becoming Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
, was one of the Lords of Order
Lords of Chaos and Order
The Lords of Chaos and Lords of Order are complementary groups of supernatural entities with godlike powers that appear in DC Comics. They have also been retconned into the histories of Amethyst, Doctor Fate, Kid Eternity, the Phantom Stranger, Shazam and Hawk and Dove...
. The Spectre had apparently killed the others, along with their counterparts the Lords of Chaos, with the exception of Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
and Amethyst
Amethyst, Princess of Gem World
Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld is the name of three comic book series published by DC Comics in the 1980s. The series tells of a teenage girl named Amy Winston who discovers that she is in fact the orphaned princess from the magical Gemworld...
, whom he battled on Gemworld. Amethyst is among those gathered by the Phantom Stranger to aid in rebuilding the Rock of Eternity, and survives into the Tenth Age.
Alexander Luthor
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
also revealed that he was indirectly responsible for the Spectre's actions in Day of Vengeance. The Psycho-Pirate
Psycho-Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, dating back to the Golden Age of Comics.-Charles Halstead:Charles Halstead is a minor character who first appears in All-Star Comics #23, created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher...
, under Luthor's orders, gave Eclipso's diamond to Jean Loring, making her manipulate the Spectre so that magic could be undone and used as fuel for Luthor's Multiverse tower.
Crispus Allen
In Gotham CentralGotham Central
Gotham Central is a police procedural comic book series that was published by DC Comics. It was written by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, with pencils initially by Michael Lark....
#38, Crispus Allen is killed by a policeman coincidentally named Jim Corrigan (not the same Corrigan formerly associated with the Spectre). While Allen's body is in the morgue, the Spectre is forced against his will to enter Crispus Allen, taking Allen as his new host.
Blackest Night
During the Blackest Night event, Black HandBlack Hand (comics)
Black Hand is a DC Comics supervillain and a recurring foe to Green Lantern. He first appeared in Green Lantern #29 and was created by John Broome and Gil Kane...
reveals that the Spectre must be moved out of the way in order for the universe to be at peace. For that he uses the Black Lantern
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
Pariah
Pariah (comics)
Pariah is a fictional scientist published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
, who unleashes more black rings which latch themselves onto Crispus' body, turning him into a Black Lantern and sealing the Spectre inside its host. Changing into a giant version, the Black Lantern Spectre declares that it wants Hal Jordan back. The Phantom Stranger
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
and Blue Devil
Blue Devil
Blue Devil is a superhero featured in material published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert published in Fury of Firestorm #24 . That story led directly into Blue Devil #1, also cover dated June 1984...
work together in an attempt to distract the Black Lantern Spectre from seeking out Hal Jordan. The Phantom Stranger manages to temporarily free the real Spectre, only for the Black Lantern to repress it again and, discarding the Stranger and Blue Devil, leaves to carry out its intention to cast vengeance on Hal Jordan.
On Coast City, Hal Jordan encounters the Black Lantern Spectre. Using the real Spectre's power to protect itself, it is rendered immune to the combination of Emotional lights that usually destroy Black Lanterns. Knowing that the Spectre is afraid of Parallax, Jordan allows himself to be possessed by the fear entity once more in order to stop him. The Powers of the Spectre also become an interest to the Red Lantern Corps
Red Lantern Corps
The Red Lantern Corps is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver...
leader Atrocitus
Atrocitus
Atrocitus is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver, Atrocitus is an enemy of the Guardians of the Universe and Sinestro, their former Green Lantern. He first appears in Green Lantern vol...
, as he senses the Spectre's real nature despite being influenced by the black ring: an embodiment of rage and vengeance. Atrocitus desires to harness the spirit's power for his Corps and his own vengeance against the Guardians of the Universe
Guardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
. Parallax tears into the Black Lantern's body, freeing the real Spectre and destroying the facsimile. Atrocitus attempts to turn the Spectre into his own rage entity, but fails, the Spectre telling him that "he is God's Rage" and of the true rage entity, and warning him not to trifle with it. Parallax then attempts to destroy the Spectre, who uses his own fear of the entity, coupled with the love Carol Ferris feels for Hal, to separate Parallax from its host. The Spectre then confronts Nekron
Nekron
Nekron is a comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics, specifically those related to Green Lantern. Created by Mike W. Barr, Len Wein and Joe Staton, the character, who exists as an embodiment of Death, first appeared in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #2...
, the master of the Black Lanterns, but discovers that Nekron is without a soul, and thus, immune to his powers. The Spectre is then removed from the battlefield by Nekron to parts unknown.
Brightest Day
The Spectre resurfaces, again with Crispus Allen as its host, in the hills of Montana on the trail of the Butcher, the Red Lantern entity. The Spectre confronts Atrocitus once again when the two locate the Butcher, who is about to possess a man whose daughter had been killed by a death row inmate. Despite the Spectre's attempts to stop it, the Butcher succeeds, killing the criminal. The Butcher then attempts to possess Atrocitus, revealing that Atrocitus had a wife and children who were killed in the Manhunters' attack. With the Spectre's help, Atrocitus wards off the Butcher and imprisons it within his power battery. The Spectre attempts to judge the man that the Butcher possessed, but Atrocitus argues that his method of judgment is flawed. The Spectre calls off his judgment, and is unable to judge Atrocitus, discovering that his mission is a "holy" one, although he warns Atrocitus that this will not last forever.Powers and abilities
The Spectre is one of the most powerful known beings in the universe and is capable of virtually any feat. His powers vastly increased over the years. At times the Spectre utilized the mystic Ring of Life to perform feats beyond his powers. In the Silver Age he showed he weakened when touching antimatter, but this is not shown later. He can be hurt by the Spear of Destiny, meaning during WW II he was unable to enter Nazi territory along with other superhumans.Kingdom Come
In the four-issue ElseworldsElseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
miniseries Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (comics)
Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
, the Spectre takes a preacher named Norman McCay
Norman McCay
Norman McCay is a fictional character from the DC Comics series Kingdom Come. As Kingdom Come is an Elseworlds series, McCay has not been seen in the regular DC Universe continuity since. However, with the recent revelations in the Justice Society of America title, McCay is apparently a part of DC...
through the events of a possible future of the DC Universe. Here, Spectre is to determine who is responsible for an impending apocalyptic
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
event. However, here his "faculties are not what they once were" (Kingdom Come #1), and he is said to need a human perspective to properly judge the events they witness.
A conversation between McCay and the character Deadman
Deadman
Deadman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Strange Adventures #205 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino.-Publication history:...
in Kingdom Come #3 reveals that, with the passing of time, Spectre has become further and further removed from humanity. The illustrations show him only wearing his cloak to cover an otherwise nude body. As the series progresses, the cloak darkens from his traditional green to an ashen black. In Kingdom Come #4, he is convinced by McCay to try to see things through the perspective of his human host, who is indeed revealed to be Jim Corrigan. Corrigan becomes a member of McCay's congregation and, in the epilogue set in a superhero-themed restaurant, expresses irritation that the meal named after him, "Spectre platter", is a mix of spinach
Spinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
and cottage cheese
Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is a cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is drained, but not pressed, so some whey remains and the individual curds remain loose. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity, giving sweet curd cheese. It is not aged or colored. Different styles of cottage cheese are made from...
.
Other versions
- Spectre appeared in the animated TV series-based comic book Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
#37, and was out of control due to Tala'sTala (comics)Tala is a fictional supervillainess in the DC Comics universe. She first appeared as an adversary of the Phantom Stranger, but she is also known for her appearances on Justice League Unlimited....
spirit. - In the Tangent ComicsTangent ComicsTangent Comics was a DC Comics imprint created in 1997–1998, developed from ideas created by Dan Jurgens. The line, formed from various one-shots, focused on creating all-new characters using established DC names, such as the Joker, Superman, and the Flash...
imprint, the Spectre is a man named Taylor Pike, a boy genius who one day bombarded himself with neutrino energy, and gained the power to become intangible. Initially operating as a thief, he later joined the Secret SixSecret Six (comics)The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six...
. - There is alternate version of the Spectre on Earth-2 shown in the JSA Annual #1 (2008) as well as an evil Spectre on Earth-3 shown in Countdown issue #31 (2008) of the Crime Society. Both versions look similar to the Golden Age version.
Jim Corrigan
| Title | Material collected | Pages | ISBN# |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Golden Age Spectre Archives, Vol. 1 | More Fun Comics #52-70 | 224 | ISBN 1563899558 |
| The Spectre: Crime and Punishment | The Spectre vol. 3, #1-4 | 120 | ISBN 1563891271 |
| Wrath of the Spectre | Adventure Comics #431-440 and Wrath of the Spectre #4 | 200 | ISBN 1401204740 |
Crispus Allen
| Title | Material collected | Pages | ISBN# |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre | Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre #1-3 and Tales of the Unexpected #1-3 | 128 | ISBN 1401215068 |
| The Spectre: Tales of the Unexpected | Tales of the Unexpected #1-8 | 128 | ISBN 1401215068 |
| Final Crisis: Revelations | Final Crisis: Revelations #1-5 | 169 | ISBN |
Television
- The Spectre appeared in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Chill of the Night!Chill of the Night!-Background:The episode is a re-telling of Batman's origin story. Paul Dini, who wrote the script for Batman: The Animated Series, wrote the script for this episode. Michael Chang directed the episode. The episode first aired on April 9, 2010. People who voiced characters in Batman: The Animated...
", voiced by Mark HamillMark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
. The episode does not state who is the host of this Spectre. Spectre and Phantom Stranger hold a bid when it comes to Batman learning that Joe Chill was the one who shot his parents. He returned in the teaser for "Gorillas in Our Midst!" in which he helped Batman track down Professor Milo. But after Batman left, the Spectre turned Milo into cheeseCheeseCheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
and released the lab rats. The rats soon ate him off-screen. Spectre later makes a non-speaking appearance in "Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth" where he appears alongside the Justice Society of America.
- In the series SmallvilleSmallvilleSmallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
, the Spectre appears in the 2-hour episode titled "Absolute Justice" in a painting alongside other members of the Justice Society. No other information is given.
- Fox TelevisionFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
is developing The Spectre as a potential television series to be written by Brandon Camp, creator of the television series John DoeJohn DoeThe name "John Doe" is used as a placeholder name in a legal action, case or discussion for a male party, whose true identity is unknown or must be withheld for legal reasons. The name is also used to refer to a male corpse or hospital patient whose identity is unknown...
.
- The Spectre is set to appear in Young Justice.
Film
- DC Showcase: The SpectreDC Showcase: The SpectreDC Showcase: The Spectre is a 2010 short animated film, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and written by Steve Niles, featuring Gary Cole as Detective Jim Corrigan, whose suspects are brought to justice by his alter-ego the Spectre...
, an animated short written by Steve NilesSteve NilesSteve Niles is an American comic book author and novelist, known for works such as 30 Days of Night, Criminal Macabre, Simon Dark, Mystery Society and Batman: Gotham County Line....
, was included in the release of Justice League: Crisis on Two EarthsJustice League: Crisis on Two EarthsJustice League: Crisis on Two Earths is a 2010 original direct-to-video animated film released on February 23, 2010. It is based on the abandoned direct-to-video feature, Justice League: Worlds Collide, which was intended as a bridge between the then-concluding Justice League animated television...
on February 23, 2010. It is the first animated short in the DC Showcase series. The Spectre is voiced by Gary ColeGary ColeGary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
.
Video games
- The Spectre appears in DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
, voiced by Robert KraftRobert KraftRobert K. Kraft is an American business magnate. He is the Chairman and was the Chief Executive Officer of The Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development and a private equity portfolio...
. When the Spectre has been driven mad, he ends up creating Reapers that end up attacking humans of Metropolis to dispense his judgement. Oracle suspects that Eclipso is behind this and sends Green Lantern and Green Arrow to help the heroes. While Green Lantern distracts the Spectre, the players and Green Arrow go around destroying the crystals in order to free Spectre. After breaking the crystyals, they free Spectre's humanity yet he attacks the players in order to gain a human host. During the fight, Spectre possesses Green Arrow and then possesses Green Lantern. When Eclipso appears, Spectre possesses the players and defeats Eclipso. Spectre then makes Eclipso disappear. He is served by Accusers, Magistrates, Reapers, Souleaters, Vengeful Spirits, and The Judge.
Reception and awards
The character won the 1961 Alley Award as the Hero/Heroine Most Worthy of Revival and the 1964 Alley Award for Strip Most Desired for Revival.The Spectre was ranked as the 168th greatest comic book character of all time. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
also ranked the Spectre as the 70th greatest superhero of all time quoting him he’s a problematic figure for the Justice League to comprehend.; IGN stated that believing that The Spectre is God’s true spirit of vengeance means that you believe there is a God in the first place. And in the universe that the DC heroes occupy, sometimes that’s hard to grasp.
External links
- The Spectre at the DCU Guide
- The Spectre at Don Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's Toonopedia was a web encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation. Don D...
- Earth-2 Spectre Index
- JSA Fact File: The Spectre