The
Spectre is a fictional cosmic entity and
superheroA superhero is "a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest"...
who has appeared in numerous
comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
s published by
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in
More Fun ComicsMore 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 comic-book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of newspaper comic...
#51 (January 1940) and received his first story the next month, #52 (February 1940). He was created by
Jerry SiegelJerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
and
Bernard BailyBernard 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.
Origins/Golden Age version
The Spectre's career began in 1940 (
More Fun ComicsMore 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 comic-book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of newspaper comic...
#52, February 1940), when hard-boiled cop
Jim CorriganJim 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. His spirit was refused entry into the afterlife, however, and, in the guise of a grey-skinned humanoid being in green cloak, gloves, trunks and boots (the skin became chalk-white six stories into the run, while blue garments appeared in #51's aforementioned house ad as well as the cover and symbolic splash panel of #52, with all reprints of this early material "corrected" to match the official version; Corrigan did not adopt the Spectre persona until late in #53, so the blue costume was never seen in-story), it was assigned by an entity referred to only as "The Voice" (generally conceded to be God) to eliminate all evil from the world.
The Spectre began by seeking bloody vengeance against Corrigan's murderers in a grim, supernatural fashion. In years to come, the character would gain a reputation among editors and writers as being too powerful to get a dramatic handle on, but creator Siegel apparently felt otherwise, because in
More Fun #60 (October 1940), only the eighth Spectre story, he gave the Dead Detective an almost literal
deus ex machina, the Ring of Life, which would appear on the ghost's finger when he faced a menace beyond his powers (in six stories reprinted in recent years). The Spectre proved quite popular, and was awarded charter membership in the first ever super-hero team, the
Justice Society of AmericaThe 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. Another reward was the resurrection of the body of Jim Corrigan (accomplished with the aforementioned Ring of Life), from which the Spectre's ghostly form could emerge and function independently (seen in
More Fun #75, January 1942).
During the mid-1940s, the popularity of superhero comics began to decline, and the Spectre suffered as a result. He was reduced to playing the role of "guardian angel" to a bumbling character called "Percival Popp, the Super Cop" (first appearance,
More Fun #74, December 1941). Eventually, Jim Corrigan enlisted in the military to serve in World War II, and on his departure, the Spectre became "permanently" invisible (in
More Fun #90, April 1944), becoming a secondary player in his own series. The feature's final installment was in #101 (January—February 1945), and the Spectre made his last JSA appearance at the same time, in
All-Star Comics #23 (Winter [1944—]1945).
Silver Age version
When the
Silver Age of comic booksThe 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 the interregnum the Atomic Age, the Silver Age is considered to cover the period from...
arrived in the 1960s, editor
Julius SchwartzJulius "Julie" Schwartz was a Jewish 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 re-written and returned to the role of an avenging undead spirit, beginning in
ShowcaseShowcase has been the title of several 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 titles...
#60, January–February 1966. Under the authorship of
Gardner FoxGardner 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 as drawn by
Murphy AndersonMurphy Anderson is an American comic book penciller and inker who has worked for companies such as DC Comics for over 50 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 (in a retrospective look at the character,
Amazing HeroesAmazing Heroes is a discontinued magazine about the comic book medium which was published by Fantagraphics Books from 1981 to 1992. It was published twice a month for many years, then monthly beginning in 1989. The magazine ran for 203 issues...
said this revival had been initially "announced" as a team-up with
Doctor Mid-NiteDoctor Mid-Nite is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero. Created by writer Charles Reizenstein and artist Stanley Josephs Aschmeier, the original Doctor Mid-Nite first appeared in All-American Comics #25 ....
, similar to the recent
Doctor FateDoctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear within DC Comics' universe. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
/
HourmanHourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate New...
and
StarmanStarman is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Justice Society of America. Created by Gardner Fox and Jack Burnley, he first appeared in Adventure Comics #61 ....
/
Black CanaryBlack Canary is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in Flash Comics #86 ....
features by the same creative talent). After a three-issue try-out in
Showcase, he appeared in
Justice League of America issues 46 (September) & 47 (October 1966) in that year's team-up of the titular group and their 1940s predecessors, the Justice Society (also written by Fox). A few months later, he co-starred with the Silver Age
FlashThe 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 ....
in an issue of
The Brave and the BoldThe 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 (June–July 1967). With a cover date of November-December 1967, the Spectre was given his own title, while almost simultaneously (December 1967–January 1968), he made a second appearance in
B&B (#75), this time teamed up with the current version of
BatmanThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
. In the Spectre's own series, the creative credits varied widely over the ten issues published, perhaps the most notable participant being a then newcomer to comics,
Neal AdamsNeal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist best 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 drew issues 2-5 and also wrote 4 and 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, August 1970, when, at the climax of another JLA/JSA crossover, the Ghostly Guardian appeared to be destroyed (his generic cameo at a JSA meeting in the previous issue seems to have been an artist's error, although it has spawned plenty of fan speculation about how he got from there to being imprisoned in a crypt as found and freed by
Doctor FateDoctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear within DC Comics' universe. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
in #83).
Bronze Age version
In the 1970s, the Spectre was revived in the pages of
Adventure ComicsAdventure Comics is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983. It ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman and Batman...
(#431, January-February 1974 through #440, July-August 1975). This series, written by
Michael FleisherMichael "Mike" Fleisher is an American comic book writer. He came to the attention of Joe Orlando whilst working on comic book encyclopedias and subsequently got solid work throughout the seventies and eighties...
and drawn by
Jim AparoJames N. "Jim" Aparo was an American comic book artist best known for his 1960's and 1970's work on various DC Comics including Batman, Aquaman and The Spectre ....
, was notorious for its gruesome depictions of the Spectre's poetic-justice style retributions against criminals: they were melted like wax, turned to wood and run through sawmills, transformed into glass then allowed to fall over and shatter into many pieces. In the
letter columnA 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, and in #435, September-October 1974, Fleisher, perhaps in response or perhaps his plan anyway, introduced a character that shared their concerns, a reporter named Earl Crawford.
(Crawford's interactions with Jim Corrigan present an interesting possible continuity problem. In the character's first story (specifically on page 7), Corrigan disparagingly refers to Crawford as "
Clark KentClark Joseph Kent is a fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. He serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
, mild-mannered reporter", owing to Crawford's vaguely similar appearance (tall, dark hair and spectacles), leading one, presumably dim-witted, uniformed officer to ask him (on p. 8), "Gee, are you really
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
?" Clark Kent/Superman being merely a comic book character leads to questions as to where in the DC Multiverse these stories are taking place. However, though some have accordingly speculated that this run of the Spectre took place on
Earth PrimeEarth Prime is a term sometimes used in works of speculative fiction involving parallel universes or a multiverse, and refers either to the universe containing "our" Earth, or to a parallel world with a bare minimum of divergence points from Earth as we know it...
(an Earth nearly identical to the real one, first postulated in
The FlashThe 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 ....
#179, May 1968),
America vs. the Justice SocietyAmerica vs. The Justice Society is a four-issue comic book mini-series starring the Justice Society of America which was first published by DC Comics between January and April 1985....
#2, February 1985 (a miniseries written by
Roy ThomasRoy Thomas is a comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
just before the
Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their then-50-year-old continuity...
as the final word on Earth 2) states that the Spectre had bonded with the counterparts of Jim Corrigan on alternate Earths, and the
Justice League of America Index #3 entry for
JLA #83 further supports this reasoning, stating that the Spectre went to Earth-1 after the events of that story (the character's first non-reprint appearance after that being the
Adventure run). Furthermore, the "Are you really Superman?" reference can be taken as a wry remark about the number of times Clark Kent has been "mistakenly" suspected of being Superman, a situation that was even the subject of jokes on Earth-1's late night talk shows, as seen in
Action ComicsAction Comics is an American comic book series which introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#474, published in 1977; Corrigan's related use of the famous tag line "mild mannered reporter" makes that unlikely, however. So does
Justice League of AmericaThe 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....
#220, November 1983 (the conclusion of that year's JLA-JSA crossover, and co-written by the aforementioned Roy Thomas). This comic depicts both the JSA-member Spectre and a "Jim Corrigan body...purely of Earth One. His Spectre persona is trapped within," categorically stating that there was not only more than one Corrigan, but multiple Spectres as well. In any event, a version of Earl Crawford later appeared in the "
Doctor ThirteenDr. 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, ....
" series in
GhostsGhosts is a comic book series published by DC Comics from September-October 1971 to May 1982 for 112 issues. Its tagline was, "True Tales of the Weird and Supernatural," December 1978, changed to "New Tales..." as of #75, April 1979, and dropped after #104, September 1981...
(see below).)
The series was cancelled 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 4-issue miniseries in 1988 which reprinted the ten original Fleisher/Aparo stories in its first three issues (Two Aparo-drawn horror shorts of similar vintage were used as page-count fillers; all thirteen Spectre stories were subsequently collected in a trade paperback book of the same title in 2005). However, while three "new" stories were presented here, a 1980 interview—this is a full transcript, not a textual article littered with direct quotes—with Fleisher in
The Comics JournalThe Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is the foremost US magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books and strips...
flatly stated that
two scripts were left undrawn. (The writer also indicated here his preferred habit of staying well ahead of deadline in his comics work, explaining the leftover scripts; the existence of these had led to an incorrect belief that the series was cancelled quite abruptly.) Given that the thirteenth story does not follow certain formulae that
all twelve previous installments did, the claim that it was written by Fleisher in 1975 is called into question. However, it
can be alternatively argued that the interview is the unauthentic work here.
The Spectre also made a guest appearance in the "
Doctor ThirteenDr. 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, ....
" series in the DC comic
GhostsGhosts is a comic book series published by DC Comics from September-October 1971 to May 1982 for 112 issues. Its tagline was, "True Tales of the Weird and Supernatural," December 1978, changed to "New Tales..." as of #75, April 1979, and dropped after #104, September 1981...
. This three-part story (#97, February through #99, April, 1981) was a direct sequel to the Fleisher/Aparo run, including the Earl Crawford character (albeit visually redesigned as the Aparo original looked too much like Terrence Thirteen) and the same formatting of story titles (one of the ways that the thirteenth story credited to Fleisher varied from the other twelve; even the inside-covers text pieces in the reprint mini followed this particular formula), but was clearly produced with no consideration for Fleisher's then-undrawn leftovers. Here, supernatural debunker Terrence Thirteen became caught in a dangerous situation with deadly, terrorist-style criminals. The Spectre appeared and, as Thirteen watched in shock, killed the offenders. Thirteen was convinced that the Spectre was not a ghost, but a man, until in the final installment, the Spectre took Thirteen to the realm of Judgement, where Thirteen met with the spirit of his dead father. The Spectre would make periodic guest appearances in other DC titles as well, such as
The Brave and the BoldThe 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 PresentsDC 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 SquadronThe All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics fictional superhero team that debuted 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 EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their then-50-year-old continuity...
, where the Spectre fought the Anti-Monitor), the Spectre was largely de-powered. First, and actually prior to the Crisis, The Spectre is revealed to be guarding an entrance to
HellHell, 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 ThingSwamp Thing is a fictional character, a plant elemental in the . He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 , and was created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson...
Annual story by
Alan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer known for work in comics, including the acclaimed comic book series Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell...
. Then, in the conclusion to Moore's later serial in the regular
Swamp Thing comic, "American Gothic", the Spectre is defeated by evil incarnate (the
Great Evil BeastThe Great Evil Beast is a powerful cosmic entity that appeared in the DC Comics Swamp Thing storyline, "American Gothic."-Fictional character biography:...
) as it advances to destroy Heaven. Next, in the
Last Days of the Justice Society of America special, he 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 the authorship of
Doug MoenchDouglas "Doug" Moench is an American comic book writer, probably best known for his Batman work.-Biography:Doug Moench was born on February 23, 1948 in Chicago, Illinois...
, became merely a generic mystical entity, with Corrigan 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 was cancelled with the November 1989 issue, #31. A few months after this, the Spectre has a cameo in
The Books of MagicThe Books of Magic is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, and later an ongoing series, published by the DC Comics imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has also been published in a single-volume collection with an...
, a four issue miniseries/whirlwind tour of the DC Universe's occult characters, written by
Neil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, audio theatre, and films. His notable works include The Sandman comic series, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
. This implies him to be Raguel, an archangel who metes out punishments for God as the Spirit of Vengeance.
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
theologyThe term "theology" literally means the study of God, deriving from the Greek word theos, meaning 'God', and the suffix -ology from the Greek word logos meaning "discourse", "theory", or "reasoning"...
student
John OstranderJohn Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, he moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays...
, 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 husbandDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse or intimate partner violence , can be broadly defined a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, friends 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 war, ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is a term that has come to be used broadly to describe all forms of ethnically inspired violence, ranging from murder, rape, and torture to the forcible removal of populations...
, 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 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 would later become devastated by the...
.
- The pending execution of a wrongfully convicted
A miscarriage of justice primarily is the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime he or she did not commit. The term can also apply to errors in the other direction—"errors of impunity", and to civil case. Most criminal justice systems have some means to overturn, or "quash", a...
man. His death sentence was commuted to life in prison after the Spectre threatened to kill the entire population of the state of New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and 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
The atonement is a doctrine found within both Christianity and Judaism. It describes how sin can be forgiven by God. In Judaism, Atonement is said to be the process of forgiving or pardoning a transgression. This was originally accomplished through rituals performed by a high priest on the holiest...
for the single murder she had secretly committed in the 1920s. The Spectre found her on her deathbed.
Ostrander also
retconRetroactive continuity is the deliberate changing of previously established facts in a work of serial fiction. The change is informally referred to as a "retcon", and producing a retcon is called "retconning"...
ned 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. This eliminated the resurrection of Jim Corrigan's body depicted in
More Fun ComicsMore 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 comic-book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of newspaper comic...
#75 (January 1942), and made the Spectre's 1945-1965 disappearance as explained in
ShowcaseA showcase, or vitrine, is a glassed-in cabinet or display case for displaying delicate or valuable articles such as objects d'art or merchandise in a shop, museum, or house...
#60 (January-February 1966), which had a few problems on its own terms, virtually impossible, yet Ostrander expressly retained that. It was also shown that the Spectre was a
fallen angelIn most Christian denominations, a fallen angel is an angel who has been exiled or banished from Heaven.Often such banishment is a punishment for disobeying or rebelling against God . The best-known fallen angel is Lucifer. Lucifer is a name frequently given to Satan in Christian belief...
named Aztar who had participated in
LuciferLucifer is a DC Comics character that starred in an eponymous comic book published under the Vertigo imprint. The series, a spin-off of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, concerns the adventures of the fallen angel Lucifer Morningstar on Earth, in Heaven and through other realms of creation after...
'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
EclipsoEclipso is a fictional character and a supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. His character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance who 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
FloodNoah's Ark is the vessel, which, according to the Book of Genesis, was built by the Patriarch Noah at God's command to save himself, his family and the world's animals from a worldwide deluge...
, while the Spectre was the
Angel of Death who slew the firstborn Egyptian childrenThe Plagues of Egypt , the Biblical Plagues or the Ten Plagues are the ten calamities imposed upon Egypt by God in the Bible , to convince Pharaoh to let the poorly treated Israelite slaves go...
.
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 EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their then-50-year-old continuity...
and
Zero HourZero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the one-time 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...
storylines. In both cases, in the final struggle against the main villain — the
Anti-MonitorThe 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
ParallaxParallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern Parallax is...
, 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.
The 2001
Green ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional character, published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in 1941...
story
Quiver (written by Kevin Smith) and the final
SupergirlSupergirl is a fictional comic book Superhero that is depicted as a female counterpart to the DC Comics iconic superhero Superman. Created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino in 1959 and appearing in Action Comics...
story arc,
Many Happy Returns (by
Peter DavidPeter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer, known for his work in comic books and Star Trek novels, as well as in television, movies, and video games....
) revealed that the Spectre (as the
Hal JordanHarold "Hal" Jordan is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero. He is DC Comics' second Green Lantern and the first earthman ever inducted into the Green Lantern Corps and founding member of the Justice League of America...
incarnation) is aware of the Crisis on Infinite Earths. He is one of the few DC Universe characters with this knowledge.
Hal Jordan, Spirit of Redemption
Eventually, Corrigan's soul found peace. He relinquished the Spectre, and went on to the afterlife. The role of the Spectre was later assumed by Hal Jordan, the spirit of the former
Green LanternGreen Lantern is the name of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 ....
, during the
Day of Judgement storyline; the Spectre chose Hal as his new host because Hal sought to atone for his actions as
ParallaxParallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern Parallax is...
. In a series written by
J. M. DeMatteisJohn Marc DeMatteis is an American writer of comic books.-Early career:Born in Brooklyn, DeMatteis graduated from Midwood High School and Empire State College and worked as a music critic before getting his start in comic books at DC Comics in the late 1970s, when he contributed to the company's...
, Hal Jordan was able to bend the Spectre's mission from one of vengeance into one of redemption, also making other appearances through some of DC's other storylines, such as advising
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
during the
Emperor JokerThe Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics and appearing as the archenemy of Batman. Created by Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the character first appeared in Batman #1 ....
storyline (Where the Joker stole the reality-warping power of
Mister MxyzptlkMr. Mxyzptlk , sometimes called Mxy, is a fictional impish supervillain who appears in DC Comics' Superman comic books.He was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and first appeared in Superman #30 . He is usually presented as a trickster, in the classical mythological sense who enjoys...
) and also helped Linda Danvers save a time lost pre-Crisis
Kara Zor-ElKara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
and erasing all public knowledge of
Wally WestThe Flash is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash.-Kid Flash:...
's identity as the
FlashThe 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 ....
after his terrible first battle with
ZoomZoom is a fictional comic book supervillain from the DC Comics universe. He is primarily associated with the superhero Wally West, the third Flash and is the third of the Reverse-Flashes...
. After this series was cancelled, Jordan was forced to return, temporarily, to the Spectre's mission of vengeance, following a confrontation between the new Justice Society and the
Spirit KingThe 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.-Biography:...
, who had managed to 'resurrect' the ghosts of all those the Spectre had damned to Hell. After the Spectre was able to purge the Parallax from Jordan, he departed in order to move onto the next recipient of the Spirit. Jordan says that the knowledge he gained from being the Spectre's host has faded. If he has any greater knowledge of the Universe, he has not revealed it to anyone else.
Unfortunately, as with Ostrander's run, no trade paperbacks editions are currently published.
Day of Vengeance
As covered in one of the lead-ins to
Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis is a seven-issue limited series of comic books written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway. The series was published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005...
,
Day of VengeanceDay 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 LoringJean Loring is a fictional character in comic books published by DC Comics, primarily associated with superhero the Atom for whom she is a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in Showcase #34 , created by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane...
was transformed into the new
EclipsoEclipso is a fictional character and a supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. His character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance who turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
. She went after the Spectre, who was on a vengeance-fueled rampage. Not only was he killing murderers, he was also killing people for minor crimes, such as petty theft. She seduced the Spectre, who was unstable due to the loss of his host, into removing all magic in the DC Universe. Eclipso explained 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 made sense to the unstable Spectre).
Therefore, the Spectre went on a rampage, destroying magical constructs, institutions that taught magic, and magical dimensions. In one such dimension, his acts included the mass murder of over 700 battle hardened magicians. His actions caused havoc to some of the more powerful magic-based characters:
- 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:...
, whom he turned into a mouse;
- Black Adam
Black 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 fought the Spectre when the spirit invaded his kingdom of Khandaq and caused plagues of destruction;
- Doctor Fate
Hector 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 was imprisoned in a dimension inside his helmet;
- Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu is a fictional character, a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. She debuted in Doorway to Nightmare #1,...
, whose eyes were destroyed (and made incapable of restoration through magic) by the Spectre to prevent her from reading her magical tarot cards;
- Raven
Raven is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez. Raven is an empath who can teleport and control her "Soul Self", which can fight physically as...
who can no longer properly control her powers; and
- The wizard Shazam
Shazam is a comic book character created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. He is an ancient wizard who gives young Billy Batson the power to transform into the superhero Captain Marvel...
, who, despite the intervention of his champion Captain MarvelCaptain 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...
, was killed by the Spectre.
The Spectre also destroyed the magic-fueled kingdom of
AtlantisAtlantis is a fictional location in the DC Comics Universe. The city first appeared in Adventure Comics #260 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and Ramona Fradon. The city's early history was later laid out in The Atlantis Chronicles, a limited series published by DC Comics in 1990...
, the home of
AquamanAquaman is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in 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 killed Nabu, the last of the Great Lords of the Ninth Age and the Presence's attention was finally drawn to him. The Spectre was once again forced into a human host, finally stopping his mad rampage. Nabu revealed, before dying, that originally he and the other Lords had been working towards forming the perfect host for the Spectre, but those plans were cut short.
The text of the story is a little unclear on exactly who the Great Lords were. Nabu, introduced in 1942 as the powerful entity responsible for Kent Nelson becoming
Doctor FateDoctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear within DC Comics' universe. 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 OrderThe 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
MordruMordru 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
AmethystAmethyst: Princess of Gemworld is the name of three comic book series published by DC Comics in the 1980s. They followed the adventures of a young girl named Amy Winston who discovers on her 13th birthday that she is in fact the princess from a magical world...
, whom he battled on Gemworld. Amethyst was among those gathered by the Phantom Stranger to aid in rebuilding the Rock of Eternity, and survived into the Tenth Age.
Alexander LuthorAlexander 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-PirateThe 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 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 was killed by a policeman coincidentally named Jim Corrigan (not the same Corrigan formerly associated with The Spectre). While Allen's body was in the morgue, the Spectre was forced against his will to enter Crispus Allen, taking Allen as his new host.
Blackest Night
During the
Blackest Night event,
Black HandBlack 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 LanternThe Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comics published by DC Comics. The group is comprised of deceased beings within the DC Universe...
,
PariahPariah 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's body, turning him into a Black Lantern and sealing the Spectre inside its host. Changing into a giant version, the Spectre declares that it wants Hal Jordan back.
Kingdom Come
In the four issue
ElseworldsElseworlds 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 that...
miniseries
Kingdom ComeKingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Alex Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
, 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
DeadmanDeadman 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 Spectre had become further and further removed from humanity as time went on. 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.
Powers and abilities
The Spectre is one of the most powerful known beings in the DC Universe. His supernatural powers afford him the ability to become
intangibleIntangibility is used in marketing to describe the inability to assess the value gained from engaging in an activity using any tangible evidence...
, alter his size, telepathy (such as creating elaborate illusions and displaying a "fearsome aura" around himself),
flightFlight is the process by which an object moves either through the air, or movement beyond earth's atmosphere , by aerodynamically generating lift, propulsive thrust or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement.-Buoyant flight:Humans, although not apparently other animals, have...
, the ability to give life to inanimate objects, and transmute organic and inorganic
matterThe term matter traditionally refers to the substance that all objects are made of. One common way to identify this "substance" is through its physical properties; a common definition of matter is anything that has mass and occupies a volume...
into any form he chooses. Early in his career, the Spectre often used the Mystic Ring of Life to perform feats that were beyond his own; however, when his powers decreased upon the enlistment of his mortal alter ego Jim Corrigan into the military it ceased to appear to him, and since his return to full power in the 1960s, has appeared only once.
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.
Other versions
- Spectre appeared in Justice League Unlimited #37, and was out of control due to Tala's
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 Comics
Tangent 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, Batman, and the Flash...
print, 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 SixThe Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the DC Comics Universe, 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 six themselves.This comic book team...
.
- 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.
Other media
The Spectre will appear in
Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics "team-up" series The Brave and the Bold...
, voiced by
Mark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director and writer, Hamill is a best known for his role of Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the iconic voice of The Joker in the DC Animated Universe.-Early life and education:Hamill was born and raised in...
, in the upcoming episode "Chill of the Night".
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1481441/ The Spectre is currently being developed as a live-action film and an animated series by
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. (also known as Warner Bros. Pictures, or simply Warner Bros.—the shortened form of the former official, sometimes still used, formal corporate name: Warner Brothers
It will be based on the Crispus Allen version.
See also
- 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...
- Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero. He is DC Comics' second Green Lantern and the first earthman ever inducted into the Green Lantern Corps and founding member of the Justice League of America...
- Crispus Allen
Crispus Allen is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Greg Rucka and Shawn Martinbrough created the character in Detective Comics #742 , but Allen later went on to be one of the main characters in Gotham Central.-GCPD MCU:...
- El Diablo
El Diablo is a name shared by several fictional characters published by DC Comics. Lazarus Lane the first El Diablo debuted in All-Star Western #2 , and was created by Robert Kanigher and Gray Morrow.-Publication history:...
- Crimson Avenger
- The Word
External links