The Spectre is the name given to several fictional
antihero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform action ...
es who have appeared in numerous
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. ...
s published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''
More Fun Comics'' #52 (February 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.
Publication history
Golden Age version
The Spectre debuted in ''
More Fun Comics'' #52 (February 1940) when hard-boiled cop
Jim Corrigan, on his way with his fiancée Clarice to their engagement party, is murdered by thugs who stuff him into a barrel filled with cement and then throw it into a body of water. His spirit is refused entering into the afterlife, however, and he is sent back to
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surf ...
by an entity referred to only as "the
Voice" to eliminate evil.
The Spectre seeks bloody vengeance against Corrigan's murderers in grim, supernatural fashion. One of them was turned into a skeleton upon touching him. Corrigan soon creates his signature costume, breaks off his romance with Clarice, and continues to live as Jim Corrigan, assuming the secret identity of the Spectre whenever he is needed. He eventually turns down an offer to relinquish his mission to destroy all evil.
The Spectre is soon awarded charter membership in the first-ever superhero team, the
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...
in ''
All Star Comics''. Jim Corrigan is resurrected in ''More Fun'' #75 (January 1942), after which the Spectre's ghostly form enters and emerges from Jim Corrigan, functioning independently of him. 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 in ''More Fun'' #74 (December 1941). When Corrigan enlisted in the military and departed to serve in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, in ''More Fun'' #90 (April 1943), the Spectre became permanently invisible, becoming a secondary player in his own series. The feature's final installment was in issue #101 (February 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).
Silver Age version
In the mid-1950s and 1960s
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an int ...
,
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with their f ...
editor
Julius Schwartz revived the Spectre and returned him to the role of an avenging
undead spirit, beginning in ''
Showcase'' #60 (February 1966). Under writer
Gardner Fox and
penciller Murphy Anderson, his power was vastly increased and at times he approached 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
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceive ...
'' #46–47 in that year's team-up of the titular group and its 1940s predecessors, the
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...
: written by Gardner Fox. A few months later, he co-starred with the Silver Age
Flash in ''
The Brave and the Bold'' #72 (July 1967).
The Spectre was given his own title, premiering in December 1967, while simultaneously making another appearance in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #75 (January 1968), this time teamed with
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...
. In ''The Spectre'', the creative credits varied widely over the 10 issues published, with introduction of a then-newcomer to comics,
Neal Adams
Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a Creator ownership, creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and re ...
, who drew issues #2–5 and wrote issues #4–5. For its final two issues, the comic became in effect a horror anthology, with the title character being little more than a narrator in several short stories. The Spectre title suffered from the same problem that vexed the Golden Age series: writing meaningful stories using a character who was virtually omnipotent.
The end to this era came at the climax of another JLA/JSA crossover, when
Doctor Fate frees the Ghostly Guardian from a crypt in time to block a collision between Earth-One and Earth-Two caused by an alien device planted in the Red Tornado II. The Spectre's body is torn apart when Doctor Fate creates a massive explosion to destroy the device and return the colliding Earths to their own dimensions.
Bronze Age version
In the 1970s, DC revived the Spectre again in the superhero anthology series ''
Adventure Comics''. Editor
Joe Orlando explained that this was the Earth-One version of the Spectre, though some at DC said otherwise. Later stories explained that the Spectre had moved from
Earth-Two
Earth-Two (also Earth Two or Earth 2) is a setting for stories (a "fictional universe") appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''The Flash'' #123 (1961), Earth-Two was created to explain differences between ...
and taken over the body of the Jim Corrigan of
Earth-One. Beginning with the 12-page "The Wrath of ... the Spectre" in issue #431 (February 1974), writer
Michael Fleisher and artist
Jim Aparo produced 10 stories through issue #440 (July 1975)
[Michael Fleisher]
at the Grand Comics Database
The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information useful ...
that became controversial for what was considered gruesome, albeit bloodless, violence. Comics historian
Les Daniels commented that the Spectre had
In the series'
letter column, some fans indicated uneasiness with this depiction. In issue #435 (October 1974), Fleisher introduced a character that shared their concerns, a reporter named Earl Crawford. The series was cancelled with three scripts written, but not yet drawn. Several years later, these remaining three 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 10 original Fleisher-Aparo stories in its first three issues and three newly drawn stories in the fourth one. Fleisher had stated in 1980 that only two scripts were left undrawn.
The Spectre also made a guest appearance in the "
Doctor Thirteen
Dr. Terrance Thirteen (sometimes Terrence), known simply as Doctor Thirteen, Dr. 13 and The Ghost-Breaker, is a fictional character in comic books set in the DC Universe. The character's first published appearance is in '' Star Spangled Comics ...
" feature in ''
Ghosts'' #97–99 (February–April 1981) and would go on to periodic guest appearances in such other DC titles as ''
The Brave and the Bold'', ''
DC Comics Presents'' and ''
All-Star Squadron''.
A new Spectre series was planned for 1986, with
Steve Gerber as writer and
Gene Colan as penciler. However, Gerber missed the deadline for the first issue so that he could watch the last day of shooting on the film ''
Howard the Duck'' and DC cancelled the series in response.
Among the many changes made to DC Comics' characters during the latter half of the 1980s following the ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to ...
'' miniseries, the Spectre fought the
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He served as the main antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' and later appears as an enemy to the Green Lantern Cor ...
largely depowered. Prior to this, the Spectre is revealed to be guarding an entrance to
Hell in ''
Swamp Thing
The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations i ...
'' (vol. 2) Annual #2 by writer
Alan Moore and artists
Stephen R. Bissette
Stephen R. Bissette (born March 14, 1955) is an American comic book artist, editor, and publisher with a focus on the horror genre. He is known for working with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on the DC Comics series ''Swamp Thing'' in ...
and
John Totleben. Then, in the conclusion to Moore's "American Gothic" storyline in ''Swamp Thing'' (vol. 2) #35-50, 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
The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism ...
-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 (November 1989). A few months after this, the Spectre had a cameo in writer
Neil Gaiman's ''
The Books of Magic'', 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
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...
student
John Ostrander, who chose to re-examine the Spectre in his aspects as both 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:
* The tiny (fictional) nation of Vlatava, the history of which was an endless cycle of
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...
,
ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of ethnic, racial, and religious groups from a given area, with the intent of making a region ethnically homogeneous. Along with direct removal, extermination, deportation or population trans ...
, 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-again, off-again supervillain
Count Vertigo
Count Vertigo is a supervillain created by Gerry Conway, Trevor Von Eeden and Vince Colletta as an enemy of Black Canary and later Green Arrow in the DC Comics Universe. Count Vertigo is the last descendant of the royal family that ruled the s ...
.
* The pending execution of a wrongfully convicted man. His
death sentence was
commuted to
life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed te ...
after the Spectre threatened to kill the entire population of the state of
New York 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 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
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
, while the Spectre was the
Angel of Death who slew the firstborn Egyptian children. The Spectre and Eclipso have battled numerous times through history, but neither entity can be fully destroyed.
The Spectre has also played a pivotal role in the ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to ...
'' and ''
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time'' storylines. In both cases, in the final struggle against the main villain (the
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He served as the main antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' and later appears as an enemy to the Green Lantern Cor ...
and
Parallax, respectively), the Spectre is 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, as 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
Eventually, Corrigan's soul finds peace. He relinquishes the Spectre-Force and goes on to Heaven. The role of the Spectre is later assumed by Hal Jordan, the spirit of the former
Green Lantern, during the ''
Day of Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
'' storyline written by
Geoff Johns
Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim.
He se ...
, 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-Force 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 makes appearances elsewhere in the
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lante ...
, such as advising
Superman during the "Emperor Joker" storyline or helping
Wally West
Wallace Rudolph "Wally" West is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics as the original Kid Flash and the third Flash (DC Comics character), Flash. His power consists mainly of speedster (fiction), superhuman speed. ...
keep his family safe by erasing public knowledge of his true identity.
In the 2001
Green Arrow storyline "Quiver" written by
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
and the final
Supergirl story arc, "Many Happy Returns" by
Peter David, revealed that the Spectre (
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in ...
) 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
The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...
and the
Spirit King
The Spirit King is a character in the fictional 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.
The character was ...
, who had managed to "resurrect" the ghosts of all those the Spectre had damned to Hell when Hal's attempt to turn the Spectre's mission to redemption weakened his hold on the damned until Hal 'accepted' his original mission of vengeance. In ''
Green Lantern: Rebirth'', written by Johns, the Spectre-Force'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-Force was able to purge Parallax from Jordan, it departed to move on to the next recipient of the spirit.
''Day of Vengeance''
Without a human host, the Spectre-Force becomes unstable and goes on a vengeance-fueled rampage. Not only is it killing murderers, it also kills people for minor crimes, such as petty theft. Its lack of a human host deprives him of the ability to effectively judge the sins in their appropriate context. As detailed in the miniseries ''
Day of Vengeance'',
Jean Loring
Jean Loring is a character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, formerly associated with the Atom, for whom she was a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in ''Showcase'' #34 (October 1961), created by writ ...
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 thus 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-Force). 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 other very powerful magic-based characters:
* The
Phantom Stranger – The Spectre turns him into a mouse.
*
Black Adam
Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' ''The Marvel Family'' co ...
– He fights the Spectre when the spirit invades his kingdom of
Kahndaq and causes plagues of destruction.
*
Doctor Fate – He is imprisoned in a dimension inside his helmet.
*
Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu is 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''.
The character was played by Jeryl Prescott in ...
– Her eyes are destroyed (and made incapable of restoration through magic) by the Spectre to prevent her from reading her magical
tarot cards.
*
Raven – She can no longer properly control her powers.
* The wizard
Shazam
Shazam () may refer to:
Comic book franchise
* Captain Marvel (DC Comics), also known as Shazam, a superhero character published by Fawcett Comics and DC Comics
** Shazam (wizard), a character from the ''Shazam!/Captain Marvel'' comics, who give ...
– Despite the intervention of his champion
Captain Marvel, Shazam is killed by the Spectre.
The Spectre also destroys the magic-fueled kingdom of
Atlantis
Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus'' and ''Critias'', wherein it represents the antagonist naval power that bes ...
(the home of
Aquaman) during his rampage.
In ''Day of Vengeance: Infinite Crisis Special'' #1, 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 Lords of Chaos and Order are a complementary group of fictional supernatural entities appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. While alluded to since ''1st Issue Special'' #9 (December, 1975), the group would make their first ...
. 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''. Under Alexander Luthor's orders, the
Psycho-Pirate gave Eclipso's diamond to Jean Loring, making her manipulate the Spectre-Force so that magic could be undone and used as fuel for Luthor's Multiverse tower.
Crispus Allen
In ''
Gotham Central'' #38, Crispus Allen is killed by a corrupt policeman coincidentally named Jim Corrigan (not the same Corrigan that was formerly associated with the Spectre). While Allen's body is in the morgue, the Spectre-Force is forced against its will to enter Crispus Allen, taking Allen as its new host.
''Blackest Night''
During the 2009–2010 ''
Blackest Night
"Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in issues. ''Blackes ...
'' storyline,
Black Hand
Black Hand or The Black Hand may refer to:
Extortionists and underground groups
* Black Hand (anarchism) (''La Mano Negra''), a presumed secret, anarchist organization based in the Andalusian region of Spain during the early 1880s
* Black Hand ...
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 (who was killed by
Eclipso), turning him into a Black Lantern and sealing the Spectre-Force 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.
In Coast City, Hal Jordan encounters the Black Lantern Spectre. Using the real Spectre-Force'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 of 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
The Guardians of the Universe are a race of extraterrestrial superhero characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Green Lantern. They first appeared in ''Green Lantern'' (vol. 2) #1 (July ...
. Parallax tears into the Black Lantern's body, freeing the real Spectre-Force 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 is a supervillain appearing in comic book, comic 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 (personificat ...
, the master of the Black Lanterns, but discovers that Nekron is without a soul and is thus immune to his powers. The Spectre is then removed from the battlefield by Nekron to parts unknown.
''Brightest Day''
In the ''
Brightest Day'' storyline, 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.
"Rise of Eclipso"
The Spectre later appears during
James Robinson's "Rise of Eclipso" storyline in ''
Justice League of America
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceive ...
''. In the story,
Eclipso captures the angel
Zauriel and begins to torture him to draw the attention of the Spectre. The plan succeeds, with the Spectre traveling to the moon to rescue Zauriel, only to be ambushed by
Jade
Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole gro ...
and the members of the Justice League's reserve roster, all of whom had been brainwashed by Eclipso. Once the heroes wear the Spectre down, Eclipso confronts his old nemesis and seemingly kills him by cleaving the Spectre in two. Eclipso then absorbs the Spectre's immense powers, which he then uses to shatter the moon with a single blow from his sword before attempting to use them to fulfill his sinister agenda. Eclipso is defeated by the reserve Justice League.
''The New 52''
Jim Corrigan is a
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his allies and foes. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, t ...
Police Detective whose fiancé is kidnapped. He is guided by the
Phantom Stranger on the instructions of the Voice. He leads Corrigan to the abandoned warehouse where his girlfriend is being kept, but this turns out to be a trap. Corrigan and his girlfriend are killed by the kidnappers and he is then transformed into the Spectre, who accuses the Phantom Stranger of betraying him. As the Spectre is about to attack the Phantom Stranger, the Voice intervenes and sends the Spectre off to inflict his wrath on those who are more deserving of it.
It is revealed that the Voice chose Corrigan to be "the mirror of his desire for justice" (though Corrigan believes in vengeance) and imbued him with divine powers. Corrigan returns to work as a police detective in
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his allies and foes. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, t ...
, but his rage causes him to practice vengeance rather than justice in his alter ego as the Spectre. The
Phantom Stranger attacks Corrigan's police precinct, convinced that Corrigan was the one who kidnapped his family out of revenge.
After the two exchange blows physically and verbally, the Voice himself intervenes in the form of a
Scottish Terrier
The Scottish Terrier ( gd, Abhag Albannach; also known as the Aberdeen Terrier), popularly called the Scottie, is a breed of dog. Initially one of the highland breeds of terrier that were grouped under the name of ''Skye Terrier'', it is on ...
(his sense of humor) and informs the Stranger of his mistake, setting him on the right path. The Voice also sets Corrigan straight on his duty, making him realize he is meant to exact justice, not vengeance.
Batman calls in Corrigan and Batwing to investigate
Arkham Asylum, because he believes something supernatural is going on and was already busy trying to end a violent gang war in Gotham. Corrigan and Batwing investigate and discover a demonic
Deacon Blackfire commanding an army of corrupted humans and demons in the sewers beneath the asylum.
Corrigan eventually joins Gotham's Detailed Case Task Force, a small precinct responsible for investigating supernatural events off the books.
Powers and abilities
The Spectre has all the abilities of
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
, including, but not limited to, manipulation of reality, invulnerability, and limitless strength. Virtually anything he wishes to do to those he judges is possible. He has no discernible weakness other than needing a human host to be able to be a fair and impartial judge, although he has been tricked before by the Psycho-Pirate and Eclipso.
The Spectre is immune to most damage, although he can be hurt by powerful magic. Though he is widely considered to be the most powerful superhero in terms of abilities, the Spectre does not harm the innocent (unless he is tricked into doing so). The Spectre is usually immune to mind control effects. In the ''Blackest Night'' story arc, Atrocitus attempted to enslave him with a Red Lantern power ring, but the Spectre cast it off, stating that his fury comes from a Higher Power and cannot be controlled by a mere mortal.
Enemies
Each of the hosts of the Spectre have their own enemies:
* The
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He served as the main antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' and later appears as an enemy to the Green Lantern Cor ...
- An evil counterpart of the
Monitor.
*
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Most incarnations of the character possess clay-like bodies and shapeshifting abilities, and all of them have been depicted as adversarie ...
- A shapeshifting supervillain.
*
Darkseid
Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World (comics), Fourth World" metaseries, and was firs ...
- The ruler of Apokolips.
*
Eclipso - An incarnation of the Wrath of God who turned evil.
*
First of the Fallen - The personification and embodiment of evil and negativity in the universe who is the former conscience of God.
*
Joker - The Clown Prince of Crime.
*
Killer Croc
Killer Croc is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery. Originally a ...
- A criminal with a scaly condition.
* The
Manhunters - A group of alien robots.
*
Neron - A demon-lord from
Hell.
* Oom the Mighty - A statue with super-strength and magical powers who came to life and arrived on Earth to commit murders only to run afoul of the Spectre. Oom the Mighty later became a member of the
Monster Society of Evil
The Monster Society of Evil is a supervillain team created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. It is led by Mister Mind against their mutual enemy Captain Marvel. The team is significant as one of the first supervillain teams in ...
.
*
Poison Ivy - A plant-manipulating criminal.
*
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesle ...
- A scarecrow-themed criminal who specializes in fear.
*
Sinestro
Thaal Sinestro () (or simply Sinestro) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, particularly those featuring Green Lantern. Sinestro is a former Green Lantern Corps member who was dishonorably discharged for abu ...
- An enemy of the Green Lantern Corps.
*
Two-Face - A scarred district attorney with a split personality.
*
Wotan - An evil sorcerer.
Other versions
''Kingdom Come''
In the four-issue ''
Elseworlds'' miniseries ''
Kingdom Come
" Kingdom come" is a phrase in the Lord's Prayer in the Bible.
Kingdom Come may also refer to:
Film
* ''Kingdom Come'' (1919 film), a Western short featuring Hoot Gibson
* ''Kingdom Come'' (2001 film), a comedy starring LL Cool J
* ''Kingdom ...
'', the Spectre is Jim Corrigan, a once-human soul imbued with angelic powers by
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
. In a near-apocalyptic world, the Spectre takes a preacher named
Norman McCay
The Reverend Norman McCay is a fictional character from the DC Comics mini-series ''Kingdom Come'', where he acted as the narrator and ''de facto'' protagonist. As ''Kingdom Come'' is an Elseworlds series, McCay has not been seen in the regul ...
through the events of a possible future of the DC Universe. Here, the Spectre is to determine who is responsible for an impending
apocalyptic event. However, here his "faculties are not what they once were", and he is said to need an outside perspective to properly judge the events that they witness. A conversation between McCay and
Deadman reveals that, with the passing of time, Corrigan has become further and further removed from humanity, now only wearing his cloak to cover an otherwise nude body. He is reminded by McCay of his humanity to see things through the perspective of the man that he once was and decides that no one is to blame. Corrigan becomes a member of McCay's congregation and they become friends. In the epilogue set in a superhero-themed restaurant, he expresses irritation that the meal named after him, the "Spectre Platter", is a mix of
spinach
Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed eith ...
and
cottage cheese.
Tangent Comics
In the
Tangent Comics 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 Six.
* There is an alternate version of the Spectre on Earth-2 shown in ''JSA'' Annual #1 (2008) as well as an evil Spectre on Earth-3 shown in ''Countdown'' #31 (2008) of the
Crime Society of America. Both versions look similar to the Golden Age version.
''Injustice: Gods Among Us''
The Spectre makes his first appearance at the end of the third chapter of Year Three in the ''
Injustice: Gods Among Men'' comic, attacking
Jason Blood
Etrigan the Demon is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Etrigan is a demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied with the forces of good, mainly beca ...
's home where
John Constantine and
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...
have gathered their allies, seemingly killing the ancient human and the detective
Harvey Bullock at the same time. Batman briefly confronted him in an attempt to restore his confidence after Superman broke his back. He later confronted
Ragman and
Deadman, also making clear he aligns himself with Superman's One Earth Regime. It is also strongly implied that someone else has usurped the mantle from Jim Corrigan, the true Spectre, as Deadman attempts to talk with Corrigan, but discovers that the Spectre's current inhabitant is ''not'' Corrigan. Having inherited the powers of Deadman, the deceased
Dick Grayson
Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Com ...
comes before Batman, informing him that Corrigan was found in Arkham "jokerized" by some form of magic (Batman had briefly believed that the Joker had become the new host of the Spectre). Superman and Wonder Woman are then rescued from an angry
Trigon by the true being impersonating the Spectre,
Mister Mxyzptlk
Mister Mxyzptlk (, ), sometimes called Mxy, is a character who appears in DC Comics' '' Superman'' comic books. He is usually presented as a trickster in the classical mythological sense. Mxyzptlk possesses reality-warping powers with which he en ...
.
Collected editions
Jim Corrigan
Crispus Allen
In other media
Television
* The Spectre appears in the ''
Smallville
''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar/ ...
'' two-part episode "
Absolute Justice" on a painting that depicts them as a member of the
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...
.
* The Spectre appears in ''
Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', voiced by
Mark Hamill. This version is a member of the Justice Society of America. In his most notable appearance "
Chill of the Night!
"Chill of the Night!" is episode 37 of '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold''. The plot follows Batman as he comes closer to confronting Joe Chill, the man who killed his parents. Unbeknownst to him, his decision on how to handle Chill will not only d ...
", he and the
Phantom Stranger bet on whether
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...
will kill
Joe Chill
Joe Chill is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the character first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #33 (Nove ...
if given the knowledge that the latter killed his parents.
* In 2011,
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
announced plans to develop a television series featuring the Spectre. However, there has been no further development.
Arrowverse
Variations of Jim Corrigan appear in series set in the
Arrowverse
The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed ...
. One version appears in the TV series ''
Constantine'', portrayed by
Emmett Scanlan
Emmett John Scanlan (born 31 January 1979) is an Irish actor. He is best known for playing Brendan Brady in ''Hollyoaks''.
He appeared in the BBC Two drama ''The Fall'' in 2013 and 2014, Peaky Blinders Series 5 and Series 6, and ''Breakdown' ...
,
while an alternate universe version appears in the crossover event "
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to ...
", portrayed by
Stephen Lobo,
with the latter passing the Spectre's power to
Oliver Queen so he can save the multiverse from the
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He served as the main antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' and later appears as an enemy to the Green Lantern Cor ...
.
Film
* The Jim Corrigan incarnation of the Spectre appears in ''
DC Showcase: The Spectre'', voiced by
Gary Cole.
* The Spectre makes a non-speaking appearance in ''
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies''.
* The Spectre appears in ''DC Showcase: Constantine - The House of Mystery'', voiced by
Lou Diamond Phillips.
Video games
* The Spectre appears in ''
DC Universe Online
''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play action combat massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game w ...
'', voiced by Robert Kraft.
* The Spectre appears in ''
Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''.
* The Spectre appears as a playable character in ''
Lego DC Super-Villains
''Lego DC Super-Villains'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The fourth installment in the ''Lego Batman'' series of games, it is a spin-off that focuses entirely on villains of the DC Uni ...
'', voiced by
Corey Burton. He appears as part of the "Justice League Dark DLC Character Pack" DLC.
Miscellaneous
* The Spectre appeared in issue #37 of the ''
Justice League Unlimited
''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 United States, American superhero fiction, superhero List of animated television series, animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. ...
'' tie-in comic book series.
* The Spectre appears in the ''
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay'' tie-in digital comic.
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''.
IGN ranked the Spectre as the 70th greatest superhero of all time.
References
External links
*
The Spectreat the DCU Guide
at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Earth-2 Spectre Index
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spectre
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