The Spectre (DC Comics)

The Spectre
The Spectre. Art by Alex Ross.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940)
Created by	Jerry Siegel Bernard Baily
In-story information
Alter ego	Jim Corrigan
Team affiliations	Justice Society of America All-Star Squadron Archangels
Notable aliases	The Spirit of Vengeance, Spirit of Redemption, Avenging Wrath of God, The Ghostly Guardian, The Man of Darkness, Raguel, Master
Abilities	Reality warping Immortality Knowledge of events before the Crisis on Infinite Earths
The Spectre
	More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940), debut of the Spectre. Cover art by Bernard Baily.
Series publication information
Schedule	vol. 1: Bi-monthly vol. 2–4: Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Publication date	vol. 1: November/December 1967 – May/June 1969 vol. 2: April 1987 – November 1989 1988 (Annual) vol. 3: December 1992 – February 1998 1995 (Annual) vol. 4: March 2001 – May 2003
Number of issues	vol. 1: 10 vol. 2: 31, +1 (Annual) vol. 3: 64 (numbered 1 – 63, includes a #0), +1 (Annual) vol. 4: 27
Main character(s)	All:The Spectre vol. 1–3: Jim Corrigan vol. 4: Hal Jordan

The Spectre is the name given to several fictional superhero characters who have appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next-issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 (Jan. 1940) and received his first story the following month, #52 (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.

The Spectre debuted in More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940) when hard-boiled cop Jim Corrigan, on his way with his fiancee 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 entry into the afterlife however, and he is sent back to Earth 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 turned to 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 in All Star Comics. Jim Corrigan is resurrected in More Fun #75 (Jan. 1942), after which the Spectre's ghostly form enters and emerges from 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 (Dec. 1941). When Corrigan enlisted in the military and departed to serve in World War II, 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 (Feb. 1945), and the Spectre made his last appearance in the superhero group the Justice Society of America at roughly the same time in All Star Comics #23 (Winter 1944–1945).