Celebrating Artist Charles Vess

Celebrating the birthday of artist Charles Vess (June 10, 1951) with his Spectre covers, 3 from the 1980s, and one from the 1990s...

...a hint of the fantasy art he is much more famous for.

Spectre #13 and #14 (April and May, 1988)

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Spectre #15 and #5 (June, 1988 and April, 1993)

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Celebrating Artist Tom Mandrake

Celebrating the birthday of artist Tom Mandrake (May 26, 1956) with a couple of his early Spectre covers (#1 from December, 1992 and #4 from February, 1993) along with the cover to the Spectre: Crimes And Punishments from December, 1993, which reprints Spectre #1 through #4 from that run.

 

Celebrating Artist Mike Mignola

Celebrating the birthday of artist Mike Mignola (September 16, 1960) with a little of his cover art for DC, featuring the ghostly guardian, the Spectre, teaming up with Zatanna and Madame Xanadu, facing Wotan and Death!

Spectre #7 and #8 (October and November, 1987)

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Spectre #9 (December, 1987) and Tales of the Unexpected #1 (December, 2006)

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Celebrating Artist Daryl Banks

Celebrating the birthday of artist Daryl Banks (June 7, 1964) with a couple of his covers featuring the JLA and the Spectre, from a series called JLA/Spectre: Soul War from January and February, 2003....where the JLA has to get help from the Spectre to fight the Trans (where Spectre has to kill the JLA!).

Remembering Artist Nick Cardy

Remembering artist Nick Cardy on his birthday (October 20, 1920 - November 3, 2013) with some of his rarely seen art...

..covers featuring the Spectre!

Spectre #8 and #9 (January-February and March-April, 1969)

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Spectre #10 and Secret Origins #5 (May-June, 1969 and November-December, 1973)

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....and read about Spectre's Secret Origins here!

Remembering Artist Murphy Anderson

Remembering artist Murphy Anderson (July 9, 1926 - October 22, 2015) on his birthday.

Likely known better for his inking work (especially on Superman and Adam Strange), or his art on Captain Comet, Hawkman and the Atomic Knights, we celebrate Murphy Anderson today with his covers featuring the Spectre...as Murphy worked on the ghostly guardian's Silver Age revival in Showcase and the first issue of his series (where, unlike the rest of his Justice Society Of America friends, the Spectre was revived for more fun comics on his own).

Showcase #60 and #61 (January-February and March-April, 1966)

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Showcase #64 (September-October, 1966) and Spectre #1 (November-December, 1967)

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Flash Green Lantern Atom Second Multiple Crisis

Even more of the solo team-ups of heroes of Earth-1 and Earth-2 (as opposed to meetings of the JLA and JSA) for you to see!

With a concentration on Flashes and Green Lanterns, this time around also gives a look at the Atoms, as well as finishing a little from last time.

The Big Super-Hero Hunt

First up is Starman and Black Canary, going into action in Federal City, in Brave and the Bold #62 (October-November, 1965) by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson (with another stunner of an Anderson cover).

Golden Age Green Lantern villain, the Sportsmaster, decides he wants a trophy (and the money around it) at an event Larry Lance is providing security for.  This brings the villain into conflict Larry's wife, Dinah Drake Lance (the heroine known as Black Canary), who pursues the fleeing villain.  Meanwhile, Starman (Ted Knight) finds Wildcat (Ted Grant) being held hostage on Ted Knight's estate by the Huntress (a foe of Wildcat's, and member of the Injustice Society of the World...now married to Sportsmaster).  The villains work together to defeat the heroes and leave the area with Wildcat as a prisoner.  Starman and Black Canary pursue the villains, freeing Wildcat, and learning from him their plans to get another trophy (and prize money), head after them, defeating them by turning the tables on the villainous pair, getting back all their ill-gotten booty.  Boxer Ted Grant (secretly Wildcat) is able to present the first trophy as a prize now that it is returned.

The second of two wonderful Starman/Black Canary team-ups (the first and more Earth-1/Earth-2 adventures here). and this is the first Silver Age appearance of JSAer Wildcat, and Injustice Society of the World members Sportsmaster and Huntress.  Wildcat and Black Canary appear next in the JLA/JSA's fourth team-up, with Starman shining in the 6th.

Prince Peril's Power Play

It's time for two Green Lanterns in Green Lantern #45 (June, 1966) by John Broome, Gil Kane and Sid Greene, all under a cover by Gil Kane!

Poor Princess Ramia of Myrg, being forced into marriage with the evil Prince Peril, flees her planet and ends up meeting Doiby Dickles....who, while attending a symposium at Spaceland (a new amusement park outside of Earth-2's Gotham), Doiby introduces the princess to Alan Scott (Earth-2's heroic Green Lantern).  While Green Lantern faces Prince Peril, Doiby and the princess flee in Doiby's old cab, Goitrude.  Even with the princess' science allowing the cab to fly, Prince Peril is in pursuit after defeating Green Lantern.  Ramia uses a dimension changer to take the cab (and its passengers) to Earth-1, where Prince Peril soon follows, now engaging in battle with Hal Jordan, the Earth-1 Green Lantern.  Prince Peril defeats Hal, bringing Doiby and Ramia back to Myrg as his captives.  The two Green Lanterns team-up, defeating Prince Peril, and the princess does indeed find a man to marry...Doiby Dickles!

Doiby and Green Lantern Alan Scott appear next in the next Green Lantern team-up, so keep reading!

The Thinker's Earth-Shaking Robberies

Instead of splitting Atoms, they are teaming up in Atom #29 (February-March, 1967) in a story by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane (who also did the cover) and Sid Greene.

Lawyer Jean Loring (Ray Palmer's fiancee) is helping actress Cheryl Drake in a legal battle with her deceased husband's parents over custody of her child.  Jean tells this story to Ray as the pair goes to a museum exhibit...that ends up being robbed by the Thinker.  Ray goes into action as the Atom, but the Thinker escapes by returning to Earth-2 (Thinker is a members of the ISW, and a foe of the Golden Age Flash).  Thinker thought stealing items on Earth-1 and returning home to Earth-2 would be a great way to make money....except Artie Perkins was committing the same crime as he was on Earth-2, in Calvin City, drawing the attention of Al Pratt, the Golden Age Atom.  Atom Al tries to help Artie, who can't control his sudden criminal tendencies, calling in Atom Ray for help (who builds his own dimensional vibrator to get to Earth-2).  Thinker finds his upgrades to his Thinking Cap also projected his plans to Artie, forcing him to repeat his crimes.  The two Atoms have two battles with the Thinker, defeating him in the end.

The Thinker gets an awesome costume in this issue, as he appears between battles with the two Flashes, and the Earth-2 Atom appears here after the third JLA/JSA team-up, appearing next in the second dual Atom meeting, chronicled below.

Our Mastermind The Car

Hal's friend, Tom Kalmaku, gives readers this little flashback tale of a meeting of the two Green Lanterns in Green Lantern #52 (April, 1967) by John Broome and Gil Kane, though the incredible Gil Kane cover promises an epic battle between Hal and Sinestro (which it delivers).

Alan Scott comes to Hal Jordan to recruit his help in bring Doiby an anniversary gift, taking his cab, Goitrude, to Myrg for the happy couple.  But, the Green Lanterns go to find the car missing from its storage garage...the car seems to have taken on a life of its own, now working with criminals (and talking).  The two Green Lanterns contact Doiby, who leaves the Princess to go help....with the trio facing down Goitrude, with Green Lanterns blasting the car, releasing the force possessing it....Hal's foe, Sinestro!  Absorbing the power from two dimensionally differing Power Rings, gives Sinestro power, which he uses, along with Doiby's dimension changer and his own yellow Power Ring, to steal the Master Battery from the Guardians of the Universe on Oa, transporting it to Earth-2.  Sinestro plans on using the Master Battery to create a Corps of his own, dedicated to evil.  The two Green Lanterns head to Earth-2, facing Sinestro to take back the battery, and, after defeating him, give him to the Guardians for safe keeping.  Hal and Alan even give Doiby a replica Goitrude, promising to restore his real cab for him.

Green Lantern Alan Scott appears next in the next Green Lantern team-up (not covered in this book or article, but will be), and Doiby and the Princess eventually come back in the first Infinity, Inc. Annual, which happens during the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

The See-Nothing Spells Of Abra Kadabra

Flash Barry Allen is having a carefree day as seen on Carmine Infantino/Murphy Anderson's  Flash #170 (May, 1967) cover, but the story by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Sid Greene shows why he needs the help of three members of the JSA.

Barry and his new wife Iris attend a play, but while trying to meet the actor playing Merlin, Barry hears a disembodied voice threaten to reveal his identity as the Flash.  While Iris goes to dinner with her actress friend, a worried Barry dons his costume, but only stops a group of criminals committing a robbery.  The owner of the building gives Flash a device....and, as Flash takes the criminals to the police, he forgets why he brought them there.  Heading home. Flash ignores a mugging, then a mob war....all under the watch of three mysterious strangers.  It is revealed that the actor and owner were Abra Kadabra in disguise, who created a Psychonizer in his 64th Century prison, using that device to prevent his robot captor from seeing him, then travelled back to the 20th Century, to use that device on the Flash, to make him not see any crimes.  Thankfully, the three strangers trailing the Flash were the Golden Age Flash, Dr. Fate and Dr. Mid-Nite, who came to Earth-1 after Dr. Fate's magic detected evil descending down on Central City.  The trio helped Barry's Flash fight criminals, then worked in concert to defeat Abra Kadabra, with Dr. Fate a little confused as to why his magic was unable to counter Abra Kadabra's (Abra's was 64th Century science used to fake magic, why Dr. Fate's was real magic).  Freeing Barry from Abra's control, Barry met with Iris (promising to reveal his secret life as the Flash to her soon).

Dr. Fate and Dr. Mid-Nite were last in the fourth JLA/JSA team-up, and return in the 6th.  Flash Jay Garrick was last in the 3rd JLA/JSA team-up, and returns with Barry in the issue covered next.

Doomward Flight Of The Flashes

The three Flashes are fading fast in Flash #173 (September, 1967) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Sid Greene, as seen on this Carmine Infantino/Muprhy Anderson cover.

Jay brings his wife Joan to Earth-1 for the first time, as Joan wants to talk to Barry about revealing his identity to Iris.  The couple arrive and meet Iris and her nephew, Wally West, who seems a little upset.  Separating from the ladies, Wally talks to Jay, telling him that he (as Kid Flash) and Barry Flash were fighting the Domino Gang, but that Barry disappeared during the battle.  Kid Flash and the Golden Age Flash have their first team-up searching for Barry....but then Kid Flash disappears.  Kid Flash was transported to Vorvan by the Golden Man, a mutant from his planet who had evolved millions of years beyond the cave dwelling inhabitants of his world, who brought the two Flashes to his world.  Their energies proved not enough to power his evolutionary machine, so he brought Jay Flash to his world....except Jay didn't arrive unconscious like Barry and Wally did.  Jay battled the Golden Man, freeing Barry, and eventually the three battled him....getting him to use his evolution machine, but it instead devolved the Golden Man, freeing the Flashes.  Barry set up the machine, and Jay had arrived conscious on the planet due to his using internal vibrations as a mask (as he wears none).  The three return home, and meet up with ladies (with Joan having spoken to Barry, getting a promise that he will talk to Iris soon).

This was the first meeting of Jay Garrick and Wally West, and Jay appears next in the 6th JLA/JSA team-up. 

Menace Of The Mystic Mastermind

Switching gears to another team-up of members of the JSA is the Spectre #3 (March-April, 1968) by Mike Friedrich and Neal Adams, with a glorious Spectre/Wildcat cover by Neal Adams.

Two interdimensional sorcerors are having a mystic battle, but the power they directed at each other combined....then vanished.  That power drifted through dimensions. finding small time crook, "Sad" Jack Dold.  Being confronted by Wildcat during a robbery, Jack finds his powers (being those of persuasion and more), taking Wildcat to an arena to fight, and changing his name to "Happy" Jack, as he defeats Wildcat on camera.  Spectre happen to see the fight, and comes to try to remove the mystic might from Dold, but fails.  Spectre also has to help Ted Grant, demoralized by his defeat and feeling his age.  Spectre tries again, being able to remove the magic from Dold as Dold is using it, and Ted Grant finds new purpose, in training the next generation in the art of pugilism.

Spectre was here as a part of his 10 issue series, with Wildcat appearing between the 5th and 8th JLA/JSA stories.

Duel Between The Dual Atoms

Last but not least is a real atomic fight from Atom #36 (April-May, 1968) by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Sid Greene, as the Atoms fight (as shown so well on the Gil Kane cover).

Al Pratt is single, and set up on a date by his friends Bill and Betty Roberts.  But, meeting her, Al sees Marion as old...but, that's a sudden thing, as Betty suddenly aged as well.  A quick interruption by some criminals gives Al an excuse to go into action as Atom.  Capturing them, Atom finds out at the police station that women all around town have suddenly aged.  Atom decides to go to Earth-1 to see if this event has happened there.  On Earth-1, while Atom Ray Palmer is fighting thieves, they all stop....as they have all been de-aged about 10 years, losing their memories past that point as well.  Atom Al then appears, and helps him return to normal size, but Ray just wants to go meet his new girl, Jean Loring (who has been his fiancee for a decade).  Al takes Ray back to Earth-2, which restores Ray's age and memories, but makes him upset.  The two Atoms fight, with Ray activating Al's vibration device...but stopping it midway, putting them between dimensions.  They then return to Earth-1, where Ray's age devolves even further, including an appropriate memory loss.  Ray heads to Mount Ivy, seeing a new antenna set up, gets angry and smashes it.  This restores his age and memories.  Finding Al, the two go to Earth-2, finding a similar set up, and they take it out, restoring women to their younger selves around Calvin City.  Al goes on a new date with the restored Marion, as Ray meets with Jean.

Atom Al Pratt returns in the 6th JLA/JSA team-up.

Sadly, the second Crisis On Multiple Earths volume (with a Matt Wagner cover) is the last, but there were more team-ups of single JLA and JSA members (like a Flash/Spectre story and a Superman/Superman story) already covered....and more to come, as well as more JLA/JSA stories!

All-Star Comics 3 The First Meeting Of The Justice Society Of America

On November 22, 1940, in a hotel lobby, was "The First Meeting Of The Justice Society Of America" as relayed to readers in All-Star Comics #3 (Winter, 1940) under a cover by Everett Hibbard in a story by Gardner Fox.

The eight members there: Sandman, Spectre, Flash, Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Green Lantern, Hourman and the Atom formed the charter membership of the Justice Society of America, and was the first teaming of super heroes formed.

The story wasn't much of a team-up, but instead the heroes gathering to tell individual tales of their exploits (and the party was crashed by non-members, the original Red Tornado and Johnny Thunder as well).  Still, it was a good start.

With the next issue, All-Star Comics #4 (March-April, 1941), the team began to work on the same case (though they'd go off on their own).  Soon after that, old members started to leave and new members would join....but readers had to wait until DC Special #29 (August-September, 1977) to get the tale of how these heroes (as well as Superman and Batman, who were too busy to be anything but honorary members in the 1940s) originally met for the first time.

All-Star Comics #3 was reprinted a few times, first in the Famous First Edition #F-7 (June-July, 1975), then in the first volume of the All-Star Archives (a 12 volume series, which reprinted All-Star Comics #1-57, with a zero issue covering the two pre-JSA issues, and ending with volume 11, which contained All-Star Comics #50-57), and most recently in the Millennium Edition: All-Star Comics #3 (June, 2000).

All-Star Comics #3 came out on November 22, 1940, and according to America Vs. The Justice Society, that's the date of the meeting as well.  The four issue mini-series from 1985 was a great source of information on the JSA (though DC didn't reprint the inner covers in the tradepaperback, lessening the helpfulness of the TPB, as Roy Thomas put extensive notes on the inner covers of the original issues, including where to find all the Golden Age reprints of JSA and individual JSA members stories (which has been updated for most members, like Starman and Black Canary, here).  The fact Roy was also born on November 22, 1940, is just luck!

A comic that started the heroic tradition of team-ups and teams, something to be thankful for, as that tradition continues to this very day!

JLA JSA Super Spectacular

Probably one of the greatest covers of its time, Neal Adams drew the combined Justice League of America and Justice Society of America (as well as Robin, Vigilante and Johnny Quick) on the cover of DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #6 (1971)....and what an issue it was.

This issue reprinted some interesting stories, and here they are....featuring quite a few people on that cover.

Justice League of America #21 

First up is the "Crisis On Earth-One" from Justice League of America #21 (August, 1963) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs, and historic cover by Mike Sekowsky and Murphy Anderson.  Important for so many reasons....the first meeting of the JLA (charter members Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter, plus Green Arrow and Atom) with the JSA (a representative team of Flash, Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, Hourman, Hawkman, Atom and Black Canary....a slightly different line-up from when Barry Allen Flash saved them from Vandal Savage).  It also featured the Crime Champions, villains from two worlds, from Earth-1: Felix Faust, Chronos and Dr. Alchemy, and the Wizard, the Fiddler and the Icicle from Earth-2).  This issue also was where the names of Earth-1 and Earth-2 came from...but so much happening, that it had to continue in the next issue...

Justice League of America #22

...that being Justice League of America #22 (September, 1963) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs, with a cover by Murphy Anderson, and the second half of the story, with the "Crisis On Earth-Two".  To be fair, the reprint took out the summary first page, annoying, but as the two issues are together.  The teams of heroes had to work together to get out of their interdimensional prison where their foes put them, but, the heroes pulled it together, and even had time to make a joke about how they'll have to sum all this up for missing honorary JLAer, Snapper Carr!

These two team-ups were so popular, that the JLA/JSA team-ups became a regular thing for the next 19 summers, with an ever rotating cast of JSAers!

More Fun Comics #55

The two team-ups weren't the only issues reprinted in this Super Spectacular.  A tale where "The Spectre Meets Zor" from More Fun Comics #55 (May, 1940) by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily (with a Spectre cover by Bernard Baily) was next, where the ghostly guardian had to defend his girlfriend, Clarice Winston, from the supernatural menace of Zor!


The Spectre had many of his Golden Age tales reprinted, but this was one soon after his origin, so his full powers as a deadman had not been revealed as of yet, but readers were starting to realize how much power Jim Corrigan's alter ego had.

Adventure Comics #190

Next up is a fun tale of Johnny Quick, an at-the-time unaffiliated speeder from Adventure Comics #190 (July, 1953) where he had to be a "Stand-In For 100 Convicts", with the story by Don Cameron and Hy Mankin (though Superboy, not Johnny, was the cover star).  Johnny had to save 99 convicts who were thought to have escaped, but didn't.

Johnny Quick was all over More Fun Comics and Adventure Comics, with many reprints, and later, had been a member of the All-Star Squadron, thanks to some retroactive continuity from Roy Thomas in the 1980s.

Action Comics #146

Next up was a story of the Vigilante and his young sidekick, Stuff, where they faced the Fiddler (not the Crime Champion/Injustice Society member) from the story of "The Galleon In The Desert" from Action Comics #146 (July, 1950) by Joe Samachson and Dan Barry (with a non-Vigilante cover from the issue).  Vigilante and Stuff had to stop this villain from plundering a ship lost in the desert....

The Vigilante (a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory) also had a few of his Golden Age solo tales reprinted, as did the members of his team.

Wildcat Story

The Wildcat story in this issue was something odd.  It was an unpublished Golden Age story, found by the industrious interns at DC Comics at the time, saved from destruction, and published as a treat to all fans of the Golden Age. 

This tale, where "Crime Wore A Costume" featured Wildcat facing off against his foe, the Golden Age Huntress, who had faced Wildcat many times in Sensation Comics, as well as joining the Injustice Society of the World.


If you are looking for tales of the Wildcat and where they were reprinted from the Golden Age, look here!

Brave and the Bold #36

Last, but not least, a story from the JLA member who wasn't on the team when the JLA and JSA first met, Hawkman, and the tale of the "Strange Spells Of The Sorcerer" from Brave and the Bold #36 (June-July, 1961) by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert (who also did the cover of the issue, which featured the other story of the issue, Hawkman's first battle with the Shadow-Thief).

In this tale, Hawkman and Hawkgirl faced Konrad Kaslak, an amateur sorcerer who was quite capable enough to cause some mystical menaces for the Thanagarian Hawkman and Hawkgirl to face with their scientific prowess, all the while with the pair having to deal with Mavis Trent, and her intentions of breaking up the married super-hero couple, or at least their Earth identities of Carter and Shiera Hall, who worked at the Midway City Museum.

Along with a back cover that supplied a key to the heroes on the cover (but readers here know them all, right?), it provided a checklist of character debuts, all the heroes who had their own features from Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin and the Teen Titans, the Doom Patrol, Deadman, Eclipso, Metamorpho and the Metal Men, even Forgotten Heroes like Animal Man and Dolphin, to the most modern characters of Orion, Mr. Miracle and the Thorn!

Best of all, this whole issue was reprinted as the DC 100-Page Super Spectacular No. 6 Replica Edition in May, 2004...

...so you, too, can thrill to these exciting stories without having to break the bank!

Secret Origins 4 and 5 of 1973

This time, it is a few weird Secret Origins for you...

...with tales of revenge, and the dead.  These dead didn't stay that way, instead returning to life to mete out justice, with the origins of the western Vigilante, Kid Eternity and the Spectre, all under covers by Nick Cardy, from the fourth and fifth issues from September-October and November-Decemeber of the 1973 Secret Origins series edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Vigilante

"The Origin Of The Vigilante" was the first story in issue #4, which was originally presented in Action Comics #42 (November, 1941) by Mort Weisinger and Mort Meskin, but that really wasn't the focus of the first tale of the prairie troubadour.  Greg Sanders was the son of a sheriff, who took to the ways of the law, becoming a masked Vigilante who used old western tricks to beat modern criminals, while hiding behind a mask, allowing him to make money as a country singer by day.

The origin was only a few panels, but the majority of the story started with Vigilante already established as hero, witnessing the execution of Killer Kelly, a noted notorious criminal, in prison (except that Kelly planned ahead, and faked his death, so he could  go on a crime spree).  Killer Kelly took blues singer (and friend of Greg's), Betty Stuart, and even captured Vigilante, but old fashioned horse sense and cowboy ways got him free.

Vigilante continued on as a back up feature in Action Comics until #198 (though he only made one cover), opened the first few issues of Western Comics, and even joined the Seven Soldiers of Victory in Leading Comics...and at the time of the issue of Secret Origins, had just completed being a backup feature in Adventure Comics (which would soon feature an untold tale from the Golden Age, featuring the Seven Soldiers, including Vigilante).

Kid Eternity

Next up was "The Kid Who Died Too Soon" from Hit Comics #25 (December, 1942) by Otto Binder and Sheldon Moldoff, with a real origin, that of Kid Eternity.  The kid was on a boat with his grandpa, which was sunk by a Nazi torpedo, and survivors shot in the water.  Mr. Keeper took the boy to the heavenly gates, but the bearded man at the door said it was not yet the boy's time.  So, Mr. Keeper took the kid's spirit back, to reunite it with his body, and using the word "Eternity" the lad would be able to call upon the greatest figures in history, possessing them to fight evil in their forms (which later changed to just being able to summon them to help), as well as being able to become invisible and intangible....all of which, as long as Mr. Keeper was around.

Kid Eternity (and Mr. Keeper) fought evil through Hit Comics #60, including foes such as Master Man, Silk and Her Highness, as well as 18 issues of his own magazine, before disappearing for a while, even after this issue of Secret Origins came out, until E. Nelson Bridwell revived him in the Shazam! series in the 1970s, finally giving the lad a name and a tie to the Marvel Family in World's Finest Comics #280.

The letters' page of the issue was mostly praise for issue #1, as well as requests for other characters, including villains, which never really showed up here, but instead were in the nine issues of Wanted: The World's Most Dangerous Villains, which included Master Man and the Vigilante's foe, the Dummy, as the series was also edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

One other request was for the following issue's hero....

Spectre

The fifth issue of Secret Origins was unique, as it featured the origin of only one hero, the Spectre (which fell over two issues from the Golden Age), starting with More Fun Comics #52 (February, 1940) by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily with police detective Jim Corrigan planning to attend a ball with his girlfriend, Clarice Winston, but instead, being late as he followed a tip from stoolie Louis Snipe, so Corrigan could chase mobster "Gat" Benson's men...eventually, Jim caught up with Clarice, but so did Benson, who took Corrigan, put him in a cement filled barrel, and dumped him off the dock into the water.

This wasn't the end of the story, as a voice revived Corrigan and sent him back to Earth to battle evil, as he planned to do after rising out of the water...using his powers as a ghost (to become invisible, intangible and fly).

Then, to end his battle with "Gat" Benson, Jim Corrigan had his second story in More Fun Comics #53 (March, 1940) by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily, taking on his thugs, and even showing off some additional supernatural powers, torturing the thugs with eerie visions and changes, even saving Clarice from a fatal bullet wound (as they shot her as he came into the warehouse).  But, Jim realized he had to end his relationship with her (as while she came back to life, he was still dead).  Jim fashioned a cape and costume, and planned to continue to fight evil as...the Spectre, with this origin being timed to lead into his new series in Adventure Comics, that lasted in the 430s to 440.  Spectre's original run went to issue #101 of More Fun Comics (many, but not all reprinted), then after 3 issues in Showcase in the 1960s, he had a ten issue run of his own, until this 1970s Adventure Comics run, which was reprinted in the Wrath Of The Spectre.

The issue also had a letters' page, with requests, including hope for a Wildcat series after seeing his origin here, by letter writer and future Answer Man, Bob Rozakis, and for more origins, including Blackhawk and the Legion of Super-Heroes...who would feature in the next issue.


This issue also featured a page long article on the Legion of Super-Heroes by Paul Levitz (who would take the LSH to new heights!).


More on the Legion of Super-Heroes (and Secret Origins) to come....

DC Invasion Crossovers Part 2

Invasion! was a three issue limited series by DC Comics in the later 1980s that crossed over with many of its titles.


Already covered some of them last time, here's the rest of the bannered crossovers of the time.

Firestorm

Firestorm was, at this time, a hero with his own mind, coming from the merging of Ronnie Raymond and Mikhail Arkadin (Martin Stein was not known to be part of the matrix at this time).  In Firestorm The Nuclear Man #80 (1988 by Robert Greenberger, Tom Grindberg and Sam DeLaRosa), Firestorm was recruited (along with his similarly nuclear powered friend, Firehawk) and Power Girl to battle Khunds (freeing Starman along the way), and the lot work to free America's first spaceman, Adam Strange (which happens in Starman #5).  In Firestorm The Nuclear Man #81 (January, 1989, by John Ostrander, Tom Grindberg, Arne Starr and Sam DeLaRosa), Firestorm returns to his normal life, but ends up reforming in Russia to help hero group Soyuz (young Russian heroes with mutant powers) fight Stalnoivok (a villain of extreme strength, who has gone mad battling aliens).

Atom

Ray Palmer was fighting his time traveling foe, Chronos, when the Invasion! hit.  The shrinking hero formed an alliance with Chronos in Power of the Atom #7 (Holiday, 1988, by Roger Stern, Graham Nolan and Keith Stan Wilson). freeing humans trapped by the Khunds. In Power Of The Atom #8 (January, 1989,  by Stern, Nolan and Wilson), Atom checks on the world's repair efforts (meeting Green Lantern along the way), finds that Chronos ended their truce by killing a Thanagarian Wingman (Ray thinking for a second it might be his friend, Hawkman), and goes to confront his foe as something bad happens for Earth (resolved in Invasion! #3).

New Guardians

The New Guardians were heroes that came out of the last DC crossover, Millennium, and were a group of heroes (Ram, Gloss, Floro, Extrano, Harbinger and not pictured, Jet) who, working with former Green Lanterns Arisia and Kilowog, faced the Warlords of Okaara in New Guardians #6 (Holiday, 1988 by Cary Bates, Joe Staton and Mark Farmer) with fatal results for a member of the team.  In New Guardians #7 (February, 1989 by Bates, Staton and Farmer), the team splits up to deal with the loss, and team sorceror, Extrano, gains a crystal skull to focus his power.

Doom Patrol

A later incarnation of the Doom Patrol, with original members Robotman and the Chief, and newer members temperature controlling Celsius, Negative Woman (similar powers to Negative Man), energy blasting Tempest, magnetic Lodestone and fiery Scott Fischer work with alien foe of the Patrol, Garguax (who was not invited into the Alien Alliance) against the Gil'Dishpan, to save Atlantis (along with help from Aquaman, Aqualad and the Sea Devils) in Doom Patrol #17 (1988 by Paul Kupperberg, Graham Nolan and Timothy Dzon), with the team losing a new member.  In Doom Patrol #18 (January, 1989, by Kupperberg, Nolan and Dzon), the team deals with the loss, as former Negative Man Larry Trainor is injured in a crash, and Negative Woman Valentina Volstok loses her powers, as the rest of the team gathers for the funeral for their fallen comrade (and leads into Invasion! #3, where another new member also perishes).

Batman and Spectre

Batman was recruited to battle Thanagarians, Durlans and Khunds in Cuba by Maxwell Lord in Detective Comics #595 (1988, by Alan Grant, John Wagner, Irv Novick and Steve Mitchell), and the Spectre kept the supernatural members of the DCU (Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Demon, Dr. Fate, Phantom Stranger, Tala and Zatanna) out of the conflict (with one exception, as seen in Invasion! #2), in Spectre #23 (Holiday, 1988 by Doug Moench and Chris Wozniak).

Superman

Superman had his two issues after Invasion! #2, the Aftermath issues, starting with Superman #27 (January, 1989 by Roger Stern, Kerry Gammill and Brett Breeding) with an exhausted Clark Kent (Superman), getting some rest, while Gangbuster goes to attack Luthor (who is protected by Brainiac, though not that well, as Brainiac went into a coma trying to read Gangbuster's mind), then Gangbuster is confronted by the Guardian, who finds out that Gangbuster is.... next in Adventures of Superman #450 (January, 1989), revealing who this Gangbuster really is, and leading Superman to decide that it is too dangerous for him to stay on Earth (and we also see the prototype Supergirl, Matrix, with the Kents in this issue).  Superman prepares to leave Earth (but events lead him back for Invasion! #3).

Justice League International

The current Justice League is pretty busy fighting Khunds with Wonder Woman, so Mr. Miracle's assistant, Oberon and future hero, Booster Gold, are left to defend their HQ in  Justice League International #22 (1988, by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maquire and Josef Rubinstein) from miniaturized Khunds.  The team regathers in Invasion! #2, plus many other heroes, and in Justice League International #23 (January, 1989 by Giffen, DeMatties, Maquire and Rubinstein), sees the gathering of the Injustice League (Big Sir, Cluemaster, Major Disaster, Multi-Man and Clock King, and the not pictured Mighty Bruce) form to raid a Khund ship, with disastrous results (for the Injustice League), facing Guy Gardner (then, onto Invasion! #3, and meeting more heroes).

The invasion had ended, and the pieces needed to be picked up....and they were in Justice League International #24 (February, 1989), with an expansion of the current JLI of Blue Beetle, Fire, Guy Gardner, Ice, Batman, Mr. Miracle, Captain Atom, Rocket Red, Booster Gold and Martian Manhunter), into a new team with Elongated Man, Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Animal Man, Metamorpho and Flash (Wally West) (and Hawkman and Hawkwoman leaving).....with more on that to follow, and of these stories, only the Justice League Internationals have been collected so far (#22 in their 3rd TPB, and #23 and #24 in their 4th)!

But, wait!  There is more!