More Fun Comics #53
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeMore Fun Comics #53 (March 1940) delivers the concluding chapter of comics' first two-part superhero origin story, completing the transformation of murdered detective Jim Corrigan into the Spectre — DC's inaugural ghost superhero and one of the earliest characters to blend horror and costumed crime-fighting in a single narrative. It is in this issue that Corrigan, having survived cement-barrel drowning through supernatural means, fashions the Spectre's distinctive costume for the first time, making #53 the de facto birth of the character's visual identity. The story introduced storytelling conventions — the hero who conceals his death from the woman who loves him, divine vengeance meted out in grotesque ways — that would echo through decades of supernatural comics. As one of the earliest DC features to seriously incorporate religious and horror elements, the Spectre's origin helped establish that the superhero genre could accommodate morally complex, theologically charged narratives far beyond the punching-villain template.
In "The Spectre Strikes," a haunting twist unfolds when the murdered Corrigan returns as a spectral avenger, confronting Benson and his thugs before they can silence the final witness, Clarice. Written by Jerry Siegel and brought to life with stark, expressive art by Bernard Baily—both inks and pencils—this 1940 issue delivers a chilling early glimpse of supernatural justice in a world where the dead may not stay buried. The cover by Bernard Baily captures the eerie presence of the Spectre with a striking, shadow-drenched image.
In "The Spectre Strikes," the ghostly presence of Corrigan rises from the grave to confront Benson and his thugs, who have just murdered him and now seek to silence the final witness, Clarice. The story unfolds as the spectral figure of Corrigan, a vengeful spirit bound to justice, appears in the shadows to deliver retribution.
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The Spectre was conceived by writer Jerry Siegel — co-creator of Superman — and assigned to artist Bernard Baily, who was already a working contributor to DC's anthology titles. Siegel reportedly developed the character as a script without an initial artist partner, since his usual collaborator Joe Shuster was consumed by the Superman workload, leading Baily to be brought in separately to visualize the concept. The two-part origin was published by Detective Comics, Inc., with Whitney Ellsworth credited as editor on the DC Database, and appeared in More Fun Comics, the anthology that was already DC's primary proving ground for new features during the early Golden Age superhero explosion of 1939–1940. Siegel simultaneously scripted the long-running Radio Squad backup feature also appearing in this issue, making #53 a notable concentration of his output in a single comic.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: March 1940; published by Detective Comics, Inc. (predecessor to DC Comics).
- Contains Part 2 of the Spectre's two-part origin story (Part 1 appeared in More Fun Comics #52, February 1940) — an unusually structured, rare two-parter for the era.
- This issue is where Jim Corrigan first fashions and dons the Spectre's signature costume, establishing the character's iconic visual identity on the final page.
- Written by Jerry Siegel (co-creator of Superman) and illustrated by Bernard Baily; cover also credited to Bernard Baily with Whitney Ellsworth as editor per DC Database.
- The Spectre story from this issue (titled 'The Spectre Strikes!') has been reprinted in Secret Origins #5, DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #6, the Golden Age Spectre Archives Vol. 1 (2003), and multiple DC Universe: Secret Origins hardcover and softcover collections.
- Also features a continuing installment of the Radio Squad backup strip starring NYPD officers Sandy Kean and Larry Trent — a long-running Siegel-scripted feature that began as 'Calling All Cars' in More Fun Comics #11 (July 1936) and ran through issue #87.
- Marks the first More Fun Comics appearance of the adventure feature Captain Desmo (by Ed Winiarski), which transferred over from Adventure Comics.
- The Spectre became a charter member of the Justice Society of America and one of the earliest DC characters to be continuously revisited across multiple eras, with major revivals in 1966 (Showcase #60), the horror-driven 1970s Adventure Comics run, and John Ostrander's celebrated 1990s series.
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Reprinted in Secret Origins #5 (1973), The Comic-Book Book #[nn] (1974), The Golden Age Spectre Archives #1 (2003), Weird Secret Origins #[nn] (2004), DC Universe Secret Origins #[nn] (2012), DC Universe: Secret Origins #[nn] (2013)
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