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Wrath of the Spectre #[nn] cover
Cover: Jim Aparo

Wrath of the Spectre #[nn]

Jul 2005 · DC · 19.99 USD; 26.99 CAD
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About this Collection

This collection reprints the early 1970s stories from Adventure Comics featuring the Spectre, written by Michael Fleisher with art by Jim Aparo. It follows the grim supernatural vigilante as he delivers brutal, Old Testament-style justice to criminals, marking a darker turn for the character. The volume also includes the character's debut in Showcase and other backup tales from the era.

In "The Wrath of... the Spectre," a mysterious hag wielding a voodoo doll strikes down a board member of Sterling Textiles, Inc., warning the company to stop producing their infamous peek-a-boo dresses—or face more deaths. As the Spectre hunts her, reporter Earl Crawford, drawn by the bizarre murder, sees a chance to finally confront the enigmatic supernatural force he’s long pursued. Written by Michael Fleisher and illustrated with gritty precision by Jim Aparo—whose dynamic pencils and inks define the cover—this 2005 issue blends occult dread with journalistic obsession in a story that’s as much about fate as it is about justice.

Contains 13 stories
The Wrath of... the Spectre
12 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]unnamed Chief of PoliceFritz (villain, death)Pete (villain, death)Charlie (villain, death)Hank (villain, death)

The Spectre arrives in a city still reeling from a brutal armored car robbery and massacre, where even the criminals were executed by their own. With the Chief of Police baffled and the bodies of four gang members—Fritz, Pete, Charlie, and Hank—lying in a trail of blood, the Spectre takes it upon himself to hunt down each killer, one by one, in a grim pursuit of divine retribution.

The Anguish of... the Spectre
13 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Adrian Sterling (death)Gwendolyn Sterling (introduction, Adrian's daughter)Vera (villain, death)Eric (villain, death)Maxwell Flood (villain, death)Peter (villain, death)

In "The Anguish of... the Spectre," the Spectre tracks down the killers of businessman Adrian Sterling, uncovering a web of corruption that leads to the company’s Vice-President. As he confronts each villain—Vera, Eric, Maxwell Flood, and Peter—his quest for justice becomes a harrowing journey through betrayal, grief, and the weight of vengeance, all while facing the haunting presence of Adrian’s daughter, Gwendolyn, who stands at the edge of a shattered world.

The Swami and... the Spectre
12.67 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Gwendolyn SterlingMr. Vandergilt (death)Mrs. VandergiltSwami Seelal (villain, death)Smiley (villain, death)

When a construction engineer is murdered and his widow falls prey to a fraudulent swami, Lt. Corrigan—secretly the Spectre—dives into the case, only to find his investigation complicated by Gwen Sterling’s sudden involvement. Her revelation to the swami that Corrigan is the Spectre sets off a chain of dangerous consequences, as the line between justice and vengeance begins to blur.

The Nightmare Dummies and... the Spectre
20 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Gwendolyn SterlingFrank (delivery man, death)Pete (delivery man, death)Chris (Policeman)Mr. Monarch (President of Monarch Mannikin Company)Karen (Mr. Monarch's secretary)Ernie (Monarch Mannkin Company employee)Ezekial Borosovitch (villain, mannikin maker, death)
The Man Who Stalked the Spectre
13 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Earl Crawford (introduction, freelance magazine writer)Jerry Grandenetti (villain, death)Mitch Grandenetti (villain, death)unnamed Grandenetti (villain, death)

A freelance writer for Newsbeat Magazine, Earl Crawford, becomes obsessed with a string of bizarre criminal deaths across the city, convinced they’re the work of something beyond human. As he digs deeper, he finds himself drawn into a shadowy pursuit of a force he can’t explain—leading him straight into the path of The Spectre.

The Gasmen and... the Spectre
13 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Earl Crawford (freelance magazine writer)Bob (Newsbeat Magazine editor)Marian (auto show model, death)SimmsField Marshall Offal (villain, death)

When Lt. Corrigan investigates a series of mysterious deaths at a car show—each victim felled by a gas reminiscent of WWI tactics—he uncovers a chilling plot tied to a shadowy operation meant to pressure city officials into funding a dangerous new defense program. With the Spectre's judgment looming, he must unravel the connection between the gas, a rogue military figure, and a model whose death may be far from accidental.

The Human Bombs and... the Spectre
13 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Gwendolyn Sterlingunnamed Police CaptainMr. Vanderhaven (death)Sims (bank employee)Mr. Lynch (bank President)Smedley (bank employee)unnamed scientist (villain, death)Bernie (villain, death)

In "The Human Bombs and... the Spectre," the Spectre confronts a deranged scientist wielding a Hypno-Wheel, a device that turns powerful figures into mind-controlled human bombs used in a string of bank heists. With the lives of Gwendolyn Sterling, Mr. Lynch, and others hanging in the balance, the Spectre races to stop the escalating chaos before the city is torn apart by the villain’s twisted experiment.

The Spectre Haunts the Museum of Fear
10 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Mrs. PennyHerman Miller (postman, death)Mr. Kennyunnamed Professor (villain, death)unnamed lab assistants (villains, all die)

The Spectre haunts the Museum of Fear as the Ghostly Guardian confronts a deranged curator whose twisted exhibits hide a gruesome secret. With the lives of innocent victims hanging in the balance, the Spectre must navigate the museum’s haunted halls, where the line between exhibit and execution blurs.

The Voice That Doomed... the Spectre
12 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Gwendolyn SterlingSusan (bank employee)Captain StanleyPeter Falk (cameo)God (voice)Carter (villain, death)"Ducky" McLaren (villain)

In "The Voice That Doomed... the Spectre," the Spectre—still haunted by his grim crusade—finds himself unexpectedly stripped of his divine power after pleading for release. Now vulnerable and mortal, he must navigate a world he no longer understands, even as old enemies like Carter and "Ducky" McLaren, along with a mysterious voice from above, begin to test his resolve.

The Second Death of the... Spectre
12 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Gwendolyn SterlingGod (voice)Louie (villain, street vendor, death)"Ducky" McLaren (villain, death)Mitch (villain, death)Mugsy (villain, death)Al (villain, death)

Jim Corrigan, once again human after years as the Spectre, finds himself hunted by the very criminals he once punished—Ducky McLaren and his gang. As the Spectre’s power surges back to life, he confronts the deadly crew of killers who thought they’d escaped justice, but this time, the line between vengeance and redemption is thinner than ever.

The Arson Fiend and... the Spectre!
14 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Earl Crawford (Newsbeat Magazine reporter)Bob Elliot (Newsbeat Magazine editor)Wayne (Newsbeat darkroom technician)Freddy "The Torch" Fisher (villain, death)

When reporter Earl Crawford captures the Spectre in action during a string of mysterious tenement fires, his scoop turns dangerous—his editor, Bob Elliot, refuses to believe in supernatural justice and calls the police, accusing Earl of murder. Now caught between a vengeful arsonist and a skeptical newsroom, Earl must prove the truth before the Spectre’s next move turns deadly.

The Maniac and... the Spectre!
9 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Earl Crawford [Newsbeat Magazine reporter]Gwen SterlingHarrison DeMarco (villain, slumlord, death)

When a reporter accused of arson escapes custody with the help of Gwen Sterling, the Spectre steps in to uncover the truth behind a string of deadly tenement fires. As the investigation unfolds, Jim Corrigan must navigate a web of deception, confronting the real villain while protecting a man whose guilt may be more complicated than it seems.

The Voodoo Hag of Doom!
18 pp · Superhero
The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]Gwen SterlingPolice Captain StanleyEarl Crawford [Newsbeat Magazine reporter]Bob Elliot (Newsbeat Magazine editor)Freddy (Newsbeat Magazine office boy)Dawson (Sterling Textiles employee)Mr. Henderson (Sterling Textiles Board member, death)Ed (Police Department coroner)Fred Thompson (Sterling Textiles board member, death)The Hag (villain, turned into a spider)Mr. Slater (villain, Sterling Textiles board member)

In the heart of a corporate boardroom, a voodoo-haunted hag appears with a cursed doll, killing a board member and warning Sterling Textiles to abandon its infamous peek-a-boo dresses—or face more deaths. As the Spectre hunts the mysterious villain, reporter Earl Crawford sees a chance to finally confront the legendary spirit, diving into a case that blurs the line between supernatural terror and the truth behind the company’s dark secrets.

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Full credits

artist Jim Aparo
colorist Adrienne Roy
letterer John Costanza
cover pencils, inks Jim Aparo

Reprints

↩ Reprints Adventure Comics #431 (1974), Adventure Comics #432 (1974), Adventure Comics #433 (1974), Adventure Comics #434 (1974), Adventure Comics #435 (1974), Adventure Comics #436 (1974), Adventure Comics #437 (1975), Adventure Comics #438 (1975), Adventure Comics #439 (1975), Adventure Comics #440 (1975), Who's Who: Update '87 #5 (1987), Wrath of the Spectre #1 (1988), Wrath of the Spectre #2 (1988), Wrath of the Spectre #3 (1988), Wrath of the Spectre #4 (1988)

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