Once you’ve created Superman, how do you top that?
Why, with super-Superman, of course. So that’s what Jerry Siegel did in 1940.
Instead of merely leaping tall buildings, this character could fly to ends of the universe with the speed of thought. He could read evildoers’ minds and extinguish them with a glance. He could rescue the victims of burning buildings by bathing them in a beam of light projected from his finger. He could swell to the size of a 10-story building to crush an escaping criminal’s automobile with his green-booted foot.
He was the Spectre, the brainchild of Siegel and artist Bernard Baily who debuted in More Fun Comics 52 (Feb. 1940).
Jules Feiffer noted that the Spectre had the grimmest origin of all: he was a murdered cop, Jim Corrigan.
Despite his attractions, the Spectre was proof that more isn’t necessarily better. Unlimited powers turn out to offer limited plot lines.
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| The Spectre in a 1970s incarnation drawn by Jim Aparo. |
“Apparently nobody involved gave much thought to the incongruity of publishing the Spectre, Spirit of Vengeance, in a comic entitled More Fun Comics,” noted comics historian Ken Quattro. “Baily accomplished the remarkable task of modernizing the traditional depiction of Death. His was a brawny Grim Reaper, sans scythe. Along with the hooded cloak, life-stealing eyes and blanched complexion expected of his ghastly position, the Spectre also unnecessarily sported boots, gloves and tighty whities (albeit, green) in keeping with the already de rigueur superhero fashion of the era.”
“Superheroes often come in distinct sub-genres, many of which are epitomized by a single character,” comics historian Don Markstein noted. “For example, the Flash is the exemplar of the super-speedster, Batman of the mysterious creature of the night, and Captain America of the patriotic-style hero (despite the fact that the Shield beat Cap to the stands by more than a year). The Spectre is the template upon which the ‘avenging spirit as superhero’ is based. Others of that type include Mr. Justice and the Vision.”
Robert Barker wrote: The Spectre was one of the most interesting, spooky comics to exist. He was only limited by the artist's imagination. The tragedy was teaming him up with Percival Popp.
ReplyDeleteMichael Fraley wrote: It never seems to occur to anyone, but the Spectre's opposite number during the golden age was the "mystic, all-powerful" Ray, though it must be said that he was equal parts Captain Atom. Bright, golden, and in his early stories just about omnipotent. I recall the shock of seeing a Lou Fine drawing of the character (from Smash Comics #15) growing to the size of a skyscraper and kindly rebuilding his city. ALTHOUGH - just about any character Fletcher Hanks drew was both omnipotent and eager to punish. So there's that too.
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