- In the spectral netherworld where I must dwell... all things are... possible...!
- — Spectre
Adventure Comics #436 is an issue of the series Adventure Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1974.
Synopsis for The Spectre: "The Gasmen and... the Spectre"
A group of terrorists use poison gas to massacre fifty or sixty people attending a custom car show in New York City. Lieutenant Jim Corrigan is put in charge of the police investigation. Earl Crawford, the reporter whose story about the "ghost of vengeance" was rejected by his editor, is assigned to cover the incident for his magazine.
The terrorists' leader, the deranged Field Marshall Offel, demands one billion dollars in cash from the city or else they will carry out another attack. When the mayor decides they have no choice but to give in to Offel's demands, Corrigan offers to deliver the money.
Corrigan is met by one of Offel's terrorists at the rendezvous point, who collects the the money and kidnaps Corrigan as well. Crawford witnesses the scene and follows the helicopter back to their hideout. When they land, the terrorist pilot tries to kill Corrigan with the poison gas, but this prompts The Spectre to kill him by turning him to stone. After stabbing the remaining two terrorists, the Spectre goes after Offel, who tries to escape on a boat to the ocean. The Spectre prevents this by summoning a large squid, which eats Offel.
When Crawford arrives at the hideout, he finds the stone statue of the terrorist helicopter pilot. Discovering Jim Corrigan standing near the docks, Crawford asks him if he witnessed any strange force in action. Corrigan simply replies "nope".
Appearing in The Spectre: "The Gasmen and... the Spectre"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Earl Crawford
Antagonists:
- Field Marshall Offel (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- New York City Police Department
- Pete (Single appearance)
- Bob
- Simms (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for Aquaman: "The King is Dead; Long Live the King!"
Aquaman commissions the Atlantean inventor Weisbogg to build an Aquaman robot duplicate that can substitute for him during boring state functions. Aqualad is bothered by Aquaman's attitude, fearing that it will cause him to lose touch with his Atlantean subjects. As Aqualad leaves the domed city, he sees that the Bugala, the fearsome sea monster, is attacking the city.
Leaving his robot double to handle a meeting with the Canadian ambassador, Aquaman attempts to again use his telepathic control of sea life on the Bugala, but this time the monster is unaffected. Aquaman also detects telepathic emanations coming from the city. After Aquaman is battered by a blow from the Bugala, he realizes the monster's secret and swims past it back to the city.
There he destroys the Aquaman robot duplicate, causing the Bugala, really another of Weissborg's robots controlled by a transmitter within the robot double, to collapse before it can breach the city's dome. Aquaman captures Weissborg, demanding to know who he was working for, but Weissborg refuses to talk. Nearby, Black Manta is waiting with an army to attack Atlantis as soon as the Bugala robot had destroyed the city dome. When he realizes Weissborg's scheme has failed, Black Manta vows that he will defeat Aquaman and conquer the city someday soon.
Appearing in Aquaman: "The King is Dead; Long Live the King!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Bugala robot (Final appearance) (Destroyed)
- Black Manta
- Weisbogg (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
- Aquaman robot duplicate (Single appearance)
Notes
- "The Gasmen and... the Spectre" is reprinted in Wrath of the Spectre #2 and Showcase Presents: The Spectre Vol. 1.
- "The King is Dead; Long Live the King!" is reprinted in Aquaman: Death of a Prince .
See Also
Recommended Reading
- The Spectre Recommended Reading
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1): Adventure Comics #431– #440
- Countdown to Mystery
- Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre (Volume 1)
- Day of Judgment
- Day of Vengeance
- Final Crisis: Revelations
- More Fun Comics (Volume 1)
- Spectre (Volume 1)
- Spectre (Volume 2)
- Spectre (Volume 3)
- Spectre (Volume 4)
- Tales of the Unexpected (Volume 2)
- Wrath of the Spectre (Volume 1)
- Aquaman Recommended Reading