Well, well, well. Madame Xanadu... the whore of cards. 
- — Azmodus
Spectre (Volume 3) #29 is an issue of the series Spectre (Volume 3) with a cover date of May, 1995.
Synopsis for "Desecration: Part III"
Amidst the ruins of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Azmodus taunts the Spectre, telling him to surrender to despair.
Douglas Marchebank bails his daughter, Clarissa, out of jail. He is unaware that it is actually his mother. (Clarice, and Clarissa's bodies/souls were switched earlier.) Clarice is very frightened; all of her cellmates have killed themselves. Douglas and Clarice go back to the Marchebank apartment, and Clarice sees that Clarissa (who is in Clarice's body) is not only healthy but also young.
At Sekari headquarters, Nate Kane defends himself against Sekari's employees, who are under the control of Azmodus. He sets several of them on fire, but they do not die. Then, the reanimated corpse of Amy Beitermann walks toward Nate and asks him to hold her. A police officer enters and asks Nate if he needs backup. Nate tells the cop to get out and save himself, but the cop insists on staying. Light radiates from the cop's eyes, and he tells Nate that the Spectre has friends in high places. The cop instructs Nate to help the Spectre at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. As Nate is leaving, the cop asks him to say hello to the Spectre from Percival Popp, Super-Cop. Nate runs off, but Amy's corpse follows him into the elevator.
Clarissa brings Douglas and Clarice to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and presents them to Azmodus. As the Specter lies beneath him, seemingly defeated, Azmodus orders Clarissa to kill her father and grandmother. As Clarissa is about to shoot Clarice, Douglas steps in and says he will not allow it. He tells Clarice that he wants to save his daughter. Father Craemer, who has been hiding in the shadows, tells Clarissa to stop. He explains that she is being used as Azmodus's pawn. If she commits a murder, the Spectre will be obligated to bring vengeance upon her, but Azmodus knows that the Spectre cannot bring himself to harm her. Azmodus becomes angry at Father Craemer and attacks him, but the Spectre intervenes and saves him. Azmodus is furious, and he commands Clarissa to kill her father, but she refuses. Azmodus strips her of her youth, but she still refuses. He then sends her to Hell.
As Azmodus is about to kill Clarice and Douglas, Madame Xanadu appears, backed by her sendings. The sendings are back under Madame Xanadu's control; even though Azmodus has their shadows, somehow they are still a part of her soul. She unleashes the sendings upon Azmodus. Clarice tells the Spectre that this is his chance to break free and help, while Azmodus is distracted. But the Spectre is reluctant to continue fighting. He says, "There never is a victory. The struggle never ends. Why fight useless battles?" Father Craemer encourages him to reach out to all the souls in the city so that he may learn of all the hope and goodness that exists.
Azmodus cannot control Madame Xanadu's sendings, and he realizes that he cannot kill Madame Xanadu, so he turns her to stone.
The Spectre reaches out to all the souls in the city and finds that the good outweighs the bad. He says, "If I accept the darkness, I must acknowledge the light." The Spectre resolves to fight Azmodus.
Appearing in "Desecration: Part III"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Clarice Winston
- Clarissa Marchebank
- Lt. Nate Kane
- Amy Beitermann (Appears only as a corpse)
- Percival Popp, the Super-Cop (Ghost)
- Father Craemer
- Madame Xanadu
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Douglas Marchebank III
Locations:
- New York City
- 13th Precinct
- Church of the Holy Sepulcher (In ruins)
- Sekari Headquaters
Items:
Vehicles:
See Also