Spectre (Volume 3) #30 is an issue of the series Spectre (Volume 3) with a cover date of June, 1995.
Synopsis for "Desecration: Conclusion"
The Spectre tells Azmodus that they must have a final battle. Azmodus agrees, and he takes them to Hell. Azmodus still has access to the Spectre's power through Clarice's body. And the Spectre must choose between defeating Azmodus and saving Father Craemer, Clarice, and Douglas Marchebank.
In New York, Nate Kane is stuck in an elevator with Amy Beitermann's reanimated corpse. Suddenly, Amy's spirit comes down from Heaven and saves Nate. However, Nate is still afraid to touch Amy. Instead, he asks her to take him to Azmodus, he has a score to settle. She brings him to the edge of Hell, but she cannot take him any further.
In Hell, the Spectre is about to reclaim his power by severing the connection between himself and Clarice's body. But Clarice (in the body of her granddaughter Clarissa) begs him not to doom Clarissa to an eternity in Hell. Clarice says that despite Clarissa's crimes, she rejected Azmodus in the end, and that action gives hope for her redemption. The Spectre agrees: there must be reason to hope. The Spectre then restores Madame Xanadu, who had been turned to stone; he also gives her some of his power so that she may protect the mortals. A great battle ensues between Azmodus and the Spectre.
Clarice tells the Spectre to return her to her old body so that Clarissa may have her body back. The Spectre reminds Clarice that she would die, but Clarice is willing to accept that fate. The Spectre, admiring her courage, sends her back into her old body and cuts the cord that binds them. As the Spectre continues his battle with Azmodus, Madame Xanadu holds Clarice's soul so that it does not become stuck in Hell.
Nate Kane arrives and shoots Azmodus with the "despair bullets" that Azmodus gave him earlier. Azmodus begins to split into two separate souls: "Caraka" and "Sekuba." Caraka, the male counterpart, feels despair and wonders why he continues to struggle with something which was lost long ago; Sekuba, the female soul, refuses to surrender. As Clarice's soul is being transferred back to her real body, it is revealed her soul's named is "Devi," who is Caraka's wife. She has finally found her husband. Clarice Winston now understands why she felt so attracted to Jim Corrigan, he reminded her of her "soul mate," Caraka, her true love. Caraka continues to feel despair, for he has assaulted the only soul he ever cherished. He renounces his union with his female half and repents all the evil they have done. With that, the Spectre rips Azmodus in half, blaming Sekuba for being the true source of all the evil that was in Azmodus, and he sends her to the deepest pit of Hell.
Azmodus is no more. There is only Caraka, and he knows that he has sinned mightily. Devi (Clarice's soul) promises to find him in the next life. Then, taking the form of Clarice, she asks the Spectre to find her granddaughter's soul and return it to her proper body. The Spectre says he will do what he can.
Father Craemer consoles Douglas Marchebank II, who has lost both his mother and daughter, one to Heaven the other in Hell. The Spectre thanks Lt. Nate Kane for his help. In the ruins of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jim Corrigan realizes a bitter irony: he came back from the dead to save Clarice's life, but she was always destined for another man. He tries to convince himself that these doubts are just the parts of him that were hit by Azmodus's "despair bullets."
Appearing in "Desecration: Conclusion"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Clarice Winston ("Devi," her soul's name)
- Clarissa Marchebank
- Father Craemer
- Lt. Nate Kane
- Madame Xanadu
Antagonists:
- Azmodus ("Caraka" (male) & "Sekuba" (female): split souls)
Other Characters:
- Amy Beitermann (Appears only as a corpse)
- Douglas Marchebank III
Locations:
- New York City
- Church of the Holy Sepulcher (rubble)
- Hell
Notes
Cover price:
- $2.25 US
- $3.10 CAN
- £1.50 UK
See Also