I am the Hellion. I am the collected wrath of women through the ages and I am here to burn your world down! 
- — Hellion
Spectre (Volume 3) #43 is an issue of the series Spectre (Volume 3) with a cover date of July, 1996.
Synopsis for "Shattered Glass"
At the headquarters for the National Interest, a group of hooded men attempts to create a new Shadrach. However, their effort fails. They pull off their hoods and agree that they will not be able to reconstitute Shadrach from the hand that crawled back to them. One of the men, Mr. Hawke, believes there must be a way to defeat the Spectre. He decides to look for the Spear of Destiny, which he thinks can kill the Spectre.
In Boston, a woman named Helen Belcanto complains to her boss about being passed over for a promotion. Her boss makes several sexist comments, and Helen storms out of the office. The company she works for, Friction House Publishing, is rife with sexism.
In New York City, a woman stabs her husband to death. The Spectre appears and tells her that she must be punished. However, the woman explains that her husband was abusive and threatened to kill her if she left him. The woman's son also appeals to the Spectre. Eventually, the Spectre agrees not to punish her, but he also says he will not help her. She must deal with the consequences of her actions.
Nate Kane is on a train from New York to Boston, and Jim Corrigan appears next to him. Nate reveals that the reason he hates Jim is because Amy Beitermann loved Jim and not Nate. But both men realize they both wanted Amy for their own reasons (Nate wanted Amy to save him, and Jim wanted a human anchor) without ever really asking Amy what she wanted.
Back in Boston, Madame Xanadu enters the offices of Friction House Publishing, looking for Helen Belcanto.
In Salem, Helen returns home and finds a letter from one of her favorite authors. Enclosed in the letter is a piece of the American Talisman. While holding the Talisman, Helen taps into her rage at the inequality that women have faced throughout the country's history—and she transforms into Hellion, the collected wrath of women through the ages.
Hellion goes to the publishing house, where the other publishers are making sexist jokes about Helen. Just as Hellion is about to kill the men, the Spectre arrives.
Appearing in "Shattered Glass"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Lt. Nate Kane
- Madame Xanadu
- Three demons summoned by Madame Xanadu:
- Atopeh
- Bathopet
- Maw
Antagonists:
- The National Interest
- Special Agent Shadrach (Destroyed)
- Armistead
- Duchloss
- Dwayne Hawke
- Hellion
Other Characters:
- Bernard
- Carl Michaels (Dies)
- Jenny Michaels
- Tod Michaels
Locations:
- New York City
- Boston
- Salem
- NORAD, Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado
- National Interest Headquarters
Items:
- American Talisman
Vehicles:
Notes
- This is part seven of the story arc, "The Haunting of America." It concludes with issue #50.
Trivia
- Friction House Publishing released a paperback about The Reaver (Danny Geller).
See Also