Wrath of the Spectre #3 is an issue of the series Wrath of the Spectre (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1988.
Synopsis for "The Human Bombs and...the Spectre"
This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #437.
Gwendolyn Sterling is kidnapped by a mad scientist, who has created a machine to mind control people. Using his machine, the scientist sends several victims to commit crimes on the city with bombs strapped unto them. After a brutal demonstration, the crimes become successful and draw the attention of Police Detective Jim Corrigan, who is also investigating the disappearance of Gwen.
Eventually, Gwen is sent to commit crimes and she is spotted by Corrigan, who notices that she is being mind-controlled and he follows her back to the mad scientist's lair as The Spectre. Once inside, Spectre confronts the scientist, who unleashes his mind controlled minions against him. Spectre easily breaks the mind-control over the victims and tells them to go away to safety as he tracks down the master criminal. The mad scientist has locked himself in his personal chamber, where he intends to use an electricity projector to attack The Spectre. His attack is futile and the mad scientist tries to lure Spectre into a trap by opening a trapdoor into a crocodile pit. Of course, the plan fails and The Spectre decides to give the man a taste of his own evil, by mind-controlling him and making him walk into his own crocodile pit, where he is devoured by the hungry beasts.
Appearing in "The Human Bombs and...the Spectre"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Gwendolyn Sterling
Antagonists:
- Unnamed Scientist (Single appearance; dies)
- Unnamed Croney (Single appearance; dies)
- Bernie (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Mr. Vanderhaven (Single appearance; dies)
- Sims (Single appearance)
- Mr. Lynch (Single appearance)
- Smedley (Single appearance)
- Henley (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- Hypno-Wheel (Single appearance)
Synopsis for "The Spectre Haunts the Museum of Fear"
This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #438.
A number of civil and public servants have been abducted by a mad scientist and his accomplices into the Museum of Natural History and their latest victim is postman Herman Miller. The man is taken inside the museum into the professor's laboratory. The madman attempts to perform taxidermy, as he has been doing with all his other victimms, but Miller awakes in time to attempt an escape. Unfortunately, he is captured by the professor's thugs, but he confronts them using a taxidermy knife he took from the madman. The thugs shoot the man and soon dispose the body on the docks, where the police find him and Jim Corrigan investigates the case.
Without many clues, Corrigan is on a dead end when he hears about the robbery of a taxidermy store and he recalls the knife that the victim was found carrying in his hands. Corrigan investigates the theft and finds the professor's thugs stealing supplies. Corrigan trails them back to the museum, where he transforms into Spectre and kills one of the thugs in order to impersonate him and infiltrate the professor's laboratory. Inside, The Spectre finds the madman about to murder another man for his collection and he unleashes his wrath against the crooks, making some of the stuffed gorillas come to life and killing them, mercilessly.
Appearing in "The Spectre Haunts the Museum of Fear"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Unnamed Professor (Single appearance; dies)
- Professor's Assistants (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Herman Miller (Single appearance; dies)
- Mrs. Penny (Single appearance)
- Mr. Kenny (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for "The Voice That Doomed...the Spectre"
This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #439.
On day in New York City, a bank is robbed by a terrorist group called The Symbiosis Liberation Army and Gwendolyn Sterling is taken as a hostage. By the time Detective Jim Corrigan arrives at the place, the crooks have made their getaway and Corrigan decides to follow them to their hideout as The Spectre.
Upon arriving at the place, Spectre manifests himself in front of the thugs before turning their flag with snakes as their symbol into real snakes that strangle and kill the criminals. Switching back to Jim Corrigan, he rescues Gwen and takes her back to her home. During the ride, Gwen explains how much she loves him and how she would like to be together with Jim, despite his spectral condition. Unfortunately, Jim can't accept her marriage proposal and he tells her that it would be better to never talk or see each other again, as it would only make matters worse between them.
That night, Jim ponders his existence and demands from the higher power to be ridden of the curse of The Spectre. The Voice listens to Jim's plea and the powers of the Spectre are removed overnight. The next day, Jim Corrigan is summoned to deal with crooks member of the Ducky McLaren gang. Unaware that he had lost his supernatural powers, Corrigan confronts the criminals recklessly and he gets shot in the arm, but he manages to hit one of the crooks with a bullet, killing him.
Corrigan is soon taken to a hospital, where he recovers from a serious injury and he comes to the realization that he is human once again. Having regained his humanity, Jim goes to Gwen's home, where he tells her about his change and they agree to get married as soon as possible.
Elsewhere, Ducky McLaren learns about Jim Corrigan's engagement and he decides to eliminate the "meddling detective" for having killed one of his top mobsters.
Appearing in "The Voice That Doomed...the Spectre"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Gwendolyn Sterling
Antagonists:
- The Symbiosis Liberation Army (First appearance)
- Carter (Single appearance; dies)
- Nick Shawn (Single appearance; dies)
- Ducky McLaren (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- New York City Police Department
- Captain Stanley
- Susan (Single appearance)
- The Voice
Locations:
- New York
- Broome Street
- Broome Street
Synopsis for "The Second Death of...the Spectre"
This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #440.
Jim Corrigan was granted the chance of being human again and his powers as The Spectre were taken away. With his regained humanity, Corrigan engaged with the woman he loved, Gwendolyn Sterling and he took down an important faction of Ducky McLaren's gang, which earned him a death sentence from the mob.
Shortly prior to his wedding, Corrigan is tipped off about McLaren's activities and he goes to the indicated place by himself. Unfortunately, it was a set up by the criminals, who got Corrigan surrounded and they shoot at him, killing him for good. The murderers then take Corrigan's body to Gwen's place, where she is preparing her wedding dress right after her whole happiness crumbles to ashes as she clutches the dead body of the man she loves.
James Corrigan is soon buried and very few people attend his funeral. That night, The Presence summons the spirit of Corrigan to the heavens, where it decides that Corrigan's mission is far from over and the powers of The Spectre are once again bestowed upon him before he is returned to Earth and his body is unearthed by the cemetery's caretaker.
As soon as Corrigan is back among the living, he transforms into The Spectre and goes looking for McLaren's gang. Upon finding them, he kills the leader of the gang by turning his duck toy into a giant monster that devours the gangster and then, The Spectre proceeds to grab the vehicle where the rest of the hoods are trying to escape and he tosses the car across the galaxy.
Elsewhere, Gwen Sterling is mourning the loss of her beloved man, wishing she could hear Jim's voice once again. It is then that Corrigan's spirit appears next to her and explains that even if he has returned to Earth, he is no longer James Corrigan, the living human being, but the spirit of vengeance called The Spectre; a destiny that cannot be avoided. With these words, Spectre leaves Gwen, who will forever remember the man she loved.
Appearing in "The Second Death of...the Spectre"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Gwendolyn Sterling
- The Presence
Antagonists:
- "Ducky" McLaren (Single appearance; dies)
- Mitch (Single appearance; dies)
- Mugsy (Single appearance; dies)
- Al (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Louie (Single appearance; dies)
Locations:
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)