The Spirit: "The Origin Of The Spirit"

"The Origin Of The Spirit"
June 2nd, 1940

Denny Colt pays a call on Commissioner Dolan, who has been having a lot
of trouble with Dr. Cobra. The criminologist and private detective
smiles and asks his friend why they don't build stronger prisons. It
just so happens that Denny knows where the evil doctor is. Dolan is out
of his chair and is pushing the young man towards the door, but Denny
wants to make a deal. If the Commissioner gives him an hour's head
start, Denny Colt will get Dr. Cobra for him. Dolan agrees, but knows
that the scientist is one tricky character.

In the alleys which run along Chinatown, a furtive figure makes its way
through the shadows, and down a manhole into the gutter. Dr. Cobra is
telling his assistant, Leeng, to add more chlorine, when Denny Colt tells
them that the experiment is over. The scientist has had enough of the
authorities interfering with his experiments, but as Leeng climbs down
the ladder, he already has a knife poised for the intruder. A left cross
stops the would-be attacker, but Dr. Cobra is as sly as his namesake, and
his sudden leap drives the private detective against the wall. Denny's
gun goes off, the bullet shattering the vat containing the greenish
liquid, and the deadly contents engulfing the criminologist.

The private detective falls to the floor, while Dr. Cobra and his
assistant make their getaway through a secret passage. In the
underground lab, the only source of illumination comes from the chemical,
and the body of Denny Colt does not move. Minutes later, the sounds of a
siren is heard, and Commissioner Dolan arrives at the scene. Dolan and
his men see the signs of a struggle, and find Denny's lifeless body in a
pool of water. Once the coroner has declared him dead, Denny Colt is
laid to rest, and his obituary appears in the newspaper. The following
evening, in Wildwood Cemetery, one of the tenants decides to check out
from its place of rest. An hour passes, and at the office of
Commissioner Dolan, a shadowy visitor makes his way through an open
window. He's got a story to tell the Commissioner and Dolan has no
choice but to listen.

Since there is a reward being offered for Dr. Cobra, the mysterious
visitor would like to claim it, and the Commissioner is to have it ready
in three hours. Although he remains in the shadows, Dolan's visitor
identifies himself as the "Spirit", and makes his way out through the
window he had entered earlier. The Commissioner had recognized the
"Spirit's" voice and calls for "Happy" the Coroner. Dolan's pipe
trembles as he asks "Happy" if he was certain that Denny was dead. The
coroner figures that after twenty years of plying his trade, he should
know a dead man when he sees one. Outside the office, "Happy" tells
Officer O'Rourke that the Commish hasn't been the same since Colt died.
Minutes later, Commissioner Dolan is outside, and after hailing a cab,
he's on his way to Wildwood Cemetery. At the graveyard, Pokey and Gimp
are walking along the moonlit path. Each man had received a message
inscribed onto a tiny tombstone, and the one who had summoned them now
steps from the shadows with gun in hand. As Pokey and Gimp make their
way into the tomb, Dolan remains out of sight.

Within the semi-lit tomb, the Spirit of good and of evil demands to know
where Dr. Cobra can be found. Although Pokey and Gimp claim that they
know nothing, the Spirit knows that they are lying, and that the
scientist will be caught at midnight. As the two startled thugs run from
the tomb, the sound of the Spirit's laughter is heard, and Commissioner
Dolan now has his chance to learn the man's true identity. The face of
Denny Colt smiles at him, and although he is officially dead, the private
detective is very much alive. The chemicals from the vat had placed him
into a state of suspended animation. After his premature burial, Denny
recovered, and escaped from his own grave. When asked why he calls
himself the "Spirit", the criminologist tells his friend that there's no
time to explain. Knowing that Pokey and Gimp will be going to warn Dr.
Cobra, all Denny has to do is to follow them.

The fog comes rolling in from the sea at the waterfront, and underneath
the quays, the two thugs have delivered the Spirit's warning to Dr.
Cobra. The scientist snuffs out a candle, and now knows that his liquid
had worked on Denny Colt. Pokey and Gimp want to take it on the lam, but
Dr. Cobra tells them to wait. The Spirit comes climbing down a ladder
beneath the dock, thinking that there's no one to be found, when a rough
hand grips itself around his throat. A deft use of judo sends the
would-be attacker flying from his perch. Elsewhere, Dr. Cobra has
decided that the time has come to leave, but Denny Colt has come
a'calling. Pokey comes at him with a knife, but is sent crashing into a
wall instead. The unconscious thug is now at his feet, the Spirit
continues his search for the elusive scientist.

Climbing onto the docks, the private detective vows to catch the running
Dr. Cobra, who makes a sharp turn, and heads for an overhanging ledge on
the path. Now laying in wait for the Spirit, the knife is ready, but the
scientist hadn't counted on the bullet from Commissioner Dolan's gun.
The Spirit's life has been saved, but that's nothing since Dolan knows
that spirits are supposed to be immortal. When asked about his plans,
Denny tells his friend that he will remain dead, and take up the task of
being the "Spirit". Since there are criminals and crimes beyond the
reach of the authorities, it will be up to him to reach them. As for
food and money, Denny will live in Wildwood Cemetery, and be collecting
his rewards. He presents the Commissioner with his calling card, a tiny
tombstone which reads, "The Spirit, Address: Wildwood Cemetery". As he
takes his leave, Denny is reminded by Dolan to remain within the law...
or else. The Spirit bids his friend goodbye. Dolan is lighting his pipe
when an officer comes running up. When asked about the sounds of
shooting, he calmly tells the policeman that he's just captured Dr.
Cobra.

This story was reprinted in The Best Of The Spirit trade paperback
(2005).

Among those who assisted Will Eisner during the run of The Spirit were:
John Belfi, Phillip (Tex) Blaisdell, Chris Christiansen, Jack Cole,
Martin DeMuth, Jim Dixon, Jules Feiffer, Lou Fine, Dick French, Jerry
Grandenetti, Abe Kaenegson, Jack Keller, Robin King, Alex Kotzky, Joe
Kubert, Andre LeBlanc, Marilyn Mercer, Klaus Nordling, Ben Oda, Bob
Palmer, Don Perlin, Bob Powell, Sam Rosen, Aldo Rubano, Sam Schwartz,
John Spranger, Manny Stallman, Manly Wade Wellman, Al Wenzel, Wallace
Wood, and Bill Woolfolk.

In this story, Denny Colt hasn't yet taken to wearing the blue domino
mask worn as the Spirit.

For a seven page story, the tale moves at a quick clip.

What Dr. Cobra wants with chlorine in this particular vat of chemicals, I
don't know. Maybe he was going to go for a swim?

The scientist has dark hair, glasses, wears a goatee, and speaks with a
European accent.

Leeng is a baldheaded African-American who is shirtless, wears red pants,
and has no shoes.

Denny Colt becomes immersed in the work of Dr. Cobra and that yellow
liquid has me hoping that the criminologist was out cold before he had
fallen into it.

Another lawman who returned from the dead was Jim Corrigan. His
alter-ego, The Spectre, would dispense justice in his own way.

Boston Brand was a circus aerialist who was shot dead, but after making a
bargain, he returned as Deadman.

Midnight was Quality Comics' version of the Spirit.

Steve Chung
"The Review Of The Spirit"

The Spirit: "The Story Of Gerhard Shnobble"

The Spirit
By Will Eisner
"The Story of Gerhard Shnobble"
September 5th, 1948

Before I begin this review, I want to make it very clear...

This is not a funny review!!

I mean to give you a simple review of Gerhard Shnobble... starting at the
time when he first learned he could fly.

Please... stop laughing...

Gerhard Shnobble was born the child of ordinary parents in the big city.
He appeared to be an ordinary boy... except for the fact that on his
eight birthday, the young Gerhard fell off a roof, and after twisting and
turning his body in midair... he discovered that he could fly.

The parents of Gerhard Shnobble did not want their son to fly. They did
not want their son to draw undue attention to himself. In time, the
discovery was forgotten, and Gerhard grew into a normal adult. After
thirty-five years of faithful service, Gerhard Shnobble was promoted to
night watchman at the bank. On that very night, the new night watchman
was socked on the head, and locked up in the vault. The following
morning found Gerhard Shnobble, after thirty-five years of service, out
of a job.

While Gerhard Shnobble made his way through the streets, Commissioner
Dolan is having every street and train station blocked. The Spirit knows
that the bank robbers could make their escape via helicopter. A beat cop
tells the masked man that he heard about a helicopter had landed on the
Electric Building last night. As the authorities head for the Electric
Building, Gerhard Shnobble considers himself a failure, and wishes that
he could do something... anything. It all comes back to him... he can
fly!! As Dolan orders the building surrounded, the Spirit tells the
elevator operator to hold the elevator. On the ride up to the roof,
Gerhard Shnobble is determined that today will be the day that the whole
world will see him fly.

No sooner do the elevator doors slam, that the Spirit shoves the smaller
man away from the bullets being fired by some desperate characters.
Lefty and Tumbler decide to climb down the side of the Electric Building,
while Kniffs is told to use the helicopter since it was his idea. A
gloved fist makes certain that Kniffs misses out on his helicopter ride.
Gerhard Shnobble braces himself, sees the big crowd of people below, and
thinks of his impending fame. He jumps and is now in free-fall.

Gerhard Shnobble makes a graceful turn, feeling wonderful, but no one
below seems to notice him. The Spirit passes one thug by to leap onto
the other. With the masked man taking on Lefty, Tumbler is free to take
aim, and misses with his first shot. Meanwhile, neither of the
combatants notices the whistling figure flying nearby.

BANG BANG BANG BANG The Spirit takes down Lefty red-handed, and
Tumbler stumbles from the right-handed punch to his midsection. His
bullets had found another target. The lifeless body of Gerhard Shnobble
falls to the earth below. Do not cry for Shnobble... but mourn for all
of mankind... For none who saw his body being taken away... knew or even
guessed that today was the day that Gerhard Shnobble had taken flight.

This story was reprinted in The Best of The Spirit (2005).

Flying figures may be found in so-called "funny-books", but I would never
dream of laughing at any of them.

As a lad of eight, Gerhard Shnobble had found the talent which could have
made him great.

His parents would have him conform rather than be unique, and learn from
his uniqueness.

The four men at the bank looked down their collective noses at Gerhard
Shnobble.

Although their gaze pointed towards the sky, I doubt that any of them
could see the Gerhards for the trees.

I do wonder which of them became the next night watchman.

After thirty-five years of trust, Gerhard Shnobble was thrust into the
street.

The Electric Building is a landmark in Central City.

As with Dr. Cobra, Emil Petit, and Henry, Gerhard Shnobble has red hair.

Being left-handed, I wonder if there's a nickname for right-handed bad
guys.

Off the top of my head, I remember "Southpaw" from the Joker's comic book
in the mid-70's.

Unfortunately for Gerhard Shnobble, his aim to fly like a bird was no
better than Tumbler's aim with his gun.

This Review Is Dedicated To The Memory Of
Jerry Bails
The Father Of Comic Book Fandom

Steve Chung
"The Review Of Gerhard Shnobble"

The Spirit: "The Last Trolley"

The Spirit
By Will Eisner
"The Last Trolley"
March 24, 1946

The old trolleys are mostly gone now, and only a few still run... like
the Raven's Point Line. They run all day, creaking their way all through
Central City, carrying morning people who return at night.

The trolley run from the heart of the city to Raven's Point is a twisted
thirty miles, and can hardly be qualified as a grand adventure. CLACKITY
CLACK... CLACKITY CLACK...CLACKITY CLACK...
CLACKITYCLACK...CLACKITYCLACK... The trolleys make their way until 3
A.M., emptying their passengers as the evening grows darker, and the 29
Car is the last trolley to clatter through the slumbering city. It
rattles along Central River Bridge, and with its human load, clackity
clacks towards the Raven's Point barns. From this point until the end of
the line, there are no stops, and is the dullest part of the entire trip.

A passenger looks up from his newspaper to see a fellow passenger at
sleep, and a familiar blue suited figure laying next to him. Having just
read of the Spirit's murder and the missing body, naturally he'd like to
know where the passenger's burden was found. Having had enough, the
newspaper reader tries to get off, but there's no more stops until
Raven's Point. All he can do is sit and think. When he tries to
exchange top coats with another passenger, he discovers to his horror
that the man is none other than "Bottles" McTopp.

He tries to wake up the sleeping passenger, who may be a policeman,
coroner, or some other type of lawman. He points over to "Bottles"
McTopp, the man he tipped the Spirit off to. McTopp robbed and shot his
way out of Central Trust Bank. While the passenger enjoys his slumber,
the man tries to make a deal with "Bottles". He'll split the money with
him, and tells him that he wasn't the one who ratted out on him. There's
a hundred thousand dollars buried out in Raven's Point, where they're
headed right now. He was supposed to meet the Spirit there, and show him
the location, but he was dead now. He and McTopp can remove "Killer"
Conch from the equation. Turning around, the deal maker sees "Killer"
Conch peering up at him, and smiling an uneven smile. They have him, but
before they shoot, he has to tell them everything. He killed the Spirit.
The idea came to him Monday night when "Bottles" and "Killer" gave him
the automatic, and showed him how to use it.

The night before they were to rob the bank, he stole $100,000, and
brought it to Raven's Point. He used the old rolled-up newspaper to hide
the deed. Besides, he was the head teller. He then called the Spirit at
police headquarters and gave him the tip. At the bank, he was regarded
as a hero, and saw the ambush that his two partners ran into. It's a
wonder that they made it with their lives intact. Tonight, when he
entered his room, the Spirit was waiting for him. How did Crauley get
the information? He knew that the jails were filled with bank clerks who
pulled off what Crauley did. Where was the hundred thousand now?
Crauley asked for just twenty-four hours for him to bring it back from
Raven's Point. They shook hands, with the Spirit promising to give him a
light sentence for his aid. BANG! BANG! The sucker gets two bullets in
the back for his trouble. With no witnesses against him, Crauley came
out to retrieve the money.

The story has been told, but the two listeners remain silent. Figuring
that they are getting ready to kill him, Crauley pulls out the gun they
gave him, and fires two shots at pointblank range. The trolley comes to
a stop, with the representative from the Acme Dummy and Costume Company,
Inc. carrying his blue-suited burden through the open doors.

Crauley has been tricked, tricked by a dummy. The Spirit is done with
conducting the train, and informs Crauley that the gun his friends gave
him was filled with blanks. Crauley can't stand it any longer, but he
won't have to. They've reached the end of the line at Raven's Point.
Commissioner Dolan is waiting for them with an ambulance for "Killer" and
"Bottles". The two men had gotten away from the police in the downtown
traffic, but not before succumbing to their bullet wounds. They were
dead after Dolan was called. In fact, they were dead the entire time
that Crauley was talking to them. The newspaper was a plant, but the
dummy was just a coincidence. The trolleys enter the barns at Raven's
Point, where they rest until dawn. As switchman Sam Smipple tells it,
"they'll be a-running again, tomorrer, and the day after that, ho-hum,
ho-hum!"

This story was reprinted in The Best Of The Spirit tpb (2005).

The Spirit logo appears as blown bits of paper floating along the windy
night.

A local masked hero appears to be dead, but reports of his demise prove
to be exaggerated.

"Bottles" McTopp resembles Andy Capp in appearance.

Crauley's train of thought is interrupted by "Bottles" and "Killer".

The head teller has got quite a story to tell.

A shake of the hand is worth two shots in the back.

The Spirit should receive a good conduct medal for taking Crauley to his
final stop.

Steve Chung
"The Last Review"

The Spirit: "The Killer"

The Spirit
By Will Eisner
"The Killer"
December 8, 1946

Many readers have sampled detective stories, which may be used to study
crime and the criminal mind. Could any of us, seated on a train pick out
the murderer seated nearby? This man in particular. Is he kind,
respectable, and honest? No. He's a murderer. Peer past his placid
profile, through the intricate maze of his brain, and reach a particular
moment in his memory.

It was in 1942 that the seed had been planted, nurtured, and ripe for
harvest this very year. Henry's only packed six boxes at noon, and
Mister James is angry with him. His brother-in-law wants another loan,
and if he tells Mary about it, Henry's head will get kicked in. At home,
the wife sees that her hapless husband still brings in the same amount of
money. Henry's been at the same job since the age of ten, and he's
getting tired of being pushed around. He tells them that he's about to
leave town, only the army's beat him to it, and sent him his notice.
Now, it's the Sergeant who's upset that Henry's hasn't finished packing
yet, and remind him that they're shipping out tonight.

One night in Europe, the Sarge wants Henry to hurry up with the supplies
-- especially since there's a raid on. Not only is Henry late again, but
it's now too late for the Sarge. With his death, Henry has become the
Chief of Partisan Group No. 67. The private is the proud possessor of
boxes of bullets, and they, the Partisans of Zone 67 swear their undying
loyalty to Hanry. His name transcends mountains, his bravery is the
stuff of legend, and his fame grew. On V-E Day, Henry learns that he's
been discharged, and he's surprised that it's happened so... so... soon.

Back home, Henry hasn't found another position, and is back packing boxes
for Mister James. The former soldier is nothing but a punk shipping
clerk to his boss. The punk decides that he's had enough and smashes a
box over his boss's head. As he walks along the snow and steps aboard a
train, Henry revels in his wartime memories. Trigg and his crooked crony
see their chance in ditching their gun into the "joik's" pocket. The
memories fade when Henry realizes that he's stuck in the same old rut for
the rest of his life. He'll be pushed... but what's this in his pocket?
As his fingers find the gun, a odd smile appears on Henry's face, and he
strides away from the train station.

We are now viewing events through Henry's eyes. The wife isn't surprised
to see her soldier husband again. If she is to maintain the style to
which she's become accustomed, he better get back to work. The phone
rings, and Sheldon gets word that the Spirit is onto their black market
scheme. The brother steps out to meet Trigg at the hideout, while May
tells Henry to get the big sedan. She sees the dope standing there for a
moment, and then the gun goes off. Trigg and his crony are working over
the Spirit at the hideout. They want to know who told the masked man
about their racket.

Even while he's being pummeled, the Spirit knows that the two thugs won't
beat the rap. Sheldon leaves Trigg with the Spirit, but the masked man
tells the thug that his partner is taking a powder. The trusting Trigg
looks out the window, and is slammed against it by his bound captive.
Sheldon sees that the Spirit has used the broken glass to free himself.
Around the corner, he finds Henry waiting for him. May isn't with her
husband, and the last thing Sheldon sees is dat rod being pointed at him.
Trigg is tied and the Spirit tells Henry that tonight's killings are
over.

They are still seated when the train pulls into the Courthouse Square.
Dolan has been waiting for them, meeting every train since he got the
phone call. They found May's dead body and her husband has got a lot of
explaining to do. The Spirit points out that Henry's helped the state
and there are things that only a jury can decide. Dolan wants to know
why Henry shot May, but he may never know the reason. The passengers on
the train see the convict with the veteran's button. Some wonder how a
fellow like that could go wrong, especially since he's back home, and
shouldn't have time to get into trouble. Some things we may never know.

This story was reprinted in The Best Of The Spirit (2005).

In his yellow suit, Henry bears a striking resemblance to Dick Tracy's
fellow crime-fighter, Sam Ketchum.

Although he considered packing it in, Henry's work habits got him started
on a military career.

The shipping clerk knew just when to shape up or ship out.

Jim Starlin paid homage to this story in Warlock #13 - 14 (June - Aug,
1976) with "Wildwood Hospital" and the Star-Thief.

Trigg wasn't too quick on the draw when he thought that his partner was
taking it on the lam.

As pointed out by the Spirit in the story, there are "human" juries.

There are also "human injuries, too.

Steve Chung
"The Review"

The Spirit: "Meet P'Gell"

The Spirit
By Will Eisner

"Meet P'Gell"
October 6, 1946

Her name is P'Gell -- and hers is not a little boy's story.

The country of Turkey remained neutral until near the end of the war,
where she broke away from the falling Axis. In Istanbul, each spy and
counter-spy suddenly found themselves like fish out of water. P'Gell and
her husband, Hans Dammt, were in hostile territory. The wife could see
that he had to go. The self-proclaimed shy and sensitive girl wouldn't
think of dirtying her hands in blood. Emil Petit was hired to deliver
the Nazi to Russia for a fortune. Picar's government delivered the money
to Petit, while P'Gell sobbed over her husband's dead body. Five
thousand for P'Gell and five thousand for Emil. It was then that the
wealthy widow suggested that they'd be richer if they kept it in the
family. They were married, had their honeymoon, and had their romance
beneath the full moon. It was during this when Emil shared his secret
with his new wife... He was in possession of the Kalkov Formula.

Five days passed, when the Spirit came to P'Gell's room, and was asked
how much he was willing to pay for Emil's secret. The Kalkov Formula has
to do with prolonging life, and the Spirit plans to take it to the United
States, where it will be used by all. To his surprise, P'Gell did not
summon the Spirit for the money, but because she wishes to go to America,
and have an old swindling charge overturned in Central City. The law and
the Spirit do not play that game. He begins to perspire when she gazes
into his eyes, and offers herself to the deal. Emil hardly finds this to
be a fair deal. Although his wife thought him out of town, Emil had been
working in his laboratory, and recreated the life-prolonging liquid
created by Serge Kalkov. He had been using it himself for some time, and
claims to be two hundred years old. The onetime apprentice and murderer
of Serge Kalkov offers to return to the United States with the Spirit,
and hand over the formula to the American scientists.

The Spirit and Emil were on their way to the railroad, but P'Gell was on
her way to see Picar. One phone call from him and all of Istanbul would
be covered. In a narrow archway, the two men are attacked. The Spirit
manages to hurl the knife man into his fellows, but a hidden gunman fires
two shots at Petit. Knowing that his time was up, Emil writes out the
formula and gives it to the American.

Picar is less than pleased by the failure of his men to catch Emil and
the Spirit. Figuring that his quarry must be near the Cafe Abu, and that
they'll separate, Picar assigns ten men to go after the masked one...
while he goes after Emil. At the Cafe, one knife man is greeted by a
right-handed punch. The Spirit thanks Emil for his contribution to
science, and heads out of the country. Twenty minutes later, the husband
returns home to see his wife, and to die in her arms. P'Gell seizes his
hair in one hand, and wants to know what he's been up to.

She calls Picar on the phone and tells him to stop chasing the Spirit.
P'Gell turns her attention to her beloved Emil. Wife tells dying husband
that she'll give Picar a false formula, and they will live happily ever
after. Emil's face has begun to change. It shrivels and his body
shrinks in size. Such things cannot possibly be, and before she can see
more, P'Gell screams. Picar arrives to find a sobbing woman and a
skeleton in Petite's clothing. His hands are at her throat, refusing to
believe such a childish story.

The Spirit makes his way to Greece and takes a plane bound for America.
One month later, Professor Cardiac at Central City medical research
center announces that research can begin on the topic on the longevity of
life. And what of P'Gell? Was she killed? It turns out that Picar
changed his mind when charmed by the girl's personality and her ample
bank figures. He proposed and she could hardly refuse. Istanbul is a
dangerous place, certainly for a twice-widowed woman like her. P'Gell
and Picar can be found at the cafes of Istanbul, where they ply their
trade, and hope to expand their fortunes once more.

This story was reprinted in The Best Of The Spirit (2005).

Your hans would be dammt too if you were married to P'Gell.

Emil Petit looks like a red-haired Peter Lorre-type.

P'Gell is a green-eyed brunette beauty.

In the Spirit's origin story, Dr. Cobra was working on a life-prolonging
liquid, as well.

Known immortals in the D.C. Universe include: The Immortal Man, Vandal
Savage, General Immortus, Jason Blood, and the Phantom Stranger.

Known immortals in the Marvel Universe include: Thor, Hercules, Warlock,
and the Eternals.

Steve Chung
"Meet P'Gell's Review"

The Spirit: "Life Below"

The Spirit
By Will Eisner
"Life Below"
February 22, 1948

A city has life... Its breadth, its manmade pulse reaches into the
ground... where a different sort of life exists apart from those who
dwell in the buildings above...

December 26th, 1947: "Tattler Jeeks" is concerned that "The Worm" will
come back from the dead, and prevent him from disclosing the location of
the missing bank money. Commissioner Dolan is confident that nothing
could possibly happen at the police headquarters courtyard, but "Tattler"
knows that the Woim is gonna come back fer him. Dolan recalls how the
Worm was shot many months ago, how the police saw him fall down into a
sewer, and the body must have floated out to sea. The courtyard is
completely surrounded, and the Commissioner is confident that not even a
fly could get in. But a Woim could. The rain starts to fall, as Dolan
calls for a staff car to take them to the cells. "Tattler" is to be
taken to Cell Block #10 for fingerprinting, and the rain continues to
fall. "Tattler" hears the voice of Th' Woim, but where is it comin from?
"Tattler" is about to get his... BANG BANG BANG Dolan demands to find
out where the shots came from, with Clancy and Berry aware that a
shooting has just taken place under their very noses. There is no sign
of the shooter and no windows facing the courtyard. The Spirit knows
that the shots came from below, and when the Commissioner turns to look
for him, Denny Colt is gone. The day has begun, with the temperature
starting to drop, and the rain has become snow. Clancy and Berry twirl
their batons and continue on their beat.

Down below... the Spirit loses his grip on the wall, and he splashes down
to the lair of the Worm. He was correct in reasoning that "Tattler" was
shot by him from the sewer drain in the courtyard. The Worm will have
his day in court, but only if he is caught. As he starts after his
quarry, the Spirit feels a bite on his right leg, and pulls a different
kind of rat from the brackish water. Down below... it's the world of the
Worm, with the pipes and catacombs serving as the backdrop. The only law
is the law of survival and the judge and the jury is death. The Worm is
confident that for the Spirit, the tables have toined. A bilge pump
sends the masked man on his way down, where he receives a warm welcome
from the residents.

He knows them all. Knife Schnitzel...Croaker... and Shadow. The police
believe them dead, but they've been staying down below. They miss the
fresh air, the trees, and the sights. It's now Winter on the upper
world, and he asks Swiper how long he's been here. It's been six long,
wet, slimy, smelly years for Swiper, and the years haven't been kind to
him. If he were to return and serve his time, Swiper would be able to
live as a free man after two years. Missing the green grass, he implores
the Spirit to take him back. There are those who aren't willing to go.
They know that the masked man works with the law, and if one of them
goes... the police will come down after them. The rats must be fed, and
a toasted masked crime fighter is on the main menu. They swarm all over
him, and as they strive to leave their mark upon the Spirit, the Worm
decides to go up the wall. He is not going up alone.

Even as his hands are bound, the Worm is confident that the Spirit will
not be able to find his way out, but Swiper knows the way back to the
manhole. He tells the Worm that he longs to see the sun once again. As
Swiper leads the way, the others hang back, and watch. After a time,
they find their way to the manhole, but Swiper is too weak to open it.
It's up to the Spirit to push it open. Swiper can't wait to breathe the
fresh air and feel the sunshine once more. The Spirit continues to push
at the manhole cover... harder. Much snow has fallen by midnight of the
26th of December, 1947. Central City is now under twenty-five point
eight inches of snow. The railroads aren't running, power is gone, and
vehicles have been abandoned along the streets. The entire city is
shrouded in snow, and a two and a half ton truck is atop of the manhole
cover. This is why the sewer cover won't so much as budge.

As the Spirit catches his breath from the hopeless task, Swiper starts
beating at the manhole cover. This is his last chance, and he strikes
his head against the stubborn piece of metal until he is no more. To the
Worm, it looks like he's knocked himself out for nothing, but the Spirit
knows otherwise. With Swiper dead, the Worm tries to lose the Spirit in
the tunnels, but it is the masked man who sees that the water main is
cracking. He pulls the Worm out of the way in time. Although saved from
drowning, the two of them must sit and wait. The Worm is freezing to
death, and the masked man knows that it was the melting ice from a heavy
snowfall which caused the water main to burst. On the surface, Klink
tells Dolan about the two water mains that burst, and how stranded
citizens have been sent to the police dormitories. The Commissioner is
among those who can't get home, either.

The morning of the 27th finds Central City recovering, and the snow being
removed by heavy machinery. Life begins anew, and things which were
buried below have begun to move once more. A slumbering Dolan receives a
visitor, but the Commissioner won't be seeing the Spirit until his friend
has taken a bath. Two days later, the rain comes, and melts the snow.
All is as it was on the surface... and below.

This story was reprinted in The Best of The Spirit (2005).

The splash page finds life below leaning upon the logo of the Spirit for
support, and for shelter.

Commissioner Dolan was courting disaster in the courtyard, for the Worm
had returned, and Tattler never got to tell his tale.

The Spirit takes a fall, but rises to the occasion.

You can only push a man so far, and each man has their own breaking
point.

Swiper traded a life of crime for a life below, and his chance for a
return was swiped from him.

Temperatures and tempers drop, when come soft rains, and life begins
anew.

Steve Chung

The Spirit: "Two Lives"

The Spirit
"Two Lives"
December 12th, 1948

Sometimes there are events in crime fighting which seem to dispute that
crime does not pay. Often this is so because the punishment does not fit
the crime or scope of the criminal. In this case, what may seem to be
providence for a criminal is the workings of a higher authority. This is
beyond mere mortals, unless the opportunity is given to us to see. An
opportunity to watch two lives at the same time.

Carboy T. Gretch is in the Central City Jail. When he cries out that he
can't stand it, a prison guard hits him on the head with a club. He's
gotta get out of this prison.

Cranfranz Qwayle lives in the suburbs of Central City. When he cries out
that he can't stand it, his wife hits him on the head with a rolling pin.
He's gotta get out of this prison.

For his good behavior, the Warden has got a special task for Carboy T.
Gretch. He's to get down the sewer and clean it up.

For his good behavior, his wife has got a special task for Cranfranz
Qwayle. He's to get down the sewer and clean it up.

After finding a manhole cover, Carboy T. Gretch finds himself on the
other side of the prison wall.

After finding a manhole cover, Cranfranz Qwayle finds himself on the
other side of the wall.

Carboy T. Gretch is free, but the guard sees that the prisoner has
escaped, and the searchlights are turned on.

Cranfranz Qwayle is free, but his wife sees that her husband has escaped,
and the flashlight is turned on.

At the office of Commissioner Dolan, Officer Klink is certain that today
is his lucky day. After receiving a phone call from the Warden, Dolan
prepares to get a circular out on Gretch. The Spirit knows about Carboy
Gretch, the tough guy who gave him a lot of trouble before he finally
caught him. The next phone call concerns a missing husband who deserted
his wife, and a description is taken.

The Commissioner hands Klink the two circulars. One for an escaped
convict and the other for a deserter. In another part of Central City,
two lives are about to collide in the snow. When they recover, each man
sees that the other looks like him. Both come to the same idea at the
same time. Cranfranz Qwayle offers his doppleganger a thousand dollars
if he'd change clothes and identification with him. Gretch decides to
accept the sap's deal. After exchanging names, both go on their separate
ways.

Officer Klink comes across the five foot, five inch man in the brown
suit, and recognizes him as the man in the circular. Carboy T. Gretch
tries to make a run for it, but is tackled by the Klink. He chides
Cranfranz Qwayle for leaving his wife. As he releases his grip on a fire
hydrant, a smile is now on Gretch's face, and he agrees to come home to
his loving wife. Mrs. Qwayle is grateful that the officer was able to
locate her husband, and she can't wait to wrap her arms around him.
CRUNCH Officer Klink is touched by the way the poor woman is hugging her
husband with the crushing power of love.

The real Cranfranz Qwayle is free and is wearing a prison uniform. He
visits a travel agent and wishes to buy a ticket to a place of peace and
quiet. As the agent looks over the fliers for Tahiti, the Coral Islands,
Iwo Jima, and other places, he notices the face on the wanted poster. It
just so happens that the travel agent knows just the place for his
customer, and calls to make the proper arrangements. Officer Klink is at
police headquarters when the call comes in from the Ajax Travel Agency,
and he learns that Carboy Gretch is there. When Klink arrives, the agent
informs his customer that a representative will be taking him to his new
destination. The man in the prison uniform is grateful for the personal
service. When he spots the gates of State Prison, Cranfranz Qwayle is
quite taken with being there. He's surprised that he hadn't thought to
go there himself. Officer Klink doesn't know what to make of the happy
prisoner. An older guard tells him that convicts are unable to cope with
life on the outside, and are happy to be back in their cell.

Minutes later, the battered husband has come to give himself up, and
reveal his true identity. Before he can do this, Mrs. Qwayle grabs him
by the scruff of the neck, and drags him from the relative safety of
police headquarters. Klink finds it a shame that such a nice little man
must live with such a woman for the rest of his life. Even the worst of
criminals shouldn't be sentenced to such a fate.

Who's to say what's a fit punishment?

In the words of Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado...

My object all sublime
I shall achieve in time
To let the punishment fit the crime
The punishment fit the crime...

This story was reprinted in The Best of The Spirit (2005)

Steve Chung
"Two Reviews"

The Spirit: "Ten Minutes"

The Spirit
"Ten Minutes"
September 11th, 1949

It will take you ten minutes to read this review... A very short time in
anyone's life. But these particular ten minutes that you will spend are
an eternity for one person. As he goes down the apartment building
stairs, kicks the kid reading comics on the stoop, and gets yelled at by
the neighbors... Freddy doesn't know that these are the last ten minutes
of his life.

The time is now ten thirty-one. TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK
TICK At Max's Candy Store, the ball game is over, and he has just lost
the pool again. Max knows that Freddy is a smart kid because he doesn't
gamble and spends his two bits on the pinball machine. As a kid orders a
chocolate sugar cone, the pinball machine goes tilt, and the neon lights
in Freddy's own life have gone out. As a teen orders an egg cream for
his date, and two kids check out the latest True Horror Romances, Freddy
keeps at the pinball machine. They know him as the good boy, a nice boy.
He's burnin' up and chokin' from it. He can't take it no more. He
doesn't have to and he won't. RING RING Max tells the kids to let Mrs.
Schmidt in the next house know that she's got a phone call. Now that he
and Max are alone, with five minutes for Mrs. Schmidt to arrive, Freddy
gets ready. As the candy store owner tries to sweep, he's ready to make
his move.

The time is now ten thirty-three. TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK
The heat is like murder for Max. He can't imagine such heat in
September. When Freddy calls out to him, the candy store owner turns,
and notices the nice gun in his hand. He had a .45 from World War I
once. When Freddy tells him to empty out the till, Max thinks that it's
a joke. When Freddy decides to help himself, Max decides to stop him from
taking the money. BANG Clutching at his own chest, Max stares at the
neighborhood kid he knew since he was a little boy. Freddy tries to
explain to Max why he did what he did. He needed the money to get out of
town. He was sick of living on the block and wanted a fresh start.
That's all he wanted. If Max hears what is being said, he keeps it to
himself. Freddy tells Max to get up, to stop kidding around. F'heaven's
sake, GET UP! The door to the candy store opens, with Mrs. Schimdt
asking which booth has her phone call. As she talks to Charlie on the
phone, a young couple enter the candy store, and say hello to Freddy.

The time is now ten thirty-five. TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK
TICK Where asked where Max is, Freddy tells them that he's out, and that
he's helping 'im. Milty knows how Freddy is always helpin' people, then
asks for two malteds. His date always said that Freddy's sweet. As she
wonders why Milty isn't sweet like Freddy, they fail to notice the beads
of sweat on the nice boy behind the counter. Milty admits that he's not
a good boy like Freddy. His date tells Freddy to come over, because he's
got somethin' on his cheek. It looks like blood and she wants to wipe it
off... Now leaning over the counter, the young girl sees where the blood
came from. EEEEEEEEK The world is a blur as Freddy runs out of the
candy store and tries to put it behind him.

The time is now ten thirty-seven. TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK
TICK TICK TICK As he leans against the alley wall, the neighbors have
come to see what's happened. They see him and all point at the fleeing
murderer in their midst. It's Freddy who is running from them. It's
Freddy they've got to stop. The ground trembles as old and young rush
past the neighborhood bar. Inside, the patrons are watching the
hammerlock that the Tiger has on Lovely Louie. CRUNCH They fail to hear
the running footsteps a few feet away. As Looie hit the referee, all
listen as the announcer describes the best hold of the night. The
bartender notices the one guy not watching the TV and asks him what he'd
like. Freddy tells him to forget it, then leaves after making sure that
the coast is clear. On the block, the neighbors are talking about a
murder. A little girl continues her rhyme and bounces a ball on the
concrete. A crazy thing has happened and he walks past them unnoticed.

The time is now ten thirty-nine. TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK
TICK Freddy is trying to figure out what happened. He's never done
anything like this before. As he spots the police car behind him, Freddy
stops, and waits for them to take him. SCREE The window rolls down,
with Commissioner Dolan asking him where Max's Candy Store is at. Hiding
his face, Freddy points him in the right direction. As Dolan tells the
Spirit how the neighborhood has become like a lit firecracker, the young
man loosens his collar, and continues on his way. He must be living a
charmed life. The cops have had their chance and he's gonna make the
most of his. He'll go to Florida as planned. The money from the candy
store will keep until he finds work, and he'll be living the good life.
The change booth at the subway isn't able to cash a twenty. As he
reaches into his pocket for some change, several bills come flying out,
and one coin rolls out on the ground. As he stoops to pick up the coin,
Freddy sees whose shoe stopped it from rolling. When the Spirit hands
him the coin, the sweat reappears on his face.

The time is now ten forty. TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK With the
Spirit checking out the subway stations, he's seen Freddy before, and
can't possibly suspect him of anything. As Freddy looks at his
reflection on the cigarette machine, he sees that the masked man is
coming closer. Now leaning against a pillar, one hand goes under his
coat, and he waits. The train is coming in, when the Spirit approaches
Freddy, and taps him on the shoulder. Freddy gives the Spirit a love tap
with his gun, then tries to make his escape through the sliding doors,
and gets his fingers caught between them. With Commissioner Dolan
rushing to the scene, the Spirit watches as Freddy doesn't let go, and
his upper body gets caught between a pillar. Dolan can only stare down
at the crumpled figure and the fallen bills behind it. As they walk up
out of the subway, the Commissioner notes that this one was only a kid.
Denny Colt knows that many of them are kids. They start young in the
neighborhood, and he wonders when Freddy started his crime spree. Mrs.
Schmidt is upset with her date, who has shown up late. He tries to tell
her that it's only ten forty-one. Sure, he's ten minutes late, but
what's ten minutes in a man's life?

This story was reprinted in The Best Of The Spirit (2005).

This review is dedicated to Allen Smith

Steve Chung
"Ten Reviews"

The Spirit: "Visitor"

The Spirit
"Visitor"
February 13th, 1949

It was sometime between two-forty and two-fifty-three on February 12th
when Cracker Barl and "Combo" Nathan entered the Central Bank, intent on
robbing it. All went well until they met with Teller #3 and drew their
weapons. Their carefully laid plans hadn't accounted for the sudden
explosion that followed. Barl was killed, while the teller and "Combo"
Nathan's remains were disintegrated. Or so it would appear. The Spirit
arrived at the bank, noticing the remains of Cracker, and the absence of
bloodstains from the other two. Commissioner Dolan notes that the walls
are still hot from the explosion. A guard hands the Spirit a picture of
Miss Cosmek, the teller who has been working at the bank for about a
year. As he requests Miss Cosmek's home address, another officer
whistles at the beauty in the photograph.

At the apartment, not a stick of furniture is to be found. The landlady
tells the Spirit that Miss Cosmek kept a country house at "Lookout Point"
Beach. She also tells him about Mister Nimbus, the next-door neighbor
who works at the weather department. There is also nothing to be found
in Nimbus's apartment, as well. Mrs. Pizza, the landlady, lends him the
phone, and the Spirit calls Dolan at police headquarters. He wants a
departmental check on Mr. Nimbus at the weather bureau and a call back.
Later, he learns that Nimbus has no known criminal record, no links with
subversive groups, and has been working at the weather bureau for about a
year. Before calling it a day, the Spirit decides to visit Lookout
Point. As the waves continue, a driver drops his fare near Miss Cosmek's
house.

After kicking the door in, and making his way inside, the Spirit
discovers an observatory and "Combo" inside. When his gag is removed,
"Combo" tries to warn him about Cosmek... ZAP All that's left is are the
charred remains of a chair. If he moves a muscle, Miss Cosmek will do
the same to him. Before this can happen, the teller gets the rug pulled
from under her.

He tries to reach for the fallen weapon, but she flips a switch, and
DZZZT the overhead light makes short work of it. Agent Cosmek receives
a call from her Martian home base. The other agent has told them about
the bank robbery. She had thought that he would cover for her, but now
they know everything. She is a Martian intelligence agent, whose job was
to get into the banking system and make reports. Yesterday when Barl and
"Combo" tried to rob the bank, Cosmek knew that her identity would be
uncovered in the resulting police investigation. It was she who caused
the explosion and "Combo" came after her. The Spirit knows that for her
failure, she'll probably have to go back to Mars. The thing is, she
doesn't want to leave Earth.

On Mars, lives are ruled with scientific efficiency, and the people are
as robots. On Earth, Cosmek discovered the warm emotions, which are
forbidden on her home planet. It would be as a living death to return to
Mars now. She has a plan for them to hide out in the mountains for a
year. The other agent's voice is heard on the speaker. Had he known how
weak she would turn out to be on Earth, he wouldn't have recommended her
for the assignment. No matter where she goes, the others will find her.
Cosmek is determined not to come back alive and they will have no further
use of this laboratory. At the police hospital, Dolan interrogates Miss
Cosmek, and learns that the teller believes herself to be an agent from
Mars. In the hallway, the Commissioner figures that it's an insanity
plea to avoid a murder rap. The Spirit wonders if she's been telling the
truth. In order to prove it to Dolan, he'll have to find the other
agent.

At the Central City Weather Bureau, the Spirit takes a seat. Miss
Colfront informs Mister Nimbus that he has a visitor from the police. He
gives her the weather reports for the next three days. Mr. Nimbus is
afraid that he'll be gone for quite some time. It's uncanny how he's
able to predicate the weather so accurately. Ever since he joined the
department a year ago, they haven't been wrong once. Mr. Nimbus clocks
out for the day. At his locker, he dons his hat and coat. He then
straps on his rocket pack, takes a moment to check the prevailing winds,
and rockets his way towards the clouds above.

Miss Cosmek and Mr. Nimbus are both strange visitors from another planet.

Theirs is a Mars quite different from that visited by John Carter and
left by J'onn J'onzz.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

A picture of Miss Cosmek is worth one wolf whistle.

Steve Chung
"Review"