Police detective Jim Corrigan, killed by gangsters was turned from the gates of Heaven and returned to Earth because his time had not come. Bound to God's near omnipotent spirit of vengeance he continued a fight against evil in its many forms as the Spectre.
In the heart of Hell, the fallen angel Asmodel suffers at the hand of his former ally in his war against Heaven, Neron. Asmodel was once the exalted king-angel of the heavenly army known as the Bull Host, but he turned against God and was cast into Hell. The Demon Etrigan offers Asmodel a deal that will ensure his freedom; if he agrees to let Etrigan rule over Hell, he will free Asmodel and give him the power to destroy Heaven itself, the power of the God's agent of vengeance, the Spectre.
Etrigan summons the Spectre to Hell, tricking the spirit into fusing with Asmodel. With near-omnipotent power, Asmodel freezes over Hell and sends its demons and condemned to the land of the living, setting the stage for the final confrontation with Heaven.
A team of heroes lead by the former angel Zauriel ascend to Heaven to convince the Spectre's former host Jim Corrigan to reclaim the spirit of God's vengeance, but he refuses. The heroes are advised by the Archangel Michael to search in Purgatory for a soul eager for a chance at redemption.
Renegade hero and former Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, vies with Asmodel and Neron for the power of the Spectre. Jordan's desire for redemption prevails and he becomes a Spirit of Redemption, The Spectre.
When Hal Jordan was separated from the spirit of vengeance known as the Spectre, it became a wayward soul without a human conscious to keep it in check. After a rampage against the world of magic the Spectre eventually realized that it must re-anchor itself to a human host.
Soon after the shooting death of Gotham City police detective Crispus Allen the spirit of God's vengeance made the offer to Allen's wandering spirit to become a force of divine justice by merging with the Spectre.
Forms of the Spectre:
The Spectre I
The Spectre II
The Spectre III
