Adventure Comics #437

(January-February 1975)

The Human Bombs and... the Spectre (Table of Contents: 1)

The Spectre / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script

Michael Fleisher (credited); Russell Carley (script continuity, credited)

Pencils

Ernie Chan (credited as Ernie Chua)

Inks

Jim Aparo (credited)

Colors

?

Letters

Ben Oda

Job Number

J-3746

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Spectre [Jim Corrigan]; Gwendolyn Sterling; unnamed Police Captain; Mr. Vanderhaven (death); Sims (bank employee); Mr. Lynch (bank President); Smedley (bank employee); unnamed scientist (villain, death); Bernie (villain, death)

Synopsis

The Spectre must combat an evil scientist who has created a Hypno-Wheel, an invention that puts prominent people into a state of hypnosis, and whom he uses as human bombs to commit bank robberies.

Reprints

• in Shock Classics (Classics/Williams, 1972 series) #46 (1975)
• in Skräckmagasinet (Williams Förlags AB, 1972 series) #11/1975 (november 1975)
• in Skrekk Magasinet (Illustrerte Klassikere / Williams Forlag, 1972 series) #11/1975 ([november] 1975)
• in Horror (BSV - Williams, 1972 series) #40 (December 1975)
• in Spectral (Arédit-Artima, 1978 series) #5 (novembre 1978) [N&B et remonté [B&W and reframed]]
• in Wrath of the Spectre (DC, 1988 series) #3 (July 1988)
• in Wrath of the Spectre (DC, 2005 series) ([July] 2005)
• in Showcase Presents: The Spectre (DC, 2012 series) #1 ([June] 2012)
• in The Spectre: The Wrath of the Spectre Omnibus (DC, 2020 series) ([October] 2020)

Keywords

alligator; barracuda

Indexer Notes

The 2005 collected edition lists Jim Aparo as letterer.

A Quiet Day in Atlantis (Table of Contents: 2)

Aquaman / comic story / 6.5 pages (report information)

Script

Paul Levitz

Pencils

Mike Grell

Inks

Mike Grell

Colors

John Albano (credited as John Albano Jr.)

Letters

Milt Snapinn

Job Number

J-3602

Genre

superhero

Characters

Aquaman; Black Manta; Mera

Synopsis

Aquaman is attacked by Black Manta.

Reprints

• in Gigant (Illustrerte Klassikere / Williams Forlag, 1969 series) #6/1976 (november 1976)
• in Gigant (Semic, 1976 series) #6/1976 ([10 november] 1976)
• in Flash (Arédit-Artima, 1970 series) #59 (juin 1983) [N&B [B&W]]
• in Aquaman: Death of a Prince (DC, 2011 series) ([August] 2011)
• in Aquaman: The Death of a Prince Deluxe Edition (DC, 2020 series) ([March] 2020)
• in Aquaman: 80 Years of the King of the Seven Seas The Deluxe Edition (DC, 2023 series) (2023)

Indexer Notes

Paul Levitz, in an interview with Rik Offenberger published at ComicsBulletin on August 20, 2003, talks about this story; his first solo super-hero writer assignment: "My first stories were actually in Weird Mystery and Ghost Castle; I only "graduated" to Aquaman in Adventure thanks to Bill Finger. Bill had come in on a Friday to deliver, and was supposed to have two scripts, but only had one done. The check he wanted to pick up was for both, and although Joe [Orlando] wasn't in, I wasn't going to hold back a paycheck for Batman's co-creator... even though Bill was legendary for delivering late and having excuses. But Bill never delivered that story because he died, and by the rules of the time, I was responsible for making up the pages. I asked Joe to let me do something more fun than a mystery story since I had to do it free, and he let me have the Aquaman assignment, and I got to work with Mike Grell. What fun!"

A Never Before Published Classic!!! (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Seven Soldiers of Victory / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

Dateline: Adventure / letters page / 1 page (report information)

Script

Paul Levitz ?

Letters

typeset

Job Number

J-3779

Indexer Notes

Letters of comment from readers Bob Rodi, J. Edward Planck and Scott Gibson.