(Crackajack Funnies 035-037, 1941)
There's a lot to like about the Spectre. His motivation is okay - his face was blasted off by American shelling in WWI and he wants revenge - and his execution is nonexistent as he ends up getting caught during the planning and preparation stage. It's the trappings that really do it for me.
Fist up: costumes. The Spectre's own is okay, but I have nothing but joy in my heart when I see henchmen dressed in such simple yet effective outfits. Stylish, easily recognizable, easy to remove in a pinch... they have it all!
Next: lore. The Spectre's story isn't told until the third issue of the three he appears in but part of it is that in the 20 years since he vowed revenge on America he hasn't slept, and in support of this, in basically every panel he appears in he is chugging coffee. A small but fun (and visually charming) detail.
Finally: progressive values. All of the above panels feature a blonde woman. This is Miss Owl, the Owl's fiancé/ crimefighting partner who has been captured in the mistaken belief that she herself is the Owl. And the Spectre - outbursts about "American women" aside - is perfectly willing to accept this, and to accept the services of a seemingly turncoat Owl. He might be a partially-exploded revenge-driven warmonger who probably went insane from lack of sleep decades ago but he isn't a misogynist.
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