The Spectre - Hits the Fan - Ray Wonsowski

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Panel 1 - establishing shot: inside the Ha-Ha-Hacienda.  It is abandoned, and is decorated with the requisite pranks, toys, and giant Joker cards.  BATMAN crouches down close over the naked body of Crispus Allen (we do not know if he is unconcious or dead).  ETRIGAN watches from behind.

BATMAN:  He's its host.  How could he possibly get separated from it?

ETRIGAN:  The spectral agent of the Deity - suffers from a crisis of identity...


Panel 2 - close-up on ETRIGAN as he thoughtfully elucidates...

ETRIGAN:  The Presence has no longer need for a clumsy vengeful tool - and so decreed the Spectre "Spirit of Redemption", the Almighty Fool...

ETRIGAN:  And during this spiritual changing of the guard - the host, at his weakest, went down, and hard...


Panel 3 - ETRIGAN pokes BATMAN in the chest, who has a "don't touch me" look on his face.  ETRIGAN, however, is dead serious.

ETRIGAN:  Thou knowest the clown has magicked before, but lacks the discipline - He nearly beat us last time, and more - we can not let him win.

ETRIGAN:  Be not concerned with reason, it matters not the wherefore's or what's - No time, creation trembles...


Panel 4 - bottom 2/3 of the page.  The JOKER is now the SPECTRE.  The green cape swirls about his white,  almost skeletally skinny, body, and the hood covers the eyes as always, but the blood-red rictus is laughing maniacally as he juggles moons while standing in Jupiter's Great Red Spot.

CAPTION:  (Etrigan) ...The Spectre's gone completely nuts...

...to be continued...

The Spectre - Sins of the Father - J.D. Coughlan

Two normal panels at the top, one large panel taking up most of the page.

Panel 1: The Spectre staring at something off-panel, just behind the viewer. He is basked in a white light and is straining his eyes. There is only a void behind him.

SPECTRE: I have punished many sinners, sought vengeance for many crimes, but there is one that I have allowed to go on too long...

Panel 2: Closer on the Spectre, he is angrier.

SPECTRE: Untold millions have died because of you, at your stubborn idea of justice...

Panel 3: Large. Reverse POV. The Spectre hangs in the void, pointing an accusing finger at a great white light. This is The Voice; the Spectre's "boss."

SPECTRE: (Large) No more!

END OF PAGE

The Spectre – The Pick Up – Shaun Richens.

(This is a Vertigo take on the character. I feel the whole spirit of vengeance thing seems perfect for the darker grittier vertigo imprint.)

PAGE ONE – 7 PANELS.

LAYOUT.

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1. A 2012 Dodge Dart in black sits parked outside a Police station similar to this. Its late at night and dark, the rain has just started to fall.

        VINCENT (Inside the Dodge):

He said he’d been released, so why the hell have I been sat here with my thumb up my ass for the last half hour.

        

2. Pull in tight on the door to the police station. HARRY has just walked out, he is wearing a damn fine suit with a nice pair of shoes to go with it; his hair is short and fashionable as is his designer stubble. He pulls the collar of his jacket up to shield himself from the rain.

         NO COPY.

3. Over HARRY’s shoulder looking down and into the now open back door to the Dodge, we can see VINCENT (who is in an equally fine suit, but with much less hair and youth about him) leaning into the view to talk to HARRY.

         VINCENT:

         ‘Bout damn time Harry.

4. Two shot in the back of the Dodge. HARRY sits to VINCENT’s left. HARRY looks really pleased with himself, smug almost.

        VINCENT:

So what happened? Your dad just calls me up, middle of the night, tells me to come pick you up.         

        HARRY:

They couldn’t make the charges stick. Once my pa paid off the witness they had no evidence to go on. It’s like I never hit her. They can’t even place me in the car.

5. Close up on VINCENT.

         VINCENT 1:

         You’re lucky your dad is who he is.

         (Linked)

         VINCENT 2:

         Hey Marvin drive us over to Harry’s will ya.

6. We see in the rear view mirror, looking back at VINCENT and HARRY the dark green glowing eyes of the SPECTRE.

        SPECTRE:

I am here for vengeance against your lack of repentance.

7. Close up on the car door locks as the slam down shut.

        

SFX:

Click.

The Spectre – Marvel vs. DC: Frank’s Castle – MK Stangeland Jr.

An incident has resulted in a partial merging of the DC and MARVEL universes, with the METROPOLIS-NEW YORK-GOTHAM tri-city area being the ‘hub’ that currently connects the two worlds. It has also resulted in FRANK CASTLE, THE PUNISHER, becoming the new human host for THE SPECTRE.

This page takes place aboard the Justice League Satellite.

(5 Panels)

Panel 1: Interior view of the satellite command center. In the center of the room is the astral form of DR. STRANGE.

Surrounding the astral DR. STRANGE are CAPTAIN AMERICA, WONDER WOMAN, THOR, GUY GARDNER, BEAST, THE FLASH, CAPTAIN MARVEL (CAROL DANVERS), STEEL (JOHN HENRY IRONS), AGENT VENOM (FLASH THOMPSON), and BLUE BEETLE (JAMIE REYES). A text box stating their superhero identity should be present next to each of the characters to help ensure the reader knows who each of these people are in case they're not familiar with them all.

DR. STRANGE: I have a little good news, and a lot of bad news.

Panel 2: Close up on astral DR. STRANGE as he reports.

DR. STRANGE: We can’t stop Castle directly. The Spectre has made him far too powerful, and the focus of Frank Castle’s mind makes him more dangerous than you could possibly imagine.

DR. STRANGE (2): It’s been difficult enough to simply observe him without drawing his ire.

DR. STRANGE (3): Right now, he’s punishing the tri-city area one criminal at a time. He’s taking a sadistic amount of glee in watching each of them be punished for their crimes.

Panel 3: View of the observers that allows us to see both GUY GARDNER and AGENT VENOM.

AGENT VENOM: Sounds like Frank’s finally snapped.

GUY GARDNER: Guy dresses up with a skull on his chest and calls himself ‘The Punisher’?

GUY GARDNER (2): Doesn’t sound like he had much to snap.

Panel 4: CAPTAIN AMERICA points in the general direction of GUY GARDNER and AGENT VENOM.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Shush it, you two.

CAPTAIN AMERICA (2): Strange, continue.

Panel 5: Close up again on astral DR. STRANGE as he continues to report.

DR. STRANGE: That, sadly, is the good news. It’s drastically slowing his progress.

DR. STRANGE (2): It is my suspicion that once he finishes with the cities, he will increase his reach and extend his punishment to the rest of the globe.

(END PAGE)

Spectre- Imagine -Dan Hill

Apologies for the lateness on this one. I'd originally written this yesterday on the coach trip back from Thought Bubble. However it seems there was a snafu somewhere along the way. As such I have had to reconstruct the entire page from notes. 

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PAGE ONE

1.1
We OPEN on the shot of the SPEAR OF DESTINY sitting inside a glass display deep inside a vault. Shelves of other artifacts sit nearby. Two US SOLDIERS (uniforms suggest this is the 40’s) guard the Spear and the artifacts.

CAPTION

The path of history is set in stone.

CAPTION

But we like to speculate, to imagine other ways. We like to imagine we’re not puppets to a higher power.

1.2
CUT TO a CLOSE UP on the crest of the JSA (http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/030/5/2/Justice_Society_of_America_by_CmdrKerner.png)

CAPTION

We imagine that good can always triumph.

1.3
Wide panel: CUT TO a shot looking out towards across the beach towards the ocean. This is Omaha Beach and it is D-Day. Several transport craft are open, spilling forth Allied troops. The craft in the centre has a much more dangerous cargo: the JSA. 

HAWKMAN, DOCTOR FATE and GREEN LANTERN fly above the troops swooping towards us. HOURMAN, SANDMAN and THE ATOM run across the sand with THE FLASH shooting forwards at tremendous speed towards us. 

SPECTRE is at the forefront of the charge, his face contorted with vengeful fury as he charges towards us.

CAPTION

We imagine that heroes can always save the day.

1.4
CUT TO the aftermath of the assault and an Allied soldier face down in the surf, the tide lapping at his corpse. 

A CZECH HEDGEHOG (/wiki/File_Rozsochac.webp) sits in front of the corpse.

CAPTION

We imagine our sons and daughters came back home.

1.5
RACK FOCUS onto the Czech Hedgehog, its shape forming a cross across the panel.

CAPTION

We imagine that God is fair and without malice.

1.6
CUT TO somewhere in the German countryside. In the BACKGROUND of the panel lies the shattered remains of a sizable Nazi force. Tanks, troops and fortifications lie in ruins.

In the FOREGROUND we can see the JSA and several Allied troops continuing their advance towards us.

CAPTION

But history is set in stone. The world isn’t like this.

1.7
Wide panel: CUT TO a haggard and sickly looking PRISONER wearing a striped uniform. The man is all skin and bone. In the FOREGROUND in front of him is a barbed wire fence, blocking his escape. 

Behind him we can see several other PRISONERS, all wearing the same uniform.
In the BACKGROUND we can see buildings, barracks and a guard tower as well as more wire fencing. Every Nazi worth his salt is running. Bolts of GREEN FLAME shoot from the sky, raining down on the enemy troops.

The PRISONER looks up at the sky slightly, his mouth agape. A PIERCING WHITE LIGHT shines down on his face from above.

CAPTION

Good sometimes flounders. Heroes can be defeated. War takes the innocent.

CAPTION

And God?

CAPTION

His vengeance can consume us all.

The Spectre - God Only Knows - Grant McLaughlin

1 - The Spectre floats above some vile mobsters in an abandoned warehouse.  It's the mobsters that killed Jim Corrigan, and the Spectre is in the midst of unleashing some divine retribution on their keisters.  Have some of them already dispatched, others in the middle of being killed off, and some running for it (for what little good that will do them).

CAPTION: After Jim Corrigan was murdered by mobsters, his soul was sent back to Earth bound to the mysterious being known as The Spectre!

2 - Biblical Egypt.  The Spectre floats above Pharaoh's temple and the surrounding abodes as dark forces go from house to house, killing the first born of all those who did not mark their doors with lamb's blood (i.e. the 10th Plague of the Book of Exodus).

CAPTION: Created to bring the wrath of God down upon evil men, The Spectre has delivered divine vengeance since time immemorial.

3 - A vulture-like old man stands at a table filled with tools of pain.  There are hacksaws, drills, hammers, etc.  They're all well-used and covered with old blood stains.  He wears a malicious grin on his face.  Unbeknownst to him, The Spectre stands tall behind him, reaching out to deliver some more justice.

CAPTION: As The Spectre possesses near unlimited power, there are no actions too heinous for the omnipotent spirit.

4 - Shot of a nondescript house in the middle of suburbia.  Nothing really stands out about it, save for the panel's focus on the residence.

CAPTION: But sometimes...

5 - Interior of the house.  The Spectre sits in a big easy chair, a drink on a sidetable.  The Spectre's body language is weary, but he has a slight smile on his face due to the music coming from the nearby record player.

CAPTION: Sometimes even all-powerful beings need some time away.

SFX (record player): ♫ Why can't we be friends?  Why can't we be friends? ♫

The Spectre - Go Unpunished - Ben Rosenthal

1. A wide panel showing a bar. A few tables are seen on the floor, some with shot glasses on them. These tables only have one or two chairs on them. 
A crook has just stumbled through the door. He looks confused. In one hand he holds a gun, in the other a black plastic bag containing what looks to be money.
Behind the bar in the background stands a barman polishing a glass.

CROOK
What the--?

BARMAN
Can I get you a drink?


2. A side shot with the bar running down the centre of the panel. On the right hand side is the Barman, pouring a shot of something into the glass he was just polishing for the crook. On the left side of the bar the crook stands, placing his gun on the bar.

CROOK
You need some bar stools here.

BARMAN
They are on their way. Slowly but surely.

CROOK
You new here? Not seen this place before. What's it called?


3. A close up of the barman's face. A shadow has fallen over his brow, eclipsing half of his face. Only his bright white eyes can be seen out of the shadow. 

BARMAN
Corrigan's


4.  Looking at the bar from from on. The Barman stands behind it, hands on the bar. In front of the bar where the crook was standing is now a lonesome bar stool.  To its side is the black garbage bag the crook was holding.  On the bar, his gun.

5. A wide panel of the bar room, similar to the first panel. The Barman is polishing a glass once more, waiting.

The Spectre - We Work Hard, We Wordplay Hard - Niel Jacoby

Panel 1: The Spectre and the Phantom Stranger are drinking together. The Spectre is running his mouth off, but Phantom Stranger is calm and serene.

Spectre: ...AND I WAS LIKE, 'I'M ABOUT TO TURN YOUR ASSES TO ASHES, AND YOUR BUTTS TO DUST!'

Inset panel: The Spectre looks at Phantom Stranger, as Phantom Stranger does not react to the joke.

Panel 2: The Spectre is leaning back in his seat, his arms crossed.

Spectre: YOU WOULDN'T KNOW A GOOD JOKE IF IT STOLE YOUR DUMB HAT. RIGHT OFF YOUR STUPID HEAD.

Phantom Stranger: THAT'S JUST FINE WITH ME, AS A PUN IS NAUGHT BUT A PATHETIC JOKE...

Inset panel: close on the Phantom Stranger as he smirks at The Spectre.

Phantom: ...AND IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE.

Panel 3: The Spectre is dumbfounded.

Phantom: IT SEEMS I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE, FOR YOU JUST GOT BURNED.

Why The Spectre?

Because divine retribution is a beautiful thing.

Created by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Bailey, The Spectre is a dead cop who becomes the dude God calls when he needs to lay down some fire and brimstone steez. Not even fire and brimstone, but pillar of salt, mauled by 2 bears, sword all the way through the belly and out the back Old Testament grody. It's not a drone strike, it's a vivisection, with a bad pun to add insult to poetic death.

They say the best revenge is living well, but some wordplay and poetic justice is a happy second best.