Comic Title: Adventure Comics #491
Publisher: DC (DC Comics Inc.)
Address: 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY
Cover Date: September 1982
On Sale Date: June 3, 1982 Newsstand Date June 3, 1982
Source: Comic Reader, #202

Newsstand Date June 3, 1982
Source: Comics Journal, #73

Newsstand Date June 3, 1982
Source: Amazing Heroes, #12

Newsstand Date June 3, 1982
Source: DC Coming Attractions, #67

Copyright Date May 11, 1982
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1982
DC publication dates beyond April 1981 listed by the LoC
represent shipping dates NOT newsstand sale dates

Shipping Date May 10, 1982
Source: DC Coming Attractions, #67

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.95
Page Count: 96
Editor: Dick Giordano

See Also: The Guide to DC Giants

Title: "War that Shook the Universe"
Pages: 23

Feature(s):
Spectre (of Earth-2)

Writer: Gardner F. Fox
Artist: Murphy Anderson

Reprinted From:
Showcase #60 (1966)

Feature Character(s)

• Spectre (first Silver Age appearance; last appearance in Wonder Woman #243; next appearance in Showcase #61)

Villain(s)

• Azmodus (a spirit demon; no further appearances)
• Paul Nevers (the host of Azmodus; no further appearances)
• Rocks Parker and Tuffy Copper (rival gang bosses; no further appearances)
• Various gang members (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Millicent Olcott (an heiress; also called Myra; no further appearances)
• Stefan Miklos (a psychic; no further appearances)

Cameo Appearance(s)

• Shathan the Eternal (as a statue)

Comments:
This issue contains a one-page text feature entitled: "Origin of the Spectre".

Synopsis:
Police detective Jim Corrigan investigates the missing fortune of the deceased millionaire Ebenezer Olcott. A psychic is employed to help located the money, and a séance is held. During the séance, the Spectre is released from Jim Corrigan's body where he was imprisoned for twenty years.

The Spectre's release is timely as gangsters try to kill Corrigan with explosives. Spectre intervenes by protecting Corrigan. Jim then traces the money to a warehouse where the gangs responsible for the murder attempt are hiding out. With the Spectre's help Jim defeats the gangs and locates the missing money, which the crooks had stolen.

Spectre then begins investigating the cause of his imprisonment inside Corrigan. Before finding an answer, the Spectre is drawn back inside Corrigan. He manages to tip off Jim to a man named Paul Nevers who is connected to his predicament.

Jim tracks down Nevers and discovers the man has been possessed by an astral entity called Azmodus. The spirit tries to force Jim to shoot Nevers, but fails. Spectre and Azmodus are then able to leave their hosts.

Azmodus explains that when he came to Earth twenty years earlier, both he and the Spectre were trapped in their hosts because Earth could not support two astral entities such as them. When Azmodus's host died, Azmodus returned to the astral world of Tholagga. This coincided with the séance where Spectre was released. Azmodus then obtained a silver bullet which if used against his host would enable him to roam Earth freely. He then possessed Nevers.

The bullet's mere presence on Earth allows both Spectre and Azmodus to emerge from their hosts simultaneously. They battle on the astral plane, while Corrigan fights Nevers. Spectre and Azmodus are evenly matched. When Corrigan defeats Nevers, Spectre is able to triumph over his opponent. Spectre then leaves Azmodus trapped without power in non-space, while he returns to Earth.