Jim Corrigan
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- For the graphic novel character Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware see Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth.
| Jim Corrigan | |
 The new Jim Corrigan, on the cover of Gotham Central #38 by Sean Phillips |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | (1940s) More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940) (1970s) Gotham Central #12 (December 2003) |
| Created by | (1940s) Jerry Siegel Bernard Baily (1970s) John Albano Jose Delbo (2000s) Greg Rucka Ed Brubaker |
| In story information | |
| Full name | (1940s) James Brendan Corrigan |
| Team affiliations | (1940s) Justice Society of America All-Star Squadron (1970s) Metropolis Police Department (2000s) Gotham City Police Department |
| Notable aliases | (1940s) The Spectre |
Jim Corrigan is the name of three fictional characters that have appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The first Corrigan first appeared in More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940), a deceased cop acting as host to the cosmic entity the Spectre, and was created by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily.
The second Jim Corrigan was an African-American policeman who first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #149, (May 1972). The character was created by John Albano and Jose Delbo. He later became a regular supporting character in Black Lightning beginning with volume 1 issue #4.
The third Jim Corrigan appeared years later in the series Gotham Central in issue 12, a series that focusses around the Gotham City Police Department. The character, created by Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker, although similar to the first Corrigan in being a cop, has not been directly connected to the first.
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[edit] Jim Corrigan (1940s)
[edit] Publication history and fictional biography
[edit] Spectre (vol. 1) and All-Star Comics
Jim Corrigan began his career as the Spectre in the early 1940s, when the hard-boiled police detective was murdered. Put into cement and thrown into the water by crime-boss Gat Benson, Jim Corrigan's soul left his body and went on to the afterlife. Instead of going into Heaven, his spirit refused to pass into the afterlife, and his rage was heard by the archangel Michael, who bonded his spirit to the spirit of God's vengeance, the Spectre. He was condemned to return to Earth[1] for sixty years of punishing wrongdoings.
As the Spectre, Jim Corrigan returned to the mortal plane as a partial human, where he proceeded to rain his vengeance on Gat Benson and his accomplices. In the process however, his fiancée, Clarice Winston, was mortally wounded. Using his newfound power, he was able to return Clarice to life, but later ended their relationship in order to spare her any further pain. He also broke off with his partner, and became more of a lone agent, trying to distance himself from his mortal ties, although he retained his job on the police force.[2]
As the popularity of superhero comics began to decline in the mid-1940s, the Spectre suffered as a result. He was reduced to playing the role of "guardian angel" to a bumbling character called "Percival Popp, the Super Cop." Percival had been a beat cop who owed his position on the force to his father. Percival had assisted Corrigan in the arrest of a crime-boss, although it had been done simply through some lucky bumbling, and Corrigan would later defend Percival to the rest of the police officers. Percival had even learned of Corrigan's secret identity (he had followed Corrigan to his meeting with Gat Benson, but fainted and was unable to save Jim), creating the Spectre costume and becoming his sidekick in the process.
Over time, the two grew apart as Jim, as the Spectre, became a part of the Justice Society of America featured in All-Star Comics. The two would meet years later, where it turned out that Percival had been wandering his gravesite, hoping that one day Corrigan would show up. Thanks to Corrigan (and a friend Jim had in Heaven), Percival was finally able to move on, and without having to be reincarnated.
As the Spectre, Jim Corrigan ran with the JSA, but he was replaced in 1944, and afterwards Jim Corrigan and the Spectre made only a few guest appearances in the DC Universe, although he retained his powerful role.
[edit] Spectre (vol. 2)
Among the many changes made to DC Comics' characters during the later half of the 1980s (following the Crisis on Infinite Earths), the Spectre (and thereby Jim Corrigan) was largely de-powered. First, in the conclusion to Alan Moore's Swamp Thing series, "American Gothic", the Spectre was defeated by evil incarnate as it advances to destroy Heaven. Finally, the Spectre, in Last Days of the Justice Society of America, failed to resolve the situation and is punished by God for his failure. Under the authorship of Doug Moench, he became nearly a generic mystical figure, with Corrigan joining an occult detective agency.
This was largely notable because now, Jim Corrigan and the Spectre became two separate entities (although the body of Jim Corrigan was in fact a piece of the Spectre's ectoplasm as later revealed). The body of Corrigan still served as a host to the Spectre, but the Spectre could move on his own separately for a whole day, afterwards needing to return to Corrigan's body to replenish his energy. This allowed for Corrigan to actually team up with the Spectre (rather than the two being one), in essence splitting the 'workload' in two, since one could handle research and the other could get the job done. It also allowed for Corrigan to become a full-fledged detective again.
Nonetheless, if the two were separated for too long, it would spell disaster for both, and therefore Madame Xanadu, who was not only instrumental in returning the Spectre to Earth (and 'separating' Jim Corrigan) but also held her place of operations in the same building as Corrigan's agency, introduced a guardian for Corrigan. The attractive young woman Kim Liang became not only Jim's secretary, but also a caretaker, herself a separated piece of Xanadu's soul (although this was unknown to her at the time). The importance of Xanadu in these actions would later set the stage for her role in Corrigan's life when John Ostrander set up a new Spectre title.
[edit] Spectre (vol. 3)
Jim Corrigan's status quo was changed when John Ostrander landed the job as writer to a new Spectre ongoing series. Jim Corrigan and the Spectre were now one once more, and he had moved out of his agency. Throughout Ostrander's tenure, Jim Corrigan started to come into conflict with the Spectre as he started to grow as a person. He learned that his old methods no longer applied to the world he lived in, and he was forced to make certain concessions.
Corrigan's transformation begins in the first few issues of the new volume. Corrigan meets Amy Beitermann, a social staff worker and Inspector Nate Kane, a friend of Amy. While investigating the old murder of a woman, Corrigan learns that although he is able to solve her murder, he is unable to understand the victim, whose ghost continues to wander the scene of her death. [3] When Corrigan exchanges memories with Amy, she learns of his true purpose: "To confront and to comprehend evil" [4], an element newly introduced by Ostrander. Amy serves as Corrigan's spiritual guide from then, until she is murdered by a serial killer in issue #12.
[edit] #13-26
Troubled, Jim Corrigan turns to the church, and he meets the new preacher, the reverend Craemer (a character that Ostrander also used in his run on the Suicide Squad), a somewhat unorthodox one at that though, often disagreeing with the church method. After Corrigan's confession, Craemer gives his advice, mentioning Vlatava, a country torn by civil war.
The Spectre razes the country of Vlatava, and he concludes that in order to eradicate evil, he will need to destroy Earth. The Phantom Stranger gathers a group of mages to stop him, and Madame Xanadu gathers the Israeli sorcerer Ramban (also a character Ostrander used in Suicide Squad) and Craemer.
The group led by the Stranger face an Eclipso-controlled Spectre while the other group reaches out to Corrigan's soul. Thanks to Craemer, Corrigan is able to reassert control of the Spectre and see the error of his ways. The archangel Michael appears, stating that Corrigan now finally truly can do his work as the Spectre. From then on, Craemer becomes a spiritual advisor to Jim Corrigan.
The Spectre however is deemed a threat to the American government, and with the help of a Professor Hazard is confronted by Superman, who holds the Spear of Destiny, the only weapon known to hurt the Spectre. The Spectre is eventually able to defeat Superman and banish the Spear. Corrigan also learns that unbeknownst to him, he has been keeping his old fiancée Clarice Winston alive with his powers. She is almost killed by her granddaughter Clarissa, and as punishment the Spectre switches their souls.
[edit] #27-36
Azmodus eventually returns and restores Clarissa Winston's (now trapped in her grandmother's body) youth. This body is still connected to the Spectre, and thereby Azmodus can tap into the Spectre's power. The Spectre confronts Azmodus, but is captured as he is shocked to learn that Azmodus is in part, a previous host of the Spectre. His friends, most notably again Father Craemer and the reluctant Nate Kane, are able to free him and beat Azmodus, separating Caraka, previous host to the Spectre from the demon he was bonded with. In order to defeat Azmodus however, the Spectre required to cut his lifeline to Clarice's body, he decides to switch again with her repentant granddaughter. As Clarice goes to Heaven, it is revealed that she was in fact, Caraka's soulmate all along, and was attracted to Jim because of their similarities. After this ordeal, Jim Corrigan continues to serve as the Spectre, now once more a step closer to his redemption, with Craemer as his advisor.
In order to find his connection to humanity again, Jim Corrigan gets himself assigned as Nate Kane's partner, the two becoming a police duo. Eventually the Spectre is seduced by the demon Neron and Jim is allowed to go into Heaven, now separated from the Spectre, but he refuses. He retakes control of the Spectre although he learns that he wasn't as in control as he thought.
[edit] #37-50
Nate Kane is shot, and the two become involved in a plot concerning a mystical talisman that represents the iconic America. Near the end of that quest for the various broken pieces of the talisman, Nate Kane and Jim Corrigan are once again forced to grow closer after Jim has to enter Nate's body in order to heal himself after a short side-adventure in which he had to use his Spectre powers to keep the Earth alive during The Final Night.
During the course of the search for the talisman, Jim also come to new insights as he not only meets the spirit of his old childhood friend Lonetree, but is also confronted with the fact that he was a man of the 1930s. As a hardboiled no-nonsense cop in the 30s, Corrigan was a different man faced with different situations.
Corrigan was finally able to see the current American world, including its segregation of the African Americans, the abuse of the Native Americans, but also the subjugation of women (and the connected witch-hunts) and other parts of America's past. Amongst the controversial issues that John Ostrander discusses is also the gay prejudice that still exists in the world. Here too, Jim is forced to re-define himself, when to his shock, he comes to the realization that he is a homophobe, an effect of the strict upbringing by his Catholic father.
Ultimately, with the help of his friends, and various spirits that represent the spirit of America today, a new American talisman is created, and Jim Corrigan also finds himself starting to change into a different man, and what he believes to be a better man.
[edit] #51-62
As Nate Kane and Jim Corrigan share the body of Kane, Nate comes to experience certain memories of Corrigan's revolving around a murder case from the 30s. Intrigued, Nate Kane investigates further, and comes upon facts that indicated that Jim Corrigan might have been a murderer before his involvement with the Spectre. Meanwhile, the Spectre grows more savage, among other things killing all of the guilty on death row in a New York jail. Craemer continues to try and guide him. Corrigan also learns of what Nate is doing and the two part ways. To atone for his murdering of the criminals in the New York jail, Corrigan helps to prove the innocence of the one man he did not kill, but loses control once more, killing a bunch of corrupt police officers. During this time, he also comes across the troubled Michael Holt, whom he influences to become the second Mr. Terrific.
The Spectre continues his merciless way, dispensing justice on every guilty person that he comes across. He also finally meets Nate Kane, and meets the woman he previously thought he had murdered. Trying to come to grips with his own sins as well as hers (she had killed her mother and tried to frame Corrigan for it), the woman's granddaughter mercy killed her grandmother in fear of what the Spectre would do. Forced to judge her, Corrigan and the Spectre fight and decide that they will need the judgement of God on their own existence.
To their surprise, God has gone missing, as has Heaven. The two decide to work together and they visit various pantheons, as well as entering the Source Wall. Given only two cryptic messages, the Spectre demands to confront God. He is bombarded with the nature of God and becomes one with every particle in the universe. The experience again conflicts the Spectre and Corrigan, and pushed to the brink, they are ejected from the Source Wall. They then learn that the gap between the two has grown so wide that they can separate themselves. At the advice of Father Craemer, the two travel inside themselves and are eventually confronted by a seemingly crazy God who resembles Corrigan's father.
God assumed the form of Corrigan's father, a travelling preacher, because he was the most influential person during Jim Corrigan's youth. Jim's father tried to imprint his black and white view of good and evil on the young boy (usually through both verbal and physical abuse), even though he himself often gave into sin. Eventually the ruse is uncovered and it turns out that Jim has finally undergone his final test and is ready to leave the mantle of the Spectre.
With the help of the Spectre, Jim Corrigan's old (dead) body is given a proper burial, and his funeral is attended by many heroes and friends. Then Jim Corrigan relinquishes the Spectre, and as Father Craemer bids his last respects to his friend, from the heavens, a message is carved upon the formerly blank gravestone of Jim Corrigan, stating: "James Corrigan, servant of God".
[edit] Day of Judgment
Although Corrigan was laid to rest, the power of the Spectre was still in the world. During the mini-series Day of Judgment, the Spectre is controlled by the fallen angel Asmodel, who uses the Spectre's awesome might to freeze Hell and unleash hordes of demons upon the world.
In an effort to stop the Spectre, the heroes divide into groups, of which one is sent to collect the soul of Jim Corrigan, so that he can reclaim the Spectre mantle. Amongst his old friends of the JSA and his love Amy in Heaven, Corrigan refuses to leave the afterlife to rejoin with the Spectre, stating that he was finally at peace. The heroes decide to respect Jim's wishes, and they would eventually recruit the soul of Hal Jordan to assume the mantle of the Spectre.
[edit] Jim Corrigan (1970s)
[edit] Fictional character biography
An African-American police officer based in Metropolis who worked with both Jimmy Olsen and Black Lightning. He first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #149, (May 1972). He later became a regular supporting character in Black Lightning beginning with volume 1 issue #4.
[edit] Jim Corrigan (2000s)
[edit] Fictional character biography
A Crime Scene Unit officer in the Gotham City Police Department, Jim Corrigan is, like so many of that city's police force, corrupt. He routinely abuses his position by selling crime scene memorabilia, such as bullets as well as more extravagant items lost by the city's colourful villains.
Although the Internal Affairs division was aware of his activities, they could not interfere due to an explosive encounter between Corrigan and Renee Montoya, of the Major Crimes Unit, when Crispus Allen had been accused of murder.
Allen, who loathed the fact that Corrigan had gotten off due to Montoya's desire to protect him, had begun investigating Corrigan. Just as his investigation began to bear fruit however, Corrigan shot and killed Detective Allen.
This spurred the GCPD to arrest Corrigan, but unfortunately the past incident with Montoya along with a decent alibi had given Corrigan the defense he needed to avoid court and jail.
Montoya, who was blind with fury and had been slowly falling into a deep depression over the past few months, had finally snapped with the loss of Allen. She stormed into Corrigan's apartment and after knocking out his girlfriend, threatened to kill Corrigan. The previously smug CSI officer broke down and tearfully began pleading for Montoya to spare his life. Despite her thirst for vengeance, Montoya let him go and then resigned from the force.
The only known connection between this Jim Corrigan and the Jim Corrigan who had in the past been a host for the Spectre is that they share the same name.
In the final issue of the three-issue miniseries Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre, a miniseries about Crispus Allen dealing with his new role as the Spectre, it was revealed that Corrigan had spent the time after Montoya's attack, drinking (Allen found him in this way but did not take vengeance — too easy and too personal), but one night upon stumbling into an alley he was confronted by Allen's young son Mal and shot multiple times, killing him.
[edit] Other versions of Jim Corrigan
In a possible allusion to his Gotham Central iteration, Corrigan is mentioned in The Gotham Times, (a viral website/print advertising campaign for the upcoming film The Dark Knight,) as being one several GPD officers who are under investigation for corruption.
[edit] Kingdom Come
In the mini-series Kingdom Come ten years have passed, and Jim Corrigan has remained the Spectre (not unexpected, as the mini-series was published during 1996 when Jim Corrigan was still the Spectre). However, as the Spectre, he required an additional human guide in the form of Norman McCay so that he could rightfully judge the actions of the humans and meta-humans. In the end, the Spectre's intervention was not necessary, and he was later shown grousing over the "The Spectre platter" (spinach and cottage cheese) while eating with McCay in the superhero-themed restaurant Planet Krypton.
[edit] Justice League Unlimited
Jim appears in #37. He helps Batman and Shayera Hol in bring his counterpart Spectre back under his control.
[edit] Resources
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Bernard Baily (w), More Fun Comics vol. 1, #52 (February, 1940) DC Comics
- ^ Bernard Baily (w), More Fun Comics vol. 1, #53 (March, 1940) DC Comics
- ^ The Spectre (vol. 3) #2, written by John Ostrander.
- ^ The Spectre (vol. 3) #4, written by John Ostrander.
