“I didn’t know you had kids, Spectro!”
Captain Atom vol 2 #81
Charlton Comics Group (July, 1966)
Ditko & Mastroserio
Dr. Spectro uses a storm to pull himself together, but the five lightning bolts create five Spectros, each one-fifth the size and only one of his colors. They seek to build a machine that can merge them back into one being, taking over satellites to form a space station, and stealing what they need from Earth. However, while they’re enough to stun Captain Atom they can’t stop them, and at one theft a handicapped girl asks the “magic dwarf” to help her walk again, and he is the one with the color powers to do so, finally proving his theories to the medical world. Not knowing this Spectro contains the former good man hoping to control their re-merged form, Captain Atom tries to stop him. The fusion is still successful, but which Spectro is in control?
What they got right: More tragedy for Doctor Spectro. Seeing that some of his original good personality remains gives one hope and you have to wonder if he would have become a hero had Charlton continued making superhero comics? Instead, when he gets to DC in Crisis On Infinite Earths, they wanted a villain for the hero, and Spectro ends up remaining evil.
What they got wrong: I can believe the mini-Spectros are able to move around in a space station made of satellites, but how is it big enough for Captain Atom to move around in there?
What I think overall: It’s kind of a shame that Doctor Spectro didn’t become a good guy after this. I understand DC wanting villains for their new hero. They resurrected Black Adam, a one-time enemy who died in his lone appearance, for Captain “Shazam” Marvel to fight when they got the Fawcett heroes because DC loves their opposite number villains. At least he makes for a good one.
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