(Spectre III #19) - President Clinton called in Hazzard after the destruction of the country of Vlatava. Hazzard had correctly deduced that the country had not fallen to an errant nuclear test, and Clinton revealed that Spectre, the Wrath of God had judged the country and razed it. Spectre had also threatened to judge the entire world, and Clinton hoped Hazzard could figure out how to deal with him. Hazzard said they should start with those who knew him the longest.

(Spectre III #20-22) - Prof. Nicodemus Hazzard interviewed former members of the Justice Society to learn more about the Spectre. Sandman had been having vivid dreams about the Spear of Destiny that kept Spectre out of Europe during WWII, and Hitler had hoped to use to control him. Nicodemus realized he needed to find the spear, and Sandman told him its' current location was unknown. He knew Hazzard was familiar with the Dreaming, and suggested he do his research there. Hazzard thanked him, and Sandman asked if he could ask the Dreaming to send him the dreams he used to have, the ones that created the Sandman. Hazzard entered Lucien's library in the Dreaming, and learned that after passing hands a few times after WWII the Spear ended up in possession of the US military, and had been inventoried and stored away. Lucien told him the book he was reading wa sthe one he intended to write on the Spear of Destiny, but never would. Hazzard retrieved the spear, and Clinton contacted Superman, who agreed to use it to end the threat of the Spectre. Superman confronted Spectre, and Hazzard felt he was forgetting something important, so he entered the Dreaming to talk to Lucien again, and Lucien told him that Adolf Hitler had imprinted a curse on the Spear that would corrupt those that wielded it. Spectre convinced Superman to give up the Spear, and flung it into space. Spectre also promised he was done judging the world.

(Spectre III #37-39) - NYPD officer Nate Kane had been investigating the disappearance of Rebecca Taylor for years, and had recently received a letter from her that had been sent decades ago. It contained a piece of America's talisman, the mythic heart of the country, and he took it to Prof. Hazzard, who was visiting NYC. Shortly thereafter he was gunned down, and Hazzard took the talisman to the Iconic Level of the Dreaming to investigate it. Spectre was also piecing together why Kane had been shot and met Hazzard there. The talisman summoned up Brother Jonathan, a primal version of Uncle Sam, and he attacked Spectre as an intruder. Jonathan's power equaled Spectre's in the realm of icon, and soundly defeated him. Hazzard managed to wake up, only to find special agents Jefferson and Shadrach pointing a gun at him. Shadrach tried to shoot Hazzard, but Spectre saved him. He confronted the agent, but after seeing the void behind his eyes he felt powerless, and Shadrach made off with the talisman. Hazzard wanted to return to the Dreaming to investigate the talisman more, and Spectre said he'd watch over him. His totem animals greeted Hazzard asked him in the Dreaming, and they asked what he was looking for this visit, as they'd previously answered questions for him about the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail and the Spear of Destiny. They told him the story of the talisman, and how it contained Uncle Sam, the spirit of America. The talisman fragmented during the Civil War, and again after Vietnam, weakening Uncle Sam. Shadrach followed him into the Dreaming, armed and telling him he should not have interfered. Hazzard used his chi to summon armor and a sword, but Shadrach turned out to be a powerful enemy, a legal entity, existing simultaneously in the physical and dream planes. Spectre reached across both worlds to destroy Shadrach, and vowed not to let his masters the National Interest collect the rest of the talisman.

(Spectre III #62) - Corrigan decided to give up the mantle of the Spectre, at last seeking peace in death. Craemer arranged for his bones to be buried in a small grave, and performed a funeral service, with all of the friends Corrigan met as the Spectre attending, including Hazzard. The Spectre-Force vanished and Jim ascended to Heaven.

All characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © DC Comics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please visit The Official DC Comics Site at: http://www.batman.com