Spectre (Crispus Allen)

Jake Allen (Son)

Malcolm Allen † (Son)

**Crispus Allen** was a Detective with the Major Crimes Unit of the Gotham City Police Department. He was originally stationed in Metropolis before moving to Gotham City where he become the partner of Renee Montoya. Later in his career as a policeman, he was killed by a corrupted fellow officer, and was chosen to be the Human host for the powerful entity known as the **Spectre**.

## Biography

### Wayne Murders

Following the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, Allen and his partner, Renee Montoya approached Harvey Bullock and offered to take over the case due to its high media profile. Although Bullock might have been inclined to accept their offer at first, he was offended by their arrogance and refused them. At least in their initial dealings, he seems the smoother of the pair, as it is Montoya's tactless remark that decides Bullock against turning over the case. He is then seen when Oswald Cobblepot tells them that Mario Pepper was framed by Fish Mooney and the police, claiming that "poor orphan boy" pricked his conscience, Allen sees through this as a ploy to take over from Mooney.

### "Murder" of Oswald Cobblepot

Allen and Montoya questioned Oswald's mother about her son's disappearance, as he was their source inside Mooney's organization. She's not in a great frame of mind, and when she leaves for a moment, the two of them theorize that Oswald was taken out by Mooney and the cops. Montoya says they won't get away with it so easily, while Allen cautions her not to take things too personally. Oswald's mother believes that a woman has him in her grasp.

Allen and Montoya went to Mooney's nightclub. The two Major Crimes Unit Detectives questioned Mooney concerning Cobblepot, and Mooney told the two that the rumor on the street was that Jim Gordon pulled the trigger against Cobblepot, turning their investigation to Don Carmine Falcone as the one who had ordered Gordon to kill Cobblepot. Allen and Montoya later visit Gordon and accuse him of having eliminated Cobblepot on behalf of Falcone on the night of September 17.

### Investigating Jim Gordon

At the Gotham port, Allen and Montoya manage to get a witness who saw Gordon shoot Oswald Cobblepot and throw his body into the river. Allen and Montoya later arrive, to put Gordon in a cell. The MCU officers accuse Gordon of killing Oswald Cobblepot, though Bullock gives his testimony to try to defend his partner, but this results in Bullock's arrest as well. Despite Jim's objections that he hadn't killed Cobblepot, he isn't believed until Oswald Cobblepot arrives, announcing himself, causing Bullock to lash out at Jim.

Crispus and Renee arrive just in time at the GCPD Headquarters car park to save James Gordon from the hit-man, Victor Zsasz. They take a wounded James to a dissection lab inside a University, where he is treated by Doctor Thawson. After James wakes up from treatment, Crispus and Renee take him to see Bruce Wayne at the Wayne Manor. At the manor, Crispus, who had never met Alfred Pennyworth, is mistaken for a criminal and is intercepted and subdued by the butler. James intervenes, explaining he didn't want to risk a direct approach. Crispus and the others are invited inside, and he and Renee are introduced to Bruce. Allen along with Montoya later introduce Jim to Harvey Dent, and sits in on the two's meeting.

### Crispus Allen's Death

One night, Cris and Renee spotted gang members apparently preparing for some sort of gang standoff. Cris requested backup, but the two opted not to wait for it. Following the gang into a deserted building, the detectives found several murdered men as well as two large gang members. Cris tailed the suspects while Renee scouted the rest of the building. The gangster Johnny LaMonica suddenly appeared at the crime scene, firing upon Renee. The first few shots hit her, but she was protected by her bulletproof vest. Johnny then aimed at her head, but Cris shot and killed the criminal before he could pull the trigger.

The Internal Affairs department later took the story from Cris, as well as his gun, and put him on temporary leave until his story could be corroborated. The course of the investigation should have been straightforward. Complications arose, however, when a new crime scene technician named James Corrigan stole important evidence, the bullet that killed Johnny LaMonica from the scene. The Internal Affairs investigator in charge of Cris's case told Renee about the missing bullet and suggested James Corrigan's connection to its disappearance. Renee found James Corrigan and forced him to reveal the location of the bullet. After it was recovered, Cris was allowed to return to active duty.

However, Renee's actions destroyed an ongoing Internal Affairs investigation into the James Corrigan's misconduct. This also left Cris angry and disappointed in her because he had secretly started his own investigation of the James Corrigan, which Renee's actions also compromised. Cris continued his investigation into James Corrigan, but Corrigan was tipped off. He found Cris's informant and beat him to death. Corrigan then let Cris find the informant's body before shooting Cris in the back, killing him. By tampering with the evidence at the crime scene, Corrigan managed to "get off clean". Cris's unavenged death pushed Renee into an emotional breakdown, and she subsequently decided to quit the force in disgust at the system.

### Rise of the Spectre

While Cris's body was in the morgue, the Presence bound the Spectre to Cris, making him the latest host for the Spirit of Vengeance. Some while later, the magic users of Earth assembled at Stonehenge to call forth the Spectre to help defend the realms of magic during the Infinite Crisis. Cris materialized in a ghostly version of his own form, before making his first official transformation into the Spectre, killing Star Sapphire for her past crimes. He then vanished, leaving the assembled magic users confused and fearful.

Later, at Cris's funeral, the Spectre appeared before Cris's ghost. The Spectre informed Cris of his role and purpose, and told Cris he had come to realize that he needed a host to humanize him, in order to know what his mission really meant. He asked Cris to be his host, to join with him. Cris refused, the first in a long time to do so.

The Spectre left Cris for a year, to reconsider his offer. Cris discovered that no-one could see or hear him, and that he was unable to touch anything around him. He was unable to help or communicate with his family, still shattered because Corrigan would not be called to account for Cris's murder.

Cris was still able to watch and observe the world around him, which he put to use solving crimes and uncovering the culprits, even discovering Batman's secret identity as Bruce Wayne. He was frustrated, however, at being unable to bring the criminals to justice.

After a year of being unseen and powerless, Cris received another visit from the Spectre. This time he finally accepted the Spectre's offer, becoming his human host. However, their bond was not permanent - Cris was concerned what full acceptance would do to him, what he would become. In their missions together, the Spectre attempted to help Cris understand what they did and why they did it. Over time, Cris came to accept the necessity of what the Spectre did, involving himself more and more in the Spectre's punishments.

Before the bond between Cris and the Spectre could be permanent, however, Cris found he had to face his greatest trial. Cris's son Mal, frustrated, angry, and grieving over his father's death, shot and killed Jim Corrigan - and Cris had to punish Mal for his crime.

Cris ended Mal's life peacefully.