Spectre #7

Spectre #7 (On Sale: September 17, 1968) has a fairly awful cover by two guys who should not be working together, Jerry Grandinetti and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with the Spectre in "The Ghost That Haunted Money" by Gardner Fox, Jerry Grandinetti and Murphy Anderson. While attempting a bank robbery Frankie Barron is shot and killed by a security guard. Even after his death Barron is intent on stealing the bank's money and his spirit remains behind. Though he is physically unable to touch the money, he is able to haunt the bank and interfere with the customers.

Jim Corrigan is unable to stop the ghost, so his other self the Spectre takes on Barron's spirit. However the Spectral Avenger cannot banish the ghost because his attachment to the money is too strong. The Spectre finally prevails by turning the money itself against Barron. Terrorized by the money, the ghost finally breaks his psychic connection to it and leaves Earth for the spirit world. Reprinted in Adventure Comics #501.

The back-up Hourman story is "The Hour Hourman Died" by Gardner Fox, Dick Dillin and Sid Greene. Hourman interrupts a robbery at the Tyler Chemical Company. The thief, Tricky Dick Arnold, is using a device called a Metalizer which enables him to walk through the metal vault door. When exposed to radiation from the Metalizer, Hourman dies.

The Miraclo in Hourman's system revives the hero a short time later, but he deduces that once the Miraclo wears off, he will be dead permanently. Hourman then tracks down the crook, before his life is over. Then by analyzing the metalizer radiation he concocts an antidote just before the hour is up. Reprinted in Justice League of America #91 and Crisis on Multiple Earths:The Team Ups Vol. 1 TPB.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.