Dr. Gaunt

Origin
Dr. Gaunt started activity in 1720 as a practitioner in the dark arts. For 50 years he drew off the evil for his own purposes, keeping all crime in Creekmore County non-existent. In 1770, lightning struck his house in Whispering Hollow. Dr. Gaunt died in the resulting fire. His ghost roamed the area as a black dog.

Two centuries later, A research historian named Rand purchases the destroyed building. He has it rebuilt using the stones and beams of the structure. Rand leaves Betty, his secretary, in the house while he attends to other matters. Betty is surprised when a black dog runs into the house and down the basement stairs. She hears noises before being confronted by the ghost of Dr. Gaunt, who explains how he kept crime out of Creekmore County by drawing the evil to himself to create his "fiends", as he calls the demonic creatures in his attendance.

Rand returns to the house, and Betty tells him of the events. The pair are soon chased out of the house by Dr. Gaunt and his fiends. Gaunt pursues them to the cemetery while lightning shoots around the area. Dr. Gaunt is afraid of the lightning, but plans to wait it out until he can get at Rand and Betty. A ghost of a man Gaunt killed in the 1700s rises from the grave, then calls another ghost named Alexander Watkins whom Gaunt also murdered. George Pryor, a third spirit, is called. The phantoms take revenge on Dr. Gaunt, who is caught by a hand of lightning coming from the tombs of one of his victims. Dr. Gaunt is thus vanquished by ghosts of his own victims.

Powers and abilities
Dr. Gaunt is a ghost. He can transform into a black dog and back to his human shape. He is ethereal, but can turn solid enough to physically attack someone. He can create and control his "fiends", which are demonic creatures. He is highly fearful of and susceptible to lighting.