Spectre

Origin
Investigating mysterious a group planes dropping flares, The Owl (Dell) and Owl Girl investigate in the Owl Plane. One of the planes opens fire on the Owl Plane and is subsequently engaged and shot down.

Later, searching the city in a gyroplane at night, skull-masked henchmen employed by The Spectre see Belle Wayne, aka Owl Girl, drowsing on Nick Terry's (Owl (Dell)) penthouse veranda. Mistaking her for The Owl, the tie her up and kidnap her, wrapping her up in the blanket she was using to nap. She is taken to a submarine where The Spectre unmasks her, still under the misconception she is The Owl.

Belle plays along, trying to gain The Spectre's confidence and arrange for a pretend alliance between them. She manages to do so by pretending to give Nick Terry a chemical injection to make him forget what he'd seen. The Spectre believes the ruse and permits the purportedly-brainwashed Nick to leave. The Spectre's confidence in Belle as The Owl is ensured. The Owl places her under the care if S-22, a woman who assists The Spectre. Ordered to allow Belle to share quarters with S-22, the woman doesn't trust Belle, and repeats as much.

When S-22 falls asleep, Belle sneaks out to see if she can unmask The Spectre while he sleeps as well. S-22 calls ahead, and The Spectre catches Belle. He takes off his hood, revealing he has a horrid, burnt-black, and jawless visage. He tells her he was hit by an American shell in the Great War (WWI) at the battle of St. Mihiel. He has spent 20 years plotting his revenge on America.

Public Domain Appearances
Crackajack Funnies #34-37