| Ghost Spotter/Doctor | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Grimm |
|
First Appearance |
War Victory Adventures #3 (Winter 1943-44) |
|
Original Publisher |
Harvey |
|
Created by |
Rudy Palais? [as Don Weaver] |
Origin[]
Stopping at a tavern in a tiny village near the Black Forest, the woman proprietor tells Grimm of the old female caretaker at Tuber Castle being murdered by the ghost of the caretaker's daughter earlier that night. The daughter was jilted by a Tuber count, and the caretaker's beautiful wife resides in the castle with her servants. The ghost returns seeking her rival, and the tavern owner suggests she mistook her mother for the rival countess. Grimm leaves the establishment, having heard enough.
Heading to investigate Tuber castle, Grimm is accosted in his car by a skeleton in a white robe, insisting he stop. He struggles with the ghost until a woman comes out offering assistance and causing the skeleton to flee into the night, saying, "Curse that woman!".
The woman asks Grimm if he's all right. He is, but is surprised to find the keys to his car are missing. The woman introduces herself as the Countess of Tuber Castle. The countess suggests he spend the night, and he accepts the offer. He wishes to see the body of the caretaker, but she tells him it has been buried immediately according to customary practice at Tuber Castle. The Countess eschews the tale that a ghost killed the caretaker, saying it was heart failure.
As they enter the castle, a gunshot is fired at the Countess. She says it missed her when Grimm inquires if it hit her.
Inside, Grimm asks if he might have some wine from a decanter on the table, offering to pour a glass for the Countess too. She replies, "I never drink..wine." The Countess tries to "fix him" as she pours him more wine. The skeleton appears suddenly, knocking the wine out of his hand. The Countess begins to cry. Grimm assures her he can "get rid of that thing".
The Countess shows Grimm to his room. Once alone, he checks his "disintegrator", surprised to discover a wooden dagger with it. He hears the Countess scream, rushing out to find the skeleton has returned. After the skeleton leaves again, Grimm continues to search for his "disintegrator", leaving the countess to fix her hair.
He comes across the countess in the sitting room, seeing she doesn't cast a reflection in the mirror. He is surprised to realize she is a zombie The Countess drops Grimm's disintegrator in the fireplace as an effort to distract him. When he reaches for a handkerchief to protect his hand in retrieving it from the fire, he grips the wooden dagger instead. Suddenly the skeleton appears and takes the knife, exclaiming, "Kill! Kill!"
The Countess decides to do just that, attempting to strangle Grimm. The skeleton attacks her, saying, "I warned you you were playing a losing game this time, Countess! This wooden dagger will drive you back to your realm of darkness!"
As the Countess's form turns to a skeleton before dissipating altogether, the figure of the real Countess of Tuber Castle appears. She explains the ghost of the ghost of the caretaker's dead daughter, the Zombie Countess of Tuber Castle pretended to be the real Countess and took over her material form through black magic. Tonight, the zombie killed her mother, and the Countess would have remained a ghost prisoner if Grimm had not arrived to assist. She further explains the fake Countess killed all the servants as well. Grimm returns the real Countess of Tuber Castle to the village.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- War Victory Adventures #3
- Haunted Thrills #3
- Bomber Comics #1-3
- Witches Tales, Vol. 1, #7
Notes[]
- The character's name was later changed to "Grimm, Ghost Doctor."