Comic Title: Spectre #23
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: Holiday 1988
On Sale Date: November 8, 1988 Shipping Date November 8, 1988
Source: Direct Currents, #10

Direct Market Date November 10, 1988
Source: Comic Shop News, #72

Shipping Date November 10, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #151

Copyright Date November 15, 1988
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1988

Cover Price: $1.25
Page Count: 32
Editor: Andrew Helfer

Title: "House of the Secret Enemy"
Pages: 24

Feature(s):
Spectre (Post-Crisis)

Crossover Event:
Invasion

Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Chris Wozniak
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Robbie Busch

Feature Character(s)

• Spectre (last appearance in Invasion #1; next appearance in Invasion #2)

Guest Star(s)

• Deadman (last appearance in Action Comics Weekly #642; next appearance in Invasion #2)
• Demon (last appearance in Cosmic Odyssey #4; next appearance in Sandman #4)
• Doctor Fate (last appearance in Doctor Fate #6; next appearance in Invasion #2)
• Phantom Stranger (last appearance in Action Comics Weekly #634; next appearance in Action Comics Weekly #636)
• Tala (last appearance in Action Comics Weekly #634; no further appearances)
• Zatanna (last appearance in Secret Origins #27; no further appearances)

Supporting Character(s)

• Madame Xanadu (last appearance in Spectre #20; next appearance in Spectre #26)
• Cynner (last appearance in Spectre #22; next appearance in Spectre #24)
• Bug McGrew (last appearance in Spectre #22; next appearance in Spectre #24)
• Hassan Al Armani (last appearance in Spectre #22; next appearance in Spectre #24)
• Mr. Zoran (last appearance in Spectre #22; no further appearances)

Villain(s)

• A group of alien children and their parents (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Zack and Marge (last appearance in Spectre #22; no further appearances)
• An airline pilot (no further appearances)
• Two men in black (die in this story; no further appearances)

Comments:
This issue is labeled as an Invasion First Strike Extra.

This story is continued from Spectre #22.

Synopsis:
The Spectre brings together a meeting of several mystics in the Nevada desert. He explains that the Lords of Order have requested that they remain neutral during the alien invasion of Earth. This is to maintain the balance between Order and Chaos. He suggests to them that they stop another alien incursion going on in the desert. This invasion is coming from another dimension, not another planet.

The group which includes Doctor Fate, Deadman, Etrigan, the Phantom Stranger, Madame Xanadu, Tala, and Zatanna meet several of the members of Jim Corrigan's agency in the tunnels between the desert. Bug McGrew has been captured by the aliens and taken through a portal. Zatanna, Tala, and Etrigan search the tunnels for aliens, while the others enter the portal in search of Bug.

Once inside the alien dimension, Deadman and Doctor Fate follow a tunnel to an endless shaft containing alien spacecraft of different types. Doctor Fate battles a large alien and comes to the conclusion that the alien invaders are children. Their parents have also been coming to Earth to retrieve them.

The Spectre, Madame Xanadu, and the Phantom Stranger locate Bug McGrew and revive him. They then rejoin with the others and exit through a different portal located in a nearby roadside diner. The owners of the diner have left after killing two men in black and scattering their bones in the desert. The magic users then seal both portals. The Spectre reiterates that the mages stay out of the larger conflict. Deadman, however, refuses to comply.