It started in June 1940, when young Denny Colt, criminologist, was killed by a mad scientist named Dr. Cobra. But before The Spirit was a crime-fighting big shot in DC Comics, Will Eisner created the character and published his adventures with Fiction House. A crime-fighting vigilante who has a past with the police department's head detective, The Spirit became a raving success for writer Will Eisner, who is now considered to be one of the most important contributors to comic books as a medium.