Tales to Astonish #23

(September 1961)

The Unbelievable Menace of Moomba [, Part 1] (Table of Contents)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Jack Kirby (signed)

Inks:

Dick Ayers (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Job Number:

V-285

Content Information

Genre:

Science Fiction

Characters:

Moomba; Frank; Katu

Synopsis:

An explorer discovers that native African wood carvings are actually an advance fifth column invasion force under the command of Moomba. Moomba gives his command to strike and all the carvings get up and begin to herd and intimidate their human owners as the wood they are crafted of is so dense that neither fire nor any other human weapons can defeat them. Using unknown means, a native African witch doctor defeats Moomba and extracts a promise from him to leave Earth along with all of his warriors.

Reprints:

• in Creatures on the Loose (Marvel, 1971 series) #11 (May 1971) [part 1]
• in Chamber of Chills (Marvel, 1972 series) #25 (November 1976) [part 1]
• in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #3 ([March] 2010)

Indexer Notes

Narrated in the first person. It is an elaboration of the plot of "I Was the Prisoner of the Living Statues!" drawn by John Forte, in Tales to Astonish #6 (November 1959).

[The Unbelievable Menace of Moomba], Part 2: The Menace That Was...Moomba (Table of Contents)

comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Jack Kirby [as K] (signed)

Inks:

Dick Ayers [as A] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Job Number:

V-285

Content Information

Genre:

Science Fiction

Characters:

Moomba; Frank; Katu

Reprints:

• in Creatures on the Loose (Marvel, 1971 series) #11 (May 1971) [part 2]
• in Chamber of Chills (Marvel, 1972 series) #25 (November 1976) [part 2]
• in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #3 ([March] 2010)

The Green Man (Table of Contents)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Job Number:

A-189

Content Information

Genre:

science fiction

Characters:

Barney

Synopsis:

A former pilot can't get anyone to believe his story about the fatal radium poisoning he picked up from an alien, and so keeps spreading it.

Reprints:

• from Spellbound (Marvel, 1952 series) #2 (April 1952)
• in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #3 ([March] 2010)

Indexer Notes

Text story with illustration.

Less Than Human (Table of Contents)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Stan Lee ?

Pencils:

Don Heck

Inks:

Don Heck

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Job Number:

V-284

Content Information

Genre:

science fiction

Characters:

John Harris; Alice Harris; Billy Harris; Roby the Robot

Synopsis:

A strident anti-robot activist is convinced of the worth of robots when his son is saved by his robotic playmate.

Reprints:

• in Monsters on the Prowl (Marvel, 1971 series) #22 (April 1973)
• in Fantomet (Semic, 1976 series) #15/1988 (uke 29 1988) [as "Den hjerteløse", Norwegian translation]
• in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #3 ([March] 2010)

Indexer Notes

Narrated in the first person. This story is an altered retelling of "The Robot Hater", drawn by Paul Reinman in Tales of Suspense (Marvel, 1959 series) #3 (May 1959). Writing tentatively credited to Stan Lee on the basis of his plot credit in a later retelling of the story.

The Voice from Nowhere (Table of Contents)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

Steve Ditko

Inks:

Steve Ditko (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Job Number:

V-283

Content Information

Genre:

science fiction

Synopsis:

The space pilot landing on an asteroid is perplexed by a voice from nowhere pleading for help, but he realizes that the asteroid itself is the source of the voice.

Reprints:

• in Monsters on the Prowl (Marvel, 1971 series) #14 (December 1971)
• in Fantomet (Semic, 1976 series) #7/1985 (uke 13 1985) [as "Stemmen", Norwegian translation]
• in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #3 ([March] 2010)