Mystery Tales #21

(September 1954)

The 13th Floor! (Table of Contents: 1)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Harry Anderson (splash page); John Forte (pages 2-5)

Inks

Harry Anderson (splash page); John Forte (pages 2-5)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Job Number

E-688

Genre

horror-suspense

Synopsis

Hugh Carter has a weak heart but his wife is also sickly and he works hard in order to send her to a better climate. In his office building the elevator takes him to the 13th floor where he encounters a figure who says he is Death. Hugh protests that he must return to earth and care for his wife. Death explains that he was brought here for a special reason but agrees to send him back if he accepts living another 30 years. Riding the elevator down he sees his wife riding up to the 13th floor and realizes she was destined to die this evening and Death was trying to keep them together.

Reprints

• in Creepy Worlds (Alan Class, 1962 series) #41
• in Dead of Night (Marvel, 1973 series) #7 (December 1974)
• in Astounding Stories (Alan Class, 1966 series) #193 ([circa 1988 - 1989])
• in Creepy Worlds (Alan Class, 1962 series) #243 ([circa 1988 - 1989])

Indexer Notes

Splash page is drawn by Harry Anderson and also used as the cover.

To Live Forever (Table of Contents: 2)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Ross Andru (illustration)

Inks

? (illustration)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Job Number

E-684

Helen's Hubby! (Table of Contents: 3)

comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Jay Scott Pike (signed)

Inks

Jay Scott Pike (signed); Christopher Rule

Colors

?

Letters

?

Job Number

E-653

Genre

crime; horror-suspense

Synopsis

A woman murders her husband for his money but when she reads his will, she notices he forgot to sign it. She pays a medium to summon his spirit to get him to sign it, but she finds herself transported into her husband's coffin with the dead man, not the other way around.

Reprints

• in Creepy Worlds (Alan Class, 1962 series) #41
• in Vault of Evil (Marvel, 1973 series) #16 (December 1974)

Nothing! (Table of Contents: 4)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Tony DiPreta (signed as DiPreta)

Inks

Tony DiPreta (signed as DiPreta)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Job Number

E-675

Genre

horror-suspense

Reprints

• in Creepy Worlds (Alan Class, 1962 series) #41

Hate! (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Chuck Winter

Inks

Chuck Winter

Colors

?

Letters

?

Job Number

E-655

Genre

horror-suspense

Reprints

• in Mystic (L. Miller & Son, 1960 series) #44 (1964)

It Walks Erect! (Table of Contents: 6)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Bob Powell (signed as Powell)

Inks

Bob Powell (signed as Powell)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Job Number

E-699

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

Dr. Arthur Nagan

Synopsis

A doctor who transplants ape organs into men to make them healthy is captured by apes who remove his head and place it on a gorilla's body.

Reprints

• in Mystic (L. Miller & Son, 1960 series) #45 (1964)
• in Weird Wonder Tales (Marvel, 1973 series) #7 (December 1974)
which is reprinted
• in L'Étonnant Spider-Man (Editions Héritage, 1969 series) #56 (février 1976)
• in The Defenders Omnibus (Marvel, 2020 series) #2 (2023)
• in Thor (Ediciones Vértice, 1974 series) #v2#23 (Agosto 1976)
• in Gorilla Man (Marvel, 2010 series) #1 (September 2010)
• in Gorilla Man (Marvel, 2010 series) ([December] 2010)

Indexer Notes

Dr. Nagan later appears as one of the Headmen (first in The Defenders (Marvel, 1972 series) #21), villains created by Steve Gerber.