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#53
Journey into Mystery, #52

Published: May 1959

Cover

Journey into Mystery #52

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Issue Contents:
Invasion from Outer Space!
1 page science fiction
Characters
  • Lynn Hamilton
Credits
Story Notes

The scene and characters depicted on this cover are from "Menace from Mars!" not "Invasion from Outer Space!". Cover inks ID from Nick Caputo via the GCD Errors list, December 2008.

Menace from Mars!
Story 1 5 pages science fiction
Storyline

Martians threaten to invade Earth, but an intelligent human intimidates them by demonstrating his mastery of the strongest animals on Earth.

Characters
  • Lynn Hamilton
Credits
Story Notes

Possible Kirby script per Nick Caputo, October 2014. Narrated in the first person. This story is set in 2306. Job number from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo via the Atlas/Timely discussion group. Story is pages 3-7 of comic (pages of story numbered 1 to 5).

The Utopia
Story 2 2 pages fantasy
Storyline

Two old friends deceive each other about their own success, until a dream of a heavenly restaurant teaches them the importance of honesty.

Characters
  • Bob Winkle
  • Fred Dunn
Credits
Story Notes

Text story with illustration. Text story is pages 8, 26 of comic (pages of story not numbered).

The Man with the Atomic Brain!
Story 3 5 pages science fiction
Storyline

A man gains powerful psychic abilities from his parents’ exposure to radiation, and he is hunted by the government until a hidden group of like-powered people contact him and bring him to their community.

Characters
  • Ted Lestron
  • Karl Lestron
Credits
Story Notes

Narrated in the second person. This story is retold in Amazing Adult Fantasy (Marvel, 1961 series) #14 (July 1962) as "The Man in the Sky!" by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Stan Lee is tentatively credited as writer on the basis of his authorship of the retelling. Job number from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo via the Atlas/Timely discussion group. (It shares the job number with "Menace from Mars!"). The story is pages 10-14 of the comic (the pages of the story numbered 1 to 5).

Trapped on Earth
Story 4 4 pages science fiction
Storyline

Alien conquerors create a sentient gas and send it to Earth to mentally enslave a human in order to test their readiness for conquest. The gas accidentally possesses a ventriloquist's puppet and is trapped, unable to control the mindless vessel.

Credits
Story Notes

Possible Burgos inks per Nick Caputo. Narrated in the second person. This story is retold in Journey Into Mystery (Marvel, 1952 series) #65 (February 1961) as "Kragoo!" drawn by Don Heck. Story is pages 16-18, 20 of comic (pages of story not numbered).

Travelers in Time!
Story 5 4 pages science fiction
Storyline

A screenwriter pitches a director a movie theorizing that haunted houses are the arrival points for time travelers from the future, but the director thinks the story is too far-fetched. The writer is relieved, since he is such a traveler, and his secret is therefore safe.

Characters
  • Norman Crane (screenwriter)
  • Griffith Cartwright (director)
Credits
Story Notes

Narrated in the second person. Job number from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo via the Atlas/Timely discussion group. Story is pages 21-24 of comic (pages of story numbered 1 to 4).

Invasion from Outer Space!
Story 6 5 pages science fiction
Storyline

A robot army invades Earth, but they are forced to retreat by rusting the first time it rains.

Characters
  • Harvey Adams
  • John Hughes
  • X233
  • X791
Credits
Story Notes

Job number from Dr. Michael J. Vassallo via the Atlas/Timely discussion group. Story is pages 28-32 of comic (pages of story numbered 1 to 5).