Chamber Of Darkness #2: "The Day Of The Red Death!"

Chamber Of Darkness #2
"The Day Of The Red Death!"
December, 1969

Stan Lee: Editor
Roy Thomas: Scripter
Don Heck: Artist
Lettered By: Sam Rosen

The Red Death has struck the Earth.  The blood-red pestilence has
surrounded the area of a dying world.  Death was everywhere, expect for
the inhabitants within a certain bunker.

Arms manufacturer Rupert Griswold had seen the disaster coming and locked
himself within his bunker, along with a chosen few.  The lovely Lenore
sees that Griswold is winning again, whether it be war or poker.  The
eight of them are perhaps the only people left alive on the planet.  The
card game is a power play between Rupert Griswold, Prince Marco, and the
other two players.  The winner is to be crowned the undisputed king of
the new world.  Those who were within the bunker could concentrate on
their own entertainment, while outside waited the Red Death.

George Harris stood in one corner, watching the poker game, and thinking
his own thoughts.  He wonders if he's any better than those whom he built
the bunker for.  Harris had not raised his voice for those who sought to
enter the bunker before dying, and had watched them in their final
moments all the same.  The air is pure, thanks to the filter he created,
but George Harris wonders about himself.  The movie star named Carlotta
believes the engineer to be a foolish weakling, and not a worthy mate for
her needs.  The once Betty Jean Wannameyer from Cantrell, Kansas knows
that when the Red Death has done its work, she will be the queen of all
she surveys. 

It was the result of scientists at work on a new poison gas, in a arms
plant owned by Rupert Griswold.  If they could control the gas, man need
not enter the battlefield ever again, and Griswold would reap a fortune.
One of the scientists did not like the look of the gas, its color was too
close to death itself.  FROOM!  A sudden explosion showered Dr. Farnum
turning his face into the deepest of red.  The gas continued to spread,
thriving on the air itself.  Carlotta Moore can imagine what the Red
Death could have done to the citizens on the streets of various cities,
but it's not her cross to bear.

All that is left of life on the planet are them, thanks to the air
filter.  Seeing that the actress is not too happy about being one of the
last two women on Earth, Griswold asks if she wants to join in on the
game.  Carlotta wants more than a mere card game for amusement, and each
of them head for their room.  They are to don costumes and participate in
the masquerade ball.  While the masque was about to begin, the Red Death
waited from without.  The males guests are impatient for the lovely
ladies to arrive, but soon change their tune when they behold the fairest
of the fair.  Although those who were weaker and who suffered from
misfortune, they would be the rightful inheritors of Earth.

Time passes within the confines of the bunker, until the clock strikes
midnight.  The time of death and new life with the unmasking.  Griswold
searches the group for George Harris, but Carlotta tells him that the
engineer is probably brooding somewhere.  As she starts to mention how
Harris is a waste of air, Rupert Griswold sees that their associate has
just arrived.  The festive mood dies in their throats when they see the
crimson rags and the grim mask being worn, as a representation of the Red
Death itself.  The employer wants his employee to remove the costume at
once, but George Harris refuses to comply.  Two of the male guests decide
to have some fun at their silent friend's expense.

They manage to catch him, then see that he's now barely able to stand.
Rupert Griswold has the pleasure of unmasking him, and immediately
regrets it.  The engineer's face is red, for the Red Death now walks
among them within the bunker, and is in the very air they breathe.  They
find the air filter control switch in his hand, and know that they will
soon be dead.  Since all of them were evil, none of them deserved to be
the new Adam for a new world.  Better a dead world than one ruled by the
likes of them.  As each of the guests dropped in turn, the dark decay
descended upon them, and the Red Death rules over all.

On the cover of Chamber Of Darkness &2, the Red Death makes its entrance,
and crashes the party.

Smilin' Stan does the introduction for the story, one in the style of
Saki, Lovecraft, Ambrose Bierce, and Poe with a Mighty Marvel update.

George Harris resembles George Harrison, who also enjoyed having a smoke.

Carlotta Moore learns that following the Red Death can be a tough act.

Frank Farnum was the Daredevil villain known as the Masked Marauder.

We learn in this story that not all arms manufacturers were as glamorous
as Tony Stark.

The Red Skull employed his dust of death as his weapon of choice.

Smilin' Stan informs us that the people in the bunker were unaware that
no one else was killed by the Red Death outside of a twenty mile radius.

In Doctor Strange &11: "Shadowplay!" (December, 1975) by Steve Englehart,
Gene Colan, Tom Palmer, and John Costanza, the Master of the Mystic Arts
attends the Dance of the Red Death.

Steve Chung
"The Review Of The Red Death!"

Chamber Of Darkness #2: "The Face Of Fear!"

Chamber Of Darkness #2
"The Face Of Fear!"
December, 1969

Story By: Stan Lee
Script By: Archie Goodwin
Art By: Syd Shores
Lettering By: Jean Izzo

Freddy Garricks' father has had enough.  His son will enter the bathroom
for a shave... or he will not be going out of the apartment tonight.  The
old man has had enough of the long hair look and the strange outfits his
son has worn.  Freddy wonders why he can't have a beard if it's his own
face?!

His mother and father don't want to look at it, and want their son's
appearance to change for the better.  With his friends waiting for him,
Freddy isn't in a hurry to change his looks.  The only thing his father
wants to hear is the sound of a razor removing some stubble.  Inside the
bathroom, Freddy wonders about the price of keeping up appearances.  His
parents know that shaving can be a drag, but they won't ever admit it.
As hot water fills the basin, the youth slaps some lather on his face,
and sees that there's something wrong with the mirror.  The steam must
have caused it to fog.

The fog does not rub off the mirror so easily, and Freddy Garricks soon
sees a face appear in the mirror... the face belonging to someone else.
Staring into the mirror, the youth shudders with dread, and the elderly
face continues to smile at the frightened Freddy.

For a moment, he wonders if his father is pulling a trick, but there's no
one behind him in the bathroom.  Freddy wants to know what the face in
the mirror wants, but it's not talking.  Only when the thrown razor
shatters the glass into many pieces, does the teenager have a chance to
flee.

Once out of the apartment, and past his puzzled parents, Freddy Garricks
covers his eyes, and heads for the elevator.  The elderly face continues
to smile within his own mind, and the youth is frantically pressing the
button for the doors to open.  Once the doors have parted, Freddy sees
that the cadaverous figure has been expecting him.

As the transparent figure steps towards him, the teenager makes for the
fire stairs, and is chased by a trio of elderly images in his mind's eye.
Now in the lobby, Freddy Garricks pauses to think about the smiling
face, and the unerring eyes.  He sees that some of the neighbors have
come to see what's left of the elevator.

It had fallen some eighteen floors, but thankfully no one was injured.
The startled youth can only gape at the sight of the smashed elevator
car.  It had been a warning, not a threat to his life.  Its appearance
had fooled him, just as he had been discussing with his parents.  Perhaps
there's not so much difference between them after all.  The face is gone,
but is the danger over?  Will Freddy Garricks be spending the rest of his
life afraid to look in the mirror, and see something other than himself
there? 

The elder Garricks wears glasses, has a striped orange tie, white shirt,
and grey pants.

Freddy Garricks is wearing a serape, some love beads, brown bell-bottoms,
and sandals.

Freddy is a dreamer, but he looks like Paul McCartney with five o'clock
shadow.

I wonder how a thrown teeny-tiny razor is able to shatter a mirror?

The face in the mirror resembles one of the Guardians of the Universe.

If I were going for a No-Prize, I'd say that the elderly man in the
mirror is none other than Freddy Garricks himself, in his later years.
The invalid has been given a chance to change his past and prevent the
accident that cost him his mobility from happening.

If this is so, the elderly Freddy Garricks would be able to tap into the
mind of his younger self, and persuade him not to take the elevator.

In the Marvel Bullpen Bulletins, the untimely death of George Klein was
announced.  The artist had been associated with the Marvel Bullpen for
more than twenty years, as both penciller and inker.  George Klein was
also a talented painter, as well as a friend and gentleman for those at
Marvel.

Steve Chung
"The Face Of Review!"

Chamber Of Darkness #2: "Forewarned Is Four-Armed!"

Chamber Of Darkness #2
"Forewarned Is Four-Armed!"
December, 1969

Stan Lee: Editor
Neal Adams & Roy Thomas: Script
Marie Severin: Art
Trimpe & Sutton: Inks

Carl Brock heard the metal door slowly opening...  He shook as the air of
his dimly lit cell reacted to the draft.  He shook not by the sudden
chill, but by his own terror.  The ever-watchful guard tells the visiting
doctor that the prisoner has not spoken since his arrival at the prison.
The doctor is confident that he will be able to speak with Brock.

The prisoner squirms in the grip of two guards, as the psychiatrist leads
them to the warden's office.  Once inside, Carl Brock settles down, and
does not mind being handcuffed to a chair...  Dr. Caruthers turns on the
tape recorder, while the warden eyes the hardened criminal in their
midst.  Brock is ready to tell his story, and is confident that he'll be
receiving a pardon from the governor.  The prisoner is glad to see that
there are three of them in the room with him, and motions for the doctor
to hold the microphone closer to him.  With no family, no education, Carl
Brock was an invisible man.  He soon gained recognition when he struck
down a road-gang guard, taking his gun, and running for it.

Since he was familiar with the area, Brock was able to head for High Hill
Country by nighttime.  He stopped in his escape when he saw a flash of
light in the sky, and an object which moved as fast as lightning was
falling towards him.  As Brock dove for cover, the object continued its
descent, then hovered past, with the escapee hanging onto the ground for
dear life.  Having seen many planes in his day, Carl Brock could only
describe the object in front of him as looking like a flat football.  Its
sounds were a whisper to his ears, and his organs were causing him such
discomfort, that he couldn't move a muscle.  He saw a thing emerging from
the craft, floating on the air itself.  It resembled a man, but a man
doesn't have four arms.  The strange boots were what caught Brock's eyes,
as the silent visitor came ever closer.

Even if he had fought back, Carl Brock would have lost his own life.  Two
of the four arms reached out with a helmet in its hands, and placed it on
the escapee's head.  Brock found that he now possessed the visitor's
memories, and saw sights which were definitely not of this world.  The
sky was red where the alien had come from, and that race could change
their appearance to blend in wherever they traveled.  After leaving the
planet of their birth, they made their way through space, and their scout
ships have found a new place... Earth.

Carl Brock could feel his mind being drained, and he knew that he only
had one chance left.  Pulling the helmet off, the escapee threw it at the
floating figure, and drew his gun.  BLAM!  BLAM!  BLAM!  BLAM!  The
bullets had slowed in the air, and fell to the ground.  The thought of
having that creature probing his mind like an animal was too much for
him.  Brock ran down the slope for the highway.  As he tumbled down the
hill, he knew that the visitor could kill him at any moment.  At the
bottom of the hill, a familiar four-armed figure was waiting for him.

Just as the alien being reached for him, an automobile came around the
bend, and caused the visitor to disappear.  Carl Brock ran towards the
oncoming car, and was never more thankful to be taken into custody.  The
prisoner has finished his story and the doctor has stopped the tape.  The
warden sighs, then orders Brock returned to his cell.  Carl Brock hopes
that they believe him, that they realize how he's told them the truth.
The warden asks the doctor to contact him once he's done with the tape.
Now in his cell, the prisoner knows there is only an hour left before he
is  to be taken away.

Now in his room, the doctor has completed his work with the tape, and
calls the warden.  The psychiatrist tells him that the recording has
revealed nothing unusual.  The warden's theory that Carl Brock's voice
has been sped up has been disapproved.  As he continues with the
conversation, the doctor holds the phone to the receiver with one hand,
holds his pipe with another hand, turns off the tape recorder with
another hand, and disposed of the evidence with the other hand.  It is
now time for the prisoner to be taken care of... As Brock pleads with the
guard one last time, the attendants make note of his squeaky-springed
voice.  By the time the prisoner can communicate with anyone else, the
psychiatrist's race will have taken over.

Unfortunately for Carl Brock, he had one chance to warn the authorities
against the menace of the four-armed alien from space.

The psychiatrist resembles Commissioner Gordon and is wearing a purple
pinstriped suit.

The alien is pale-skinned, wears a red tunic with a golden belt, and blue
pants.  A pair of hover-boots completes the ensemble.

The fishbowl-shaped mind leeching machine has visible circuitry and comes
complete with two stands to keep it steady on its selected subject.

If we're lucky, the alien doctor's fascination with tobacco will prove to
be his undoing, and they will suffer the effects of cigarette smoke ever
faster than Earthlings do.

Steve Chung
"Forewarned Is Four-Reviewed!"

Chamber Of Darkness #8: "The Beast That Walks Like A Man!"

Chamber Of Darkness #8
"The Beast That Walks Like A Man!"
December, 1970

Script: STAN LEE
Art: DON HECK

Two men with flashlights though that they heard a noise -- but they see
nothing out in the silent swamp.  They do not see "The Beast That Walks
Like A Man!"  The great war between Mars and Jupiter is now in its fifth
year.  Martian intelligence has learned that there is an Earth scientist
who has devised a new secret weapon.  It is reportedly more powerful than
atomic or hydrogen bombs.  With such a weapon, Mars would triumph over
Jupiter.  Ogor is to travel to Earth, where he will kidnap the scientist,
and bring him to Mars.  The secret weapon will soon belong to the
Martians.

The Martian craft soars towards Earth, where intelligence has recorded
the exact location of the scientist.  Two days later, the craft lands
along a deep, dank swamp...  His landing unnoticed, Ogor plans to strike
as soon as possible.  The Martian soldier lumbers through the muck and
mire, when he comes to the edge of the swamp.  Ogor eyes the scientist's
home, then realizes if the Earthman is armed, it would be best to wait
until he leaves the house.  An alligator comes slowly towards the
Martian, but Ogor leaps upon it.  The battle lasts for a few seconds,
with the noise overheard by the occupants of the nearby house.  The
Martian soldier has won, then sneaks into the shadows, where the two men
fail to find him.

The rest of the night is spent in the swamp, with the next day spent in
hopes of capturing the scientist.  When the sun goes down, Ogor sees many
visitors clad in different costumes for a masquerade party.  If he
attends the party, they will think that Ogor is wearing a Martian
costume.  The others see the formidable newcomer in their midst and
believe that he will surely win first prize.  The Martian soldier stands
still for a moment, then spies the scientist nearby.  Moving slowly, Ogor
eases towards his quarry, then grabs onto the unsuspecting Earthman.  The
Martian races for the exit, with his burden under one hairy arm.

The elderly scientist shields himself from the broken window glass, as
his captor breaks through, and races for the swamp.  The other party
goers prepare to go after the abductor.  Deep in the heart of the swamp,
the scientist learns the true identity of his captor, and his people's
intentions for his new invention.  When they come in contact with the
spaceship, the Earth scientist suddenly frees himself from Ogor's grasp.
The Martian soldier is confident that the Earthling will be no match for
him in terms of strength.  Ogor is surprised when the Earthman lunges at
him, and delivers a blow with the force of a pile-driver.  The party
guests have reached the swamp, and have been following the trail.

The battle lasts for mere minutes, with the Martian soldier facing a
cunning and powerful opponent.  The fight ends with one swift blow.  The
scientist has defeated his captor.  He could turn and flee to safety, but
does not.  Grabbing onto the unconscious Ogor, he boards the Martian
craft... to the amazement of the others.  Once inside, John Cummings
locks the door, and the low metallic hum of the engines can be heard
throughout the swamp.  They will never know how John came into possession
of the spaceship.  When the Martian soldier regains consciousness, he
finds himself in chains, and can scarcely believe his defeat at the hands
of an Earthman.  They are to travel to a planet which has wanted to have
a live Martian for some time.  This had been a trap to capture a
Martian... with the agent pretending to be John Cummings, the inventor of
a secret weapon.  He is not an Earthman.  He is Zeno -- the master spy
from Jupiter.

The Grand Comics Database does not know if this story has been reprinted
from an earlier book.

Ogor the Martian soldier is feline in appearance, with pink fur, and a
powerful build.  He wears a brown shag vest, pants, and boots.

He easily towers over the inhabitants of Earth.

Zeno -- master spy of Jupiter is reptilian in appearance, with green
scales, and wearing a purple vest with trunks.

Steve Chung
"The Review That Walks Like A Man!"

Chamber Of Darkness #5: "And Fear Shall Follow!"

Chamber Of Darkness #5

"And Fear Shall Follow!"
June, 1970

STAN LEE: Editor
JACK KIRBY: Writer & Artist
JOHN VERPOORTEN: Inker
ARTIE SIMEK: Letterer

The pilot of a U-2 plane was on a dangerous mission over Red China.
During the fateful flight, the aircraft was caught in the rainstorm, and
the man was unable to regain control.  The story begins with the man back
on solid ground... "And Fear Shall Follow!"

He is revived by the wind and rain, with the sounds of the storm mocking
him.  Getting to his feet, he sees the U-2 now so much junk, but the
pilot came through without a scratch.  In this new country, the crash
survivor sees another standing nearby when the lightning flashes
overhead.  Despite the fact that the shadowy figure has spoken to him in
English, the unarmed pilot must flee, and find sanctuary.  His running
pace soon has him at a nearby town, where the citizens have locked
themselves in for the night.

Before making his way around a corner, the sight of a bayonet freezes the
pilot in his tracks.  A single guard before him and a mysterious pursuer
closing in behind him has the pilot stymied.  The mystery man has caught
up with him, but is unarmed, too.  As he reaches for him, the crash
survivor enters through an open window.  Inside the temple, the pilot can
feel the wall carvings, and makes his way through the winding corridors.
To him, it is as a nightmare which threatens to snare him at any moment.
At the first flash of light, the crash survivor turns, and sees a painted
idol's visage glaring at him with an evil intent.

The next sight which catches his eyes are two heads floating in the dark,
but these are only monks who fail to discover him in their midst.  The
only sound the pilot hears is his own heartbeat, then silence in the
moments before he dares to turn again.  The pursuer has found him once
more, but this gives the pilot the strength to continue on his mad
flight.  He must find a hiding place where he can elude the shadowy
giant.  A chamber with thick stone walls should be able to keep out
anyone, but the mystery man does not see this as an obstacle.  The firm
bolt is set and the pilot can breathe easier, but only for a moment.

He can hear his pursuer's voice on the other side of the chamber door,
with only the walls keeping him safe from potential harm.  The pilot is
willing to wait for however long it takes, but the shadowy figure is the
first one to make his move, and finger tips soon appear through a wall.
Hands and their owner have found their way into the chamber, with the
chase reaching its end, and the journey to come.  Seeing the pilot
cowering before him, the mystery man makes an attempt to explain the
purpose of this meeting.

The crash survivor now knows what must have happened, but refuses to
believe it.  Seen up close, the figure was smaller in size, and not as
threatening in appearance.  He knows that the pilot must accept what has
happened.  When he saw his pursuer pass through the chamber wall, the
pilot knew what this could only have meant.  His newfound friend smiles
and tells him that he is now free to go.  The road which they must travel
awaits, and where they walk, there are no barriers which can hold the
human spirit.

This story was reprinted in Tomb Of Darkness #20 (May, 1976).

A first-rate creative team presents a memorable tale in just six pages.

The story title hangs overhead, as the rain falls on the crash scene, and
the shadowy figure waits in the distance.

John Verpoorten gives Kirby's pencils just the right amount of weight,
especially when we see the pilot striving to keep his footing in the
storm.

There is much atmosphere in this tale, as the crash survivor seeks to
flee from an unknown, unseen threat.

Jack Kirby catches just the right moments in the story to keep the
reader's interest, and makes us want to savor the situation before
turning the next page.

By the end of the story, the cloud of confusion has left the pilot's
features, while his shadowy pursuer has become more substantial, and his
mission is made clear to all.

There are two other story reprinted in Tomb Of Darkness #20, and I hope
to have them reviewed in the next couple of days.

Steve Chung
"And Review Shall Follow!"