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"13 Shock-Ending Stories 13": A group of children have "kidnapped" the Three Witches' assistant, Egor, by leading him astray with a bag of jelly beans. One by one, the children challenge some of DC's horror hosts to tell them a satisfying horror tale, forming a frame story for the rest of the bo

DC Special #4 is an issue of the series DC Special (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1969. It was published on July 22, 1969.

Synopsis for "13 Shock-Ending Stories 13"

A group of children have "kidnapped" the Three Witches' assistant, Egor, by leading him astray with a bag of jelly beans. One by one, the children challenge some of DC's horror hosts to tell them a satisfying horror tale, forming a frame story for the rest of the book. Harvey, the leader of the children, reject each story in turn, until the Phantom Stranger arrives and tells one final story. While Harvey accepts this final tale, but when his friend Harlan disagrees, the Phantom Stranger distracts them by vanishing. The children run after him, leaving Egor with the horror hosts.

Appearing in "13 Shock-Ending Stories 13"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Egor

Antagonists:

  • Harvey (Single appearance)
  • Harlan (Single appearance)

Other Characters:


Locations:


Items:


Vehicles:




Synopsis for "Ghost Writer"

This story is reprinted from House of Mystery #9.

Appearing in "Ghost Writer"

Featured Characters:

  • Billy Conway (Single appearance)

Supporting Characters:

  • Mike Foster (Single appearance; dies)

Other Characters:

  • Conway's cast members (Single appearance)
  • A police officer (Single appearance)

Locations:

  • A tv studio

Vehicles:

  • Conway's yacht

Synopsis for "The Magic Hammer"

This story is reprinted from Tales of the Unexpected #16.

In the old west, a man named Bard finds a hammer that causes rain whenever he throws it. He uses it to charge people in drought-plagued areas for relief, then when he learns it can destroy any object it touches, he decides to skip a step and just rob banks by caving in their walls. Before he can make his first robbery, he finds himself confronted by the hammer's true owner, the god Thor, who's been cursed to walk the Earth searching for it. In fear, Bard throws the hammer at the god, but this just breaks the curse and restores his power. Thor blasts Bard off his horse with a bolt of lightning, reducing the would-be robber to madness.

Appearing in "The Magic Hammer"

Featured Characters:


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Other Characters:


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Synopsis for "A Piece of Rope"

This story is reprinted from House of Mystery #5.

Appearing in "A Piece of Rope"

Featured Characters:

  • George Hackett (Single appearance)

Supporting Characters:

  • Deputy Sheriff Conlon (Single appearance; dies)

Other Characters:

  • Horace Sweeney (Single appearance; dies)
  • unnamed police officer (Single appearance)

Items:

  • A chest

Synopsis for "Last Mile Martin"

This story is reprinted from House of Mystery #15.

Appearing in "Last Mile Martin"

Featured Characters:

  • Ward Creed (Single appearance)

Supporting Characters:

  • Eddie Blake (Single appearance; dies)
  • Larry (Single appearance)

Animals:

  • Sinbad, an albatross (Single appearance; dies)

Locations:

  • The South Seas
    • Seaglass island

Items:

  • Pearls

Vehicles:

  • Eddie's boat (Destroyed)

Synopsis for "The Dream Lamp"

This story is reprinted from Tales of the Unexpected #1.

Appearing in "The Dream Lamp"

Featured Characters:

  • Cyrus Perkins

Supporting Characters:


Antagonists:


Other Characters:


Locations:

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Synopsis for "Door of No Return?"

This story is reprinted from House of Secrets #62.

Appearing in "Door of No Return?"

Featured Characters:

  • Don Miguel (Single appearance)

Locations:

Items:

  • A Door to another world
  • Treasure chest

Synopsis for "Beware after Dark!"

This story is reprinted from Sensation Mystery #114.

Appearing in "Beware after Dark!"

  • Appearances not yet listed

Synopsis for "The Tree-Man of Tanganyika"

This story is reprinted from House of Mystery #30.

Appearing in "The Tree-Man of Tanganyika"

Featured Characters:

  • Mr. Gregory (Single appearance; dies)

Supporting Characters:

  • Evans (Single appearance)
  • Mogando (Single appearance)

Locations:

Synopsis for "Written in the Sands"

This story is reprinted from House of Mystery #26.

Appearing in "Written in the Sands"

Featured Characters:

  • Ezekial Green (Single appearance)

Antagonists:

  • Wilbur Link (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Police officers

Locations:

  • A beach

Synopsis for "The Secret of Salzo the Great"

This story is reprinted from House of Mystery #2.

Inspector Andre Tissot was backstage of a magic show put on by Salzo the Great. It was supposed to be a relaxing break from chasing a robber who's committed a series of burglaries across France. The theatre owner points out to the inspector a man in the box seat, whose staring eyes never looked away from the magician. That's the real mastermind behind Salzo, the owner explains, the magician simply performs under the Svengali's commands.

Later that evening, a couple notice a light in their neighbor's window, even though the residents are supposed to be away. The wife calls the gendarmes to report a possible break-in. Andre arrives with the police, taking charge of the situation. After all exits are covered, he takes a few men with him into the house. There, he catches the intruder, a very confused Salzo, and the mysterious hypnotist who controls him. Since Salzo was not in control of himself, and his Svengali didn't actually commit any crime, there was nothing they can be charged with, and Andre is forced to let them both go.

Another performance by Salzo the Great at the theater. But tonight, instead of the Svengali, it was Andre watching him from the box seat, in disguise. He had the Svengali locked up for one night and borrowed his cloak so he can watch Salzo, this time without the help of hypnosis... or so the inspector thought. Suddenly, a piercing presence tries to invade his mind. It takes everything Andre has to try and resist. The culprit turned out to be Salzo himself. He orders Andre to meet in his dressing room after the act, where he freely confesses to being the real Svengali, making the law believe it was his assistant who had commanded him to rob those shops. It was the perfect plan, ensuring he could never be arrested even if he's caught. Now, Salzo has one final command for the inspector: to commit suicide by firing his gun at his head. Andre starts to comply, but then turns the tables and points the gun at Salzo! He managed to break free of the hypnosis attempt by focusing his mind on something else, knowing that unwilling subjects can't be hypnotized.

Appearing in "The Secret of Salzo the Great"

Featured Characters:

  • Inspector Andre Tissot

Antagonists:

  • Salzo the Great (Single appearance)
  • Salzo's assistant (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Irene (Single appearance)

Locations:

Synopsis for "Secret Locked in the Ice"

This story is reprinted from House of Secrets #63.

Hugo Dulac and police official Emile Valois climb the Alps to search for the body of Dulac's partner Karl Forst, lost ten years previously. When they find the body, Dulac demands Valois give him the money in Forst's pack, part of their hard-earned earnings from when they were partners. Valois tells him he's found a note from Forst revealing that his fellow bank-robber, Dulac, caused him to fall in a crevasse with all the money as he tried to force him to hand it all over to him. Valois tells him Forst burned all the money keeping him warm just long enough to write the accusatory note before he died.

Appearing in "Secret Locked in the Ice"

Featured Characters:

  • Emile Valois (Single appearance)

Supporting Characters:

  • Karl Forst (Dies in flashback)

Antagonists:

  • Hugo Dulac (Single appearance)

Locations:

Synopsis for "The Bullet Man"

This story is reprinted from Tales of the Unexpected #17.

Appearing in "The Bullet Man"

  • Appearances not yet listed

Synopsis for "The Strange Faces of Death!"

This story is reprinted from House of Mystery #19.

Appearing in "The Strange Faces of Death!"

Featured Characters:

  • Elmo Hackett (Single appearance)

Supporting Characters:

  • Jonas Laird (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Roger Dale (Dies in flashback)
  • Harvey Blake (Dies in flashback)
  • Howard Towne (Dies in flashback)
  • Lord Delbert (Flashback only)

Locations:

Items:

  • Death Masks
  • Ring of Esternazy

Notes

  • According to in-house ads, this issue went on sale May 22, 1969[1].
  • "13 Shock-Ending Stories 13" is a framing story that wraps around the other stories in the issue.
  • "The Tree-Man of Tanganyika" was originally titled "The Terrible Tree-Man of Tanganyika"
  • "The Strange Faces of Death" is recontextualized: in the original story, Elmo Hacket is speaking to the reader, while the frame story claims he is talking to the Phantom Stranger.
  • This issue also includes a short prose story written by Egor, explaining his origins.

Trivia

  • Harlan confuses the name "The Phantom Stranger" with "The Lone Ranger."


See Also


Links and References

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