House of Secrets #96 is an issue of the series House of Secrets (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1972. It was published on December 9, 1971.
Synopsis for "World for a Witch"
A witch runs an orphanage who uses a spell to escape into a wall painting of a beautiful countryside but is observed by the children spying on her. She beats one of the girls to death and attempts to flee justice, unaware that one of the other kids has swapped the painting in her office with a painting of Hell.
Appearing in "World for a Witch"
Host
Featured Characters:
- Tom (Single appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- John Favor (Single appearance; dies)
- Sally (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- Emma Winter (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Police detective (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Westwood Orphanage
Items:
- Painting of a forest
- Painting of Hell
Synopsis for "The Great Dimensional Brain Swap"
This story is reprinted from House of Secrets #48.
A research scientist named Harold Wilson receives and interdimensional message from an alien that wishes to trade places with him to exchange scientific information. The exchange is made, and Wilson is transported to an alien world while an alien named LL-2 takes his place on earth. Wilson soon discovers that the aliens have mastered gravity and use it as an energy source Wilson also notices a group of alien statues that seem to be communicating with him. He receives a mental message from the statues declaring that they are alive and are being held prisoner. Wilson sets them free, and the alien trio reveals that Wilson has been dealing with escaped convicts that have taken over the scientific facility. Their plan is to escape to earth but Wilson is then attacked by the alien convicts once more. He is urged to use his mental powers to aid him in subduing the aliens. Wilson uses his mind to overpower the alien convicts. Wilson returns back to earth and the alien LL-2 is brought back to his own dimension.
Appearing in "The Great Dimensional Brain Swap"
Featured Characters:
- Harold Wilson (Single appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Gerald (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Other Dimension Convicts (Single appearance)
- LL-2 (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Other Dimension scientists (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Wilson's lab
- Another Dimension
Items:
- Pene-Probe ray (Destroyed)
Vehicles:
- Hover-vehicle
Synopsis for "Be It Ever So Humble"
A couple builds a house on a plot of land where a plantation used to stand but burned down and the owner's ghost stills haunts the land. After the couple's house is built the ghost is dissatisfied and starts adding on rooms. This annoys the husband because the couple think the additions are tacky, which annoys the ghost, but he doesn't want to leave because all their money is tied up in the house. Eventually the wife becomes fed up since she feels like she's living in a museum and gives the husband an ultimatum whereby the ghost reveals himself to the couple since he's really tired of them insulting his handywork. The couple flee in terror and the ghost disposes of them. When another couple comes to look at the plot of land the ghost thinks to himself sitting in his rocking chair, here we go again.
Appearing in "Be It Ever So Humble"
Host
Featured Characters:
- Jim Maguire (Single appearance) (Apparent Death)
- Marie Maguire (Single appearance) (Apparent Death)
Antagonists:
- Amos Whittaker (Dies in flashback) (As a spirit)
Other Characters:
- Real estate agent (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Phil (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Amos's land
Synopsis for "The Monster"
A boy born as a freak invents a consistent psychosis where he sees himself as normal and all the normal people as freaks. He attempts to elude sedition by the medical staff and escape the hospital but eventually he falls asleep and is captured. The doctor administers the medication and succeeds in breaking through the child's psychosis, making the child accept reality in realizing that he is the freak, but he wonders if he's done him a favor.
Appearing in "The Monster"
Host
Featured Characters:
- Danny (Single appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Doctors (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
Locations:
- An undisclosed city
Synopsis for "The Indestructible Man"
This story is reprinted from Tales of the Unexpected #12.
A Hollywood stuntman named Calvin Brack discovers that his body is indestructible. He performs stunt after stunt with no harm coming to him. Brack consults his old diary where he finds that his father had taken him on a trip to Thessaly where they encountered a subterranean river. Legend had it that it was the same river where Achilles was held by the ankle and dipped into the water. Bracks father does the same thing dipping his son into the water while holding his hand. As time goes on, they discover that Brack is indestructible however his left hand is vulnerable since it was never dipped in the water. Brack constructs a bullet proof glove to protect his hand. Brack uses his abilities for a life of crime. He robs a jewelry store and drives away in a getaway car. As he drives the car he hits a pedestrian. Brack runs off to another state where he must apply for a new ID but that would require that he remove his protective glove to be fingerprinted. Brack breaks into a neighbor's apartment to look for a bottle of ink to fingerprint himself. He steals what appears to be ink, but it turns out to be a bottle of poison that penetrates his vulnerable hand.
Appearing in "The Indestructible Man"
Featured Characters:
- Calvin Brack (Flashback and main story) (Single appearance; dies)
Supporting Characters:
- Mr. Selkirk (Single appearance)
- Mr. Brack, Calvin's father (Flashback only)
Other Characters:
- Mike (Single appearance)
Locations:
- California
- Greece
- Thessaly
- Tahiti
Items:
- Deadly poison
Notes
- The following stories are reprinted in Showcase Presents: The House of Secrets Vol. 1:
- World for a Witch
- Be It Ever So Humble
- Abel's Fables
- This gag strip was drawn by Sergio Aragonés.
- The Monster
- This story is also reprinted in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #17.
See Also