How am I going to enjoy all the loot in this crazy form...? 
- — Daffy Dagan
House of Mystery #158 is an issue of the series House of Mystery (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1966. It was published on February 17, 1966.
Synopsis for Dial "V" For Villain
Daffy Dagan and his gang paralyze main street with a deafening siren. Hearing about the spree, Robby Reed speeds home to use his H-Dial and becomes the hero Quake-Master. He flies to the scene and uses his power to create vibrations to stop the gang from getting away. He's unaware they've also split a tree behind him in half, which falls on him and knocks the hero out. Daffy picks up the fallen H-Dial and messing around with it, manages to activate it and turn himself into a rock monster with a powerful energy aura that lets him shoot laser beams from his fingertips but also reflect a recovered Quake-Master's vibrations back at the hero. Robby manages to track the criminals to their lair and recover his H-Dial. When getting ready for a second confrontation he turns into a new hero, the Squid, whose power is a helmet that shoots chemical solutions. He uses this to trick Daffy into thinking his protective force field's actually poisoning his body, leaving the villain vulnerable to a concussive chemical blast when he tries to fight without it. Using the stunned Daffy's finger, Squid dials him back to normal for the police to pick up.
Appearing in Dial "V" For Villain
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- "Gramps" Reed
- Miss Millie
Antagonists:
- Siren Gang (Single appearance)
- Daffy Dagan (Single appearance)
- Smike (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Littleville
- Granite City
Items:
Synopsis for "The Origin of the Diabolu Idol Head"
J'onn J'onzz and Zook finally find the Idol-Head of Diabolu, just as a smoke-creature begins to emerge from it. J'onzz forces the creature back into the head but is drawn with it back to ancient Babylonia. There he rescues a group of people from the creature and learns from them of Diabolu, the evil wizard. They tell him that Diabolu was the power behind Nebuchadnezzar, the late king of Babylon, and that he has been deposed by the Persian king, Cyrus. Diabolu, dying and insane, has vowed vengeance and is creating the Idol-Head to plague mankind after his death with the monsters J'onn has been battling. J'onn J'onzz assumes the form of the smoke-creature, which he has destroyed, has himself put into the Idol-Head by Diabolu just before the latter's death, and emerges from the Idol-Head in the 20th Century before a startled Zook. Then he resumes his Martian form and finally destroys the Idol-Head once and for all.
Appearing in "The Origin of the Diabolu Idol Head"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Diabolu (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Babylonians
- Nebuchadnezzar II (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Items:
- Idol-Head of Diabolu (Destroyed)
Notes
- "Dial "V" For Villain" was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Dial H For Hero Vol. 1.
- "The Origin of the Diabolu Idol Head" was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Martian Manhunter Vol. 2.
- This issue contains a letters page, "Dial L for Letters". Includes a letter written by Irene Vartanoff.
See Also