House of Mystery #173 is an issue of the series House of Mystery (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1968.
Synopsis for Dial H for HERO: "Revolt of the H-Dial!"
The Speed Boys, thieves who use souped-up vehicles to make fail-proof getaways, try to steal a famous racehorse. Robby Reed uses his H-Dial to try to interrupt them and becomes a Gill-Man who rides the local river down to the racetrack. He overcomes the Speed Boys, but instead of returning the horse, he hides it to hold it for ransom himself. Later Gill-Man awakes, having apparently blacked out, and changes back to Robby.
Trying to get to the bottom of this strange mystery, Robby transforms again and becomes the Human Icicle. He catches the Speed Boys in the act of stealing a new racecar. Again, he easily overcomes the thieves, but again he steals their loot for himself and hides it before blacking out.
Robby transforms again to try to solve this mystery, becoming Strata Man, a human conglomeration of stratified rock with each layer bestowing him a different power. He catches the Speed Boys trying to steal a valuable new boat, and nearly falls under his evil influence again, but it fades suddenly as the boat they were in sinks. He realizes proximity to the super-chargers the Speed Boys used on their getaway vehicles interacted with the H-Dial to turn him evil. Fortunately, with all that at the bottom of the bay, he's back to normal.
Appearing in Dial H for HERO: "Revolt of the H-Dial!"
Featured Characters:
- Robby Reed
- Gill-Man
- Human Icicle
- Strata-Man
Supporting Characters:
- Gramps Reed
- Miss Millie
Antagonists:
- Speed Boys (Single appearance)
- Sonic (Single appearance)
- Throttle (Single appearance)
- High Gear (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- H-Dial
- Jet-Booster
Vehicles:
- Race Car
- Speedboat
Synopsis for Martian Manhunter: "So You're Faceless!"
After accidentally giving him access to the most powerful weapon on Earth, J'onn J'onzz finally manages to come face-to-face with Faceless.
Appearing in Martian Manhunter: "So You're Faceless!"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Faceless (Final appearance; dies)
- Vulture
Other Characters:
- Pierre Carre (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- Prototype "ultimate weapon" (Destroyed)
Notes
- Published bi-monthly by National Periodical Publications, Inc.
- "Revolt of the H-Dial!" is reprinted in Showcase Presents: Dial H for Hero Vol. 1.
- "So You're Faceless!" is reprinted in Showcase Presents: Martian Manhunter Vol. 2.
- A "Shorty" comic strip from House of Mystery #51 is reprinted in this issue. Written and drawn by Henry Boltinoff.
See Also