Strange Adventures #76 is an issue of the series Strange Adventures (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1957.
Synopsis for "The Tallest Man on Earth!"
One morning, an immobilized giant man inexplicably appears in the midst of a great city, and attempts to communicate with it are unsuccessful. But then a physicist named Martin Ward inadvertently picks up the giant's thoughts with his radiation-detection device and thus discovers the giant's strange tale. He is a member of a galactic peace-keeping race who was teleported to Earth to thwart an impending invasion of our planet. Unfortunately, cosmic rays affected him along the way and paralyzed him.
Soon, the anticipated attack begins, and Earth's defenses are proven powerless against the alien force. But the giant asks Ward to transmit to him more and more power via his radiation device, which finally breaks him free from his paralysis, and he thwarts the alien invasion. Then, with his mission a success, he returns to his home planet.
Appearing in "The Tallest Man on Earth!"
Featured Characters:
- Odes-Ar
- Martin Ward
Supporting Characters:
- United States Army
- Keepers of the Peace (Flashback only)
Antagonists:
- Unnamed alien invaders
Other Characters:
Locations:
- 1957
- United States of America
- Illinois
- Marshall, Illinois (Latitude 39:41 longitude 87:55)
- Illinois
- United States of America
Items:
- Disintegrators
- Atomic bomb
Vehicles:
- Circular tank
- Spaceship
Synopsis for "The Flying Saucers That Saved the World"
Scientist David Baker has made a career of debunking reports of UFOs, explaining them away and proving they don't exist. One day he travels to Cragg Mountain where there have been many strange reports. He enters a volcanic cave, which he discovers to be artificially made by a subterranean race. He overhears them planning an invasion of the surface of the Earth, and he realizes that they will be able to overcome our defenses. To thwart their plans, he uses his knowledge of UFO illusions to show the army how to create a device to fool the invaders into believing that Earth has super fast and powerful flying saucers available as a defense force. The subterranean invaders retreat in panic, and the Earth is saved.
Appearing in "The Flying Saucers That Saved the World"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Darwin Jones: "The Robot From Atlantis"
A super-genius robot from long-lost Atlantis is found at sea in a plastic bubble. It says that an inscription on its forehead (which translates to "Klong") means "servant" and that it was a one-of-a-kind creation of the scientists of Atlantis who built it to serve their society. Now that its Atlantean creators are gone, Klong offers to serve present-day humanity instead. With this stated goal, Klong provides plans for three super-machines, which the Department of Scientific Investigation (DSI) begins to construct.
However, right before the machines are to be put into operation, Darwin Jones of the DSI realizes that Klong was one of at least 1,000 robots, which means that it lied about its origins. It turns out that Atlantis was destroyed in a war when its robots revolted, and Klong was the only survivor of that conflict. Darwin Jones discovers that Klong's super-machines will actually enable the robot to conquer humanity, but since he had studied their blueprints, he is able to use them to destroy Klong and to turn them against themselves, all in the nick of time.
Appearing in Darwin Jones: "The Robot From Atlantis"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Department of Scientific Investigation
Antagonists:
- Klong, Atlantean robot
Other Characters:
- Atlanteans(Flashback only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Hungry Meteorite"
A man sees a meteor fall, and when he brings it home, he realizes that it devours metal. Working with the government agents he contacts, he discovers that the more metal it absorbs, the stronger the meteorite becomes. Fearful that it will eventually absorb all metal on Earth, the agents cloak it in cork, rubber, and fiberglass, and then try to shoot it into space in a rocket. Unfortunately, the sheathing isn't effective enough—partially devoured, the rocket falls apart, and the meteorite falls back to Earth.
Then the man who discovered the meteor recalls that it had exploded in two pieces as it descended. So they find its twin, sheath both fragments, and cannonade them together. The two meteor fragments slam together, fuse into one lump, and promptly devour each other, thus diverting global disaster.
Appearing in "The Hungry Meteorite"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- In "The Hungry Meteorite," the meteorite does not seem to grow larger as it absorbs metal; its ability to absorb metal increases.
- The stories in this issue are reprinted in Showcase Presents: Strange Adventures Vol. 2
See Also
Links and References
