The Unexpected (Volume 1) with a cover date of May, 1971.
Synopsis for "The Walls Shall Be Your Grave"
An old man is attacked in a mental institution as the alarm sounds that patient Zero has escaped from his quarters. Orderlies struggle to contain a patient by the name of Abraham. The patient is bent on attacking the institution’s director Dr Kane. His daughter Rita and assistant director Walter are relieved that Dr Kane is unharmed. Abraham is placed back in his cell and Dr Kane is led back to his quarters. As they walk back, a stranger arrives at the institution asking for help with his car. Director Kane offers his assistance and insists that he spend the night due to bad weather conditions. The stranger is grateful and agrees to stay for the evening. Rita and Walter whisper to each other in concern over the strangers stay. They advise the stranger to call an orderly if he encounters any problems. The stranger settles in for the night and looks out the window of his room. He notices the body of an orderly on the ground as a dark figure attempts to break into his car. The stranger rushes to the parking lot only to find Dr Kane himself in the seat of the car. Kane insists that he spotted a patient trying to escape and was about to give chase. The stranger and Dr Kane start the engine and start to move but they lose control of the car and crash. Rita and Walter arrive on the scene and announce that they have caught the escaped patient. They take Dr Kane away and remark that Dr Kane’s mind is finally gone. Dr Kane had been a famous psychiatrist until his mind started to go. He had been held at the institution under the care of the real director Walter and Kanes daughter Rita. Kane was led to believe that he was there as the director and not as a patient. Rita remarks that patient zero is actually her father.
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Synopsis for "Gift of the Ghouls"
A family moves into their new home and are welcomed by a group of neighbors. One of the neighbors by the name of Sam Hoskins introduces himself to the young boy in the family named Gary but Gary does not seem very comfortable and runs off. The mother and father are puzzled as to why their son would act that way. In the coming days Gary avoids a series of accidents that almost kill him. On one occasion a neighbor almost runs over him with a car. He barely escapes as a pile of bricks almost falls on top of him. On another occasion he is almost electrocuted. The young boy is convinced that the neighbors are trying to kill him. Garys parents seem concerned and the mother starts to get suspicious about their neighbors strange habits especially the weird noises coming from the Hoskins household. It is then revealed that the neighborhood is occupied by a collection of witches and Warlocks. Sam Hoskins is the head warlock and states that the boy must be destroyed since he was born under a unique conjunction of the stellar constellations that will give him the power to wipe them out when he comes of age. Hoskins reveals that he has a substance that will kill the boy if it is mixed with any food that he eats. The neighbors announce that they want to throw a birthday party for Gary which will include a special birthday cake. As the party commences, the cake is brought out and they ask Gary to cut the first slice. The cutting of the cake will result in Gary’s instant death but instead of cutting it, Gary decides to blow out the candles. The blowing of the candles results in the destruction of all the witches and warlocks.
Appearing in "Gift of the Ghouls"
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Synopsis for "The Incredible Rebirth of Martin Phipps"
An old man by the name of Martin Phipps is introduced to a lovely young girl named Eloise Brooks. Phipps is informed that Ms Brooks is the latest edition to the stenographic pool in his business. Phipps soon grows smitten with the young girl and starts to fall in love. He realizes that he is an old man who is 40 years older than Eloise but he starts to work on a plan to make himself look younger with the intentions of proposing to the young girl. He announces that he is retiring but that his son will soon take over his company. He then visits a man by the name of Lampur who states that he has a method that will turn Phipps into a young man. Lampur will paint the mans picture and the changes will appear in a nearby mirror revealing a young and vibrant Phipps. The procedure works and Lampur asks to be paid a sum of $10,000 for his services. Phipps refuses to pay and assaults Lampur, he leaves without paying. The next morning the young Phipps arrives at the office impersonating the son of the older Phipps. He immediately starts to romance Eloise Brooks. The romance goes well but one day Phipps finds that he has reverted back to his old appearance. He quickly realizes the error of his ways and returns to pay Lampur but he has disappeared. Phipps retreats back to his home where Eloise has been looking for him. Phipps runs away in fear that she will see his appearance but then we see that Eloise herself has been transformed into an old woman. She had apparently paid Lampur to paint her portrait and make her young but now the portrait reflects her true form. Apparently when Lampur moved away, everyone that had paid for his services lost their youthful appearance.
Appearing in "The Incredible Rebirth of Martin Phipps"
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