The Unexpected (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1971.
Synopsis for "Farewell To A Fading Star"
An aging star named Norma Deering struggles to come to grips with her dwindling fame and beauty. Matters get worse when her young daughter announces her engagement to a doctor. The daughter raises the possibility of having children and making Norma Deering a grandmother. The ex star flies into a rage, forebidding her daughter to marry. The daughter remains resolute and accuses her mother of selfishness. At this point, Norma Deering pulls out a gun an kills her own daughter. Sometime later the police are called to an amusement park where the custodian reports that an intruder has shut themselves in the house of mirrors. It turns out to be Norma Deering punishing herself by forcing herself to look at her own reflection.
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Synopsis for "Beyond the Shadows"
Vincent Harrows moves into a country cottage with his wife Laura. The couple seems very happy until Vincent is called away to London on business. Laura pleads with Vincent not to leave her alone but Vincent reassures her that everything will be ok once he returns. Vincent then starts having recurring nightmares that Laura’s life is in danger. He realizes that he is in a nightmare but he can’t seem to wake himself up. He races his car to the countryside cottage in hopes of finding Laura safe and sound. Once he arrives he finds that Laura doesn’t seem to acknowledge his presence. It is then that we find out that Vincent had pared away in his hotel room and now his dead body lies in a coffin in his home. A mourning Laura wishing that he never should have left for London.
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Synopsis for "The Deadly Widow's Web"
Gustave Rausch arrives at the doorstep of Lydia Arachne pleading for a place to stay for himself and his family. He mentions that he has been promised a job and states that he will pay Arachne from his first paycheck. Arachne reluctantly agrees and allows the family to stay in one of the guest rooms. Once inside the room, it is revealed that Rausch is an abusive husband to his wife and stepdaughter. He threatens them to stay quiet about him not having a job. Mrs Arachne overhears them and asks Rausch to leave. Rausch shoves Mrs Arachne but she just smiles and walks away. Sometime later, Rausch notices a spider on the wall and tries to kill it. He is told by Mrs Arachne that it is bad luck to kill a spider. Mrs Arachne treats the wife and stepdaughter with kindness but Rausche continues to be abusive in the house. He becomes obsessed with killing the spider on the wall. He finally grabs a booklet belonging to Mr Arachne from Mrs Arachnes hand and uses it to squash the spider. Satisfied that it is dead, Rausch retires too his bedroom and falls asleep. He is then engulfed by spider webbings unable to move. He is suddenly bitten by a venemous Black Widow and dies.
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Synopsis for "The Brain Thief"
A mentalist named Dante performs uncanny mind tricks on audiences. His mentalist act leads people to believe that Dante can really read minds. One night his tricks are challenged by an audience member who proves that Dante and his act are a fraud. Dante is disgraced and his reputation is sullied. He is unable to find steady work until one day pieces of debris from a marquee fall on his head. He goes to a doctor who is about to X-ray his head when the X-ray machine is suddenly struck by lightning . The incident gives Dante the ability to really read minds. He reads the doctors mind as he thinks if his two children at home. He reads the mind of a man on the street who is thinking of picking pockets and he reads the thoughts of a man who buys a balloon for his son. Dante tries to resuscitate his old mind reading career but he finds that his reputation as a fraud is too pervasive. He then decides to use his abilities for crime. He reads the mind of a man who has left an open safe at the city hospital. Dante heads there to rob the open safe. He takes out the contents which turn out to be radium. As he is leaving the hospital he encounters security so he stashes the radium on a nearby man who seems to be a caretaker at the hospital. Dante promises him $10,000 if he stashes the package he stole from the safe. Dante makes his escape from the hospital and returns to retrieve his package from the caretaker. The caretaker gives him a blank look when Dante asks for the package. Dante attempts to read the mans mind but it is blank. He then sees the package next to the caretaker but he is quickly apprehended by security. They inform him that the caretaker is really an imbecile whose mind cannot be read.
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Synopsis for "The Menace of the Maze"
reprinted from House of Mystery Vol 1 70.
Two archeologists enter a pharaohs maze in search of treasure. The further they enter the more lost they become. The maze is also filled with deadly booby traps. The archeologists decide to turn back and leave but when they do they become even more lost as they travel in circles. They finally find a doorway that is marked “ My greatest treasure king Thutmose.” They open it and it leads the two archeologists straight outdoors. It is then that they realize that the kings greatest treasure was his freedom
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