The Unexpected #158 is an issue of the series The Unexpected (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1974.
Synopsis for "Reserved For Madmen Only"
A man by the name of Gerald dresses as the Grim Reaper to drive his rich uncle mad. Gerald hopes to inherit his uncles' fortune upon passing. At one point his uncle Cyrus Potter is so startled that he throws a batch of chemicals at the reaper which causes the blinded nephew to flee. Gerald is assisted in his scheme by the a nurse named Zena who is caring for his uncle. It is their hope to run away together and get married once the uncle dies and Gerald inherits his uncles Estate. At one point Gerald learns that he has become sensitive to bright light and that he might actually go blind as a result of the chemical splashed on his eyes. Zena then announces that Cyrus Potter has finally died but Gerald loses his insanity at the thought that his Uncle would have died on his own without the stigma of losing his own eyesight. Gerald is soon committed to an asylum and we learn that nurse Zena was scheming with Cyrus Potter this whole time. She becomes the sole heir to the fortune while Gerald sits in his lonely cell.
Appearing in "Reserved For Madmen Only"
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Synopsis for "A Hangman Awaits Me"
A lame boy by the name of Terrance Jones is dropped off at his new foster home. The home is run by a diabolical and cruel director named Mr Widdoes who takes in orphans for profit. Widdoes soon learns that Terrance is not only lame but he talks to an invisible friend by the name of Mr Greetch. Widdoes also learns that Terrance is in possession of a valuable gold medallion that he wears around his neck. One night, Terrance informs Widdoes that Mr Greetch wants to challenge Widdoes to a game of hangman. If Greetch wins then Widdoes must return all orphans back to the orphanage but if Widdoes wins then he gets possession of the gold medallion. Widdoes agrees to the terms and begins playing hangman with Terrance. After a few wrong guesses, Widdoes loses the game. In anger, he announces that Terrance will be the only one returning to the orphanage and he yanks the gold medallion from the boy's hand. Terrance begs Widdoes to return the medallion but Widdoes walks away knowing the lame boy is helpless to stop him. A loud noise suddenly comes from the basement and Widdoes quickly descends down the stairs to investigate. He trips and falls and moments later the orphaned children find that Widdoes had fallen into a hangman's noose that was hanging from the ceiling. The children run to tell Terrance what happened but Terrance informs them that he already received the details from Mr Greetch who had returned his medallion.
Appearing in "A Hangman Awaits Me"
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Synopsis for "Captives of the Ant Kingdom!"
Two men explore an underground cave in search of a vast treasure of gold. Their search is hindered by an ant-like character who calls himself King Pharaoh. The cave being explored is full of giant ants and insects who were released by previous owners who were in search of the gold. Pharaoh challenges the explorers to overcome various obstacles in search of the treasure as he looks on with the use of an old monitoring system. The two explorers eventually locate the gold but they are soon attacked by Pharaoh who also wants the gold for himself. King Pharaoh then releases a horde of ants on the two explorers but the men then cover King Pharaoh with a container of sticky candy which attracts the ants to him. Pharaoh runs off in agony leaving the gold with the two explorers.
Appearing in "Captives of the Ant Kingdom!"
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Synopsis for "Trial By Terror"
Two American tourists by the name of Brett and Harriet seek refuge from a storm in the French countryside. They stumble upon an old inn where the patrons and staff only speak French. The couple tries to obtain a room but they do no speak the language. The hotel manager seems to sympathize with their plight and agrees to rent them a room. As the couple looks around they notice that the patrons look sophisticated and wealthy. They meet an old countess by the name of Louise De Rochaud who seems to speak a little bit of English. She invites them for a drink in her suite and then tells them to meet her in the dining room downstairs. The Americans head to the lobby to wait for the countess but they are soon confronted by a stony face group of patrons who want the couple to follow them. They are led to the countesses room where the countess lies dead in a pool of blood. The couple can tell by the tone of their foreign voices that they are being accused of the murder. They are rounded up in a makeshift courtroom and placed on trial. They are quickly found guilty and receive a sentence of death by guillotine. The American couple declares that the whole situation is absurd and they run out of the hotel and into their car. They drive off and they look up the hotel in a travel manual and discover that they have just visited a madhouse known as the Mad Hotel. It is then revealed that that inhabitants get a kick out of placing unsuspecting strangers on trial. Countess Louise De Rochaud and her fellow residents delight in laughter at the experience.
Appearing in "Trial By Terror"
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Synopsis for "Nightmare House"
A runaway fugitive named Charlie Robbins is on the run through the streets of London. As he flees in the dense fog he takes refuge in apartment building run by a heartless woman named Mrs Mapes. Robbins is summoned into a room by an old woman who attempts to hide him but she is soon found out by an old man named Mr Jurgens who turns her in by calling for Mrs Mapes. Her apartment is searched but no fugitive is found. Robbins had already retreated to an upstairs level where he finds a locked door with a keep out sign. He unlocks the door and goes in only to find a hideous monster inside. The monstrous beast follows him downstairs as Robbins flees for his life. Robbins is about to draw his gun but he is stopped by a man named Otto who is intent on protecting the beast. The monster is revealed to be the former Mr Mapes who contracted some sort of disease that transformed him into the hideous figure before them. Mrs Mapes then declares that she has sent for the police but then the lights come on and Robbins finds himself standing in the middle of a stage. He had apparently wandered into a small stage production with the actors playing their parts as Robbins interacted with them.
Appearing in "Nightmare House"
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Synopsis for "The Bewitched Beauty"
This story is reprinted from House of Mystery #24.
Appearing in "The Bewitched Beauty"
Featured Characters:
- Pete, oil prospector (Single appearance)
- Steve, oil prospector (Single appearance)
- Al, oil prospector (Single appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Swamp Fox, an Indian chief (Single appearance)
- White-Cloud, an Indian brave(Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Dobie (Dies in flashback)
- Fergus (Dies in flashback)
Locations:
Synopsis for "Prisoner of the Power Stone"
This story is reprinted from House of Secrets #18.
Archeologist Thaddeus Watkins uncovers an ancient chest containing a mysterious inscribed stone. The stone relates the story of a sorcerer named Rondell who was charged with the task of turning base metals into gold. The gold is needed to raise funds for mercenaries to protect the kingdom from invading forces. After numerous attempts, Rondell finds that he has failed to produce any gold but he then discovers that he has created a power stone that gives him incredible magical abilities. He controls storms in the ocean and eliminates the threat of an invading army. He has tremendous power and eventually overthrows the king to take control of the kingdom for himself. His power is unmatched until he is found dead one day. The power stone is then sealed in a chest and dumped into the ocean for fear of its incredible power. Watkins finishes the story but is skeptical as to its validity. He decides to test the power of the stone for himself and uses it to tear off the peak of a nearby mountain. He restores the peak and contemplates at all the things he could do with the stone and its power. In the end Watkins destroys the stone once he realizes that he is becoming obsessed with power just like Rondell.
Appearing in "Prisoner of the Power Stone"
Featured Characters:
- Thaddeus Watkins (Single appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- King Walthrup (Flashback only) (Single appearance)
- Parno (Flashback only) (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Rondell (Dies in flashback) (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Old castle
Items:
- Sorcerer's Stone, a magic tablet (Destroyed)
Synopsis for "The Fearsome Fountain of Youth"
This story is reprinted from House of Mystery #36.
Appearing in "The Fearsome Fountain of Youth"
Featured Characters:
- John Able (Single appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- George Cranshaw (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- An unnamed woman (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Clock Island
Synopsis for "The Doom Game"
This story is reprinted from House of Mystery #144.
Two treasure hunters Haney and Drake explore an ancient temple in Siam. They discover two old pistols with a strange inscription. The writing on the pistols reveal that each pistol is loaded with three magic bullets. Two will bring the gunner untold wealth, the third will doom him. The two men scoff at the story and one of them fires off a shot. The bullet ignites a cache of powder which results in a small explosion. The explosion reveals a chest of valuable ancient jewels hidden in the ground. The two men celebrate, accidentally firing off the gun once more. This time the bullet ricochets off a Buddha statue and shatters it. The shattered statue reveals yet another valuable stash consisting of gold coins. The two men surmise that the third bullet in the gun must be the dreaded bullet of doom. One of the men remarks that they still have a second pistol but the other feels that they have enough treasure and shouldn't risk firing the second gun. Drake suddenly announces that they have enough treasure but only for one of them. The two men struggle, and the two pistols fall to the ground. Drake grabs one of the pistols and chases after Haney. He fires the pistol at Haney, but the bullet causes a giant totem pole to fall on top of him supposedly resulting in his death. Haney then picks up Drake's pistol and notes that it is completely empty. Drake had picked up the gun with a single bullet left during the scuffle. The final bullet of doom had exterminated Drake.
Appearing in "The Doom Game"
Featured Characters:
- Haney (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Drake (Single appearance; dies)
Locations:
- Thailand
- Old Siamese temple ruins
Items:
- Old pistols
- Magic bullets
Synopsis for "The Menace of the Fireball"
This story is reprinted from Tales of the Unexpected #19.
An eccentric inventor named Dunstan Waverly keeps inventing things that do not work. His bird plane fails when the wings fall off and his boring drill explodes before it can drill a tunnel. His son Hank Waverly is a military pilot that embarks on a mission which accidentally attracts a burning fireball to earth. The fireball gives off dangerous amounts of heat and melts a nearby mountain. It soon poses a danger to earth but all efforts to extinguish the fireball prove to be futile. Hank agonizes over the fact that it was he that was responsible for attracting the fireball to earth. All of a sudden Dunstan Waverly appears on the scene with his latest invention. He demonstrates a liquid which hardens into steel like material in seconds. He aims the liquid at the fireball and succeeds in snuffing the flames out as it chokes out its oxygen. The inventor is unaware that he has just saved the earth from an alien danger but his proud son offers to tell him the full story.
Appearing in "The Menace of the Fireball"
Synopsis for Johnny Peril: "The End of Death"
This story is reprinted from Sensation Mystery #113.
Johnny Peril gets rear ended in front of an abandoned amusement park. As he steps out of the car to inspect the damage he is by a shadowed gunmen who forces him to go inside the park to get on a ride called the Gargolyes Gorge. He witnesses a number of illusions that tell him not to testify in the trial against Eric Dexo. Johnny Peril is the sole witness against him but he is adamant that he will go through with his testimony. Johnny finds himself outside the park where his car explodes. The next day he is in the district attorney's office but he is told that there is no evidence of his abduction anywhere in the park. It is assumed that he imagined the story and maybe the explosion injured his memory. The attorney is worried that Johnnys credibility might be called into question over this incidence and urges him to to take it easy. Johnny returns home where he witnesses a man pushing a victim out the window. Johnny pulls out a gun and apprehends the murderer and phones the police. The officers arrive and take the killer away but the killer reiterates that he is death and cannot be contained. A short time later Johnny turns on the light to his apartment and the same killer appears sitting in his living room and points his finger at Johnny causing him to lose consciousness. Johnny revives and short time later and finds that no police precinct ever reported the arrest at his apartment. He also finds that the so called victim is alive and well. The district attorney advises Johnny to lay low especially if they want to keep his hallucinations from leaking to the press. This could be very damaging to his testimony against Eric Dexo. Johnny decides to go for a walk when he is nearly run over with a car. He hails a taxi and gets in. Johnny then realizes that the driver is that same man who claimed to be death. A man opens the car door and seems to have the same exact face as the driver. The driver then takes off his mask revealing that Johnny had been the unwilling participant of a scheme to discredit his testimony against Eric Dexo. Eric's brother had apparently carried out the plot to influence Johnny's testimony. As a last ditch effort, Johnny attacks the driver and causes the moving car to crash. Johnny is rescued from the wreckage and finds the district attorney standing there. He was following Johnny after Dexo confessed to the scheme before he died. Johnny Peril remarks that the driver was right, you can't catch death but death can unexpectedly catch you.
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Appearing in Johnny Peril: "The End of Death"
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- Eric Dexo, guilty defendant (Behind the scenes)
- Professor Karl Dexo (Dies)
- his hirelings
Other Characters:
- District Attorney
Locations:
- New York City Area
- abandoned amusement park
- D.A.'s office
Vehicles:
- Johnny's convertible (Destroyed)
See Also