Astonishing #44

In "Abra Cadabra!" from Astonishing #44 (1955), a weary magician, shaken by a failed performance, wanders through the city unaware of the sudden disappearance of a getaway car—left behind by two bank robbers who are swiftly arrested. The moment passes unnoticed by the man in the tattered coat, his mind still heavy with the weight of his own fading magic.

In "Something in the Sea!" from *Astonishing* #44 (1955), a man on a sea cruise is stunned by the sight of the Empire State Building, the Sphinx, and a Buddha floating on the waves—each eerily intact. His love interest, Jo, whispers a strange tale of her Atlantean people collecting these relics as souvenirs, leaving him unsettled. When the ship docks and she vanishes without a trace, he seeks answers from the film producer, only to learn no movie was ever filmed and the props were stolen—leaving him wondering what was real, and what was not.

In "Inside the House!" from *Astonishing* #44 (1955), a seemingly innocent contest lures a young couple into a mysterious house, where they soon realize the prize is far from what it seems. The story unfolds with quiet dread as the couple discovers the house is part of a larger, alien scheme—one that traps them in a carefully staged illusion.