Astonishing #53

In "The Hidden Valley!" from Astonishing #53 (1956), a thousand-year-old tribe has built a mysterious device called a thoughtscope to reach out to Mars—only to be trapped in suspended animation when the Martians answer. When an explorer stumbles upon the valley and breaks the device, the ancient tribe is awakened, setting off a chain of events that will test the limits of belief and time.

In "There Were 3 Victims!" from Astonishing #53 (1956), three men find themselves stranded in the cold void of space after a sudden emergency, their survival hanging by a thread. With no air and no way back, they must use their wits to turn the tide—literally—before the rocket's course leads to disaster.

In "Build Me a Machine!" from Astonishing #53 (1956), a desperate dictator demands a time machine to escape his failing war, offering gold and the secrets of the H-Bomb to secure his future. The scientist complies, only to find the machine has a fatal flaw—when activated, it sends the dictator not to the past, but back to himself as an infant.