House of Secrets #54

From DC's House of Secrets comes this June 1962 mystery-thriller starring Mark Merlin, whose cover — penciled by Dick Dillin and inked by Sheldon Moldoff — puts him face-to-face with a genuinely unsettling green-skinned alien in a purple costume, armed with a massive blue ray gun that's launching fireballs down a rocky path. Mark, cool as ever, bats those fireballs aside like they're nothing, while a figure in the distance looks on in disbelief — a cover scene that sells the promise of an "Astounding Mark Merlin Mystery" with real visual punch. Inside, artist Ruben Moreira brings the tale of "The Tapestry of Doom" to life, making this a satisfying slice of early-'60s DC suspense.