House of Secrets #73
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeHouse of Secrets #73 is the debut issue for Prince Ra-Man, a new supernatural identity built on the bones of the long-running Mark Merlin feature — effectively DC's answer to the mystic-hero wave that Doctor Strange had just kicked off at Marvel. By engineering Merlin's literal death and rebirth as an Egyptian sorcerer, writer and artist gave the anthology's continuing feature a dramatic conceptual refresh that anchored the title through the remainder of its original Silver Age run. The issue also bundles a second Eclipso story alongside a lighthearted Binky teen-humor strip, making it an unusually diverse anthology package that captures exactly how experimental mid-1960s DC was willing to be within a single issue.
In "The Death of Mark Merlin," a 1965 DC classic, the enigmatic Gargoyle traps Mark Merlin in the mystical dimension of Ra, granting him immense magical power—but at a cost: Merlin must return to Earth as Prince Ra-Man. Written by Bob Haney and brought to life with moody, expressive art by Bernard Baily, this haunting tale blends supernatural mystery and transformation. The cover, a striking illustration by Jack Sparling, captures the eerie essence of the story’s otherworldly stakes.
In "The Death of Mark Merlin," the Gargoyle casts Mark Merlin into the dimension of Ra, where he awakens as the powerful Prince Ra-Man—bound by a fate that demands his return to Earth in a new form, wielding ancient magic at a terrible cost.
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The lead story, 'The Death of Mark Merlin,' was drawn by veteran artist Bernard Baily, who had been illustrating the Merlin feature and would continue on Ra-Man through the title's close with issue #80. The issue appeared under the editorial stewardship of Jack Schiff, who oversaw the House of Secrets title during its later Silver Age years. The Binky and Allergy backup strip was a reprint of material originally published in a DC comic cover-dated July 1957, produced in cooperation with the National Social Welfare Assembly — a common arrangement for DC's teen-humor and public-service oriented strips of that era.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and origin of Prince Ra-Man (July–August 1965 cover date), who replaced Mark Merlin as the lead feature of the series.
- The transformation story is titled 'The Death of Mark Merlin': Merlin is trapped in the dimensional Ra-Realm by his enemy the Gargoyle and can only return to Earth by reincarnating his memories into the body of Prince Ra-Man, a young Egyptian prince who died 4,000 years prior.
- Prince Ra-Man was created by artist Bernard Baily; the writing credit is disputed between Bob Haney (per GCD footnotes and DC Fandom) and Jack Miller (per Wikipedia's Prince Ra-Man article and multiple mirrors).
- The issue also contains an Eclipso story ('Eclipso Battles the Sea Titan'), in which Bruce Gordon accidentally releases a sea monster and must team up with his own villainous alter ego to stop it.
- A Binky and Allergy teen-humor backup strip appears, reprinted from DC material originally cover-dated July 1957, published in cooperation with the National Social Welfare Assembly.
- Binky (Bertram 'Binky' Biggs) is a DC teen-humor character created by Sheldon Mayer and Bob Oksner, whose own title Leave It to Binky had been cancelled in 1958 and would not be revived until 1968.
- Prince Ra-Man continued as the series' lead feature through House of Secrets #80 (September–October 1966), the final issue of the original Silver Age run.
- Prince Ra-Man later appeared in DC Comics Presents #32 (1981) and was killed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths in issue #12 (1986).
Cast · 2 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Relatos Fabulosos #84 (1966), Spectre #2 (1967), Eclipso #12 (1971), Showcase Presents: Eclipso #[nn] (2009)
Key issues in House of Secrets
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