Mister Mystery #18

In "The Devil's Bottles!" from Mister Mystery #18 (1954), Danny Fowler strikes a deal with the devil, trading something precious for unimaginable power. Four genies emerge from bottles, each eager to serve—but their gifts come with a price no one can foresee.

In "Robot Woman," scientist Fozzmo, tormented by his own grotesque form, builds a perfect mechanical companion—Robota—only to turn on her in a moment of fury. As he flees, his world collapses in fire and acid, leaving the fate of both man and machine hanging in the balance.

When a space crew lands on a remote asteroid to scout for life, they discover they're not alone—and they're far from the dominant species. As a massive creature hunts them relentlessly, Commander Stern and his men are forced to take shelter in underground holes, only to realize they've become the hunted rather than the hunters. "Turnabout" is a clever twist on perspective that transforms one man's casual cruelty into a cosmic comeuppance he never saw coming.

A man enters a mysterious shop run by Monsieur Morte to arrange a terrible deed, only to discover that his request lands him in a queue behind another customer with a strikingly similar commission. In this darkly ironic tale, the principle of "first come, first served" takes on a sinister new meaning when both parties discover they may have more in common than they bargained for.

In "Ordeal By Wax!", a fugitive seeking refuge in a peculiar costume shop strikes a chilling bargain with its reclusive owner: lure unsuspecting customers into a vat of hot wax to become part of his macabre collection. As the criminal grows uneasy with the gruesome work, his guilt and fear turn to desperation, leading him to betray the old man—only to fall victim to the very trap he thought he’d outsmarted.