Mystery Tales #17
In "The Movie House Horror!", a desperate musician makes a pact with the Devil for one year of fame, trading his soul for a symphony written in the shifting patterns of crows outside his window. Al Luster’s striking art brings the eerie, haunting tale to life, capturing the creeping dread of a man whose genius comes at a terrible price. The chilling cover by Russ Heath perfectly sets the tone for this classic 1954 horror story from Marvel’s early days.
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A failed musician contemplating suicide makes a deal with the Devil for one fabulous year at the end of which he must surrender his life. The devil sends packs of crows to the wires outside the man's window which represent the musical notes to the symphony he writes down as the crows shift their positions. He performs the symphony and gains instant fame. At the end of the year, he tries to welsh on the deal, but the crows tear at him and he becomes transformed into a scarecrow out in the field.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).