comicbooks.com Join Free
HomeMystery Tales › #42
Mystery Tales#42
Cover: Sol Brodsky

Mystery Tales #42

Jun 1956 · Marvel · 0.10 USD
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join free

In "The Darkroom," amateur photographer Donald Short finds his life upended when a lightning strike transforms his developing fluid into something far more dangerous than chemicals—now capable of bringing photos to life. With a single vial of the strange solution, he animates a picture of soldiers, setting his sights on a secret army of his own making. But when his wife, unaware of the power she's destroying, tosses the fluid out during a routine clean-up, Short’s plans unravel in an instant. A tense, eerie tale from 1956, illustrated with sharp, moody art by John Forte and lettered by Artie Simek, with a striking cover by Sol Brodsky.

Contains 6 stories
The Darkroom
4 pp
Donald Short

In "The Darkroom," amateur photographer Donald Short finds his life upended when a lightning strike alters his developing fluid, granting photographs the power to come alive. When he uses it on a picture of soldiers, he envisions a way to bring his dreams of power to life—until his wife, unaware of the danger, cleans the darkroom and tosses the fluid away.

The Captive
4 pp
The Man Who Was Nowhere!
4 pp
The Trap!
4 pp
Julius KeatonRoy Henry

In "The Trap!", mind-reading entertainer Julius Keaton finds himself in a dangerous game when he overhears spy Roy Henry and his henchmen plotting to steal government secrets during one of his performances. With his psychic abilities putting him ahead of the chase, Keaton must outthink the spies in a tense cat-and-mouse game that turns his stage act into a real-life test of wits.

We Claim This Planet!
3 pp
The Hidden One!
4 pp

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta
Raw (VG) $238
CGC 8.5 · 1 in census $1,521*
CGC 8.0 · 1 in census $1,171*
CGC 7.5 none in existence
CGC 7.0 none in existence
CGC 6.5 · 4 in census $654*
CGC 6.0 · 1 in census $582*
Show all 12 grades
CGC 5.5 · 1 in census $457*
CGC 5.0 · 1 in census $457*
CGC 4.5 · 2 in census $364*
CGC 4.0 · 2 in census $360*
CGC 3.5 · 1 in census $297*
CGC 3.0 · 1 in census $231*
* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade
Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

This exact issue on

Raw — FINE $10 1 listing Raw — GD $80 1 listing
Raw / ungraded $6.29–$279 5 listings
Verified matches for Mystery Tales #42 · eBay asking prices, seen 26 days ago

Read it digitally

Marvel Unlimited Marvel’s subscription reader Amazon Kindle Buy the digital edition
Opens a search on each platform — digital availability varies by title.

Sell my copy

Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.

We Buy Collections ▸
Fast, fair offers · we handle grading & shipping

Full credits

artist, inker John Forte
letterer Artie Simek
cover pencils, inks Sol Brodsky

Reprints

Reprinted in Adventure into Mystery #7 (1957), Tales of Suspense #3 (1959), Tales to Astonish #16 (1961), Tales of Suspense #17 (1961), Creepy Worlds #7 (1962), Strange Tales #114 (1963), Astounding Stories #82 (1971), Misterios del Gato Negro #99

Reviews

Reader reviews

No reader reviews yet.