Mystic #30

In the shadowed halls of Carnoc Castle, two centuries after his burial, the Duke of Allister awakens—newly born, immortal, and eager to reclaim a life long lost. But the dark magic that granted him eternal youth now stirs once more, drawing ancient forces back to claim their due.

In "Stand-in for Death," Karl Danner makes a desperate gamble when he takes the coat of a dying man and discovers a ticket that promises escape—only to find himself aboard a ferry bound for the afterlife. The story unfolds with quiet dread as he realizes too late that some passages aren’t meant to be taken.

In "The Coffin Maker!", beautiful Carlotta marries wealthy undertaker Hiram, drawn by his fortune—until she uncovers the chilling truth that he made a deal with the devil himself. As secrets buried in the funeral home begin to surface, her marriage turns into a deadly game of survival.

In "The Gun," a restless Midwestern boy named Frankie stumbles upon a .38 caliber automatic, a discovery that draws him into a dangerous world when he impresses Bonnie and earns her trust. Taken to Kansas City, he's thrust into the orbit of Big Ed and his sons, but his growing impatience leads to a violent turning point that sets him on a relentless path. As the city begins to fear a new criminal legend known only as "Gunner," the line between power and ruin blurs.

In "Charlie," Winthrop Peters, Jr. finds himself caught between the expectations of his uncle and aunt and the unsettling presence of his unseen companion, Charlie—whose influence grows as their plans for private school take shape. Written by an unknown author and illustrated by an unknown artist, this eerie four-page tale from Mystic #30 (1963) lingers in the quiet spaces between trust and dread.