Secrets of the Unknown #248

In "Punishment!", Simon’s plan to steal from a peaceful future backfires when the inhabitants of that era reroute his time machine, sending him crashing into the prehistoric past instead of the 1950s. Stranded in a world of dinosaurs and primal danger, he must survive the past he never intended to visit.

In "The Idol," Fred inherits a mysterious artifact from the Amazon, a statue said to call back to the jungle. When its fumes transform his shop into a dense, living jungle, he’s left staring at the surreal shift—only to resolve, once the vision clears, that he’ll return the idol to where it belongs.

In "Waiting ... Waiting!", Herb, Paul, and Vic stumble into a town that refuses to let them stay, only to find themselves caught in a strange, silent tension. When Herb falls for Wanda, her cold refusal only deepens the mystery—until the truth about the town’s eerie stillness begins to unravel.

In "The Man Who Failed," Dr. Fulton’s experimental protein compound takes a dangerous turn when it’s stolen by escaped convicts, rapidly transforming them into giants—only for the effects to fade just as quickly. Faced with the consequences of his creation, Fulton must decide whether to protect the world from his own breakthrough or risk its misuse.

In "The Silent Ones," astronauts land on an alien world where the inhabitants communicate without mouths, their minds linked by telepathy. When Trivet and Clode attempt a robbery, the crew is quickly alerted—because the aliens hear everything, even thoughts.

In "I'm Afraid!", Hans stumbles into a hidden crevice and encounters the mysterious Ice-Men, who use a hypnotic suggestion to ensure he never speaks of them—leaving him with a deep, unshakable fear of mountains. The story unfolds with quiet dread, turning the natural world into something unnerving through a single, irreversible change.

In "Sammy's Secret!" from *Secrets of the Unknown* #248 (1988), a young Venusian named Sammy, stranded on Earth after a failed mission, finds a quiet life with a human family—though he must hide his true nature, especially his ability to fly. When his alien comrades finally locate him, they return him to Venus, where his gift is no longer a secret, but a part of everyday life.

In "Future...Tense!", Rod finds himself caught between a story he’s written about the human brain unlocking unimaginable powers and a mysterious Scanner from the future who interrupts its performance—then erases the memory of its creation from Rod’s mind, all to prevent humanity from advancing too fast. Written by an unknown author and illustrated by an unknown artist, this chilling four-page tale from *Secrets of the Unknown* #248 (1988) explores the cost of forbidden knowledge with quiet, unsettling precision.

In "The Dark Side of the Moon!", scientists attempt to make contact with the unknown by bouncing a radar beam off the moon—a feat that, in this story, feels like humanity's first true step into the cosmos. The tale quietly subverts history, hinting at a moment long past that still echoes in the silence between stars.

In "The Conquerors," an alien fleet descends upon Earth, subjugating humanity with cold efficiency—until a group of survivors turn the tide, capturing the commander and making a bold promise: to teach him dignity, and end the war from within.

In "The Dream Creatures," Jo investigates a mysterious phenomenon where humans across the globe experience deeply peaceful dreams—until she uncovers a startling truth through an African shaman: these dreams are not random, but deliberate messages from alien visitors trying to reach out. As the dreamers remain unaware, the visitors, growing weary of silence, prepare to depart, leaving behind only the lingering echo of their presence.

In "Where the Grass Is Always Greener," Kanu and Bala, who can only breathe air for two hours at a time, take a rare trip to the surface—only to find the people there as prickly and unwelcoming as the thorns they’ve always avoided. Their brief glimpse into the world above leaves them questioning whether the grass truly is greener, or just another kind of thicket.

In "Inside the Iceberg," Jeff stumbles upon a mysterious iceberg that hides a hidden alien vessel, drawn by the strange lure of the frozen mass. The aliens inside reveal they’ve been summoning Earth travelers like Jeff to aid their world, now threatened by a rising flood, and he finds himself at the center of their desperate plea.

In "Two of a Kind!" from *Secrets of the Unknown* #248 (1988), Roger stumbles upon a mysterious machine in his garage that can duplicate anything—perfectly. What starts as a clever way to boost their lives with copies of valuable items quickly spirals into something far stranger when the machine turns on them, vanishing with all its duplicates, including Roger and Helen, leaving behind only empty rooms and unanswered questions.

In "The Tree That Wouldn't Fall!" from *Secrets of the Unknown* #248 (1988), Mac—a man who believes trees have feelings—faces a strange resistance when he tries to cut one down. The tree refuses to fall until a mother eagle swoops in to save her baby from the nest above, leaving Mac to wonder if the forest itself might be listening.

In "The Man Who Never Came Back!" from Secrets of the Unknown #248 (1988), Bond ventures into the Atlantic in a one-man submarine and stumbles upon the lost city of Atlantis. What begins as a deep-sea expedition turns into a startling revelation when he discovers he can breathe underwater—leading him to a truth far deeper than the ocean floor.

In "I Walk Through Glass!", Oliver stumbles upon a mirror that reveals a version of himself living a life of luxury—only to find that the wealth he steals is actually his own, from another world. When he shatters the mirror to escape, the truth of his theft hits hard: he robbed his own alternate self.

In "Forbidden Fruit," Lu Fang stumbles upon the mythical Forbidden Land, where pomegranates promise five hundred years of life. After tossing one over the wall to claim the gift, he realizes too late he’s thrown it into a grove of identical trees—beginning a decades-long search through endless fruit, each one a tantalizing, impossible hope.