Strange Suspense Stories #20

In "The Payoff!", Steve Ditko delivers a gripping tale of survival and hubris in 1954’s Strange Suspense Stories #20. Hugo von Mohl, a ruthless plantation owner in Africa, wages a brutal war against a sudden invasion of killer ants—using dynamite, guns, and fire to hold them at bay. But as the threat grows, one overlooked hole may be his undoing. The story’s tense atmosphere and stark visuals are brought to life by Ditko’s distinctive art, both in the interior and on the cover, where his pencils and inks capture every shadow of dread.