Cover: Jack Davis

Strange Tales #71

Oct 1959 · Marvel · 0.10 USD

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“I Dared to Defy Merlin's... Black Magic!”

In "I Dared to Defy Merlin's... Black Magic!", an immortal alien emperor arrives on Earth disguised as a man, tasked with deciding the fate of humanity—whether to invade or spare them. Impressed by human kindness and drawn to a young woman he meets, he makes a choice that upends his entire existence. Written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, with art by Don Heck and coloring by Stan Goldberg, this 1959 classic features a striking cover by Jack Davis.

writer Stan Lee · writer Larry Lieber · artist, inker Don Heck · colorist Stan Goldberg · letterer Ray Holloway · cover Jack Davis

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Full credits

writer Stan Lee

writer Larry Lieber

artist, inker Don Heck

colorist Stan Goldberg

letterer Ray Holloway

cover pencils, inks Jack Davis

Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers

▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers

An alien emperor of an immortal race comes to Earth disguised as a human to decide whether or not to order an invasion. He is impressed with the humans' decency and falls in love with a human girl, calling off the invasion and giving up immortality to stay with her.

Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).