Tales from the Crypt #24
In "Bats in My Belfry!", two doctors vie for the affection of the same woman, but tragedy strikes when her heart tumor proves fatal after Dr. Manning's surgery. Years later, Dr. Jerome saves Dr. Manning’s life through psychosomatic medicine, only for a car accident to leave him dead—yet preserved, frozen in time by a post-hypnotic suggestion. The twist? He won’t decay until he hears the word "Laurie," at which point he’ll dissolve into a grotesque, putrid mess. Written by Edgar Allan Poe, Bill Gaines, and Al Feldstein, with haunting art by Graham Ingels, this chilling tale from Tales from the Crypt #24 (1951) blends medical mystery and macabre suspense. The cover, by Al Feldstein, captures the story’s eerie dread in stark, unforgettable detail.
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Two doctors are in love with the same woman, but when she develops a tumor on her heart, and Dr. Manning operates on her.....but she dies. Later, when Dr. Manning suffers from a brain tumor, Dr. Jerome successfully uses psychosomatic medicine on him to save his life. However, a car accident leaves him dead for nearly three months, but also prevents Dr. Manning from decaying by post hypnotic suggestion until he hears the key word "Laurie." When he hears this word, he instantly dissolves into a bag of putrescent slime.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).