Tales from the Crypt #28
In "Bargain In Death!", a chilling tale from Tales from the Crypt #28 (1952), a hypnotist's deadly experiment takes a twisted turn when his wife, trapped in a trance, becomes the unwitting pawn in a murder plot. Written by Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein, with art by Joe Orlando and inks by Joe Orlando, the story unfolds with a haunting twist that turns a secret command into a fatal curse. The cover, drawn by Al Feldstein, captures the story’s eerie tone, making this a standout issue in EC’s legendary horror lineup.
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A hypnotist places his wife in a trance and commands her to stop her heart. He brings her out of it with the phrase 'snap out of it'. When he falls for another woman, they decide to murder the wife by using the words 'wake up' instead, which won't bring her out of the trance. After she has been dead and buried for a year he brings his lover to the gravesite for appearances sake. She becomes hysterically overcome with guilt and he uses the phrase 'snap out of it'. They head back toward the cemetery entrance, but the grave erupts open and the corpse of his former wife lurches towards them. She hypnotizes them both and inflicts the same heart failure on them.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).