Tales of Suspense #15
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeTales of Suspense #15 marks the first appearance of Goom, the towering psychic conqueror from Planet X — one of the Atlas-era monster characters who, alongside Fin Fang Foom and Groot, would eventually be folded into Marvel's Earth-616 continuity as recurring figures across decades of storytelling. The issue sits squarely within the creative run that Kirby and Lee were using to prototype the visual and narrative vocabulary that would erupt into the Marvel superhero age: Goom's enormous cranium, alien technology, and rogue-among-his-own-people backstory share unmistakable DNA with characters like Doctor Doom and the Thing. Goom's introduction also seeded a minor dynasty — his son Googam debuted two issues later in #17 — making this issue the narrative root of a running Planet X subplot that would resurface in Marvel publications for over sixty years. As a late-period Atlas anthology entry produced just months before the Fantastic Four launched the Marvel age, it stands as a snapshot of the industry's transition point from pure monster-pulp to character-driven superhero storytelling.
In "Goom! The Thing from Planet X!, Part 1," a desperate scientist’s radar signals draw the attention of an alien entity from Planet X, sparking fear and suspicion on Earth. With authorities ready to execute him as a traitor, the truth is revealed when the planet’s representatives arrive to reclaim the dangerous being they’ve long pursued—leaving behind a tense standoff and a mystery that’s only just begun. Written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, with dynamic art by Jack Kirby and inks by Dick Ayers, this early Marvel tale blends sci-fi suspense and moral ambiguity, all wrapped in a striking cover by Kirby and Ayers.
In the quiet isolation of a remote research outpost, scientist Mark Langley finds himself at the center of an interstellar mystery when a mysterious entity known as Goom arrives from Planet X. As tensions rise and Earth’s leaders prepare to execute him for allegedly summoning an alien invasion, the truth unfolds in a startling twist: Goom is not a conqueror, but a fugitive, and the representatives from Planet X arrive not to destroy, but to reclaim.
In "Goom, Part 2," astronomer Mark Langley’s attempt to reach out to alien life through radar waves backfires when the grotesque Goom, drawn by the signal, descends upon Earth with plans to conquer. With his wife Helen by his side and the fate of the planet hanging in the balance, Mark must find a way to stop the alien menace before it’s too late.
In "I Am the Living Ghost!", a skeptic ventures into a haunted castle to debunk the legends of the supernatural—only to find himself pursued by animated stone gargoyles and moving suits of armor that seem to come alive. What begins as a test of courage becomes a desperate flight as the line between myth and reality blurs in the dark halls of the ancient fortress.
In a remote village, a shaman’s deception unravels when a mysterious idol materializes—its sudden disappearance leaves the tribe shaken. The idol, an extra-dimensional scout, experiences the encounter and influences its people to avoid Earth.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 18 grades ▾
This exact issue on ebay
Raw / ungraded ▾ $39.95–$991 5 listings
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
Tales of Suspense was launched as an Atlas Comics anthology title in 1959, with scripts flowing primarily from editor Stan Lee and his brother Larry Lieber, and art from the studio's top talent including Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck. Issue #15 was produced under that same collaborative system: the lead Goom story is credited to Stan Lee (editor/writer), Larry Lieber (script), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Goldberg (colors), and Artie Simek (letters), with additional short stories in the issue by Steve Ditko and Don Heck. The book carried a March 1961 cover date but was released on newsstands October 27, 1960, still under the Atlas banner — the title would not formally display the early Marvel 'MC' box until issue #19. The exact question of whether the Goom story's script was written by Lee or Lieber has been noted as uncertain by at least one collector-critic analyst of Kirby's work from this period.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Goom (the alien conqueror from Planet X), created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers.
- First appearance of supporting characters Mark Langley and Helen Langley, the scientist couple whose radar signal inadvertently draws Goom to Earth.
- First appearance of Goom's Neutron Ray Gun and Goom's time machine — alien weapons that play key roles in the story's plot.
- The issue was published with a March 1961 cover date but went on sale October 27, 1960, still under the Atlas Comics banner — just before the title transitioned to the Marvel banner with issue #19 (July 1961).
- The lead story is a two-part Kirby/Ayers monster tale; the issue also contains shorter stories drawn by Steve Ditko and Don Heck, making it a showcase of Atlas's top artistic roster.
- Goom's debut directly seeded the next entry in the Planet X storyline: Googam, Son of Goom, debuted just two issues later in Tales of Suspense #17 (May 1961), with the Langley family again central to the plot.
- Goom was later retroactively integrated into Earth-616 continuity, appearing (or being referenced) in Incredible Hulk Annual #5/6 (1976), Nick Fury's Howling Commandos (2005), the Monsters Unleashed event (2017), and other Marvel titles spanning more than six decades.
- The issue has been reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales of Suspense Vol. 2 (2008), Monsters: The Marvel Monsterbus by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby (2017), and the Marvel Masters of Suspense: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko Omnibus (2019).
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints Journey into Unknown Worlds #38 (1955)
Reprinted in Creepy Worlds #19 (1963), Uncanny Tales #28 (1965), James Bond #19/[1972] (1972), Creepy Worlds #149 (1974), Secrets of the Unknown #149 (1974), Giant-Size Man-Thing #1 (1974), Dracula Lives #17 (1975), Giant-Size Dracula #4 (1975), Secrets of the Unknown #186 (1979), Creepy Worlds #223 (1984), Sinister Tales #216 (1987), Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales of Suspense #2 (2008), Monsters Unleashed Prelude #[nn] (2017), Monsters: The Marvel Monsterbus by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby #1 (2017), Marvel Masters of Suspense: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko Omnibus #1 (2019), Secrets of the Unknown #19, Sinister Tales #54
Key issues in Tales of Suspense
Variants (1)
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.