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Tales of Suspense #21 cover
Cover: Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers

Tales of Suspense #21

Sep 1961 · Marvel · 0.10 USD
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In "Klagg! His Mission: Destroy Mankind!, Part 1," a man’s ordinary morning spirals into dread when his reflection begins to shatter—first in a hand mirror, then a bathroom one, and finally a full-length glass. As he flees from the eerie phenomenon, avoiding every reflective surface, his terror peaks when he confronts the face he’s seen in the mirrors—now standing inside an elevator, frozen in confusion before the cable snaps and the car plummets. Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Steve Ditko, with vibrant colors by Stan Goldberg and dynamic inks by Dick Ayers, this 1961 tale from Tales of Suspense blends psychological unease with early Marvel suspense, all capped by a striking cover by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.

Contains 4 stories
Klagg! His Mission: Destroy Mankind!, Part 1
6 pp · Science Fiction
KlaggPhilipClairMrs. JonesJohn

In "Klagg! His Mission: Destroy Mankind!, Part 1," the alien Klagg arrives on Earth only to be enraged by humanity's continued warfare, declaring war on all nations. As tensions rise, Philip, Clair, Mrs. Jones, and John find themselves at the center of a desperate attempt to unite divided forces—democracies and communist agents alike—against a common extraterrestrial threat. The story builds on the fragile hope that cooperation, even between sworn enemies, might just be enough to change an alien's mind.

Klagg, Part 2
7 pp · Science Fiction
KlaggPhilipClair

In "Klagg, Part 2," the alien visitor Klagg, once a curious observer, turns to fury when he learns of Earth’s ongoing wars, declaring his own campaign against humanity’s nations. With Philip and Clair caught in the escalating conflict, the fragile peace of Earth begins to fracture under the weight of an alien reckoning.

Whose Face Is in the Mirror?
5 pp · Horror-Suspense
Joe Kane

In "Whose Face Is in the Mirror?", Joe Kane wakes to find a stranger's face staring back at him from the mirror—then shatters. As the same eerie vision repeats in every reflective surface he encounters, he begins to question his own identity, fleeing from mirrors and the growing dread they inspire. When he finally confronts the source in the elevator, the truth is far more unsettling than he could have imagined.

The Man from... Tomorrow!
5 pp · Science Fiction
Walter PhelpsCharlieMarcus

Walter Phelps, a man from tomorrow, arrives in 25 A.D. claiming to be a king sent from the future, but his modern gadgets—useless without power or signal—fail to convince the skeptical locals. With only his wits and the help of a young man named Charlie, he must find a way to prove his origins before his story unravels.

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta
Raw (VG) $76
CGC 9.4 · 1 in census $2,591
CGC 9.2 · 4 in census $1,347
CGC 9.0 · 5 in census $1,226
CGC 8.5 · 10 in census $699
CGC 8.0 · 9 in census $699
CGC 7.5 · 8 in census $294
Show all 19 grades
CGC 7.0 · 13 in census $294
CGC 6.5 · 9 in census $246*
CGC 6.0 · 13 in census $185
CGC 5.5 · 11 in census $162
CGC 5.0 · 11 in census $162
CGC 4.5 · 4 in census $137*
CGC 4.0 · 7 in census $95
CGC 3.5 · 5 in census $95*
CGC 3.0 · 4 in census $87*
CGC 2.5 · 3 in census $77*
CGC 2.0 · 2 in census $57
CGC 1.5 none in existence
CGC 1.0 · 1 in census $39*
* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade
Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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Full credits

writer Stan Lee
artist, inker Steve Ditko
colorist Stan Goldberg
letterer Artie Simek
cover pencils Jack Kirby
cover inks Dick Ayers

Reprints

↩ Reprints Strange Tales #58 (1957)

Reprinted in Spellbound #40 (1963), Creepy Worlds #29 (1964), Eclipso #25 (1972), Where Monsters Dwell #20 (1973), Creepy Worlds #157 (1975), Los Vengadores #11 (1975), Creepy Worlds #191 (1979), Sinister Tales #204 (1984), Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales of Suspense #3 (2010), Monsters: The Marvel Monsterbus by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby #2 (2017), Marvel Masters of Suspense: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko Omnibus #1 (2019)

Key issues in Tales of Suspense

Variants (1)

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