Tales of Suspense #38
In "The Teen-Ager Who Ruled the World!", a wealthy teen named Jo uses an enchanted mirror to trap anyone he dislikes—until the IRS comes knocking. Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Steve Ditko, this 1963 tale blends whimsy and irony as Jo’s wish for peace backfires in a way he never expected. The cover by Jack Kirby captures the story’s surreal tone, making this a standout issue in the early Marvel canon.
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A millionaire buys an enchanted mirror that allows him to wish any person he dislikes to be trapped inside of it. He wishes dozens of people into the mirror until he is contacted by agents of the IRS who wish to audit his books. He briefly considers wishing them into the mirror, but realizes that the government would just send more, so he decides to wish that no one will ever bother him again. He gets his wish, as he finds that all the people who were trapped in the mirror have been released and now he is its sole prisoner.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).