Tales to Astonish #17
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeTales to Astonish #17 (March 1961) is a prime specimen of the Atlas/early-Marvel monster-anthology format that Jack Kirby and Stan Lee refined into a commercial machine just before the superhero age overtook it. The lead story, 'Vandoom, The Man Who Made a Creature!', is a two-chapter Frankenstein riff that cleverly sidesteps the Comics Code Authority's ban on vampires by depicting Dracula and other Universal-style horrors as wax figures rather than living characters — a small but telling example of how Lee and his collaborators navigated Code restrictions with narrative ingenuity. The issue also sits at a quiet editorial transition point: the Grand Comics Database notes that virtually all new stories in the title were narrated in the first person through this very issue, making #17 the last chapter of that early stylistic convention. As such, it is a useful marker for historians tracing the storytelling evolution of pre-superhero Marvel.
In "Vandoom, the Man Who Made a Creature!," Chapter 1, a desperate wax museum owner in Transylvania attempts to revive his failing business by crafting a new monster—only to find his creation comes to life during a storm. Though feared by the villagers, the creature proves peaceful until a sudden Martian invasion forces Vandoom to make a desperate choice. Written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, with dynamic art by Jack Kirby and inks by Dick Ayers, this early Marvel tale blends gothic flair with sci-fi intrigue. The cover, a striking collaboration by Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Dick Ayers, captures the moment of transformation with dramatic flair.
In a fog-draped Transylvanian village, Ludwig Vandoom—a master of wax and wonder—dares to breathe life into his latest creation, a towering figure of wax and shadow. When a bolt of lightning ignites the sculpture, it awakens not as a mindless beast, but as a being caught between terror and purpose. As the villagers flee and alien invaders descend from the sky, Vandoom’s Creature must choose: defend the world it never asked to join, or fade into silence.
In "Chapter 2: The Mark of Vandoom," Ludwig Vandoom, the reclusive proprietor of a Transylvanian wax museum, attempts to revive his fading attraction by crafting a new monster from wax and lightning. When the creature comes to life, it proves not to be the mindless terror the villagers expect, but a being that responds to purpose rather than violence. As Martian invaders descend upon the region, Vandoom must decide whether to use his creation as a weapon—or risk losing it entirely.
In "Beware! Of the Ghastly Glass!", Bruno stumbles upon a cursed crystal that promises four wishes—each one more perilous than the last. As his desires spiral out of control, he finds himself trapped on the Moon, with no way back and the glass’s true horror only beginning to unfold.
In "I Dared to Enter the Haunted Room!", a desperate scientist named Mr. Smith locks away his ultimate weapon in a room long said to be haunted, believing its eerie reputation will keep it safe. But when he returns to deliver his threat to the world, he finds himself trapped in the very room he thought he’d mastered—now a ghost with no power to stop what he’s set in motion.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 19 grades ▾
This exact issue on ebay
CGC 8.5 ▾ $999 2 listings
Raw / ungraded ▾ $65–$496 5 listings
More listings for this title
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
The issue went on sale October 27, 1960, despite carrying a March 1961 cover date — standard distribution practice of the era. It was produced under Atlas/early-Marvel's assembly-line anthology model, with editor-in-chief Stan Lee and his brother Larry Lieber providing the script for the lead Vandoom feature, Jack Kirby supplying the pencils, and Dick Ayers inking both the interior and (with alterations to the monster figure) the cover. Steve Ditko contributed both a cover element and the interior story 'Beware! Of the Ghastly Glass!', while Don Heck drew the third story, reflecting the broad talent roster Lee was marshaling at the time as the company quietly pivoted toward what would become the Marvel Universe.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Ludwig Vandoom, Helga Vandoom, and Vandoom's Monster (Earth-616), all debuting in the lead story 'Vandoom, The Man Who Made a Creature!'
- Cover date: March 1961; on-sale date: October 27, 1960; published under the Vista Publications Inc. indicia (Atlas/early Marvel)
- Lead story written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, penciled by Jack Kirby, inked by Dick Ayers — a two-chapter narrative spanning 'Chapter 1: Vandoom, The Man Who Made a Creature!' and 'Chapter 2: The Mark of Vandoom'
- Cover is a collaborative work by Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Dick Ayers; Ayers made alterations to the monster figure on the cover per researcher Nick Caputo
- The issue contains a Comics Code workaround: Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, and the Mummy appear as wax figures in the story, allowing them to slip past the Code's prohibition on such horror characters
- This is identified as the last issue in which virtually all new stories were narrated in the first person — a defining stylistic trait of the early Atlas-era anthology run
- The Vandoom lead story and Steve Ditko's 'Beware! Of the Ghastly Glass!' were both reprinted in Where Creatures Roam #4 (January 1971), with the original TTA #17 cover art reused (via stat of the unaltered version) and additional figures drawn by Marie Severin
- The Vandoom lead story has been collected in Monster Masterworks (1989), Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish Vol. 2 (2008), Monsters Unleashed Prelude (2017), and Monsters: The Marvel Monsterbus by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby (2017)
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints Astonishing #49 (1956)
Reprinted in Amazing Stories of Suspense #17 (1964), Spellbound #44 (1964), Tower of Shadows #9 (1971), Where Creatures Roam #4 (1971), Helgonet #5/1972 (1972), Amazing Stories of Suspense #142 (1974), X-Mannen Classics #26 (1974), Acção e Mistério - Edição Especial #3 (1977), Sinister Tales #165 (1978), Amazing Stories of Suspense #175 (1979), Sinister Tales #199 (1984), Astounding Stories #191 (1988), Monster Masterworks #[nn] (1989), Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish #2 (2008), Monsters Unleashed Prelude #[nn] (2017), Monsters: The Marvel Monsterbus by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby #1 (2017), The A-Z of Marvel Monsters #[nn] (2017), Marvel Masters of Suspense: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko Omnibus #1 (2019), Astounding Stories #53, Misterios del Gato Negro #148, Sinister Tales #11, Sinister Tales #65
Key issues in Tales to Astonish
Variants (1)
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.