Tales to Astonish #17
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.
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Vandoom, the owner of a Transylvanian wax museum, sets out to build a new monster in order to bring customers back to the museum. A lightning bolt brings the creature to life, but despite the fearful attacks of the villagers, it is not hostile and does not strike back. An invasion force of Martians lands and Vandoom convinces his creation to attack them. The wax figure defeats them, but the effort drains the life force out of it.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).