The Steve Ditko Archives #2

In "There'll Be Some Changes Made," a struggling man, haunted by the disparity between his own poverty and the fortune of a long-dead ancestor, constructs a device to steal that wealth across time and space—only to discover that even vast riches mean nothing when they can't be used in his own world.

In "Adrift in Space," a captain is cast out by his crew for refusing to return to Earth, only to be found drifting in the void. When the crew later discovers the truth in his notes—that Earth has become uninhabitable during their long absence—they must confront the consequences of their actions.

In "The King of Planetoid X," a curious galaxy watches as a ruler maintains a planet free of conflict—until the truth reveals a startling secret. The peace of Planetoid X is not born of diplomacy or strength, but of a society entirely made up of obedient robots.

In "Stowaway," a young boy secretly boards a rocketship, catching the crew off guard with his unexpected presence. When a critical repair is needed outside the vessel, his small size becomes an unlikely advantage—making him the only one who can squeeze into the cramped duct to fix the damage.

Carl Adams and Frank Sawyer drift in a lifeboat for six days after their destroyer is torpedoed, only to stumble upon the ghostly Flying Dutchman. As they explore the decaying ship, they find a book in Dutch and realize they’ve boarded the cursed vessel—only to escape when a railing gives way, plunging them into the sea. Days later, rescued by a Navy cruiser, they’re stunned to find their papers list them as crew from the Jeffries, which sank in 1918.

In 1892, the residents of a remote Alaskan mining town are baffled by the extraordinary flavor of Dutch Kessler’s steaks—so good, they’re the cheapest in Nome. When rumors swirl about the source, a strange truth begins to thaw: the meat comes from a massive, ancient creature long frozen in the permafrost.

In "A Dreamer's World," a test pilot awakens to find a Viking sailor and a young woman standing outside his cockpit—unearthly figures in a place that defies logic. The Viking claims they’ve entered a realm where the minds of the dead gather, but the woman insists she’s still alive, sparking the pilot’s urgent need to protect her. As they flee toward the jet, the line between dream and reality blurs, leaving him to confront a mystery that begins with a vision and ends with a woman who knows his face from a dream.

In "The Mirage," a man escapes jail on the edge of a vast desert, driven by desperation and a compass he’s made from scraps. As he struggles through the relentless heat, a shimmering oasis appears ahead—featuring beautiful women who seem real, but he knows better. He pushes on, clinging to reason and his makeshift guide, even as the vision lingers in his mind. The women, watching from the dunes, wonder why he turned away.