Uncanny Tales #54

In "Mystery in Midville," a small-time thief stumbles into a peculiar town where kindness is the norm, but one rule stands out: don’t touch a certain box. Drawn by curiosity and the promise of hidden wealth, he ignores the warning—only to unleash something far beyond his understanding.

In "The Warning!", a scientist experiments with the legendary Midas serum, testing it on his dog—only to discover the creature’s golden touch can be a force for good when used selflessly. When greed overtakes another man, the dog’s power turns his avarice into a permanent monument, preserved as a stark reminder of the cost of selfishness.

In "The Terrible Fate of Mr. Wren!", a scientist’s lifelong vow to avoid his parents’ bitter marriage—born from poverty—leads him to a dazzling breakthrough with his matter duplicator. When the woman he loves steps into the machine, he’s stunned to find not one, but two versions of her, each convinced she’s the real one. Now, with his dream of love tangled in a paradox of his own making, he must face the unintended consequences of his ambition.

In "The Moving Walls!" from Uncanny Tales #54 (1957), an engineer constructs a castle as a monument to human greed—its survival dependent on a single beam of light striking a diamond. As thieves arrive one by one, each must hold the gem in the light, frozen in place, until the next greedy soul takes their turn, trapped in a deadly game of perpetual succession.