Venus #12

Venus #12 (February 1951) delivers exactly the kind of supernatural arena spectacle its "Strange Stories of the Supernatural" banner promises. Werner Roth's cover depicts a leering, horned villain looming over a massive chained wooden gate in a coliseum packed with spectators, while a turbaned figure warns Venus herself — held by an armored warrior — that something unspeakable lurks behind that door. With two stories teased ("The Lost World!" and "The Strange Rocket!") alongside the main tale, this ten-cent issue is a genuinely fun snapshot of early Atlas-era adventure at its most imaginative.