Weird Science #3

In "The Gray Cloud of Death!", a desperate mission to Venus uncovers a derelict ship stripped bare of all organic matter—flesh, rubber, plastic—all reduced to husks. With a chilling warning note in hand, the crew of Venus-2 barely escape the wreckage before a creeping gray fog begins to move toward their own vessel. As the fog advances, the survivors brace for what comes next, watching in dread as it turns their way.

Freddy’s imagination runs wild when a voice from the woods claims to be a Martian, but his family dismisses him as a liar—until the alien’s words start twisting the truth. When the voice urges Freddy to harm his father, Sam, the boy’s trust is shattered, only to learn the “Martian” was really Ben, using the ruse to manipulate and steal. But as Ben and Jean revel in their deception, a far more dangerous truth emerges: the Martian was real all along—and it’s not here to be fooled.

In the final days of a lost war, a desperate group of survivors launches a hastily built spaceship in search of a new beginning. After years adrift, they find a planet that seems perfect—rich in resources, untouched by conflict—only to be met with gunfire from the very forces they thought they’d escaped. The story, *The Invaders*, is a haunting sci-fi tale of hope and betrayal, where the promise of a fresh start collides with the harsh reality of fear and misunderstanding.

In "The Slave of Evil!", a man named Peter awakens with no memory, only to be manipulated by two scientists into committing murder. When his new partner mysteriously survives a gunshot without bleeding, Peter begins to question his own nature—only to discover the horrifying truth about his creators and the cold logic behind their plan.

In "Cosmic Ray Bomb Explosion!", Al Feldstein and Bill Gaines brainstorm a wild sci-fi tale about a cosmic ray bomb obliterating Washington DC—only to find their fictional nightmare taken all too seriously when both the US government and a Russian spy take notice. Summoned for a "loyalty test," the duo are warned never to write such a story again, but as they exit the building, their dark joke turns horrifyingly real.

In "The Black Arts," timid Luther finds himself hopelessly smitten with the oblivious Miss Dennis. When he stumbles upon a book of black magic in the library, he sees a chance to change his fate—until a failed love potion experiment with a cat goes horribly wrong. Now, as he prepares a second attempt, a clawed arm reaches from the shadows, threatening to unravel everything he’s tried to control.

In "The Trap of Time!", Don, still grieving the loss of his fiancée Adele, uses a time machine he built to try to save her from a fatal car crash. He alters the past by replacing her car’s tire, only to discover the new one was actually the faulty one that caused her death. Haunted by this twist, he prepares to try again—only to accidentally trigger the machine, sending himself far back in time, where he doesn’t survive the journey.

In 1946, two desperate men with stolen atomic bomb plans take a risky flight across the Pacific, only to crash into the ocean. Left stranded on a remote island, Paul discovers he’s washed ashore at Bikini Atoll—just as a major atomic test is about to begin. The story’s tense, high-stakes premise unfolds with sharp, grounded urgency, blending Cold War paranoia with the raw isolation of survival.