Forbidden Worlds #48 (1956)

Jeff Thompson, a bored lab assistant, arrives on a remote atoll to help Professor Myatt and his daughter Gloria test a mysterious underground drilling machine called the Earth-Worm. When a military hydrogen bomb test threatens to destroy their project, the trio secretly launches the Earth-Worm into the depths of an extinct volcano, hoping to escape the blast by burrowing deep beneath the Earth’s surface. As the machine descends into the planet’s hidden depths, Jeff begins to wonder what secrets—or dangers—lie waiting in the uncharted world below.

In a tale of fate and fortune, two brothers—Alfred, who inherits wealth but not luck, and Jack, who embraces a humble legacy—find their lives diverging as Jack’s constant success with the family’s ancient good luck ring contrasts sharply with Alfred’s mounting failures. When Alfred steals the ring in a desperate bid to reverse his fortunes, he soon discovers that the ring’s power may not lie in possession, but in the very belief it inspires.

Dr. Orin Blakely explores the origins of the superstition that walking under a ladder brings bad luck, presenting several speculative theories from ancient cave dwellers to inebriated English households. Each theory unfolds with a humorous, exaggerated anecdote involving mishaps and misfortunes—ranging from ambushes to drunken stumbles—before hinting at a more whimsical explanation. The story ends with a playful nod to readers, inviting them to submit their own superstitions for investigation.

When a lightning strike electrifies a prototype toy named Peter Plastic, the mechanical figure awakens with unexpected intelligence and begins flying through the city, sparking panic and a frantic manhunt. As scientists and officials scramble to destroy it, the tiny creature reveals it’s not just alive—but wants a friend to avoid being a menace.