| Issue | #1 |
| Published | 1962 |
| Frequency | annually |
| Cover Price | 0.25 USD |
| Pages | 76 |
| Editing | Stan Lee |
| Notes | Distributed to newstands in July 1962 (at the same time as issues cover-dated September and October 1962). Some information on this issue supplied by Tom Lammers and the Atlas/Timely discussion list, including Job Numbers supplied by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo via the Atlas/Timely list. Distribution date from Joseph Marek's Marvel Comics Group history website. |
| Genre | monsters |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Inks | Dick Ayers; Jack Kirby ? |
| Notes | Nick Caputo, via the GCD Error List (26 November 2008) suggests that Kirby may have inked this cover. |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | inside cover |
| Characters | Shagg |
| Genre | monsters |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Inks | Dick Ayers |
| Notes | Narrated in the first person. |
| Reprinted | From Journey Into Mystery (Marvel, 1952 series) #59 (July 1960) |
| Characters | shadow creature; Casey |
| Synopsis | An invader from the shadow world is defeated by a room of lights rigged up by an electrician. |
| Genre | science fiction |
| Script | Stan Lee |
| Pencils | Steve Ditko |
| Inks | Steve Ditko |
| Reprinted | from Tales of Suspense (Marvel, 1959 series) #7 (January 1960) |
| Characters | Anuxa |
| Synopsis | A nuclear submarine finds an alien hibernating in a glacier. He has been waiting thousands of years for humanity to wipe itself out so his race can claim the Earth, and now that nuclear weapons exist he thinks it won't be much longer. |
| Genre | science fiction |
| Pencils | Don Heck |
| Inks | Don Heck |
| Notes | Narrated in the first person. |
| Reprinted | from Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 1959 series) #7 (January 1960) |
| Synopsis | A criminal sneaks aboard an experimental nuclear missile planning to hijack it and sell it to the Soviets, but after the rocket launches he discovers that it lacks internal control. |
| Genre | horror |
| Pencils | Paul Reinman |
| Inks | Paul Reinman |
| Notes | Narrated in the first person. |
| Reprinted | from Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 1959 series) #6 (November 1959) |
| Characters | Frank [Ulysses Bloodstone] (earliest published appearance according to later continuity); Lynn Avery (only appearance); Kasenga (only appearance); Grottu (introduction, origin) |
| Synopsis | A journalist and an archaeologist go to Africa and find an ant that has grown giant and gained super-intelligence due to an atomic test. The giant ant tries to lead an army of insects to world conquest, but is foiled when the humans use sugar to turn his ants against him. |
| Genre | monsters |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Inks | Bill Everett |
| Notes | Grottu next appears in Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (December 2005). In later retcons it is established that Grottu's creation was planned by the Deviants. Inker credit of Dick Ayers removed based on information from Tom Lammers and the Timely/Atlas discussion list. |
| Reprinted | from Strange Tales (Marvel, 1951 series) #73 (February 1960) |
| Characters | Larry Winters; Rita Winters; Poltergeist |
| Genre | horror |
| Pencils | Steve Ditko |
| Inks | Steve Ditko |
| Notes | Narrated in the first person. |
| Reprinted | from Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 1959 series) #1 (January 1959) |
| Synopsis | A man dreams of a monster growing from an alien spore that is killed when it is eaten by a garter snake, a snake that he found in his yard as a boy. |
| Genre | horror |
| Pencils | Don Heck |
| Inks | Don Heck |
| Reprinted | from Journey Into Mystery (Marvel, 1952 series) #55 (December 1959) |
| Pencils | John Forte |
| Inks | John Forte |
| Reprinted | From Journey Into Mystery (Marvel 1952 series) #53 |
| Characters | Diablo; Ulysses Bloodstone (unnamed, identified in later retcon) |
| Synopsis | An extradimensional smoke monster invades the Earth. It could have destroyed humanity, but an adventurer tricks it by blowing out the smoke from a lighter, making it think humans can destroy it. |
| Genre | monsters |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Inks | Dick Ayers |
| Notes | Narrated in the first person. |
| Reprinted | from Tales of Suspense (Marvel, 1959 series) #9 (May 1960) |
| Characters | Prof. Dunn; giant; princess |
| Genre | fantasy |
| Pencils | Steve Ditko |
| Inks | Steve Ditko |
| Reprinted | from Journey Into Mystery (Marvel, 1952 series) #55 (December 1959) |
| Characters | Gustav; Hans (only appearance for both) |
| Synopsis | A fleeing criminal in Transylvania hides in an abandoned house, but aliens from a parallel dimension appear to him. He is relieved to find they cannot hurt him, but instead they phase him into an invisible, immaterial state and leave him there forever. |
| Genre | horror |
| Pencils | Don Heck |
| Inks | Don Heck |
| Notes | Narrated in the first person. |
| Reprinted | from Strange Tales (Marvel, 1951 series) #76 (August 1960) |
| Characters | Prof. George Ailen |
| Synopsis | Narrated in the first person. |
| Genre | monsters |
| Pencils | Steve Ditko |
| Inks | Steve Ditko |
| Reprinted | from Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 1959 series) #6 (November 1959) |
| Synopsis | A man happens upon a Martian spy in human form scouting Earth for an invasion but cannot get the authorities to believe him. He tracks down and kills the Martian, revealing that he himself is a Venusian agent in disguise working to protect Earth. |
| Genre | science fiction |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Inks | Dick Ayers |
| Notes | Narrated in the first person. |
| Reprinted | from Strange Tales (Marvel, 1951 series) #78 (November 1960) |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | inside back cover |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | back cover |