| Issue | #26 |
| Published | December 1961 |
| Frequency | monthly |
| Cover Price | 0.10 USD |
| Pages | 36 |
| Editing | Stan Lee |
| Notes | Distributed to newstands in September 1961. This issue includes 10 pages of paid advertisements. Distribution date from Joseph Marek's Marvel Comics Group history website. |
| Characters | William Cartwright |
| Genre | science fiction; occult |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #3 (2010) |
| Characters | "Anne Morgan"; William Cartwright; Bruno |
| Synopsis | An explorer learns of an invasion of four-armed aliens. His nurse tells him his bodyguard is one of the aliens, but he realizes that she is the real alien. |
| Genre | science fiction |
| Script | Stan Lee ?; Larry Lieber ? |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Inks | Dick Ayers |
| Reprinted | in Where Monsters Dwell (Marvel, 1970 series) #8 (March 1971); in Chamber of Chills (Marvel, 1972 series) #19 (November 1975); in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #3 (2010) |
| Characters | Willie Wimms; Hugh Wimms |
| Synopsis | In the future, young boy's afternoon is nearly ruined by a scheduled rainstorm, but when he runs into the rainmaker's magical assistant, he gets a delay. |
| Genre | occult |
| Pencils | Joe Maneely |
| Inks | Joe Maneely |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Text story with illustration. |
| Reprinted | from Strange Tales (Marvel, 1951 series) #49 (August 1956) |
| Characters | Silas Birch; Charles J. Cragmore |
| Synopsis | A stranger performs feats of magic, and offers anything that people might want if they sign a contract. He helps a disgruntled clerk steal money and get away, but the clerk is stranded on an island forever. |
| Genre | occult |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Reprinted | in Fear (Marvel, 1970 series) #4 (July 1971); in Incroyable Hulk, L' (Editions Héritage, 1968 series) #56 (March 1976) [as "Le passe-muraille!", French translation]; in Chamber of Chills (Marvel, 1972 series) #22 (May 1976); in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #3 (2010) |
| Characters | Rocky Jordan |
| Synopsis | A criminal on the run plans to stow-away on the experimental rocket he reads about, but finds out too late that is an advanced miniature rocket that cannot carry a pilot. |
| Genre | science fiction |
| Script | Stan Lee ? |
| Pencils | Bob Forgione |
| Inks | Bob Forgione |
| Notes | The last page includes an advertisement for the Fantastic Four (Marvel, 1961 series). Retold as a Tales of the Watcher story as "Run, Roco, Run" by Stan Lee and Howard Purcell in Silver Surfer (Marvel, 1968 series) #5 (April 1969). Stan Lee given a tentative writer's credit based on his authoriship of the retelling. |
| Reprinted | in Where Monsters Dwell (Marvel, 1970 series) #8 (March 1971); in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #3 (2010) |
| Synopsis | A man repeatedly dreams that his bed is levitating, and can’t tell if he’s dreaming or not. |
| Genre | horror |
| Script | Stan Lee |
| Pencils | Steve Ditko |
| Inks | Steve Ditko |
| Notes | Narrated in the second person. This story is presented, according to a caption, because of positive response to "The Silent Screen" in issue #21 (July 1961), a similarly structured story. The last page carries an advertisement for Amazing Adult Fantasy (Marvel, 1961 series), also by Lee and Ditko. Stan Lee adopts Cartesian philosophical skepticism regarding dreams. |
| Reprinted | in Where Monsters Dwell (Marvel, 1970 series) #8 (March 1971); in Chamber of Chills (Marvel, 1972 series) #19 (November 1975); in Marvel Visionaries: Steve Ditko (Marvel, 2005 series) #[nn] (2005); in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #3 (2010) |