Tales of Suspense Vol 1 31

Tales of Suspense Vol 1 #31 Published July, 1962 Editor-in-Chief Stan Lee Cover Artist Jack Kirby Dick Ayers Stan Goldberg Artie Simek "The Monster in the Iron Mask!" Writer Stan Lee Larry Lieber Penciler Jack Kirby Inker Dick Ayers Letterer Ray Holloway "Time Machine" "The Man Who Found Shangri-La" Writer Stan Lee Larry Lieber Penciler Jack Kirby Inker Dick Ayers Colourist Stan Goldberg Letterer Ray Holloway "The Crackpot!" Writer Stan Lee Larry Lieber Penciler Don Heck Inker Don Heck Colourist Stan Goldberg Letterer Ray Holloway "The Missing Link!" Writer Stan Lee Penciler Steve Ditko Inker Steve Ditko Colourist Stan Goldberg Letterer Artie Simek Previous Issue Next Issue Tales of Suspense #30 Tales of Suspense #32

Appearing in "The Monster in the Iron Mask!"

Featured Characters:

• Bobby

Supporting Characters:

• Mr. Lane

Antagonists:

• Monster in the Iron Mask (First appearance)

Races and Species:

• Humans
• Unnamed alien race
  
  

Synopsis for "The Monster in the Iron Mask!"

An alien lands with a mission to soften up Earth for an attack. He is impervious to small arms fire, artillery and even a direct hit from an atomic bomb. He tells the humans he is only vulnerable to gas attack and that is why he wears the iron mask. A magician practicing misdirection with his son realizes the monster has been doing the same thing and tells the army to use gas. They don't think it will work and are reluctant, but he insists. He is positive it will work. They try it and the monster flees the planet. The magician realizes that the alien was using misdirection to protect his sole weakness. That was his real face.

Appearing in "Time Machine"

Synopsis for "Time Machine"

Appearing in "The Man Who Found Shangri-La"

Featured Characters:

• Harry Drumm

Supporting Characters:

• Paul Drumm
• Mrs. Drumm (Harry's mother)

Races and Species:

• Humans

Locations:

• Earth
  • Tibet
    • Shangri-La
      
      

Synopsis for "The Man Who Found Shangri-La"

A man follows his stepbrother to Tibet in hopes of robbing the treasures of Shangri-La. His stepbrother attempts to get him to turn around, but the lout pulls a gun on him and threatens his life. When they finally reach Shangri-La the evil stepbrother is dismayed to see only ruins and bedraggled individuals that look mean and savage who do not fear his gun when he fires shots into the air. He turns and flees while his stepbrother yells after him to come back as he will become hopelessly lost among the snowy mountains. He tells the beautiful people among their splendorous buildings "I don't know why he fled. This place is exactly as I described it to him." They say to him "Every man who finds Shangri-La finds exactly what he deserves. Come and enjoy with us the greatest treasure of all. The treasure of eternal happiness."

Appearing in "The Crackpot!"

Featured Characters:

• Mister Smythe

Supporting Characters:

• Elias Poole

Races and Species:

• Humans

Locations:

• Earth

Items:

• 
  

Vehicles:

• 
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Synopsis for "The Crackpot!"

An unsuccessful inventor finally gives up, throwing his final invention away. A boy accidentally uses the gun to disintegrate three communist agents without even noticing.

Appearing in "The Missing Link!"

• Appearances not yet listed
  
  

Synopsis for "The Missing Link!"

Explorers on a remote island discover an ape-man of primitive appearance that they take for a possible evolutionary missing link. They bring the mute creature back with them for study by scientists in civilization, but the creature is listless. Finally, it demands to be taken back to the island, but says no more. The shocked scientists fear it can only survive on the island, and so do as directed, but once there, the creature heads towards a machine hidden behind some bushes that is revealed as a time machine. The startled scientists exclaim "Did this time machine bring you from the past?" "No", he replies, "From the future. I did not speak because we are not supposed to alter the past, but I must speak now. I am what humanity will become following an atomic war in a few centuries. You must change your ways." With that, the time machine flashes and disappears.

Notes

• "The Monster in the Iron Mask!" reprinted in Journey Into Mystery #18
• "The Man Who Found Shangri-La" reprinted in Weird Wonder Tales #11
• "The Crackpot!" reprinted in Journey Into Mystery #17
• "The Missing Link!" reprinted in Where Monsters Dwell #36

See Also

• Write your own review of this comic!
• Discuss Tales of Suspense Vol 1 31 on the forums
• 8 Images from Tales of Suspense Vol 1 31
• 3 Reprints of Tales of Suspense Vol 1 31

Footnotes

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