Astounding Stories #30

In the grim confines of a labor camp, Jo plots his vengeance against a fellow prisoner who betrayed him—only to face a cruel twist when both are led into the gas chamber on the day of his execution. A tense, harrowing tale of betrayal and fate, told in stark, relentless detail.

When Target and his pals from the Trouble Shooters' Agency take an afternoon off at the races, they spot a one-legged war veteran named Alex Briggs piloting the Blue Rocket—except something feels off about this driver to Niles. A chance encounter and a suspicious mystery unfold as the team digs into the stranger's true identity, all while the race weekend promises more action than a simple day at the track.

Jingles steps in as judge at the Tombstone County Fair when Wild Bill Hickok gets called away on outlaw business, expecting an easy day of sampling pies and cakes—but the assignment proves far more chaotic than anticipated, with belligerent locals, disputes over contest winners, and suspicious characters lurking about. When Jingles finally spots the troublemakers he'd been watching and pursues them, he leaves the freckles contest in the hands of the fair organizers, only to discover his own unexpected—and rather embarrassing—role in the day's final outcome.

A group of strangely dressed visitors arrive on Earth from space, each landing in different locations—a South American jungle, a suburban backyard—only to find themselves unprepared for Earth's hazards and hostile inhabitants. As the invaders encounter one mishap after another, their mission to scout our world for colonization takes a comedic turn. Ultimately, their report back home makes one thing crystal clear: Earth is no place for conquest.