Crypt of Horror #16

In "Nightmare," a man wakes from a terrifying dream of alien captors only to find them standing over him in a hospital room—real, relentless, and very much awake. The chilling blend of dream and reality unfolds in just three pages, where every shadow feels like a threat.

In "The Soul Stealer," careless tourists David Fleming and Ann Jordan stumble upon a voodoo ritual that sets off a terrifying chain of nightmarish visions and waking dread. As their sanity frays, they turn to psychiatrist Dr. Gordon for help—only to find the horror deepens, with one of them fated to become something not quite alive.

In "The Store at the Cemetery," a society lady ventures to a reclusive potter’s shop just beyond a graveyard, seeking a showstopping piece of pottery for her dinner party. The ghoulish craftsman, with unsettling skill, shapes something truly unique from clay.

In "Close Shave!" from Crypt of Horror #16, a man’s routine morning ritual takes a terrifying turn when his wife’s obsession with smooth skin drives him to extremes. As he tries to kiss her goodbye, each attempt is thwarted by her complaints of stubble—until the razor becomes his only escape. The story unfolds with chilling precision, blending domestic tension and creeping dread in just five pages.

In "Life Insurance," Jo stumbles upon an eerie ad for Obelisk Life Insurance, promising immortality to those who qualify. The gaunt, unsettling company owner assures him that with their policy, death is impossible—only to leave Jo trapped in a shattered, unfeeling body after a crash, alive but utterly broken, with no way out.

In "The Revolt of Wilbur Bixby!" from Crypt of Horror #16, Jo and her husband Wilbur embark on a trip to Greece, where a mysterious fountain grants Wilbur a startling transformation—turning him into a centaur. Now able to graze on grass and live independently, Wilbur finds unexpected freedom, but his new form brings more than just liberation.

In "The Web of Horror," Dr. Weir journeys to the Valley of Horror to visit his friend Dr. Italo Schiasi—only to find him dead at the hands of a giant spider. Accusing Baron Latro of the murder out of jealousy, Weir is soon robbed of the mysterious Purple Claw by the enigmatic Countess Arachni. When he tracks her to her castle, he’s ensnared in her web, only to be saved when she kills Latro in his spider form. But as Weir learns too much, the Countess reveals her true nature—transforming into a giant spider herself. Now trapped in her domain, he must find a way to reclaim the Purple Claw and survive the web of horror she has spun.

In "The Sunken Grave," Jed prepares to marry Lee, a decision that unsettles Vickie—so much so that she offers her house for the wedding, only to spiral into paranoia when Lee suffers a severe sunburn. As tensions rise, Vickie’s growing obsession with Lee’s appearance turns sinister, leading to a chilling confrontation in her own home. Written by an unnamed author and illustrated by an unnamed artist, this unsettling tale unfolds with quiet dread, where love and fear blur in a house that seems to hold its breath.