Journey into Mystery #17

In "Too Human!" from Journey into Mystery #17 (1975), alien invaders take on human form to study Earth—but as they grow closer to their hosts, they begin to question their mission. When ordered to report back, they choose to protect humanity instead, shattering their communicator and embracing their new lives among people they once sought to conquer.

In "The Crackpot," an overlooked inventor abandons his latest creation in frustration—only for a curious boy to stumble upon it, unwittingly wielding a device that disintegrates three communist agents without realizing the power he holds. Written by an unknown author and illustrated by an unknown artist, this brief 1975 science fiction tale spins a quiet, offbeat moment of accidental consequence from the wreckage of a failed dream.

In "The Terrible Touch!", a desperate miner recounts a chilling encounter with the immortal King Midas, claiming the fabled ruler was hiding in the mines—until the miner himself laid hands on him. When his listeners laugh, he shocks them by pulling off his gloves, revealing hands of solid gold.