Journey into Mystery #18

In "The Monster in the Iron Mask!", a ruthless businessman’s obsession with eternal life leads him to steal a mysterious device from a reluctant scientist—one that promises a thousand-year lifespan by mimicking the endurance of a redwood. When he activates the ray in his mansion, he discovers too late that immortality comes at a terrible cost: he’s frozen in place, trapped in a body as rigid and unyielding as the ancient tree he sought to emulate. Written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, with art by Don Heck and lettering by Ray Holloway, this 1975 tale of ambition and consequence features a haunting cover by Larry Lieber, John Romita, and Frank Giacoia.