Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales of Suspense #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThis hardcover collects the earliest issues of Tales of Suspense from the Atlas Era, featuring pre-superhero science fiction and horror stories by Marvel's 1950s bullpen, including early work by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. It reprints issues #1-10 of the original series, showcasing the anthology format that preceded the introduction of Iron Man and other iconic characters. A key volume for fans of Marvel's pre-Silver Age material and the Atlas era's creative foundations.
"The Strangers from Space!" kicks off with a towering octopus menacing a communist seaport, drawing in an American marine biologist whose investigation reveals the creature’s origins in nuclear testing—though its sudden size and impending shrinkage in just 24 hours leave more questions than answers. Jack Kirby’s bold artwork, inked by Dick Ayers, brings the eerie, Cold War-era sci-fi spectacle to life, while Steve Ditko’s cover captures the alien dread with striking precision.
Where to buy
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
A giant octopus appears in the harbour of a communist seaport. An American marine biologist is sent to help, and finds that it is an ordinary octopus enlarged by communist nuclear tests, and will shrink back in 24 hours.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
Variants (1)
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.