Strange Tales #39
"Karnoff's Plan" in Strange Tales #39 (1955) delivers a delightfully twisty sci-fi prank with a cosmic punch—when a TV producer convinces an skeptical inventor to launch a fake rocket to Venus for a prank show, the real surprise comes when the "recruits" turn out to be genuine Venusians returning home. Written by Carl Wessler and brought to life with crisp, expressive art by Joe Sinnott, the story unfolds with a playful sense of deception and wonder, all framed by Carl Burgos’s striking cover.
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A TV producer of a candid-camera type show contacts an inventor who doesn't believe his rocket can fly to Venus. The producer says that's ok because he wants to advertise for five people who wish to leave Earth and film them being fooled by the fraud for the audience's amusement. The inventor agrees and is surprised when his rocket actually does succeed in reaching Venus, but not nearly as surprised as the producer and his film crew when the five recruits shape-shift into Venusians who are glad to be home.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).