Tales of the Unexpected #70
Tales of the Unexpected #70 (May 1962) is a representative mid-run issue of DC's flagship Silver Age science-fiction anthology, notable primarily as a document of the era's cross-promotional publishing ecosystem: a house advertisement inside the issue promotes Superboy #96 and Superman #152, tying the anthology to DC's dominant superhero line during a pivotal moment in the Silver Age. The issue also captures Arnold Drake and Bob Brown's Space Ranger feature in full stride—a character who served as Tales of the Unexpected's anchor throughout the early 1960s and helped define the template of the secret-identity SF hero that influenced later DC co-creations. Simultaneously, cover month contemporaries like Showcase #37 (the first appearance of the Metal Men) were reshaping DC's output, placing this issue squarely at the creative crossroads of early Silver Age experimentation.
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Tales of the Unexpected was DC's ongoing science-fiction and fantasy anthology, launched in 1956 partly as a response to restrictions imposed by the Comics Code Authority, and ran for 104 issues before being retitled The Unexpected in 1968. Space Ranger—created by writers Edmond Hamilton and Gardner Fox with artist Bob Brown—debuted in Showcase #15 (1958) and became the series' recurring cover feature from issue #40 through #82. By issue #70, the Arnold Drake–scripted, Bob Brown–illustrated Space Ranger stories had settled into a reliable format under editor Jack Schiff, whose fingerprints are visible in the issue's public service announcement content as well. The cover of #70 was also drawn by Bob Brown, giving the issue an unusually unified visual identity.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Lead story: 'Space Ranger's Invincible Enemy,' scripted by Arnold Drake, art by Bob Brown; the villain is Martian criminal Xorog, who gains super-powers and launches an interplanetary crime wave.
- Space Ranger (Rick Starr) is accompanied by his recurring supporting cast: secretary/girlfriend Myra Mason and Cryll, a pink shape-shifting alien. Both are well-established characters by this issue, not first appearances here.
- Space Ranger was created by writers Edmond Hamilton and Gardner Fox and artist Bob Brown, first appearing in Showcase #15 (July 1958), and headlined Tales of the Unexpected from issue #40 through #82.
- Cover art is also by Bob Brown; additional stories include 'The Hermit of Planetoid X' (art by Bill Ely) and 'Interplanetary Bodyguard' (art by Lee Elias).
- A house advertisement inside the issue promotes Superboy #96 and Superman #152, with pencils by Curt Swan—the source of the Superman-family character index entries (Clark Kent, Pete Ross, Superboy, Superman) for this issue.
- A public service announcement ('Do You Know Your Neighbors?' starring Buzzy) is scripted by editor Jack Schiff with art by Win Mortimer, reflecting DC's longstanding commitment to such content.
- The same cover month saw the publication of Showcase #37 (March–April 1962), the true first appearance of the Metal Men (Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Platinum, Tin), created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru—a landmark debut in the same DC publishing cycle as this issue.
Cast · 14 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
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Martian criminal Xorog has gained super-powers and launches an interplanetary crime wave.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).