Crime SuspenStories #16 Values

Title: Fission Bait!

Characters: Louise Miller (Eddie's wife, death); Colonel Andrew Forbes (Army procurement officer); Pat Walton (Eddie's new love interest); Eddie Miller (villain)

Synopsis: When Eddie's wife showed him the newspaper announcing the end of World War II, Eddie was not a happy camper. His machine shop prospered during the war, thanks to government contracts.....but those now ended. However, Eddie had a visitor from the Army, who was going to award his firm another government contract for the special fuse casings he had produced during the war. But these casings had to be exact with no leeway as they were to be used for atomic bombs. On a trip to Los Angeles, Eddie meets a new girl, one that Louise finds out about, and Eddie must find a way to eliminate his wife.

Pages: 7.000

Script: Al Feldstein

Pencils: Jack Kamen (signed)

Inks: Jack Kamen (signed)

Letters: Jim Wroten

Title: Scorpion

Characters: John Whitman (a blacksmith, town Mayor); El Alacron [aka the Scorpion] (villain, death)

Synopsis: Town Mayor, John Whitman, had been Mayor of Tranquility some twenty-eight years, as well as the local smithy, spending much of his time welding brake rods and chains, and the like. One day, a stranger rode into town: dressed in black riding a white horse, and he came to Whitman to repair his gun. Upon viewing the intricate silver scorpions engraved on the pistol's handle, and he knew that this man was the dreaded desperado, The Scorpion. He fixed the gun, handed it back, and the man left, later to attempt to rob a Wells-Fargo stage...but the gun would not fire with a filed down hammer!

Pages: 2.000

Script: Al Feldstein

Pencils: ? (masthead illustration)

Inks: ? (masthead illustration)

Letters: typeset

Title: Come Clean!

Characters: Death (host); Ralph Jansen (aka Jensen) (death); Lillian Smith (flashback); Nick (saloon owner, flashback); unnamed Prison Warden (flashback); Mrs. Woodman (Lillian's landlady, flashback) ; unnamed District Attorney (flashback); Ben (prison guard, flashback); Mr. Sutton (tailor, flashback)

Synopsis: Ralph Jansen has been found guilty of strangling his girl friend and is strapped in the electric chair facing a horrible death, all for a crime he didn't commit but in which circumstantial evidence led to his conviction. By the time he thought of the clue that prove his innocence, thousands of volts coursed through his body.

Pages: 6.000

Script: Al Feldstein

Pencils: Al Williamson (signed)

Inks: Al Williamson (signed)

Letters: Jim Wroten

Notes: The "50 Girls 50" reprint volume does not list Torres as the inker; it credits Williamson alone for the art. Inker previously listed as Angelo Torres. Per Angelo himself, "I did not ink this story. In May of 1953 I had not yet met Al Williamson and I was just beginning art school at C&I."

Title: Who's Next?

Characters: The Old Witch (host); Anna (Tony's wife); Mr. Spordman (shop owner); Mr. Barker (bank president, death); Mr. Riffle; Tony (villain, barber)

Synopsis: Tony sensed that something was wrong in the home, as his wife Anna was very cold toward him and not affectionate any longer. The flowers he bought her and the offer to go to a movie didn't interest her one bit. One day he left his barber shop and went home early, only to discover his wife in the arms of the local bank president. Crushed, he headed back to his barber shop and awaited Mr. Barker, who wanted a haircut. Tony pulled out his straight razor and went to work on the man...........

Pages: 7.000

Script: Al Feldstein

Pencils: Joe Orlando (signed)

Inks: Joe Orlando (signed)

Letters: Jim Wroten

Notes: Cover story.