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NM 9.4 — A very well-preserved comic with excellent eye appeal. Only minor handling or small manufacturing imperfections are present, and they’re subtle and limited. This September–October 1971 issue features Neal Adams’ iconic “Robot Cover” and delivers a larger 52-page format with multiple supernatural stories inside. Slab notes: Off-White to White Pages, “Robot cover,” and certification #4658128020 (label date 9-10-71).
Key Details:
- 25¢ price point reflects DC’s early-1970s shift away from the 12¢ format, positioning this issue in the early Bronze Age transition period.
- Expanded 48–52 page count (depending on indexing source) under DC’s Bigger & Better initiative, bundling multiple features into a single issue.
- Neal Adams Robot Cover - One of Adams’ darker, more surreal Phantom Stranger covers.
- Len Wein contributes to the lead story, adding importance due to his growing prominence at DC during this era (Swamp Thing, House of Secrets soon after).
Storyline:
In The Iron Messiah, the Phantom Stranger is drawn into a remote community shaken by the rise of a mysterious figure worshiped as a living god. As faith turns into fanaticism, the Stranger intervenes to expose how fear, superstition, and manipulation can corrupt belief and endanger lives. Blending moral allegory with supernatural tension, the story reinforces the Phantom Stranger’s role as a cosmic observer who steps in when humanity’s blind devotion crosses a dangerous line.
The issue is rounded out with additional supernatural tales featuring Doctor 13 and Mark Merlin, mixing science-versus-mysticism conflicts and classic DC mystery themes, with select backup stories reprinted from earlier Silver Age titles.
Box 17