Surpisingly, we've only seen a few posts here over the years from DC's great Secrets of Haunted House series (click HERE for more!) And today's entry falls under the "Tales of Destiny" banner, featuring the purple cloaked, Hand of Fate-esque horror host, Destiny himself actually interacting with the story characters as a foreboding warning to the shivery love shenanigans that await. It's a far-out Jess Jodloman illustrated tale that also adds in some mad science and sweet sci-fi elements for the final climactic, galactic cherry on top. From the August 1979 issue of Secrets of Haunted House #15. One more March post still ahead— stay tombed!
6 comments:
What?
She'll now just become a mega movie star on Planet Xgrthh in the Blkthh star system, Gnkkh galaxy.
Staring Sharon Gless.
I like the tech in this. Those long panels of movie cameras on page two--hatched in a style that looks like unraveling burlap--and the gauges and dials on the alien's lab equipment at the bottom of six--which have possibly been cobbled together outta the spare parts from a Checker Marathon. Of course I always like multi-panel transformation sequences. Man into wolf, Jekyll into Hyde, Christine Cagney into fish alien. Never gets old.
And I sure wish somebody would throw on a purple robe and let me know when I'm about to make a bad decision sometime. "Cavin, that lox bagel has been in the fridge too long." Is that so hard? I can think of a lot of heartache I mighta been spared over the years.
"I am Destiny... And I know." If you know, then why don't you know before hand that your words will fall on deaf ears, Destiny? Either Destiny is wasting his time and the main characters time or he is just stringing them on.
Seems like Destiny and the devil get a kick out of watching hapless mortals make bad decisions and then suffer for it, sadistic jerks.
Anyway, I had expected Raymond to be either a vampire Saint Germain or modern day mad scientist, who maintains his youth by draining away the lifeforce of women. The alien angle was a new one.
One thing I enjoy about these tales is just how focused our protagonist is on their goal. If a purple robed guy kept appearing in front of me -- literally warping in -- to warn me -- even as cryptically as Destiny does -- I think I'd heed it.
Or at least ask him to, you know, explain it without the poetry.
I do like the gag where he's not getting older but getting ... fishier. It did keep me guessing as to what the ending was going to be.
One thing I don't get, though, is if the alien fell in love with her, why did he want to transform her? Of well, I guess love is a mysterious thing!
Unlike some horror hosts, Destiny eventually got a bigger role in comics, becoming part of Neil Gaiman's Endless Ones. Anyway, at least unlike the Fate narrator in those Hand of Fate comics, Destiny doesn't wander around in the background continuously telling us how the main character is going to get their comeupance. Destiny's narration seems more natural and I like how he just leaves Janice alone afterwards. Raymond's first meeting with Janice was smooth! I feel bad for him though. He seemed like a nice young alien. He deserved someone much better.
In some ways, it's another "Shadow Over Innsmouth" variation.
Somehow, I always root for the "shallow" character in a story, especially if the story stacks things against him or her from the start.
And it's not as if Janice ever kills anyone (like her "All About Eve" type rival) or anything else really bad that you know of, all you hear about is one line about her history of being "manipulative." So, being a really vain veteran actress is about it.
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