Alone Against Arcturus! After passing through the wall in The Land Within, Morbius awakens on a strange planet hungering for blood. He finds a young couple and attacks the man, but is horrified to discover that he is not human. He reminisces about what’s happened thus far, then attacks and drains the woman, though not enough to kill her.
Travelling to a city in the distance, he is met by a mental projection of Lord I, Potentate of Arcuturus. Emerging from the shadows, Lord I explains that Morbius is to remain on Arcturus because the Caretakers can not be allowed to complete their work on Earth. I explains that the Caretakers are the ancestors of the Arcturans, and that the tampering that was done caused an escalating war over the genetic future of their race. This war ended in nuclear annihilation. Most survivors went mad and fled the cities, living in tribes that have forgotten how they even came to be. I and his fellow mutants were changed by the radioactive fallout, becoming super-intelligent, incredibly long-lived, and unwilling to go on living.
Unwilling to believe I’s statement, Morbius grabs a nearby woman and threatens to kill her. He is astounded as the Arcturans stand by silently and allow him to drain her completely. Realizing that this is the future in store for humanity, Morbius agrees that the Caretakers must be destroyed.
The Last Stop A 4-page suspense thriller.
Driver Nick Taras grows increasingly concerned when the truck he drives develops a will of its own and begins stopping at the gates of a cemetery. Can Nick uncover the secret behind this?
Originally published in 'World of Fantasy' #10 (February 1958).
Art & Inks by Gene Colan
Lettering by Ben Oda
