The Phantom Stranger #13

"A Child Of Death!"

Four year old Freddie Forsyte enters the laboratory his grandfather, Albert Anson, is working in. Freddie points his finger, like a gun, at his grandfather, and playfully "shoots". Anson falls to the floor, dead. An emergency meeting of Project:Thunderhead's scientists is convened. As Anson was the head of Project:Thunderhead, a vote is taken to choose a new project head. The German scientist, Professor Heinrich lobbies for the position. At Anson's funeral, none take notice of the Phantom Stranger's presence. Heinrich is outraged when Doctor Kurasawa Genji is selected as new project head. Genji gifts young Freddie with a samurai doll. Freddie points his finger, like a gun,at Genji, and playfully "shoots". Genji falls to the floor, dead. Freddie violently destroys the samurai doll.

At Anson's grave, the Phantom Stranger confronts Heinrich. Believing the Phantom Stranger to be a spy, Heinrich viciously attacks him. The two men tumble down the hillside. When Heinrich finally comes to rest, the Phantom Stranger has disappeared. Heinrich is discovered by his peers, in a near hysterical state. Heinrich is sedated, while the other scientist's confer over the strange circumstance plaguing Project:Thunderhead. French scientist, Doctor Clair, is left in charge of Freddie, while funeral arrangements are made for Genji. Freddie points his finger, like a gun, at Clair, and playfully "shoots". No ill effects occur to Clair. Freddie's father, the American scientist, Doctor Forsyte, volunteers to take over for Genji.

Forsyte requests additional scientists to take over for Anson and Genji. Freddie enters the laboratory his father is working in. Freddie points his finger, like a gun, at his father. Before Freddie can "shoot", the Phantom Stranger appears, and wraps Freddie in his cape. The Phantom Stranger passes himself off as the assistant to one of the scientists Forsyte requested. Forsyte re-enforces his love to Freddie, who turns out to be Forsyte's adopted son. The Phantom Stranger points out that all of the computer banks have shorted out. The same occurrence happened when Anson died. Forsyte suddenly realizes that Freddie was the last person to see Anson and Genji alive. Picking up a toy gun, Forsyte "shoots' it at the computer banks.

Freddie flees the facility, with Forsyte in pursuit. Freddie turns on Forsyte, and speaks with words, and cadence, no four year old ever could. Freddie reveals his psychic power, to kill with a glance. At the last second, the Phantom Stranger shields Forsyte. Freddie reveals himself to be an ancient inhabitant of the Earth, born before recorded history. To survive Earth's Ice Age, Freddie's people ventured deep underground. There, their civilization flourished. As the millennia passed, they evolved strangely. Though they still reached adulthood, their bodies ceased to grow past the age of four. A subset of their race developed the ability to kill with a glance. These individuals were forced to live in isolation.

Underground atomic testing, such as the kind carried out by Project:Thunderhead, threatened to drive their race to extinction. The hyper-mutants, with the lethal gazes, were sent out into the world, to shut down these testing facilities, by any means necessary. The Phantom Stranger tries to convince Freddie that not all humanity should be held accountable, for the near-destruction of Freddie's people. Freddie tries to return home. Clair reveals herself to be Tala, who makes another attempt to seduce the Phantom Stranger. The Phantom Stranger pursues Freddie, still trying to reason with him. Another underground atomic test goes off. The Phantom Stranger re-appears to Forsyte, and angrily chastises the scientist for pursuing such a destructive path.

The Devil's Timepiece

Doctor Terrance Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker, attends a black magic auction, with his friend Bently Ames. As skeptical of the supernatural as Thirteen, Ames purchases a grandfather clock, adorned with a figure of Satan. At home, Ames winds the clock. Ames is overwhelmed by the smell of sulphur. The figure of Satan grows to life-size proportions, and impales Ames on it's trident. Thirteen discovers Ames body. Thirteen turns the key in the clock. Thirteen is overwhelmed by the smell of sulphur.

The figure of Satan grows to life-size proportions and lunges at Thirteen. Just before "Satan" can bury his trident in Thirteen, the famed Ghost-Breaker, parries the thrust with an antique pole arm. The trident shatters a window, allowing fresh air into the room, to disperse the sulphuric gas. "Satan" reveals that he hid within the clock, to take his revenge on Ames, the man who sent "Satan's" father to the electric chair. During the struggle, "Satan" is impaled on his own trident, and dies. "Satan" is revealed as the auctioneer who sold Ames the clock.