| Issue | #9 |
| Published | May 1960 |
| Frequency | bi-monthly |
| Cover Price | 0.10 USD |
| Pages | 36 |
| Editing | Stan Lee |
| Notes | Distributed to newstands in December 1959. This issue includes 10 pages of paid advertisements. All new stories in this issue are narrated in the first person. Distribution date from Joseph Marek's Marvel Comics Group history website. |
| Characters | Droom |
| Genre | monsters |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #1 (2006); in Where Monsters Dwell (Marvel, 1970) #28 (May 1974) |
| Characters | Freddy |
| Synopsis | The genie from last issue's Kirby story returns again when a man uncorks his muddy bottle from the swamp and discards it because he cannot see the genie inside. Since the genie has no master, he is free to do whatever he wishes and he enslaves the Earth. Growing bored, he sets his sights on the stars, but finds once he passes Earth's atmosphere, his powers fade and he winds up back in the bottle again watching the man approach. This time, the genie thinks, he knows his mistake and won't overreach, but the man turns away and leaves without uncorking the bottle. |
| Genre | occult |
| Pencils | Jack Kirby |
| Notes | Story continues from last issue. |
| Reprinted | in Vault of Evil (Marvel, 1973 series) #11 (June 1974); in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #1 (2006) |
| Characters | Dr. Harris; Amy Harris |
| Synopsis | In the 21st century mankind finds that there is a barrier out beyond Pluto that prevents any further space travel, keeping humanity confined to the solar system like goldfish in a bowl. |
| Genre | science fiction |
| Pencils | Steve Ditko (signed) |
| Inks | Steve Ditko (signed) |
| Notes | The first page of this story is split with the statement of ownership. |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #1 (2006) |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Circulation not provided. This shares the first page of "No Way Out". |
| Reprinted | in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #1 (2006) |
| Characters | Droom (introduction, origin); Dr. Henry Gordon; Arnold |
| Synopsis | A scientist invents a growth serum intended to solve world hunger by enlarging vegetables. A tiny exotic lizard is accidentally soaked by the liquid and grows into a giant lizard that rampages across the country. They blast it into outer space and it drifts through space frozen, eventually landing on Earth to become the first dinosaur. |
| Genre | monsters |
| Pencils | Don Heck |
| Inks | Don Heck |
| Notes | A revised version of Droom appears next in Fantastic Four / Iron Man: Big in Japan (Marvel, 2005 series) #1 (December 2005). |
| Reprinted | in Fantasy Masterpieces (Marvel, 1966 series) #8 (April 1967); in Where Monsters Dwell (Marvel, 1970 series) #28 (May 1974); in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #1 (2006) |
| Characters | Harold Bevinson; Prof. Rall; Gen. George Washington (cameo) |
| Synopsis | A scientist and his friend build a time machine and witness several historical events, almost accidentally killing George Washington in the process. |
| Genre | science fiction |
| Pencils | Steve Ditko ? |
| Inks | Steve Ditko ? |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Text story with illustration. |
| Reprinted | from Astonishing (Marvel, 1951 series) #10 (March 1952) |
| Characters | Bobby |
| Synopsis | A crook builds a robotic teddy bear to rob the homes of the people who buy it, before returning to him. When he tries to retrieve the bear from a poor family with nothing worth stealing, the love of the couple's crippled son turns the bear against him and he is arrested. |
| Genre | occult |
| Pencils | Doug Wildey |
| Inks | Doug Wildey |
| Reprinted | in Crypt of Shadows (Marvel, 1973 series) #13 (October 1974); in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish (Marvel, 2006 series) #1 (2006) |