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| Publisher |
DC |
| Writer |
Bob Haney |
| Artist |
Bob Brown |
| Artist |
Mort Meskin |
| Published | February 1964 |
The Threat Of The Horrible Hex. Mark Merlin, and his companion, Elsa, travel to Halzburg, Pennsylvania. Elsa spies a hex symbol on a barn. Merlin tells the tale. In 1690, superstition held sway in Halzburg. The Mayor, Josef Von Halz, was the sole voice of reason. By chance, Von Halz stumbles across a dark compact held between Peter Stalb, Spinster Toten, and Medicine Man, Black Moon. Von Halz chases Stalb, Toten, and Black Moon away. Soon after, Von Halz falls prey to witchery. Von Halz confronts Stalb, Toten, and Black Moon. Von Halz handily defeats the dark trio. Von Halz notices three hex symbols, one each for Stalb, Toten, and Black Moon, on his barn. Nothing Von Halz does can destroy the barn. In attempting to do so, Von Halz accidentally burns the town, itself, to the ground.From that day forward, every member of the Von Halz family has disappeared on their 25th birthday. Merlin has been asked by Henrietta Halz to break the curse, before she, too, turns 25. Merlin transfers the curse form Halz to himself. Then Merlin heads out to confront the ghosts of Stalb, Toten, and Black Moon. First to attack Merlin is Black Moon. The spirit of the medicine man calls down a torrential rain to drown Merlin. Using magics learned from Black Moon's own tribe, Merlin conjures forth hurricane force winds to dispel the rain. Black Moon recedes, to allow the ghost of Spinster Toten to attack. Toten splits the Earth open beneath Merlin's feet. Merlin, however, merely levitates himself back up to the surface.Merlin notices that the corresponding hex symbol, for each spirit, heats up just before they enter the mortal realm. Now, the spirit of Peter Stalb is released. Stalb's ghost produces a voodoo doll, that paralyzes Merlin's right arm and leg. Merlin manages to snatch the doll away from Stalb's spirit, and break it's enchantment on him. All three hex symbols heat up, as all three spirits are released, to attack Merlin in unison. Merlin notices a fourth hex symbol, under the hex symbols...
