Plagues Suck!

Charlton Comics' Out Of This World features multiple stories dealing with science-fiction, fantasy, horror, and otherworldly antics. In Issue #6, Steve Ditko contributed the art for a 5-page tale simply titled Plague. With the world in the grip of COVID, this particular short story from 1957 is still timely especially today. An unnamed mad scientist creates a plague designed to petrify any living thing for an entire year, with the idea being after that much time off humanity might mellow out enough to consider world peace. The insane inventor tours the countryside a few weeks after releasing his plague finding everyone in suspended animation. Just then, the scientist gets attacked by aliens which picked this of all times to invade Earth which is now totally vulnerable since the entire population are living statues. Our abominable chemist wakes up to find the whole thing was just a nightmare, and heads to his laboratory to discover the plague had actually been released while he was asleep. Suddenly, a similar looking space shop lands on his front door driven by a helmeted stranger with a long red cape. The self-proclaimed "space jockey" says he comes in peace, and he is Mark Wilson of the Earth-Interstellar Patrol and tells him it is the year 2160. The world is now celebrating the 100th anniversary of a peaceful world government, and Mark just wants some water for his ship. The mad scientist realizes he was the only one affected by his plague and spent the last two centuries asleep while the outside world reached peace on its own. The plan for putting the pause button on all humans for a year is not only insipid but grotesquely naive because everyone would just wake up with not only all their previous history still behind them, but they would also have to add an entire year's worth of work to catch up on!