These stories really don't have much to do with fate, but they do provide some light horror fare. We've got disembodied heads, a werewolf (with an all too-familiar plot) and a couple other monster types to sate our thirst for four-color horror. The story titles promise much, but don't deliver like some other horror comics did at the time. Still, it's a pretty good looking book, thanks to the likes of Lou Cameron, Rocco Mastroserio and Mike Sekowsky. If the truth be told, there were a lot of other horror comics at the time that were also flavored with a heavy serving of vanilla.
THE HAND OF FATE began with issue #8 after MEN AGAINST CRIME was shelved with its seventh issue. It ran for 19 issues, from December 1951 to December 1954, when Ace was crushed by the weight of the Comics Code Authority.
NOTE: The two-page text story, "Unburied Dead" is reprinted from CHALLENGE OF THE UNKNOWN #6 (Ace Magazines, September 1950).
Does Ace's THE HAND OF FATE get any more "horrifying"? We'll find out in later posts.
THE HAND OF FATE
Vol. 1 No. 8 (First issue)
December 1951
Humor Publications Inc. (Ace Comics)
Editor: ?
Cover: Kenneth Rice
Pages: 36
Cover price: 10 cents
CONTENTS
"The Revolt of the Heads"
Script: ?
Pencils: Lou Cameron
Inks: Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio
"A Hand of Fate Mystery #1" (one page)
Script: ?
Art: ?
"Canyon of the Living Dead"
Script: ?
Art: Jim McLaughlin
"A Hand of Fate Mystery #2" (one page)
Script: ?
Art: ?
"Death Howls By Moonrise"
Script: ?
Pencils: Maurice Gutwirth; George Appel
Inks: Vince Alascia ?; Maurice Gutwirth; George Appel
"Monster of the Bayous"
Script: ?
Art: Mike Sekowsky
Inks: Vince Alascia