Clark Carrados: El hombre que no podía morir

Catalog Note This 1978 Spanish-language pulp magazine presents "El hombre que no podía morir" (The Man Who Could Not Die) by Clark Carrados, issue #271 in the *Selección Terror* collection published by Editorial Bruguera. The narrative follows Norman Baines, a young Englishman waiting for an assignation at a pub, when he is approached by a pale, aristocratic stranger claiming to be Count Wilhelm von Stahren of Vienna—a man who died 250 years prior but cannot truly perish. Von Stahren demonstrates his immortality by stabbing himself through the heart with a stiletto; the wound closes instantly without bleeding. He entrusts Norman with his signet ring and departs mysteriously. Norman later discovers no witness saw Von Stahren, yet confirms the ring is pure gold. Investigating the nearby village of Harthrop, Norman finds Von Stahren's grave dated 1688–1726. He encounters an intelligent young woman, Augusta Searles, at the cemetery who references local legend concerning the count. The narrative combines mystery, the supernatural, and romantic elements typical of period terror serials.