Mystic Magazine, January 1954

Mystic Magazine, January 1954 (Issue No. 2) This bimonthly periodical, edited by Ray Palmer and Bea Mahaffey, collects occult fiction and articles. Featured stories include: "Invasion of the Dark Ones" by Hal Annas, a science-fiction narrative about a bodyguard named Ed Driscoll assigned to protect a supernatural woman named Vivi van Veck who possesses miraculous powers. The girl has been chosen by alien gods to locate a corrupted deity influencing humanity through "Darklings"—malevolent entities promoting war and disease. Driscoll must escort her to perform this mission while the text breaks off mid-sentence. The issue also contains "The Strange Case of Monica Lilith" by Robert Barbour Johnson, "Doppelganger" by Lyn Venable, and "The Devil's Empire" by Ray Palmer. Shorter pieces include accounts titled "True Mystic Adventures" and reader correspondence. Editorial content by Palmer discusses Mark Twain's birth and death under Halley's Comet.