Comic Title: House of Secrets #40
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: January 1961
On Sale Date: November 17, 1960 Copyright Date November 17, 1960
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1960

Newsstand Date November 17, 1960
Source: Newsdealer Magazine, V15 #9

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 32
Editor: Jack Schiff

Title: "Master of the Space Beasts"
Pages: 9

Feature(s):
Mark Merlin (of Earth-1)

Penciller: Mort Meskin
Inker: George Roussos

Feature Character(s)

• Mark Merlin (last appearance in House of Secrets #39; next appearance in House of Secrets #41)

Supporting Character(s)

• Elsa Magusson (last appearance in House of Secrets #39; next appearance in House of Secrets #41)

Villain(s)

• A jewel thief (no further appearances)
• A Drog (an alien creature; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• President Halevy (no further appearances)
• An alien humanoid (no further appearances)
• A Neptunian Nerol (a hunting beast; no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Mark Merlin attends a fair in an alpine town. The fair is interrupted when a giant alien beast attacks. The audience flees, but is met by a different creature from the other direction. While the two creatures begin destroying exhibits, a thief steals some valuable jewels. Mark deduces that the thief must control the creatures.

Mark traces the creatures back to an alien space ship. He subdues the captain of the ship only to discover that he is friendly. An Earth criminal stole the alien's stun-ray and took control of one of the creatures, a Drog. The other creature is a Nerol and was sent to hunt down the Drog. The space man passes out before he can tell Mark which creature is which.

Mark locates the thief and regains possession of the stun-ray. He then must fire on one of the creatures. He chooses the correct one when he notices that the Nerol has been following the Drog's tracks. With the Drog subdued, the threat is over.