The Small Assassin

[cyberghostface]

 

This is from Shock SuspenStories #7.

After she almost dies giving birth, Alice believes that her newborn child wants to kill her.

Comments

[mazway_75]

Now wondering if Seth McFarlane read this and helped inspire Stewie.

[mazway_75]

Also keep thinking of a follow-up the next morning of cops showing up. "Damn...who'd have thought that old Doc would lose it, kill his friend and then slit his own throat? Well, don't worry, little guy, you'll be taken care of..."

[blues32]

Come now, that isn't the EC way. Justice tends to be served in the end.

[tripodeca113]

"The old rundown orphanage with Old Lady Medea, will be a good place for you to be raised".

[dan_ingram]

Finally, justice!

[lego_joker]

Yeah, this whole thing feels a bit atypical (but in a good way, I think) for EC. In the last five panels we're suddenly reading a mystery procedural.

[cyberghostface]

This one is an adaptation of a Ray Bradbury story which is why it’s a bit different.

[dan_ingram]

Well, I just meant that babies get away with some many crimes, it's never ending. It's nice to see one finally pay the price, ya know?

[super_fly]

Getting a lot of Boss Baby vibes from this

[viridian5]

The doctor turned to see the baby quietly crawling toward him, horrifically dressed in a small business suit....

[fra080389]

It's ridiculous that a supposed baby with an adult mind would came because the doctor was agitating a shiny scalpel. That makes me to think the baby is just a baby and the doctor at the end was so influenced by his friend's paranoia to see something that wasn't there.

[bookish_dragon]

If Dad was going to sleep for 24 hours, who was going to take care of the baby? It's not like they could feed themself.

[bradygirl_12]

That baby could cook a Thanksgiving feast all by himself! ;)

[crinos]

I mean on that note, you think that fact would have occurred to the baby while they were on this little murder spree.

"Ha Ha, I've killed my parents at last. Its the perfect crime I... Man I'm getting hungry. I need someone to change me. Oh dear. I believe I have made a costly mistake."

[lissa_quon]

Tell me this story was written by a dude - without telling me it was written by a dude.

[cyberghostface]

I don’t know why the gender is relevant but neither the comic or the original story indicates the baby would be left alone for 24 hours. The doctor even remarks someone is going to have to look after the baby.

[bookish_dragon]

I missed in the comic where the doctor said the baby would be looked after while Dad was sleeping. Still, there's no sign there's a babysitter or someone like that.

[cyberghostface]

"Someone was going to have to look after the baby". There's also a brief reference to them having servants in the original story.

[lissa_quon]

Okay - I get murderous intent but - is a 3 month old even like - built/strong enough to do any of this shit?

Also love how no one just decides to like get mental help for the mother - or call social services to temporarily take the kid. I get this was the Olden Days but surely no one went "ah yes - the woman thinks her infant is going to kill her - it'll be fine to leave her in the house alone with him."

[blues32]

That's exactly how people thought. Well, not everyone, but it wasn't out of the question for the mother's fears to be dismissed as hysteria and that being left with the baby would prove her fears unfounded. Face her fears and all that.

Obviously, no. A baby couldn't do these things. But realism isn't what the story is going for.

[ladymidath]

I read this story years ago and it was always one of my favourites. Ray Bradbury could write about very dark things.