Journey into Mystery #40

The Question That Can’t Be Answered!

by an unknown writer and John Forte

Release: November 1956
Format: Comic Book
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: YA and Up
Content: Definite Time Travel
Original Language: English

Reporter Ned Parker tries to expose a fraudulent hypnotist, but instead he ends up being hypnotized and sent into his look-alike descendant 500 years in the future.

— Michael Main

It was Ned who fell under the hypnotic trance. . . and Ned who responded to the commands of Jiminez!

DEBUT

“The Question That Can’t Be Answered!” , in Journey into Mystery #40 (Atlas Comics, November 1956).

VARIANTS

1 English variant

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 1950 to 1959: time of Ned Parker, 1956
Near Future, AD 2300 and Beyond: time of Ned’s ancestor, 2456

Timeline Models

Single Naive Timeline

Time Travel Methods

Hypnosis, Potions, and Drug-Induced Travel

Themes

Ancestor Travel: probably Ned’s descendant into Ned, though it’s hard to tell for sure
Descendant Travel: Ned into his descendant
Mind Travel
People from Different Times Look Exactly Alike: Ned and his descendant

Groupings

Atlas Comics (franchise)
Journey into Mystery (comic book): #40 (November 1956)