LUKE BRAMBY

Real Name: Luke Bramby

Identity/Class: Human (Post-World War II Era)

Occupation: Junk shop employee

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: The Seven Sisters of Evil

Enemies: Henry Kason

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: USA

First Appearance: Mystery Tales I#1 (March, 1952)

Powers/Abilities: Luke Bramby possessed the Little Black Box, which granted every wish he made, provided he stated it in the form of a lie. As Bramby was gifted at telling lies, he was quite capable of exploiting this aspect of the box.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'5")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 140 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Gray

History:
(Mystery Tales I#1/2) - One day while working at Henry Kason's junk shop, Luke Bramby fell asleep in the shop. Dreaming, Bramby was visited by the Seven Sisters of Evil, who informed him that they had sought him out because he was one of their kind: "greedy," "a cheat... and a liar!" As a reward for his deceitfulness, the Seven Sisters presented Luke with the Little Black Box, informing him that it contained "all the evils of humanity." Unimpressed, Luke suggested that he might get a few dollars for it from a pawn shop but the Sisters pleaded with him to never let the box out of his sight because it was "controlled by evil." As they began to explain how to use the box, Luke awoke.

Awaking in the junk shop, Bramby was told by Mr. Kason to get back to work stacking piles of old clothing. Kason admonished Bramby to turn over to him anything he found in the pockets of the clothing. Annoyed at his boss' orders, Bramby went to work sorting the clothing and soon held up a pair of pants that felt unusually heavy. Inside a pocket, he found the Little Black Box, exactly as it had appeared to him in his dream. However, he also recalled that the Seven Sisters of Evil had not finished telling him how to use the box.

Just then, Mr. Kason interrupted Bramby, asking if the clothing had been stacked. Bramby lied and claimed that he had stacked it and, suddenly, the pile of clothing reformed itself into a nice neat stack. Bramby realized that the Little Black Box must have the power to make his lies become the truth. As Kason was marveling over the neat work he thought Bramby had done, Bramby declared aloud that Kason was dropping dead right in front of him. The Little Black Box made that lie come true as well and immediately killed Mr. Kason.

Taking advantage of his new prize, Bramby went back to his home and said aloud that his house was a luxurious mansion; his rundown home became a great mansion thanks to the Little Black Box's magic. He then said his table was covered with money and the Little Black Box made this lie come true as well. Although appreciative of the power of the Little Black Box, Bramby wondered how the box could perform its miracles. He tried to open the box and see what was inside but the lid would not open. Suddenly, he realized he could simply use the box's own power to open the box and declared "the Little Black Box is open and what's in it is on the floor in front of me!"

The Little Black Box opened and a pile of ashes spilled out. The ashes took on the shape of a man, who informed Bramby that he was the previous user of the box. He had died and been cremated with his ashes placed inside the box. He claimed he could not leave the box without someone else taking his place and he unleashed mystical flames which swiftly burned Bramby to death. The man of ashes then swept Bramby's ashes inside the Little Black Box and placed the box inside the pocket of one of Bramby's old coats before throwing the coat into the garbage. Perhaps someone else would find the box and unleash its power...

Comments: Created by Hank Chapman and Joe Maneely.

    The "man of ashes" claimed he needed someone to take his place in the "land of the cremated." By "land," did he simply mean the container his ashes had been placed in?

    This profile was completed 12/15/2022, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Luke Bramby should not be confused with:


Henry Kason

Henry Kason was the owner of a junk shop and served as Luke Bramby's employer. When Bramby obtained the Little Black Box, he tested its power on Kason by declaring that Kason was dropping dead right in front of him. Sure enough, the Little Black Box caused Luke's lie to become the truth as Kason fell to the ground, dead from an apparent heart attack.






--Mystery Tales I#1/2

The Little Black Box

This unassuming, cheap-looking black box contained great supernatural power. Whenever someone nearby uttered a lie, the box would cause the lie to become the truth. A previous user of the Little Black Box had been cremated and his ashes were kept inside the box. After the Seven Sisters of Evil gifted the Little Black Box to Luke Bramby in a dream, Bramby found the box inside the pocket of an old pair of pants in Henry Kason's junk shop. Bramby quickly learned how the box worked when he lied about nearby clothing being stacked and the box made this come true. Thereafter, Bramby used the box to kill Kason, turn his home into a mansion and give himself great wealth, all through lying. Curious about the contents of the box but unable to open it under his own strength, Bramby lied, claiming it was open. The box opened and unleashed the ashes of the previous user. The man made of ashes claimed his soul could not leave the land of the cremated unless another took his place and then fired mystical flames at Bramby which swiftly burned his body to ashes. The man of ashes put Bramby's ashes inside the box, placed the box inside one of Bramby's old coats, then put the coat into the garbage, musing that perhaps someone else would find it and unleash its power.



--Mystery Tales I#1/2

The Seven Sisters of Evil

The Seven Sisters of Evil were seven women of apparent great mystical power. They appeared as bony figures dressed in robes and may have been undead creatures. At some point, they obtained the Little Black Box. Observing Luke Bramby and noting that he was like them - greedy, cheating and lying - they appeared Luke in a dream and presented him with the Little Black Box then began to explain how it worked. The Sisters disappeared when Luke awoke from his dream but they planted the Little Black Box inside a set of clothing which Luke was sorting, proving to him that they and the box were real.





--Mystery Tales I#1/2

images: (without ads)
Mystery Tales I#1/2, page 3, panel 1 (main)
Mystery Tales I#1/2, page 2, panel 7 (face)
 Mystery Tales I#1/2, page 3, panel 4 (Kason)
Mystery Tales I#1/2, page 1, panel 2 (Black Box)
Mystery Tales I#1/2, page 4, panel 10 (ash man)
Mystery Tales I#1/2, page 1, panel 1 (Seven Sisters)

Appearances:
Mystery Tales I#1/2 (March, 1952) - Hank Chapman (writer), Joe Maneely (artist), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 09/25/2026
Last updated: 12/15/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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