The Game

Originally Aired: March 15, 1955 In Suspense #589, "The Game," two restless teenagers, Pen and Red, find themselves bored on a lazy summer afternoon with nothing to do. What begins as an innocent search for entertainment takes a dark turn when Red suggests they get drunk at Pen's empty house. As the whiskey flows and inhibitions fade, Red begins needling Pen, calling him soft and chicken, questioning his courage in front of their friends. The verbal sparring escalates until Red proposes a terrifying way for Pen to prove his manhood: Russian roulette. With Red's taunts ringing in his ears and alcohol clouding his judgment, Pen agrees to play the deadly game. Red retrieves Pen's father's .38 revolver, and they sit across from each other at a table scarred by childhood memories. They remove five bullets, leaving one in the chamber. A coin flip determines who goes first, and the ceremony begins. As Pen lifts the heavy gun for the first time in his life, the two boys enter into a contest where backing down means humiliation, but continuing could mean death.