ðə stˈoːɹi wʌzðə sˈʌbdʒɛkt ʌv ɛkstˈɛnsɪv fɔːɹʃˈædoʊɪŋ ɪnðə kˈɑːmɪk, bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ wɪððə dˈɛd mˈæn pɹˈɑːɡz sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː, fˈɑːloʊd bˈaɪ "tˈeɪl ʌvðə dˈɛd mˈæn" pɹˈɑːɡz sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti ˈeɪt, ænd fˈaɪnəli θɹˈiː stˈoːɹiz kəlˈɛktɪvli nˈoʊn æz "kˈaʊntdaʊn tə nɛkɹˈɑːpəliz" pɹˈɑːɡz sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti nˈaɪn sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti θɹˈiː.
The story was the subject of extensive foreshadowing in the comic, beginning with The Dead Man (progs 650–662), followed by "Tale of the Dead Man" (progs 662–668), and finally three stories collectively known as "Countdown to Necropolis" (progs 669–673).