It’s a happy ending story with a somewhat sinister vibe.
Steve Ditko’s The Man Who Stepped Out of the Cloud (Out of This World 5, Sept. 1957) introduces us to a grinning blond alien, disguised as a human, who is on some reconnaissance mission.
His arrival is seen by a boy who we learn is somehow “different,” and has been treated badly by the people in his community.
The Cloud Man converses with the boy while awaiting telepathic instructions about what to do with him. The boy is pathetically eager for any gesture of affection.
Instructed to spirit the boy away into the cloud, the alien thinks, “I am glad the boy saw me arrive on my peaceful reconnaissance! I am glad that he is now on his way to my world! My world is further advanced in methods of treating disturbed children. Once he has grown into a man, he shall be permitted to choose between staying on or returning to earth… But until that time comes, he shall be happy up there!”
One is left with the impression that Earth might benefit from an invasion now and then.
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