The Touch of Midas marks the debut of Magica De Spell, the charming witch created by Carl Barks, who drew inspiration from Morticia, the black-clad figure from The Addams Family, as well as Sophia Loren or Gina Lollobrigida. It all began when Magica visited Uncle Scrooge to ask him for a coin he had touched with his hands, which she needed to make a talisman that would make her rich. The wealthy tycoon couldn't resist the temptation to earn a dollar by giving a dime, but he made a very serious mistake by giving the witch the first coin he ever earned in his life!
Magica lives near Naples, on the slopes of Vesuvius, where the second and more adventurous part of the story takes place. It is no coincidence that the Italian Topolino team quickly adopted her. Less than a year after her first appearance in the pages of the American Uncle Scrooge, Giuseppe Perego illustrated a story by Abramo and Giampaolo Barosso featuring their compatriot, which was published in the weekly Topolino in October 1962.