Ace of Space

Outer space themes were never Quality’s specialty. The longest running feature was Vernon Henkel’s “Space Legion,” which lasted just a year-and-a-half in Crack Comics. That strip featured a Flash Gordon-like lead character. The Ace of Space was the only super-powered space hero, lasting a mere four issues. Yet his origin story may sound strangely familiar.

One day as New York playboy “Ace” Egan was piloting his private plane, he encountered a red-and-yellow alien spaceship that had landed on Earth. A giant three-eyed, yellow-and-red alien emerged from within, looking ill. The creature was unable to survive in Earth’s atmosphere and predicted his own impending death. He communicated telepathically to Egan, warning him of an impending attack by an alien race called the Slogons. As he died, he bequeathed a power belt to Ace.

When Ace donned the belt, he grew instantly to a height of nine feet, and he could run at great speeds. Ace left the alien’s body with a local hospital and returned to the spaceship, making it invisible. The belt imparted the knowledge of how to pilot and use the spaceship, and Egan made quick work of the invaders, sending their ships crashing to Earth. Back home, the newspapers dubbed him the Ace of Space. Ace kept these things secret from his butler, Jennings. (Feature #38) 

Like the alien before him, Ace found that the belt gave him telepathy. This power alerted him to a plot by European dictators to impersonate United States lawmakers. (#39) When a friend of his was arrested for embezzlement, Egan uncovered the evil Dr. Devlin, who had developed a serum that gave men super-speed. (#40)

In his final adventure, Ace joined the Army Air Corps and became Lieutenant Egan. Naturally, he parked his spaceship near his post. His reputation as a playboy preceded him with his commanding officer, and when spies seized a new flying fortress, Ace won no points by dashing away to change. With a flying leap and a one-two punch, he’d reclaimed the Army’s new plane and taken down the enemies. When he returned to base, the Major took him aside and noted that Egan had been injured in his left arm—just like of the Ace of Space. The jig was up, but the Major promised to keep Egan’s secret. (#41)

Note

Ace's first adventure bore two creator's names, Harry Francis Campbell and H. Weston Taylor, but only Taylor's after that.The two also collaborated on features such as "Counterspy," "John Law," "the Scarlet Seal," and "Wizard Wells."