Speed Carter, Spaceman #6
The Thing in Outer Space
Speed Carter is on patrol with Crash Morgan when their patrol is attacked by what appears to be a massive space creature. The patrol is decimated, but Speed and Crash managed to slay the creature. However on their return to Earth they find that their rocket has been seriously damaged and are forced to abandon ship before they burn up in the atmosphere. After they safely parachute to the Earth's surface they are approached by a Space Sentinels messenger with a message that another creature like the one they barely survived has been spotted attacking ships in space.
The pair quickly rocket back out into space to where the creature was spotted. They attack the seemingly monster and slay it, but realize that it is a mechanical construct when the "beast" smashes one of its "tentacles" through the wind shield allowing them to get a closer look. With this clue they make repairs on their ship and go from world to world trying to find the creators of the creatures.
Their search brings them to an asteroid populated by "space hobos" even though the asteroid is deemed uninhabited. They are shocked to learn that these men are not hobos, but actually space pirates who openly admit that they created the "creatures" that have been attacking ships in space to cover up their thefts.
When the pirates try to eliminate Speed and Crash, the pair fight their way to their ship. Getting into space safely, Speed orders Crash to bomb the asteroid where the pirates have stored explosives. The explosions unearth giant lizard creatures that live below the asteroid's surface. The angry carnivores then consume the space pirates ending their threat.
Recurring Characters
Space Sentinels
Speed Carter
Crash Morgan
The Kiss of Death!
Speed Carter is out on a date with Stellar Stone. When the pair pull over to at a local lovers lane, Stellar tries to stab Speed while they are kissing. Spotting the knife in the rear-view mirror of his rocket car, Speed stops Stellar from killing him. When he presses her for answers she rebuffs his questions and demands that she bring her home. Confused, Speed complies and returns home where he is attacked by both Crash Morgan and Johnny Day, who also try to kill him. However they are easily fought off by Speed and the pair decide to flee. Wanting to get to the bottom of things, Speed follows after them to find out why his friends are attacking him.
Speed follows them to a nearby house where he spies through a window and sees that Stellar, Crash and Johnny are under the hypnotic control of two spies: Comet and Bulka. The alien Bulka spots Speed and he is soon taken prisoner. Comet explains to Speed that she had hypnotized his friends in order to eliminate him however now that they have them as their prisoner they can move forward with their plans.
Stellar, Johnny and Crash are let go and soon the hypnosis wears off and they have no memory of what happened. When they meet with Speed the next day they find him acting out of personality, snapping at Johnny and demanding that the other Sentinels refer to him by rank. Stellar realizes that "Speed" is not her lover one night while on a date and he kisses her too intimately than Speed has done in the past. Stellar then follows the impostor back to Comet's home where she is quickly taken prisoner. Comet reveals that Bulka has disguised himself as Speed Carter and that they intend to kill the original in space.
Soon, Stellar and the real Speed are taken aboard a ship that blasts off into space in order to eliminate them. However, when Comet is prepared to kill Speed, Stellar tricks her into thinking Bulka is Speed by seeking his embrace. Comet falls for the ploy and shoots her comrade dead. Realizing the mistake she made, Comet decides to commit suicide instead of facing capture and jumps out of the airlock to die in the void of space. In the aftermath, Speed kisses Stellar in thanks for saving his life, much to her delight.
Recurring Characters
Space Sentinels
Speed Carter
Crash Morgan
Stellar Stone
Johnny Day
Speed Carter, Spaceman
Speed Carter and Johnny Day are on patrol when they hear a distress call from one of their comrades coming from the planet Scorpio, home of the Scorpeople. They land to investigate and are soon jumped by an army of Scorpeople. The attackers prove to be immune to their weapons and Speed is soon disarmed and incapacitated with one of the Scopeople's stings. Made prisoners, Speed and Johnny are ordered by the Scorpeople to pilot their ship to the planet Sagittarius in order for the Scorpeople to wage war with their mortal enemies the Centaurs, hoping to use the Space Sentinel ship to protect them against the poison arrows that can kill them.
With no choice, Speed and Johnny are forced to rocket a war party to invade Sagittarius. However, Speed and Johnny sabotage the controls and send the ship to crash on the planets surface while they bail out. Mistaken as enemies, Speed and Johnny are attacked by the Centaurs and Speed is struck. Soon the leader of the Centaurs orders his people to stand down after learning what Speed and Johnny have done. They are relieved to find that Speed was not seriously wounded by the poisoned arrows as they have no effect on humans.
Speed and Johnny then join the Centaurs on a counter attack on Scorpio where the warrior Scorpeople are slain. To their surprise they find a peaceful faction of Scorpeople who then make peace with the Centaurs.
Recurring Characters
Space Sentinels
Speed Carter
Johnny Day
