Mike Banner

Origin
Space Marshal Mike Banner observes his "telescreen" as an "Earth-bound convoy of space freighters" is escorted to Earth by Ellan. Ellan is piloting her Earth fighter when she observes a group of space ships attack one of the incoming scows.

Ellan attempts to fire at the ships, but the fighters "powerful D ray" and its "heat ray" prove ineffectual against the attackers' crafts. The attackers pierce the sides of the scows and board the ships. The passengers are taken captive as "slaves for the pit", taking them to work the "lectium mines".

Ellan reports to Space Marshal Banner, who orders her to follow the kidnappers. To her surprise, she follows their ships to Uranus, where the radiation from the lectium deposits is fatal to humans.

Ellan reports again to Space Marshal, which he is sometimes identified as. He orders her to give a full report. He and Ellan go to the meeting of the Space Commission that he called. He reports the blunder made by Earth in assuming no one would risk lives to mine the lectium ore. Lectium's properties are impermeability and heat resistance.

Lord Kazmar of the planet Uranus contacts Space Marshal at the meeting by "telescreen". Lord Kazmar demands Earth provide labor to mine the lectium ore on Uranus and tribute paid to him. Space Marshal Banner tells Kazmar that Earth will not bow to his demands. Ellan asks if they will attack the Earth, but Space Marshal has a different plan to make Kazmar's forces battle the Earth forces on the ground where their ships will be useless. He calls for space pilots to go with him to Uranus to engage in armed combat with foot soldiers. All the pilots volunteered, and soon the force is to Uranus.

Space Marshal contacts Lord Kazmar, telling him the Earth rejects the slaver's demands, and the Earth ships are going to engage in a space battle. Lord Kazmar sends his ships to crash into the Earth ships. Kazmar's ships are in space when the Earth ships land on the surface of Uranus. The slaves revolt against their guards, one of them giving Space Marshal a "mixture of helium-hydrogen" used to cut lectium.The mixture is quickly applied to the Earth ships, and their superior weaponry easily bests the returning slaver fleet.

Lord Kazmar attempts to flee, but he is captured by the slaves made ill by exposure to lectium radiation. "So the overlord of Uranus joined the walking dead in the pits of Uranus! To rot away to a slow deserved death!!"

Public Domain Appearances

 * Weird Tales of the Future #3