Star Pirates

Golden Age Origin
These spacefaring pirates pursued and attacked the Earth-ship Discoverer in a formation of three ships indicating to [Dexter Ames|Captain Dexter Ames] that they were not Inter-Planet patrol craft. Their large and speedy cruisers looked like war craft and were armed with proton guns on the sides and their boarding parties were equipped with ray-pistols. Their intent was that the captured vessel would be put to use as a cargo ship and its crew as slaves in the laboratories on Neptune.

Golden Age Appearances
Planet Comics #6