Murder Worm

Origin
"Ace" Kelly is a hotshot test pilot for the Army. Ace takes up a new "Army motor" in the K13 airplane, using an experimental gas mixture. As he rises straight up, Major Nichols contacts him by radio. The Major wants Kelly to level out and let up on the engine.

Kelly says he can't level out, and is going to break a lot of records. He continues to climbs to 150 miles before passing out from exhaustion. He doesn't feel when his ship enters a twisting "space-flow" that takes his craft on a journey.

48 hours later, Kelly awakens to see a weird flying creature. Not seeing any familiar terrain, he must land anyway as he is nearly out of fuel. He uses a lake for touchdown, seeing a pair of short, tiny creatures on the shore as he swims out. The creatures speak an unfamiliar language, and Kelly realizes he's on another planet.

The creatures shoot him with a type of gun, causing him to pass out. The creatures carry him away, placing him an "odd looking ship" and fly off to the city or Ur.

Ace revives from the "ray-gun" blast to discover he is being strapped to "an odd, rocket-like device". The device is sent away on a rail, travelling astonishingly fast through a long tube. It stops in a pitch-black area, and Kelly can only see a pair of eyes in the darkness. Unseen hands release him, the sounds of a door slamming as they possessors of the hands leave.

Ace sees a pair of eyes again in the darkness. A voice speaks to him, "So, the sacred moon city of Ur has a visitor!" It says, continuing, "A man from Earth, I am told! Speak!"

Kelly is astonished at the "cat's eyes" possessing a human voice. The voice says he has no reason to be worried yet. The lights come on, revealing a beautiful, dark-haired woman as she removes her cat-eye mask. The woman informs Kelly that he is dead. She explains all men of Ur are considered dead until they prove their "right to live" by taking a text, showing him a coffin with his name on it.

He is anxious to get the "test" over with, asking for a pencil. It's not that kind of test, she tells him, but a round "pit of a dozen doors" in it. He must open 6 of the doors and survive whatever is behind them.

The day of Ace Kelly's test arrives. He is dressed in battle clothing and given a sword. The woman is teary as she talks to Ace, explaining each of the twelve doors has a button to open it. Kelly enters the arena and opens his first door as the audience cheers him on.

The first door reveals a large Hawk-Beaked Moon Beast. Ace considers fleeing, but sucks it up and kills the creature after an epic battle.

The second door reveals a giant Murder Worm, which Ace again bests in combat. Ace is tired, but opens the third door which contains a Brute Human with a large ax. After defeating him, Ace passes out from exhaustion. According to the rules of which Kelly is unaware, the fourth door is opened by a timid attendant of the arena, who quickly leaves through an access door. Luckily, the door contains a great treasure of gold and precious, arousing and delighting Ace. The treasure is put back into place, Ace knows it is his if he survives the final ordeal.

The fifth door reveals a horrible, Meat-eating Crustacean. Ace manages to avoid its pincers. He cuts them both off before killing the beast. He finds the game a cruel one not to his taste, but has one more door to open.

It is dark inside the sixth door. Ace goads out whatever is inside when the girl comes out of it, dressed in regal clothing. he realizes she is the Queen of Ur. He expresses he doesn't want to fight her, but she tells him he is a rich hero and expected to marry her instead, as she has fallen in love with him.

Ace tries to avoid the wedding, but the Queen makes it clear he cannot do so. He asks for some time to prepare and takes off for a while. The queen hears of his plans to purchase a rocketship and calls out the police of Ur to stop him.

The queen arrives just in time to see him take off in the rocket. An officer suggests sending out 'space patrols' to retrieve him, but she tearily waves goodbye to "Ace" Kelly and wishes him luck.

Public Domain Appearances

 * Tops Comics #2000