Ventro

Origin
"It is the year 2230 and science has triumphed over the baseness and depravity that caused the wars of the twenty-second century!"

Dr. Mark Savant hears of human sacrifice incidents being permitted by the government of the planet of Genero. His assistant, Ventro, can't believe it any more than Mark. Mona suggests the Stellar Police could handle the issue, but Mark decides to go investigate in his Astro II spacecraft.

When Dr. Savant arrives on Genero, he is greeted by Mago Sartorus, the Grand Vizier to King Gaarlo. Mark expresses his desire to meet with the king, but Mago says it's impossible as the king is too busy with state affairs.

Mark insists, but Mago has a meeting with King Gaarlo, saying Mark is evil. Gaarlo knows better, but chooses to agree with Mago. King Gaarlo tries to send Mark away after Mark appeals to him to stop the sacrifice. The King insists Mark is evil, and Mark reluctantly agrees to leave. Mark threatens to inform the authorities, causing King Gaarlo to agree to speak with him. Gaarlo tells Mark that Mago convinced the king that the kingdom would fall to the Octeel.

Mago decrees Mona must die to appease the Octeel and has her kidnapped while Ventro is away. King Gaarlo comes around to Dr. Savant's way of thinking when word reaches them that Mago has taken Mona. Mark goes to the water-caverns to face the Octeel and rescue Mona. He finds the creature preparing to attack Mona. Mark fires his "electro-gun", but the Octeel is part electric eel so it is ineffectual. Mark has a plan, taking Mona deeper into the caverns.

Mago goes to deal with Mark, but sees the Astro II taking off. Mago thinks Mark has killed the Octeel and radioed his crewman to pick him up. Mago goes into the passageway to confront Mark, but encounters the Octeel instead, which kills him. Mark uses a harpoon device attached to a cable to throw at the Octeel and kills it. The Octeel was positive, and the cable was negative, so it shorted the Octeel out, as Dr. Savant explains. The Inter-Stellar Police round up Mago's henchmen, and that is the end of human sacrifice on Genero.

Public Domain Appearances

 * Weird Thrillers #3