Comet Pierce

Comet Pierce was born in the 22nd century. According to the narration, civilization had changed and with it both customs and languages. What had yet to change was “man’s craving for adventure and thrills”. Pierce apparently felt such a craving. A popular sport of his century was racing rockets across the Solar System at high speeds. The young man became a famous race driver. But his last race did not go according to plan.  
 
Said race took place in the year 2150. His rival Avis Jort managet to sabotage Pierce’s rocket. The unlucky pilot crash-landed on an isolated asteroid. While unconscious, Pierce was targeted as a meal by an unidentified “monster”. Fortunately, his accident was noticed by a mysterious woman. She moved to rescue him and single-handedly killed the beast.  
 
Pierce regained consciousness hours later. To find himself in the presence of the mysterious woman and two of her alien companions. He was surprised to receive a kiss a confession of love from a woman who he had never met before. She then presented him with a gift. A new engine for his rocket. One which could produce much higher speeds than his old ones. She then left him behind. Neither introducing herself to him, nor explaining her actions in any way.  
 
Pierce got to work, repairing his rocket and installing his new engine. He was able to race to Earth at the speed of light. Arriving weeks before any other racer reached the finish line. He waited for a few weeks for the arrival of Jort. Then used his fists to gain revenge. After that, Pierce left Earth again on a personal mission. Locating his “gorgeous” love interest. His search led him to Mercury, Venus, Mars and Callisto. Never finding any clue on her identity or current location.  
 
But on Callisto, Pierce rescued an alien from another monster. He recognized the little guy as one of her followers, Murfi. Murfi led his savior right to the hide-out of the woman: planet Saturn. Pierce by now had managed to find all about her. She was Laraina, deposed queen of “Martian Zoranthus”. She kept her activities secret because she hid from her enemy Golak. While raising a rebel army to reclaim her throne.He volunteered to join her cause and the position of her lover. She gladly accepted.  
 
Kirby devoted this story to introducing his main characters. He might have intended this as a pilot on a series, but Timely was not interested. Comet Pierce received a profile in Marvel’s recent Handbooks. His reality was dubbed “Reality-40800”. But he has yet to be revived in new stories.  
 

Abilities

 
Comet Pierce has no superhuman powers. He is an expert pilot, a master engineer and an above-average boxer. He carries with him an energy-projecting handgun but was only depicted using it once. His markmanship skills are largely undefined. He has some proficiency in alien languages, using Gharu sign language to converse with a native Martian.  
 
His most notable equipment is his rocket. Originally it traveled at speeds which allowed him to travel most of the Solar System within a few weeks. With technology provided by Laraina, his rocket was upgraded to travel at the speed of light.