Tales of the Unexpected #73
In "The Convict Defenders of Space!", three former space patrolmen—wrongly convicted and en route to prison—are thrust into a desperate fight for survival when their transport is ambushed by the very raider they were framed for aiding. Written by Arnold Drake and illustrated by Howard Sherman, this 1962 tale from Tales of the Unexpected flips the script on redemption and loyalty, with a twist that redefines who the real enemy is. The cover by Bob Brown captures the high-stakes drama of the moment, a 12-cent glimpse into a classic sci-fi mystery.
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Three former space patrolmen convicted of conspiracy are being flown to prison when the transport ship is attacked by the very raider they were supposed to be helping. The convicts stay to help the crew instead of fleeing, and it is finally revealed that only one of them was truly evil and helped to frame the other two.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).