X-34
Classification: Terrestrial technology (alternate Earth)
Creator: Unrevealed
User/Possessors: Captain Rick Marshall, six other crewmen
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#29/2 (May, 1962)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The X-34 had a crew of seven. It was evidently capable of faster-than-light travel. The ship was controlled with gyro-stabilizers and could crash if that device malfunctioned. It was armed with hydrogen rockets. Equipment aboard included the Galacti-Scope.
History:
(Tales of Suspense I#29/2 (fb)) - The X-34 was launched from Earth in the year 2088 under the command of Captain Rick Marshall, with six additional staff. The X-34 was ordered to explore a newly-discovered star group in the "southern tip" of the galaxy. However, en route the X-34's gryo-stabilizer malfunctioned and the ship crashed on an alien world.
Captain Marshall and his crew survived the crash and examined the damage to the X-34, determining it would take a week for them to repair it. Nearby, the crew saw an alien dragon which could breathe flame. Frightened by the creature's appearance, the crew decided they should get the X-34's hydrogen rockets and use them to kill it. However, Captain Marshall reminded them that according to regulations, they couldn't attack any lifeform that hadn't first menaced them. The crew refused to abide by the regulation and resolved to disobey Captain Marshall and kill the dragon anyway, but Marshall drew his sidearm and threatened to shoot anyone who disobeyed his orders.
Suddenly, the crew saw an asteroid approaching from space. Using the Galacti-Scope, one of the crew determined the asteroid was moving at nearly the speed of light and would soon strike the planet. With no possible way to make repairs to the X-34 before it struck the planet, the crew thought they'd be killed.
(Tales of Suspense I#29/2) - As the asteroid came closer, the crew panicked, but suddenly the dragon blasted the asteroid with its flame, striking it with such force that the asteroid was completely repelled and hurled off into space. The crew realized Captain Marshall had been correct about following regulations because the dragon had saved their lives.
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer (likely either Stan Lee or Larry Lieber), Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.
At the time of writing, this does not have an alternate Earth designation.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The X-34 should not be confused with:
Captain Rick Marshall was the commander of the X-34. He believed strongly in adhering to rules and regulations. When the X-34 crashed on an alien world inhabited by a flame-breathing dragon, Marshall refused to let his crew attack the creature, observing regulations didn't permit them to attack anything which hadn't first menaced them. When the crew insisted they'd attack the dragon regardless of Marshall's orders, Marshall drew his sidearm and threatened to shoot anyone who disobeyed his orders. Their standoff ended when an asteroid approached the planet; at the last moment, the dragon deflected the asteroid and the crew realized Marshall had been right to insist they obey the rules.
--Tales of Suspense I#29/2) 29/2 (fb), 29/2
The Galacti-Scope was a device carried aboard the X-34. It was used for scanning objects travelling in space. A member of the X-34 crew used the Galacti-Scope to examine an asteroid as it approached the planet they'd crashed on; the device revealed the asteroid was travelling at almost the speed of light.
--Tales of Suspense I#29/2 (fb)
The crew of the X-34 encountered a fire-breathing dragon which was native to the planet they'd crashed upon. The dragon's flame was as powerful as a hydrogen bomb. Most of the crew were afraid of the dragon and wanted to kill it with the X-34's hydrogen rockets, but Captain Marshall refused to permit an attack because by their regualations, they couldn't attack anything which hadn't first menaced them. When the dragon struck an approaching asteroid with its flame, causing it to be flung back into space, the crew realized they were right to have left it alone.
--Tales of Suspense I#29/2) 29/2 (fb), 29/2
images: (without ads)
Tales of Suspense I#29/2, page 2, panel 5 (main)
Tales of Suspense I#29/2, page 2, panel 7 (supplemental)
Tales of Suspense I#29/2, page 5, panel 3 (Marshall)
Tales of Suspense I#29/2, page 5, panel 5 (galacti-scope)
Tales of Suspense I#29/2, page 4, panel 1 (dragon)
Appearances:
Tales of Suspense I#29/2 (May, 1962) - unidentified writer, Jack Kirby (penciler), Dick Ayers (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 08/28/2026
Last updated:
08/28/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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