"ACEY" DUGAN

Real Name: Dugan (first name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human (1930s era)

Occupation: Apparently some kind of hustler (see comments)

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Dink, Dominic Fortune (Duvid Fortunov), Sabbath Raven

Enemies: Chisholm Smith (Herkie Slivowitz) 

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York City

First Appearance: Hulk!#22 (August 1980)

Powers/Abilities: Acey Dugan was knowledgeable about New York's underworld, especially as it related to night clubs, bars and casinos. 

Height: 5'11" (by approximation (see comments)
Weight: 160 lbs. (by estimation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Ginger

History:
(Hulk!#22 (fb) - BTS) - A resident of New York City in the late 1930s, Acey Dugan knew the best illegal hangouts and who was who in the underworld. Acey was also an acquaintance of "brigand for hire" Dominic Fortune (see comments). In 1937 when Dominic was temporarily visiting the city and wanted to go gambling Acey took him to an illegal casino.

(Hulk!#22) - Acey accompanied Dominic to the casino and watched as he won several thousand dollars at dice. Happy with this outcome Dominic told Acey to call him by his first name, rather than "Mister Fortune," and Acey inquired what Dominic intended to do with his winnings. When Dominic told Acey that he intended to spend the cash painting the town red Acey told Dominic to call him if he could be of any service, noting that he knew "a lot of angles," citing their current location as proof, and noting that the casino paid the cops a bundle for protection. Mere seconds later the doors crashed open as the police began a raid. Immediately Acey and Dominic took to their heels, with Dominic asking Acey if he had a plan; Acey reassured him that he knew a secret exit, and led him out into a back alley, which Acey reassured Dominic was unknown to the constabulary. Unfortunately for the pair, Acey was wrong, and they were arrested immediately afterwards. A short while later as they languished in a cell together at the local police station a crestfallen Acey asked Dominic if he was sore about the turn of events, and in return Dominic concurred that he wasn't happy. Dominic was then removed from the cell because the Police Commissioner wanted to see him, leaving Acey behind.

(Hulk!#22 - BTS) - Acey was soon released, whether making bail or because the cops decided not to press charges.

(Hulk!#22) - Relatively soon after this (see comments) Acey was in a West Side nightclub when he spotted Dominic, Dominic's girlfriend Sabbath Raven, and Sabbath's friend Zelda Pinkley. Acey approached them and informed Dominic he was happy to see the cops had released him. Also greeting the ladies, Acey began to launch into a spiel offering to sell them "slightly used diamonds" but Dominic stopped him, informing Acey that he needed a private word. The two men left the women to chat, and as they walked away Acey asked Dominic what he needed. Having been tasked by the Commissioner, Dominic queried what Acey knew of "local muscle" Louie Kelt, and Acey responded that from what he'd heard Kelt was something way worse than muscle, adding that Kelt hung out in a funeral parlor doing things there that "would curl your teeth." Acey then provided Dominic with an address in Harlem where he could get more detailed information about Kelt from a friend called Dink, telling Dominic to tell Dink that Acey had sent him. Pleased with Acey's helpfulness, Dominic informed the man that he was forgiven for getting Dominic jailed.

(Hulk!#23 (fb) - BTS) - Acey got Dominic a gig advertising dairy products from Ferdley's Milk.

   Acey heard from dockworker acquaintances that he regarded as "good gees" that Chisholm Smith, a movie star due to arrive back in New York from a trip to Europe, was secretly a Nazi.

(Hulk!#23) - This revelation prompted Acey to be at Idlewild Airfield when Smith landed and came out to speak to the attending press. Spotting Dominic Fortune and Sabbath Raven also present, Acey ran over to them and tried to inform them of what he had learned, but before he could do so some of Acey's dockworker friends publicly attacked Smith; Dominic, who was a childhood friend of Smith, intervened and began fighting a docker, but Acey, watching the ensuing melee, disappointedly informed Sabbath that Dominic was punching the wrong guy. The police soon arrived, ending the fight, and Smith departed. With things having calmed down Dominic asked Acey what it was that he'd been trying to tell him, inquiring whether he'd scrounged up another advertisement for him to do. Acey instead informed him about the claims that Smith was a Nazi, but Dominic refused to believe this of someone he'd know since they were both kids. 

(Hulk!#23 - BTS) - Dominic and Sabbath hurried off to join Smith for the premiere of Smith's new film. In their absence the dockworkers provided Acey with their proof of Smith's treason, in the form of Smith's membership card to the Nazi party that they had found by chance when it fell out of a crate while they were unloading a German freighter. Acey also learned that the Nazis planned to assassinate the guest of honor, Senator Fullton with Smith's help.

(Hulk!#23) - Acey rang Dominic's hotel to inform him of this, but was told that Dominic and Sabbath had already left for the premiere. Bemoaning that he wished he wasn't a patriot, Acey concluded he'd have to try and personally blow the whistle on Smith, and hailed a taxi to take him to the cinema. There he bribed the security guard to let him in, and raced to the private box being shared by Smith, Dominic and Fullton, unwittingly running right past Fullton as the Senator headed to the restrooms. Entering the box Acey showed Dominic the Nazi membership card, finally convincing Dominic of Smith's villainy. Dominic took down Smith and raced to the restrooms in time to prevent Nazi agent Baron Strucker from killing his target. In the aftermath Acey handed the Nazi membership card to Dominic, who decided to keep it as a souvenir.

(Hulk!#25 (fb) - BTS) - Acey arranged to meet with Sabbath and Dominic on Christmas Day (see comments).

(Hulk!#25) - On Christmas Eve, shortly after Dominic did another radio spot advertising Ferdley's Milk, he, Sabbath and Acey were all in a Times Square Bistro together. When the Silhouette and his muscle Harry entered and accosted Dominic, Acey watched as his friend trounced both of them, then helped Dominic throw them out. As part of his publicity deal for Ferdley's, Dominic was due to go on later that evening to a reception for the British Ambassador being held atop the Empire State Building, and he asked Acey if he'd care to join them there, but Acey declined, saying he had a place to be at, but said he would see them tomorrow.

Comments: Created by Denny O'Neil and Howard Chaykin.

   Acey's exact profession isn't stated, but since he claims to know the party spots, illegal gambling locations, secret escape routes from same, who is who in the underworld (and who would know more about whom than he personally knows), and seems to be trying to shifty diamonds of questionable provenance, but also isn't it seems affiliated with any criminal organization, I think some kind of hustler fits best - not an information broker, not a fence, not a fixer, just a little bit of everything.

   In Hulk!#22 Acey calls Dominic "Mister Fortune" and Dominic, happy with winning at the casino, tells him to call him Dominic, which sounds like they weren't close prior to this, acquaintances rather than friends; whether this also means Acey only recently met Dominic isn't divulged, but it may well be the case. However, by Hulk!#25 Acey is expecting to see Dominic and Sabbath on Christmas Day; I doubt they intend to spend a family-style Christmas together (not least with Dominic being Jewish), and think it more likely that since Dominic and Sabbath are away from home Acey knows where there is a party they can attend.

   It's not mentioned how much time passes between Acey and Dominic being arrested and them meeting up again in the nightclub - it certainly wasn't too much later, but the same night or the next one, that's the question. I'd guess the latter, simply because Dominic had already spent a few hours gambling, then time being taken to the station and then time in the cells, plus Acey and Dominic had both changed their clothes, but I guess it is feasible the whole tale took place in a single night.

   When we first meet Acey he's somewhat shorter than Dominic (6'3") - see first image to the right. However, only a few pages later he and Dominic are pretty much level - see second image to the right. And the next issue he's back his original height difference with Dominic. In real life, probably just an artistic inconsistency; in universe, I guess Acey wears lifts in his shoes when out trying to impress the ladies.

   This profile was completed on 04/19/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary's celebratory event to represent Dominic Fortune. 

Profile by Loki.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Acey Dugan has no known connections to:

Dink

A friend of Acey Dugan, Dink operated out of (and may have been the owner of) a nightclub in Harlem, offering card games and female companionship. He informed Dominic Fortune that Louise Kelt and his men were literal zombies. 

--Hulk!#22

images: (without ads)
Hulk!#22, p50, pan3 (main image)
Hulk!#22, p54, pan1 (headshot)
Hulk!#22, p50, pan3 and p54, pan4 (height comparison shots)
Hulk!#22, p55, pan 3 (Dink)

Appearances:
Hulk!#22 (August 1980) - Denny O'Neil (writer), Howard Chaykin (art), Lynne Graeme (editor)
Hulk!#23 (October 1980) - Denny O'Neil (writer), Howard Chaykin (art), Lynne Graeme (editor)
Hulk!#25 (February 1981) - Denny O'Neil (writer), Howard Chaykin (art), Lynne Graeme (editor)

First Posted: 09/30/2026
Last updated: 07/12/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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