When you’re a die-hard comic collector with decades of the hobby under your belt, there are certain issues that just stick with you. These are typically books that you pull out again and again, marveling at how they seem to get better with each reading. The 1987 Space Ghost one-shot from Comico Comics is absolutely one of those books for me. Let me take you through why this single issue remains such a landmark achievement in both Steve Rude’s career and one of my favorite single issues of all time.

My love affair with Space Ghost started way back when I first spotted him in those classic house ads tucked between the pages of my favorite comics—you know the ones, with that bold Hanna-Barbera artwork promising Saturday morning adventure. I was instantly captivated by this mysterious white-clad hero floating in the cosmic void, flanked by his teenage sidekicks and that mischievous monkey. When I finally caught the original 1966 cartoon, it exceeded every expectation I’d built up in my head. This wasn’t some campy joke or parody—this was genuine space opera adventure with a hero who took his mission seriously. The show had real stakes, genuine danger, and Space Ghost himself carried this gravitas that commanded respect.

I’ll be honest, I never warmed up to Space Ghost Coast to Coast. While I understood what they were going for with the talk show format, turning this noble cosmic guardian into a bumbling late-night host just felt wrong to me. It was like watching someone turn Batman into a stand-up comedian—sure, it might get laughs, but you’re fundamentally betraying what made the character special in the first place. The original Hanna-Barbera Space Ghost represented everything I loved about classic adventure cartoons: heroic ideals played straight, cosmic battles against genuine threats, and a protagonist who embodied justice without irony or winking at the camera.

The Perfect Creative Storm

When I first picked up this prestige format comic back in December 1987, I knew I was holding something special. The $3.50 price tag was steep for the time, but the square-bound, 48-page format with Ken Steacy’s painted colors immediately justified the cost. Mark Evanier writing? Steve “The Dude” Rude on art? Willie Blyberg inking? This wasn’t just another licensed property cash-grab—this was a dream team assembled to do justice to a beloved character.

What struck me most was how Comico, an independent publisher, had managed to create something that felt more prestigious than anything the Big Two were putting out at the time. The production values were through the roof, and it showed a level of respect for the source material that was rare in licensed comics.

Steve Rude’s Artistic Tour de Force

I need to gush about Steve Rude’s artwork here because, honestly, it’s like he channeled the spirit of Alex Toth himself. Every page demonstrates why Rude earned his reputation as one of the industry’s finest illustrators. His approach maintained that clean, streamlined aesthetic of the original Hanna-Barbera designs while adding layers of sophistication that only the comic medium could provide.

The way Rude handled the action sequences—those bold silhouettes, the dynamic page layouts—it all paid homage to Toth’s design philosophy while establishing its own identity. Ken Steacy’s painted colors elevated everything further, creating this rich visual experience that made you want to gape at every panel.

“The Sinister Spectre”: Space Ghost’s Closest Call Yet

Now let me walk you through “The Sinister Spectre,” because this story absolutely hooked me from page one.

Ou tale opens on Gaolworld, this desolate asteroid prison floating in the void of space. Four of Space Ghost’s most dangerous enemies are locked up there—Zorak (that mantis-like menace), the Creature King, Brak, and Lurker. Zorak’s ranting about destroying Space Ghost when he gets zapped by a robot sentry for stepping out of line during their prison march.

But here’s where it gets wild—his mind gets transported to another dimension where he meets this hooded figure who looks suspiciously like DC’s Time Trapper. This mysterious benefactor hands Zorak power bands identical to Space Ghost’s, and when Zorak snaps back to reality, the bands came with him! He wastes no time using them to obliterate those sentry robots and free his fellow inmates.

The hooded figure sends them an escape ship, and boom—they’re off Gaolworld, destroying the sentry satellites on their way out. Zorak keeps the identity of their benefactor secret, letting the others think he masterminded the whole thing.

Meanwhile, we cut to Jan and Jace water-skiing without a boat on some paradise world (because why not?) when Space Ghost calls them back to Ghost Planet. They learn about the escape and a suspicious Rob-Corp spacecraft sighting. Space Ghost remembers his previous encounter with Rob-Corp—how their ship scanned his DNA while he fought to avoid getting crushed by pistons—and decides to investigate.

The Trap Springs

This is where I started sweating ice crystals. Space Ghost’s investigation leads him right into Zorak’s trap. Giant space bats with laser eyes attack him on this remote planetoid. Space Ghost handles them with his force field and stun ray, much to Zorak and Brak’s disappointment.

But the real danger? The hooded figure reveals to Zorak that he’s freed Metallus to attack Jan and Jace back on Ghost Planet. Space Ghost gets his own visit from this mysterious figure, who taunts him about being light-years away while his sidekicks face mortal danger.

Sure enough, Metallus and his robot falcons assault Ghost Planet. Jan and Jace’s invisibility powers mysteriously fail, and they’re captured while poor Blip the monkey can only watch helplessly, taking futile swings at Metallus with a wrench, leading to some light comedy relief amidst all the dire tragedy.

The Final Face-Off

Space Ghost races back to find Ghost Planet devastated. He follows Metallus’s radiation trail in his Phantom Cruiser, leaving Blip with the ship while he breaches Metallus’s lair alone. What follows is an incredible gauntlet—Lurker’s purple sleep mist weakens him, Brak tries to crush him between force ray shields, and the Creature King unleashes his monstrous minions to snack on Space Ghost flesh.

Blip saves the day by going invisible and causing chaos among the villains, who turn on each other. But when Space Ghost confronts Metallus mano-a-mano, he’s mysteriously weakened. Metallus goads him into removing his power bands for a fair fight, then proceeds to pummel him mercilessly. To make matters worse, Lurker steals SG’s only hope – the power bands.

Just when things look bleakest, Jan and Jace escape (thanks again to Blip), and Space Ghost uses nearby cryo canisters to freeze Metallus into an ice sculpture. But the real showdown comes when he faces the hooded figure, who reveals himself as… Space Ghost!An evil android duplicate created by Rob Corp using that DNA scan from earlier.

The Climax

Fear not, Weirdos, lest you think I’ve lost my space marbles – this evil Space Ghost was in fact an android duplicate created by Rob-Corp using that DNA scan from earlier in the story.

This android Space Ghost has all of our hero’s powers and none of his weaknesses. Without his power bands, the real Space Ghost is nearly helpless as his doppelganger prepares to crush him under tons of rock on a barren asteroid. But Jan and Jace create a distraction while Blip—that simian sidekick who is clearly the VIP in this yarn—retrieves the power bands from a distressed Lurker and delivers them to Space Ghost.

Armed once more, Space Ghost unleashes his force hammer on the android, sending it careening off the asteroid. As it crashes down, Zorak—thinking it’s the real Space Ghost—disintegrates it with his stolen disintegrator beam. The look on Zorak’s face when he realizes he just destroyed the wrong Space Ghost? Priceless.

Our heroes round up all the villains, and as they streak back to repair Ghost Planet, Space Ghost quips that it’s a shame he had to destroy the android—after all, it was quite a handsome fella. (Cue the laugh track).

Why This Comic Rocks

Looking back after all these years, I’m struck by how this single issue accomplished so much. It proved that independent publishers like Comico could produce work that rivaled or exceeded mainstream superhero comics. It showed how to respectfully adapt animated properties without talking down to the audience. Most importantly, it gave us Steve Rude at the height of his powers, creating sequential art that easily rivalled the art of Alex Toth, the original creator of Space Ghost.

Mark Evanier’s five-page article in the back of this comic about the original Space Ghost cartoons was the cherry on top. It provided context and history that deepened my appreciation for both the character and this issue. The whole package—story, art, production values, supplementary material—set a standard for licensed comics that few have matched since.

I still pull out my copy regularly, and each time I discover some new detail in Rude’s artwork or appreciate another layer of Evanier’s plotting. The comic market seems to agree with my assessment—high-grade copies command serious money, and that promotional two-page flyer has become a collectible in its own right.

This comic represents everything I love about the medium: talented creators taking a beloved character seriously, expanding artistic borders, and creating something that transcends its origins. If you’ve never read it, track down a copy. Trust me—it’s worth every galactic penny.

Long live Space Ghost!

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