The Ace was a big figure in the organized crime of Metropolis.
History
He became the head of one of the organized crime families in Metropolis by the time he was in his mid-thirties. Within a short time of taking command, the Ace had carved a strong niche for himself in smuggling. It is presumed that he acquired his nickname of the Ace in one of two ways: either from his record as a gambler, or from his string of successes in his chosen field. As the Ace, he wore a scarf-mask to hide his features from his allies, as he wished to keep his identity a secret even from them. Whether this was to ensure that no one could testify against him, or to prevent trouble of some other kind for him in his daily life, is as yet uncertain.
The Ace might have continued to enjoy a prosperous career in smuggling, until the day came that Superman…in his guise as investigative journalist Clark Kent…learned of a secret rendezvous that the Ace had arranged with his clients to plan their next smuggling operation by eavesdropping on the gang. Kent was prepared to give the information to the authorities, until he was caught by the gang and had to flee for fear that they would try to kill him…and that when they failed, it would reveal his secret identity. Realizing that if he did not act quickly, the Ace would simply change the time and place of the meeting and thus stymie the police, Kent contrived an elaborate ruse in which he faked his own death at the hands of his alter ego, Superman…thus ensuring that Superman would be charged with murder and go on trial. The underlying theory behind this was that the Ace, operating under the assumption that Kent was dead and that Superman was otherwise occupied, would allow his meeting to proceed with no changes, and that this would allow Superman and the police to move in and trap the entire gang. The ruse succeeded, and the Ace was arrested, tried and convicted of smuggling and racketeering and given a long prison sentence.
Notes
- This version of Ace, including all history and corresponding appearances, was erased from existence following the collapse of the original Multiverse in the 1985–86 Crisis on Infinite Earths event and later restored following the rebirth of the infinite Multiverse during the Dark Crisis of 2022-2023. Even though other versions of the character may have appeared, this information does not apply to those versions.
Related
- 2 Appearances of Ace (Earth-Two)
- 1 Images featuring Ace (Earth-Two)
- Quotations by or about Ace (Earth-Two)
- Character Gallery: Ace (Earth-Two)
Footnotes
  This character has been primarily an enemy of Superman in any of his various incarnations, or members of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Villains category." |