Ace Brogan

Ace Brogan is a hard-as-nails, feet-on-the-desk private detective in the style of Sam Spade - only tougher. Much tougher. Known as the Terror of Hell's Kitchen, he's the guy you call when the wolf's at the door and there's nowhere left to run - and if he can't help you, no one can.

Character Biography
Orphaned at the age of ten by a ruthless loanshark, Thomas Brogan Jr. carved a niche on the streets with his bare hands, using his wits as often as his fists. By the time he was eighteen, he'd driven every last punk out of The Westside, earning him the trust and gratitude of the entire neighborhood. From there, he's worked both sides of the law, usually dodging both police and crimelords at the same time.

Considered a dangerous vigilante by the local precinct, Ace is nonetheless tolerated by the plainclothes division, most of whom owe him various favors. He has frequently handled cases that the police can't touch, involving crooked politicians or corrupt judiciaries. He also has a reputation for keeping the back alleys clean of criminal scum, and has a deep-rooted hatred for thieves, hoods, and low-brow thugs. His sole methodology can best be described as "shoot first and kill the b••••••s!", both of which he does as often as necessary.

On the other hand, Ace also has a rough code of honor which he follows to the letter: never harm a kid, never hit a girl, and never welsh on a deal. Like most hard-boiled investigators, Ace has only two weaknesses - good liquor and bad women; each of which have been his downfall on on numerous occasions. Always a sucker for a sob-story, Ace will sometimes work for free if an honest client can't afford his services.

In later stories, his niece is Carrie Madison.

Relationships
While Ace has no surviving family in the Westside, he maintains a close circle of friends whom he values above his own life. He has a soft spot for his elderly landlady, Mrs Abigale Fitzwilliams, a severe Irish widow who helped him out when he was a child (a rare act of kindness he has never forgotten). She, in turn, treats Ace like an errant grandson, referring to him as a 'roughneck' and fussing over his constant injuries. Despite her disapproving attitude, she often takes care of his domestic needs, ironing his shirts and inviting him up for dinner several times week.

Ace has also found a loyal companion in Lucky Eddie Turner, a 15 year-old newsboy who runs the stand down on Westside Avenue. Honest, reliable and hard-working, Eddie takes on various menial jobs to put his kid sister Lucy through school. Deeply impressed by the boy's quiet devotion, Ace has secretly set up a trust fund for Lucy's education and finds odd jobs to supplement the boy's income. Ace always leaves Eddie a tip when he buys the morning news. In return, Eddie functions as Brogan's eyes and ears on the street, keeping tabs on all the leads and rumors that come his way.

Crossover Storylines
July 1949: the hottest summer to hit the city in 13 years. A serial killer is stalking the back alleys of the Westside, leaving the public in abject fear. While the police fumble their way through the investigation, Ace accepts a private commission to track down the killer and is drawn in a web of supernatural horror, as he finds himself trailing both The Inquisitor and a monstrous fugitive from The Beyond.

May 1967: now director of S.T.E.E.D, Colonel Brogan recruits Major Triumph for a series of missions against The Yellow Peril. The same crossover sees the reintroduction of the now adult Victory Girl as an international super-spy, once more assisting Triumph in his never-ending crusade against enemy agents and saboteurs.

Sept. 2005: in a brief cameo, Ace beats up The Westside Warrior on "suspicion of unknown hanky-panky." Once the mistake is discovered, he nonetheless kicks the boy's ass a second time for "prancing around like some goddam •••••••••!!" It's later revealed that Ace was actually trying to protect the young adventurer from a gang of assassins.