[Andrew999]

Thought I’d take a look at this as it has generated some interest this week. I’m guessing this was a spin-off from the Titbits weekly newspaper.

Is Pluto a planet? Okay, let’s not get into that – it’s only a story after all. Excellent art from Ron Turner as always – interesting projections, grouping and movement! The hive-like Tegali plan to take over the Earth but Rex Ripley (not to be confused with Rick Random – in fact, I have it on good authority that when Rex goes down the pub and he’s accosted by some drunk with ‘Hey, I know you, you’re that Rick Random fella ain’t ya?’, he can turn quite nasty) and Max Henchman have other ideas in the first tale.

In the second story, ace pilot Ace takes on the microscopic universe of a single atom inside a rod of graphite. The leader from one of the electrons is determined to conquer our universe. Will our ace, Ace, ace the ass? Read it, and see!

The final tale sees slave labour escape from a prison planet. Stealing a space cruiser, they travel to a distant planet where they face skeletoid dinosaurs. They name their new home Nocenti – an odd choice as it stems from ‘nocens’ the Latin for evil (also, as it happens, an anagram of Not Nice) – what can it all mean?

Link to the book: Tit-Bits Science Fiction Comics 1

[paw broon]

It was at the time the story was written but now it has the status of a dwarf planet, one of many in the kuiper belt. Pluto has, I think, 5 moons, the largest is Charon which is a bit more than half the size as Pluto.  There was a good s.f.read by Roger McBride Allen, "The Ring of Charon".
I'm glad this question was brought up as it is still controversial and I enjoy astronomical discoveries.

[The Australian Panther]

They name their new home Nocenti

[Andrew999]

'Nocens' can also mean 'bad' - so I'm guessing that somewhere in Ann Nocenti's past there was not-so-nice guy branded the 'evil one' of the village.

[Andrew999]

So if Pluto is no longer a planet but only a dwarf planet, does that mean that Planet X - the hypothesised massive planet beyond Pluto is now Planet IX?

[paw broon]

Ohhhhh!  Nice one!