His real name is Brad J. Armbruster, and his rank is Air Force captain O-3 in his initial release and in 1993, and was listed as major or O-4 in 1992, 1997, and 1998. Ace was born in Providence, Rhode Island. His primary military specialty is fixed wing pilot and his secondary military specialty is intelligence operations. Ace was originally the pilot for the Skystriker. He would rather fly planes than anything else, and worked during high school to pay for flying lessons. He spent a year flying pipelines in Alaska and two years stunt flying for movies, before he enlisted at age 22 in the USAF, and later transferred to the G.I. Joe team. Prior to joining the Joe Team he worked as a senior instructor for the USAF Fighter Weapons Squadron "The Aggressors". Ace is a qualified expert in flying the F-5E Tiger II; the F-15 Eagle; the F-16 Fighting Falcon; the XP-14; as well as any F-class fighter. He is also a cutthroat poker player, who apparently never loses. When G.I. Joe temporarily disbanded, Ace returned to flying stunts for movies. He gladly accepted the offer to return on reserve status when the team was reinstated.
Toys
Ace was first released as an action figure in 1983, packaged with the Skystriker. A new version of Ace was released as part of the Battle Copters line in 1992, this one with the name Wendall Armbruster. The figure was repainted and released as part of the Battle Corps line in 1993, packaged with the Ghoststriker X-16 fighter jet. During the 30th Anniversary toy line, a new version of Ace has been released in 2011 contained in the Combat Jet Skystriker XP-14F.
In the Marvel Comics series, he first appeared in issue #14. Ace is featured in issue #34, where he battles the Cobra pilot Wild Weasel in a dogfight over New Jersey. His co-pilot on the mission is fellow Joe member Lady Jaye, while Wild Weasel has The Baroness as his co-pilot. Both pilots run out of missiles and ammunition. As they limp back to their respective bases, they give each other a salute. Neither co-pilot understands what is going on. Ace is stationed aboard the USS Flagg when it is damaged by a tidal wave. It leaves the ship listing, thus increasing the danger of flight. Despite this, Ace takes off to give air cover to nearby endangered Joe members. Ace appears in G.I. Joe Special Missions #28. He is part of the crew of the Joe spacecraft, the Defiant. His mission is to test out various stealth technologies. He works closely with Payload.
Ace returns to the Joe team, after it reforms in the pages of the Devil's Due G.I. Joe series. He flies support when the Joes invade Cobra Island during their second civil war. After another reformation of the team, Ace begins operating out of the Joe facility called "The Rock". He's been promoted to colonel. In an alternate continuity, Ace first appears as one of the responding pilots to unknown aircraft violating Presidential airspace.
Animated series
Sunbow
Ace first appeared in the Sunbow animated series in the "A Real American Hero" mini-series, and was voiced by Pat Fraley.
