He joined the Space Corps in order to travel from planet to planet, performing crimes and mot drawing suspicion to himself. He stole a priceless Diamond Horn from the planet Venus. But learned too late it was radioactive. With symptoms or radiation sickness already evident, Dirk became desperate for medical treatment. He learned that only Dr. Siblus Sladd could succesfully treat him. But he could not yet afford the medical fee. 
 
Dirk decided to start mugging people on the street in order to gather the necessary sum. He started with an elderly man who seemed an easy target. Instead the victim fought back, engaging Dirk in unarmed combat. Minutes later the old man succumbed to a sudden heart attack. Dirk picked the wallet off the corpse. To discover the old man was Dr. Siblus Sladd. Sladd's death doomed Dirk to inevitably succumb to his disease. 
 
Dirk demonstrated use of only one notable weapon, sleeping gas pellets.