Black Rider #22
Black Rider
As the Sierra Freight heads down the line toward Leadville, the passengers are unaware that the engineering compartment is being attacked by outlaws seeking to rob the money head for the Leadville Bank. One of the outlaws warns his allies not to go back and harm the passengers or face his wrath, but the others decide to tempt fate to loot the people on board. When one of the bandits tries to steal the gold necklace off the neck of a young woman aboard the train, she tries to stop him, telling him that it was a gift from her fiancee. However he tries to take it and the leader of the bandits opens fire on him. He flees the scene with his surviving companions following after him, just as the Black Rider arrives and gets the train back under control.
Checking on the passengers he finds that the woman was hit by a bullet that passed through the body of her mugger, the Black Rider then rushes her to the office of his alter ego Dr. Matthew Masters for immediate medical attention. As Masters, the Black Rider patches the woman up and when she comes around she introduces herself as Laurie Vance. She explains that she traveled west to marry her fiancee Dan Royal and asks if Masters has ever heard of him. Matthew says he has not, while secretly crumpling up and throwing away a wanted poster offering a reward for Royal's capture, dead or alive. Masters tells Marie that he has to go out and get supplies, but really changes into the Black Rider and sends Marie Lathrop to keep an eye on Laurie while he is gone.
The Black Rider racks down Dan Royal and his gang camping out. When Dan goes out to find game, the Black Rider ropes him up and confronts him over his crimes, telling him that he does not deserve his wife. The Black Rider gives him a chance to redeem himself by returning the stolen gold and telling everything to the sheriff, the Black Rider warns him if he fails to do so, he will go after him. Sure enough, Dan complies with the Black Rider's demands and when his former gang rides into town to retake their stolen loot, Dan helps the Black Rider run the gang down. In the aftermath of the battle the Black Rider tells Dan that he managed to get him a probationary pardon. Later, reunited with his bride-to-be, Dan thanks Matthew Masters for his help and tells the doctor that he plans on naming his first born after the physician.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Marie Lathrop
Satan
Black Rider
Trip Tomlin and his gang attempt to rob a stage coach but are forced to retreat from the attack. Furious at the Black Rider's constant interference, Trip becomes determined to learn the Black Rider's true identity. Suspecting that someone must know who the Black Rider really is, Tomlin remembers that the Black Rider is close to the Lathrop family and suspects that one of them must know who the masked hero really is.
Later, as Bobby Lathrop is out hunting a rabbit, he is upset when the rabbit is scooped up a bird swoops up his kill, but the Black Rider drops it. After the Black Rider leaves, Trip Tomlin and his posse begin asking Bobby about the Black Rider's real identity. When Bobby lets slip that he does know, Trip and his men take the boy prisoner and take Bobby to their hideout. There Trip beats the boy in an attempt to get him to tell tell who the Black Rider's true identity is, however Bobby refuses to talk. Trip loses his temper and hits Bobby too hard, knocking him out.
Fearing that the boy will die before he can tell the secret of the Black Rider, Trip sends his men to bring him Dr. Matthew Masters. Back at Master's office, Matthew is visited by Marie who is worried about her brother who has not gone home. Before they can start searching they are taken prisoner by Trip. Masters is forced to treat Bobby, and finds that he has a concussion. Bobby regains consciousness and agrees to tell Trip and his men the true identity of the Black Rider only if Matthew Masters leaves the room. Trip agrees to the terms, and Masters uses this opportunity to change into the Black Rider and come back with guns blazing. Taking Trip and his men off guard, he blasts them all away. As quickly as he appears the Black Rider disappears and changes back into Matthew Masters to check and see how Bobby and Marie are doing.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Marie Lathrop
Bobby Lthrop
Satan
Two-Gun Kid
Two-Gun Kid rides into the town of Nuggetville to buy some new supplies and a change of clothing. Going into a general store he learns how the stores close up early in town because of some bandits who live there. While Two-Gun is trying on a shirt the men, Bark and Slade, come in to hassle the store owner. When the Kid tries to break things up, Bark breaks a bottle over Two-Gun's head, knocking him out momentarily.
The Two-Gun Kid then goes over to the local saloon and beats Bark and Slade with his bare hands. When their gang tries to draw on the Kid, Two-Gun blasts them all down. With the gang of outlaws dead, the local store owners thank the Kid for his help and offer him a big reward. However, all the Kid wants is a spare shirt.
Recurring Characters
Two-Gun Kid
Cyclone
Black Rider
One day, Dr. Matthew Masters goes for a root beer at the local saloon, when suddenly a hush falls the room when disgraced lawman named Vale, who has come looking for Tonto Kane. He instead is mocked for being a yellow coward, and only Matthew Masters stands up to him. Seeing the dejected man leave the saloon, Masters decides to follow after him as the Black Rider.
He catches up to the former lawman just as he is about to jump off a cliff but stops him with his lasso. The Black Rider learns that Tonto Kane threatened his family in order to force him to stand down as they were robbing the bank in the town of Salt Lick. Because this was unseen, Vale was branded a coward. Having heard this, the Black Rider agrees to help him track down Tonto Kane and his men. The pair track the outlaws down to the town of Jericho, where they succeed in slaying Kane and his gang, redeeming Vale's tarnished reputation.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Satan
