Nick Peron

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Gunhawk #14

Guns of Doom!

A gang out outlaws led by Notch Cannon are about to rob a stage coach when the Gunhawk suddenly gets the drop on them. He forces the outlaws to drop their guns until the coach is far enough away. Deciding to spare the criminals, Red rides away, but his horse Blaze gets caught in a gopher hole sending Gunhawk flying off his horse and hitting his head on a rock, knocking him out. Cannon and his men examine the accident and assume that the Gunhawk is dead. Cannon then claims Gunhawk's famous guns and decides to use them in his crimes, using their legendary body count to strike fear across the range.

Sometime later a gold prospector comes across Gunhawk and fights off some buzzards that are about to feed on him. Reviving Laramee, he finds that the Red has been struck with amnesia. After eight days of recovery and still unable to recover his lost memory, Gunhawk thanks the old prospector for his help and goes off to try and remember who he is. Meanwhile, Cannon and his men have committed a string of robberies and have become some of the most feared men on the range. They ride into Paige City where the sheriff is unable to stop him from robbing the local bank.

While this is happening, Red is riding in a coach into Paige City along with a woman and her young boy. The young boy asks him why he does not have any guns in his holsters and Gunhawk explains that he does not remember. Arriving in Paige City, their coach is surrounded by Notch Cannon and his men who shoot the stage drivers. Remember Notch's voice and the sound of his own guns going off cause Gunhawk's memories to return. Seeing the outlaw riding his horse, Gunhawk whistles and Blaze bucks Notch off. In a fist fight, Red wins and recovers his guns then guns down the outlaws. In the aftermath of the slaughter the young boy suddenly recognizes who they were riding with -- The Gunhawk.

Recurring Characters

  • Gunhawk

  • Blaze

Duel on the Rio Grande!

Gunhawk decides to go for a vacation in Mexico and after crossing the Rio Grande, he ends up in the town of San Juan Del Rio. Stopping into a nearby saloon he finds that the locals are frightened because the legendary Mexican thief Manuel Ramon Del Oro has taken over town and forces everyone to give him their wealth. Gunhawk is not shaken by this but soon after getting a dipper of milk, the dipper is shot by one of Manuel's men, Poncho Morales. However, Gunhawk is a faster draw and shoots the man dead. This frightens the barkeeper who suggests that Gunhawk leave town before there is trouble.

Just then, Del Oro's gang arrives and demand that the locals turn over any gold and silver they may have. Gunhawk approaches them and with his guns outshoots them, forcing them to stand down. Before he can deal with them Del Oro himself arrives and gets the drop on Gunhawk. However after disarming Gunhawk, the outlaw is curious as to why such a skilled gunfighter uses his skills to defend the people. When Gunhawk tells him that the outlaws have no right taking what does not belong to them. When Manuel finds this foolish, Gunhawk challenges him to a duel.

They place both their guns on the ground and race their horses from opposite ends of the town to see who can grab their guns and shoot first. They both manage to grab their guns at the same time, but Gunhawk shoots Manuel's guns out of his hands. Admitting defeat, Manuel tells Gunhawk to kill him and get it over with. However, Red decides to give Manuel a chance as well and tells him that he will let him live if Manuel uses his skills for the good of his people, instead of for his own self interest. Manuel accepts and thanks Gunhawk for helping him change his ways before riding off with his now reformed gang.

Recurring Characters

  • Gunhawk

  • Blaze

Vengeance in Death Valley!

A young rancher is at the mercy of some Native Americans who have set his ranch on fire and tied him to stakes on the ground. The Natives are about to kill him when Gunhawk happens to come by and sends them fleeing. Gunhawk frees the young man who is determined to go after the renegades and get revenge. Realizing that the young man is in over his head, Gunhawk offers to go with him.

The duo follow the trails and soon find that the renegades have gone into Death Valley. Despite Gunhawk's warnings that going into the desert is dangerous, the young rancher rides on anyway. Gunhawk follows after him and when the head strong young man begins to suffer from heat exhaustion and thirst, Red has some water for him.

However their supplies dwindle and they begin to once more suffer from the heat. Weakened and in desperate need of water, they notice that Gunhawk's horse Blaze has detected some water and follow after the horse. They come across a watering hole but find that the Native Americans have gotten there first and are drinking deeply of the water. However, before anything can happen the Natives suddenly buckle over in pain and die, making them realize that the water was poisoned. However, as fate would have it, it begins to rain giving Red and the rancher the water they need to get out of Death Valley alive.

Recurring Characters

  • Gunhawk

  • Blaze