Kid Colt Outlaw #17
Flaming Guns
In August of 1871, Chip Mandrel and his gang rode through the Oklahoma badlands to get to the Okachee trading post. There they get permission to camp out within the posts walls for the night. Learning how poorly guarded the post is from the owner of the general store, Chip and his gang take over the fort. While going back to where his men are setting up camp, his men discover that there is gold hidden beneath the fort. They then decide to take over the camp instead of simply just robbing it. That night they kill the guards and take the post workers prisoner, forcing them to mine the gold for them.
About two weeks later, Kid Colt is riding through the region and spots an overturned stage coach that has been robbed and the riders murdered, the third such wreck he has seen in his recent travels. Continuing along his way he comes across a seemingly deserted ranch. Going on to the next town he finds it equally as deserted. He finds a crying boy who tells him that he will find the answer to what happened. There he finds some of Mandrel's men carrying people onto a wagon and guns them down. He learns from one of the locals that Chip's men was drugging them to make more slaves in their mining operation at the trading post.
Suddenly Chip and more of his men arrive and Kid Colt easily guns them down. With Chip dead the gang is fractured and the locals thank Kid Colt for his help and go to run off the rest of the gang.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
Continuity Notes
This story allegedly takes place in the year 1871. Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #6, a lot of these stories fall under the Kid Colt stories that were “adapted into dime novels” and the validity of such stories is questionable. Still, stories published during the Marvel era take place as early as 1872, so this date may be accurate.
Death Trap!
While camping out in Wyoming, Kid Colt hears a gun go off and tracks its source. He spies another outlaw named Moccasin Joe Cass had shot down a Native American. Kid Colt gets the drop on him, but finding Cass beneath his notice for being so low as killing a man for a meager amount of gold dust, Kid Colt instead lands him a solid punch and tells Moccasin Joe to leave the state. After Joe flees, a war party of Native Americans attacks Kid Colt, thinking he had murdered their brave. Kid Colt mounts his horse Steel and rides for cover.
Meanwhile Moccasin Joe has ridden into the town of Jackson Bluff and has convinced the local sheriff that Kid Colt murdered the Native American he had killed earlier. The sheriff gathers a posse and rides off to catch the Kid. Riding through a mountain range. Kid Colt finds himself caught between the army of Native Americans and the posse from Jackson Bluff. He escapes both parties by ordering Steel to jump off the side of the cliff and into the river below.
Realizing that Moccasin Joe is responsible for his troubles, Kid Colt rides into Jackson Bluff ahead of the posse and tracks him down to the local saloon. Kid Colt then orders Joe to draw, but he is too slow and Kid Colt shoots his Joe's gun belt off. When Moccasin Joe tries to flee, Kid Colt catches him in a lasso and drags him outside. Hanging Cass upside down from a tree, Kid Colt forces him to confess to his crimes to all gathered. With the confession made, Kid Colt rides off and the sheriff soon returns. When it's learned that Moccasin Joe had lied, the sheriff shoots the rope that is suspending him, causing the troublesome crook to land on his head.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
The Would-Be Outlaw!
In the border town of Lasso, Kid Colt is spending some time in a saloon listening to a guitar player. However his enjoyment is short lived as he gets a sense that there is trouble in the air. Looking out the window he sees the posse that has been chasing him since Alvaregordo are pulling into town. Kid Colt quietly exits out the back of the saloon, but spots some of the posse coming around his way. A young man named Roy Lang suddenly appears and helps Kid Colt escape by sneaking in through Roy's room and from there he manages to jump out of the window onto his horse Steel and manages to escape the posse.
Later on, Kid Colt has set up camp in a hidden glen for the night. He is surprised when Roy manages to follow him and realizes that the boy wishes to be Kid Colt's sidekick. Kid Colt agrees to let the boy ride with him hoping to convince him that the life of an outlaw is not one to be glorified. They go on a long ride and Kid Colt purposely avoids any posses that are after him. Eventually, after showing off his shooting skills and convincing Roy that he is nowhere near as good a shot as he needs to be in order to be an outlaw, Roy realizes that being an outlaw is not the life for him and returns home to his family.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
