Kid Colt Outlaw #42
Kid Colt Outlaw
As Kid Colt is riding across the range when he spots smoke and decides to check out the source. He finds that someone has set fire to the town of Axle City and comes to the people's aid. Along the way he finds people fleeing town, stopping them he learns that they have fled after trying to flash with Bull Matthews and his gang who took over the town, forcing all the law abiding citizens to flee except for Doc Higgins who has been held prisoner by the gang to patch up any of their men who have been injured.
When Kid Colt tries to rally the men into joining him on an attack to retake the city, Kid Colt is disgusted by their cowardice and goes into town to face Bull Matthews and his gang alone. When he rides into town, Kid Colt is confronted by members of the Matthews gang who tell him to clear out. Instead, the Kid draws his guns and mows them down. Hearing the gunshots from the saloon, Bull sends one of his men out to see what is going on and he too is shot dead by Kid Colt. The Kid then asks Bull to come out. When Doc Higgins suggests they talk it out, Bull angrily pistol whips him. He then challenges Kid Colt to come into the saloon instead. The Kid complies, but Bull is waiting for him beside the door and knocks the gun out of the Kid's hand with a log. He then strikes a blow to the Kid's head, but before Bull can shoot him Doc Higgins shoots Bull in the back. When Bull whirls around to deal with the doctor, Kid Colt has come out of his daze and shoots Bull dead.
With Bull and his gang dead the people of Axle City return to their homes and thank Kid Colt for his help.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
Kid Colt Outlaw
Kid Colt is attacked by the Native American warrior named Running Creek, but despite the ambush he manages to knock Running Creek off his horse. Dismounting his own, Kid Colt challenges Running Creek to a fist fight, but Running Creek refuses to fight with anything but weapons. He explains to Kid Colt that he is out to prove that he is a better warrior than Kid Colt. Kid Colt tells him that he does not make any boasts about his abilities and minds his own business, but warns Running Creek to not cross him again or he will finish him. Running Creek and his warriors leave, but Kid Colt figures he has not seen the last of him.
That night when Kid Colt has set up camp for the evening, Running Creek attempts to kill him with an arrow. Kid Colt just barely dodges the arrow and fires into the woods. Going to look for Running Creek finds that he has been wounded but managed to get away. Elsewhere in the woods, Running Creek is having his bullet wound treated by one of his fellow braves who tells him to swear off his mad quest to best Kid Colt, but Running Creek refuses to listen.
The next morning, Kid Colt is riding once again when he finds his friend old Charlie Weaver on the road injured by an arrow shot to the shoulder. Treating his friend's wound he learns that Weaver was attacked by Running Creek for not telling the Native where to find Kid Colt. Kid Colt is now determined to stop Running Creek before anyone else is hurt and follows his trail. It takes him to a nearby rope bridge where Running Creek dismounted his horse and went by foot. Kid Colt gets off his horse and begins to cross the bridge. From underneath comes Running Creek who tries to attack Kid Colt from behind. Kid Colt ducks the arrow fired at him and engages in a fist fight with Running Creek. The battle smashes the bridge, sending the two men falling into the river below where they continue fighting each other in the rapids. Eventually, Kid Colt knocks Running Creek out and emerges from the river a victor, and leaving Running Creek to a watery grave.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
Gun Duel at Dusk!
The Black Rider spots some Sioux warriors carrying a boy with them, and seeing that they are not hostile decides to go an investigate. The Sioux found the boy wandering in the hills near their village and was very sick so they took him in to care for. Unable to treat him, they decided to bring him to Leadville. Seeing that the boy is burning up with a fever, the Black Rider takes the boy off their hands and brings the boy to his medical practice, changing back into his alter ego of Dr. Matthew Masters to treat the boy. Taking off the boy's shirt, Masters is shocked to see that he had been flayed and starved. When the boy wakes up he tells Masters that he wants to be left alone to die, but Matthew treats him and after a few days of care the boy begins to recover. Masters asks the boy what happened but he refuses to talk about his experiences.
Suddenly a man named Gus Seeley comes to pick up the boy, telling Masters that he is the boys legal guardian. Matthew sees that the boy is visibly distressed, but doesn't see Gus pull a knife and put it against the kids back in order to force him to leave with him. Masters decides that he can't do anything but as they leave he resolves to aid the boy anyway he can as the Black Rider.
The Black Rider pays a visit to Jim and Marie Lathrop and learns that the boy was the son of a rancher named Kim Benson who mysteriously disappeared and Gus Seeley came and made the boy his ward. Realizing that the boy is the sole heir to the Benson ranch, the Black Rider begins to piece together what happened and goes to find Seeley and the Benson boy.
Meanwhile, at nearby Devil's Gorge, Seeley and one of his men have Benson and his son tied up and gives them one last chance to sign over the Benson ranch to him or they will be thrown off the gorge. Kim Benson refuses, but before they can be executed the Black Rider arrives and blasts the guns out of Gus' hands and kills his assistant. The Black Rider then lunges at Gus Seeley and the two fight it out. Gus manages to get the upper hand and knocks the Black Rider into the river, and begins to shoot in it, seemingly killing the hero. However, the Black Rider survives and while Gus has his back turned, he climbs out of the water and guns down Gus, saving the Benson's lives.
Recurring Characters
Black Rider
Jim Lathrop
Marie Lathrop
Satan
Kid Colt Outlaw
Mr. Wilson and his gang of men have cornered Bob Mason and demand that he hand over the map to his gold mine, when Bob refuses his is gunned down. Searching his body they find nothing, but their shots attracted the attention of Kid Colt who heads toward them forcing them to flee. The Kid goes to dying Bob Mason who asks Kid Colt to bring him back to his cabin but dies. Kid Colt takes Bob's body back home where his sister accuses Kid Colt of murdering her brother.
After Kid Colt convinces the girl that he didn't kill Bob, he learns that the killers were likely after him because he recently found a gold stake, learning that their cabin had already been ransacked twice my men seeking to find the map to it's location, but she confides that there isn't one and explains that both she and Bob know the area like the back of their hands and that she knows where the gold is.
Overhearing this is Mr. Wilson and his men arrive and accuse Kid Colt of murdering Bob. Before they can shoot, Kid Colt draws quickly and shoots the guns out of their hands. With Joan's trust in Kid Colt shaken, the Kid once more tells her that he did not murder her brother and rides off. With the Kid gone, Mr. Wilson reveals the truth, that he and his men killed Bob, and demands that Joan show them where the gold mine is. Joan shows them where the mine is and when they confirm that there is gold inside, Mr. Wilson decides that Joan should be silenced. But before they can kill her, Kid Colt -- who had been secretly following them -- appears and shoots down Wilson's minions. Wilson meanwhile grabs Joan and threatens to kill her if Kid Colt continues to fight. However Joan kicks Wilson in the shin hurting him bad enough to let her go and get clear and Kid Colt mows him down with his guns. Joan thanks Kid Colt for his help and offers to split the gold in the mine with him. The Kid turns down the generous offer and leaves, wishing Joan all the best.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
