Kid Colt Outlaw #14
The Tribe That Vanished!
On August 10, 1849 Kid Colt is riding through the Dakota badlands when he comes across a sun scorched Paiute Native on the back of a horse. Coming to the Native's aid, Kid Colt learns that there is trouble at his village before the man dies. Although the man is already dead, Kid Colt vows to look into it and help the tribe however he can. Tracking down the Piute village, Kid Colt finds it completely deserted and that it was cleaned out relatively recently. Finding wagon tracks, Kid Colt begins following them. Along the trail he is shot at and goes for cover. He hunts down the shooters, two outlaws, and gets the drop on them. Grabbing one of the men, the Kid forces him to reveal that the Paiute have been forced to dig in a gold mine owned by Breed Barden. When the men try to kill Kid Colt, the gunslinger guns one of the outlaws down. He then forces the other to lead him to Breed Barton's gold mine. Kid Colt then gets the drop on Breed and his men and shoot them dead, freeing the Paiute people from their enslavement.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
The Boy Who Hunted Kid Colt!
In Medicine Bow on September 1852, wanted posters for Kid Colt are being put up by the local sheriff, offering a reward of $50,000 for Kid Colt's capture. No sooner are the posters up does Kid Colt happen through the area and take them down.
Later in the day, Kid Colt comes upon a young boy whipping his horse to try to keep it in line. The Kid stops the boy and advises him to treat his horse with respect, showing him that the horse was uncomfortable due to a stirrup being on too tight. Kid Colt learns that the boy is Jimmy Raymond, the son of a wealthy rancher. Not recognizing the famous outlaw he tells the Kid that he is out to hunt Kid Colt for the ransom, bragging that he used his father’s money to buy the best equipment in his quest to hunt Kid Colt.
Kid Colt then decide to teach the boy that the best equipment money can buy cannot replace skill. In order to do so, Kid Colt challenges him to a draw and wins twice and out shoots the boy by blasting pebbles out of the sky. The boy suddenly realizes that the man giving him lessons is Kid Colt, and draws his rifle on the hero. However, Kid Colt notices that there is a rattlesnake near Jimmy and Kid Colt shoots it. The shot frightens the boy enough to throw off his aim. Grateful that Kid Colt saved his life and realizing that the outlaw is not as bad as he is made out to be, Jimmy realizes the reward is not worth it and lets Kid Colt ride off.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
Ambush!
San Antonio, Texas on November 16, 1842 at the headquarters of the Texas Rangers, a ranger named Bat Hammond is assigned to capture outlaws Luke Blackburn and Wolf Mathers. As Hammond leaves, his commanding officer wonders if the relentless Ranger is even human. On the 18th, Hammond rides into Crystal City and hassles some of of the local gunnies for information about the location of Blackburn and Mathers and also learns that Kid Colt is in town.
Meanwhile outside, Kid Colt spots the two outlaws take a woman hostage and use her as leverage to rob the local bank. Kid Colt rushes in and guns the two men down. Hammond comes in and gets the drop on Kid Colt and demands that he surrenders. When the bank manager informs Hammond that Kid Colt helped stop the robbery, Hammond insists on taking the Kid in. However, the banker has caused enough of a distraction for Kid Colt to shoot the guns out of the Ranger's hand. Kid Colt flees town, but Hammond vows to bring him in no matter what.
Kid Colt rides across the Rio Grande to lay low in the Mexican town of Piedras Negras. In the local saloon, Kid Colt is told by some Mexican outlaws that they intend to lure Hammond into a trap and kill him. Not wishing to see a lawman get killed, Kid Colt guns the men down and rides out to nearby Nacozari where t he ambush is to take place. Kid Colt heads off Hammond at the pass and gets the drop on the lawman. He warns Hammond that to go into the nearby canyon is death. Hammond does not believe him and continues his pursuit of the Kid. Kid Colt rides into the canyon and when the gunmen try to shoot Hammond, Kid Colt shoots them first. Realizing that Kid Colt was telling the truth and was more honorable than he thought, Hammond allows him to go free.
Recurring Characters
Kid Colt
Steel
CONTINUITY NOTES
The dates in these stories cause raises some issues with Kid Colt’s chronology as they take place in 1842, 1849, and 1852 There is a 10 year span between these stories and Kid Colt does not appear to age at all. This is interesting since, per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #6 states that Kid Colt was about 17 years old when he first became an outlaw. Later Marvel age stories take place as early as 1872 and the character is depicted as being someone being in their twenties. If these dates were all be to accepted at face value this would make Kid Colt out to be, at least, in his pushing 50 by 1872. The only possible explanation for these discrepancies is also provided in the handbook, which states that Kid Colt’s early exploits were adapted into dime novels. This places the Timely/Atlas era Kid Colt stories in that category, where they are based on true events but are not entirely accurate. As such, the dates given in this story should be considered suspect.
