Nick Peron

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Texas Kid #9

Doom in the Desert!

Bat Corbin and his gang rob the Calibre City bank and flee from the authorities. Witnessing this Zane Temple fears that he will lose his ranch now that his money has been stolen. Lance tells his father that he's going to try to trail the outlaws and is once more reminded of his vow to never shoot a gun at another man so long as he carries the Temple name. Lance rides off to Hidden Valley where he changes into the Texas Kid and rides after Corbin and his men.

It is a long trek along the desert and without water the Texas Kid becomes quickly dehydrated. Weakened from the baking sun the hero is caught off guard by Corbin and his gang. Corbin shoots the Kid, but only grazes his skull, knocking him off his horse. When Bat checks to see if the Kid is dead, he is surprised to find that the masked hero has been struck with amnesia and decides to manipulate him for his own criminal ends. Convincing the Texas Kid that he too is an outlaw. Knowing that the Kid's allies Emilio and Red Hawk are out looking for them, Bat convinces the Texas Kid that they are his enemies and sends him off to eliminate them.

When the Texas Kid confronts Emilio and Red Hawk it is just as they are escorting Lance's father home. The two friends are shocked to find that their long time ally is now threatening to kill them. However, the chance appearance of a rattle snake spooks the Kid's horse Thunder, causing the horse to buck the Kid off. Striking his head on a rock, the Kid finds his memory restored and tells Emilio and Red Hawk what happened.

Knowing where Bat Corbin and his gang are camped out the three crime fighters ride down on the outlaws and wipe them out. With the gang killed, the Texas Kid rides back to his fathers ranch to change back into his alter-ego so that he is home when his father arrives to tell him his most recent encounter with the Texas Kid.

Recurring Characters

  • Texas Kid

  • Zane Temple

  • Emilio Diaz

  • Red Hawk

  • Thunder

Dynamite Valley

Zane Temple sends his son Lance off to Yakama Valley to deliver a bunch of horses to Cal Nickols, warning his son that there are a lot of outlaws in the area. When Lance arrives at the Nickols ranch he finds the place quiet and decides to go inside the farm house. There he finds that Cal has been murdered and as he is caught by Cal's niece, who accuses Lance of being a murderer hired by Deuce Page. However, Lance manages to convince her that he is not a murderer as he is not wearing any guns. He learns that Deuce Page was attempting to force her uncle to sell his ranch but he ultimately refused and was killed for it. Lance tells her that he knows someone who can help her avenge her uncle's death.

Lance rides away to Hidden Valley where he changes into the Texas Kid. He then rides into town and confronts Deuce Page and his gang, but the outlaws manage to subdue the hero. Before they can eliminate the Kid, Cal's niece shows up and gets the drop on the outlaws and forces them to free the Texas Kid. They run into a nearby shed where dynamite is being stored and the Kid uses it to blow up most of Deuce's gang, the rest he eliminates with his guns, killing Deuce last. Suddenly, Cal's niece tries to shoot the Kid in the back, but the hero is fast on his feet and manages to disarm her. He has deduced that she was working with Deuce Page the whole time, and sought to eliminate her partner so she could keep a whole share of her uncle's property when she sold it.

Recurring Characters

  • Texas Kid

  • Zane Temple

  • Emilio Diaz

  • Red Hawk

  • Thunder

Raw Justice!

The Texas Ranges come across some Ute Native Americans after they have attacked a stage coach and slaughtered the passengers. While most of the warriors flee, the Arizona Kid manages to nap their leader Kicking Horse. When Major Cullen and the Kid question Kicking Horse about the attack, as there is a peace treaty with the Ute, they soon realize that the Ute chief is drunk on liquor. Cullen has Kicking Horse apprehended and then sends the Arizona Kid to the Ute village to keep the peace and prevent a possible war.

Using smoke signals, the Arizona Kid is allowed to enter the Ute camp where he speaks with the tribal medicine man, the mask wearing White Elk. The two exchange information and the Kid learns that a trader named Jules Dubois is the one who has been selling alcohol to the Ute. Dubois tries to get the drop on the Kid, but Arizona is a faster draw and he manages to disarm Dubois and orders him to leave the Ute's village and not come back. The Kid warns Dubois that he will kill the trader if he shows his face in Texas again. The Kid then returns to the ranger camp on behalf of White Elk to see what he can do about having Kicking Horse released.

At the Ranger base, Major Cullen is informed of the situation and he tells the Kid that Kicking Horse will be held as a hostage to insure the Ute's good behaviour, but warns that if they cause any more trouble, the captured chief will be hung. After learning that Nan and Cliff Macklin had gone into Yucca City, the Kid is shocked when only Cliff returns, wounded by a Ute arrow. As he is being treated for his wounds, Cliff informs the Kid that they were attacked by an group of Ute warriors led by White Elk who kidnapped Nan and informed him that she would only be released if they let Kicking Horse go free.

Seeing that things are tipping out of control, the Arizona Kid takes Kicking Horse and the pair ride off to the Ute village to quell any more uprising. Along the way they come across a man who has been stabbed to death. Kicking Horse recognizes him as White Elk, and that whoever killed him took his mask. They arrive just as the phony White Elk is trying to convince the Ute's to go to war. However Kicking Horse tells his people that the man that is inflaming them is an impostor, who turns out to be Jules Dubois. As the Arizona Kid frees Nan, the Ute people administer their own brutal justice to Dubois.

Recurring Characters

  • Arizona Kid

  • Major Cullen

  • Cliff Macklin

  • Nan Macklin

  • Arrow

The Black Killer!

Lance, Emilio and Red Hawk watch as a wild black stallion bucks around in his pen. Seeing that the horse cannot be broken they question killing it. Their decision making is interrupted when a local rancher rides in and warns them that some renegade Ute natives are drunk on liquor and causing trouble in the area. Lance decides to get involved as the Texas Kid and rides out to Hidden Valley to obtain his costume and his horse Thunder.

However, before Lance can change into his costume he is discovered by Ute warriors and is attacked. Lance is saved in the nick of time by Emilio and Red Hawk, but as the Ute's retreat, Lance realizes that they have stolen Thunder. Changing into the Texas Kid and getting another horse, Lance and his friends ride after the Ute warriors to try and reclaim the stolen horse.

However, the Ute warriors get the drop on the heroes and they are easily over powered. The natives then stake the Kid, Emilio and Red Hawk to a massive ant hill and then let loose their captured horses -- leaving the trio to either be eaten alive by ants or trampled to death by horses. When a black stallion gets in trampling range of the Kid, Thunder is suddenly there to defend his master and tramples the black stallion to death, saving their lives. Thunder then chews through their bonds and the Texas Kid and his allies then get the drop on the Ute warriors, wiping them out in a hail of bullets.

Recurring Characters

  • Texas Kid

  • Zane Temple

  • Emilio Diaz

  • Red Hawk

  • Thunder