Two-Gun Kid Primer
Series Overview
The Two-Gun Kid originally began in the Timely era of comics back in 1948. After 10 issues the series went on a hiatus in 1953. If you want to know more about the first 10 issues check out the Timely Era index for this series. When the series was revived, the Two-Gun Kid continued his solo adventures, the writers having abandoned his boy sidekick, Rusty Randolph.
The series primarily featured Two-Gun Kid stories but occasionally had backup features. The first two issues featured the Black Rider, but he was replaced by Kid Colt with issue #13. Kid Colt only was a regular backup character until issue #21. The rest of the series run then was comprised entirely of Two-Gun Kid stories mixed with one-off western tales, with the exception of issue #45 which featured a Kid From Dodge City backup story.
A Mess of Continuity
As far as story and character development, the Two-Gun Kid didn’t really grow as a character very much or very often. Most stories were generic one-off stories that ended the way they started. The series tried to tell the Kid’s origin a number of times. These origins conflict with the one previously given in Wild Western #34. The first attempt was in Two-Gun Kid #36 this origin was completely ignored for a totally different one in issue #42. The last one was retold on three different occasions in Two-Gun Kid #’s 48, 52, and 58. Although they were the exact same story (right down to the dialogue) each version of the origin was drawn by a different artist. The origin in issue #42 seems to be the one widely accepted as the largely accepted one, that is if you believe Clay Harder is a “real” character or not. (For more on that read the primer on the Timely era Two-Gun Kid series)
The series also suggests that the Two-Gun Kid was active when Arizona became a US State in 1912. Which is interesting since Wild Western #3 states that he was also active in the Civil War. He looks pretty spry for someone who is at least in his 60s.
Another change to come to the series was that in issue #15 the Kid gets new guns (!!) which also contradicts the origin given in issue #36 since the Kid says in that story that he carries the guns of his father and his father’s killer. Maybe Clay Harder deals in bullshit? That makes sense to me.
Issue #59 ends with a cliffhanger where the Two-Gun Kid collapses from exhaustion at the end of the story and the narrative promises to continue the story in the following issue. Incidentally, that was also when Atlas Comics changed to Marvel Comics. With that, also came a new Two-Gun Kid being introduced in issue #60. The final fate of Clay Harder was never revealed and the character was dismissed as nothing more than a fictional character in dime store novels that inspired his successor. For more on Matt Hawk, the second Two-Gun Kid and the rest of the Two-Gun Kid series, check out our Marvel Age section.
Index Scope
This index omits text stories, the generic one-off western stories, as well as reprint stories (including all of those retellings of the issue #42 origin story).
