All-Western Winners #2

The Syndicate of Six-Gun Terror!

Years ago in Jefferson County Texas, the Davis Gang ran wild, terrorizing the locals. One day a young cowboy named the Cactus Kid rolled into town. Finding the place peaceful he decided to stop into the Last Chance Saloon where he came afoul of the Davis Gang but managed to shoot them all dead and rode off. A month later the Cactus Kid was called before the governor of Texas regarding his slaughter of the Davis Gang. The governor tells the boy that he has called him to offer amnesty. Learning that the boy is only seventeen years old, he convinces the Cactus Kid -- real named Matthew Masters -- to give up his life as a cowboy and Masters agrees to study medicine and promises to never use a gun or take a life again.

Years later, an adult Matthew Masters, now a doctor, rides into the boarder town of Leadville to begin his medical practice. Soon his first patient arrives: Jim Lathrop, and his daughter Marie have brought her boyfriend Charlie who has suffered a gun shout wound from the Eastern Syndicate run by Blast Burrow. Jim's daughter Marie helps Matthew lift Charlie into his office, and Matthews finds himself instantly smitten by the brave woman. Suddenly Blast Burrows enters the doctors office and asks Marie to marry him. When she refuses shoots Charlie dead and flees. When Jim asks Matthew to help he tells Jim that he has no guns and Jim goes out to face Blast Burrows alone, when Marie tries to join her father Masters tries to stop her convincing her that he is nothing more than a coward. However before they can get outside Jim is shot, but Matthew believes that he will live, however Marie still brands him as a coward.

Later that night after treating Jim, Matthew sits alone in his room conflicted over the oath he made to the Governor years ago and his sense of justice. He takes out his old six guns and tries to resist the urge to use them again. However his attitude changes when he hears gun shots and learns from a local that Blast Burrows and his Syndicate are planning to burn down the Lathrop ranch that night. Deciding to do something about it, Matthews decides to create a disguise that will allow him to do something about it. Breaking into the local merchandise store, Matthews takes some clothing and pays for it, creating a disguise and calling himself the Black Rider. He downs his horse Ichabod, rechristening him Satan and rides off to the Lathrop ranch.

The Black Rider arrives at the Lathrop Ranch just as the Syndicate is closing in on it and guns down most of the men. Blast Burrows however smashes through the door of the house and forces Marie to go with him. The Black Rider chases after Burrows and knocks him off his horse and then easily guns him down in a duel. With the danger over, Marie thanks the Masked Rider, having become instantly smitten by him. The Black Rider tells Marie that the wounded has to be tended to, and when Marie begins to bad-mouth his alter-ego, the Black Rider tells her that she should be tolerant to him as he is a fine doctor and that if she ever needs him again he will be there.

Switching back to his civilian guise of Matthew Masters, the Black Raider returns, and finds that Marie still holds him with contempt and refuses his request to date and begins wishing she could see the Black Rider again. Masters slinks away and changes into the Black Rider again and rides past Marie's home tossing her a rose before riding off into the night.

Recurring Characters

• Black Rider

• Jim Lathrop

• Marie Lathrop

• Satan

Continuity Notes

• The origin of the Black Rider is expanded upon years later in Marvel Comics #1000. It is revealed that Matthew Masters got his trademark mask from the Mask Raider, the western hero who appeared in Marvel Comics #1 to Marvel Mystery Comics #12.

Burning Brands of Doom!

The Two-Gun Kid is riding into a nearby town to go and see his friend Montana for a visit. However, he ends up catching Montana as he is fleeing town. When he asks Montana what's wrong his friend pulls a gun on him, telling him that nobody is going to take him in and rides off. Curious, the Kid rides into town to find out what happened and talks to the local sheriff who is out searching for Montana with a posse. Two-Gun learns that Montana has been accused of murdering Nate Banks a local upstanding citizen. Two-Gun convinces the sheriff to allow him to join their posse in searching for Montana so that he can see justice done. Along the way, Two-Gun notes that the sheriff seems rather eager to see Montana dead instead of giving him a fair trial and finds this suspicious.

Cornering Montana in tall grass, the sheriff and his posse begin lighting a fire to smoke him out. Two-Gun uses this moment to slip away and sneak around back of Montana. Disarming his friend, Two-Gun convinces him that he is on Montana's side and helps him hide in a nearby pond from the growing flames, saving his life. Questioning Montana he learns that Nate Banks was really a notorious gambler and that Montana came across the body, the only clue the killer left behind was a match that was broken into three pieces at the scene of the murder. The Kid finds this interesting and convinces Montana to surrender.

However when they do, the sheriff arrests Two-Gun as well, accusing him of being an accomplice to Montana. They are taken to a nearby tree to be hanged when Two-Gun requests a final cigarette before being executed. After the sheriff lights it, he breaks the match into three pieces, confirming Two-Gun's suspicions that he is the real killer. Two-Gun then easily beats the sheriff into a confession, admitting that he killed Nate Banks because he refused to give him a portion of his gambling winnings. With Montana cleared of charges, he thanks Two-Gun for his help and the gunslinger mounts his horse Cyclone and rides off into the sunset.

Recurring Characters

• Two-Gun Kid

• Cyclone

Riddle of the Star Cross!

As Kid Colt rides the range he comes across a wagon that appears to have been attacked by Native American's killing all aboard. However, he hears a baby crying and finds the boy near his dead mother. He also finds a note from Helen Danning the half-owner of the Star Cross Ranch urging her brother Richard and his family to hurry to the ranch. Kid Colt takes the baby and rides it to Helen's ranch to turn him over to her. When he arrives at the ranch, Helen starts calling him Dick, Kid Colt begins to correct her but realizes that something is up and tells he that he will talk to her inside. Before he does, he meets the ranch foreman Red Nothrup who believes that "Richard" has come to replace him on the ranch and expresses his refusal to just leave.

Inside the house alone with Helen, Kid Colt explains what befell her brother and his wife. When Helen asks him to keep pretending to be her brother and is about to tell him why Richard arriving on the ranch is important they are interrupted by Red, who demands to talk to "Dick" about running the ranch. Having had enough Kid Colt takes a swing at Red, and when Red tries to draw a gun Kid Colt shoots it out of his hand. When Kid Colt orders him to leave, Red refuses telling Kid Colt that he'll have to kill him, Colt stays his hand and goes back into the house.

There she meets Helen's Uncle Amos, who is wheelchair bound. He tells "Richard" that he should talk sense into his "sister" and convince her to sell the ranch. Helen refuses, telling "Richard" that somebody murdered her father in his sleep, turning the ranch over to her and her brother, as Amos is her fathers half brother he has no title to the land. Kid Colt decides to look around and stops at a local watering hole. After tasting the water he realizes why somebody is killing the Danning clan.

He rushes back to the ranch and arrives just as Helen is about to give the baby a bottle. Spotting a tin of poison on the shelf, Kid Colt shoots the bottle in her hands, the shattered milk landing in a plant, killing it instantly. Uncle Amos enters the room to see what's going on and Kid Colt decides to do something after getting a bite to eat. Suddenly, Red smashes open the window and tosses a Diamond Back snake frightening Amos enough that he jumps out of his wheelchair, shooting it dead and revealing that he is not a cripple. Red shoots him dead and it's revealed that Amos was the one killing off his family members in a bid to get the ranch as it is rich with minerals, and Red was so adamant about staying to protect Helen because he loves her. With everything sorted out Red and Helen thank Kid Colt for his help and he rides out.

Recurring Characters

• Kid Colt

• Steel