Wild Western #12

The Border Killers!

The quiet town of Leadville is suddenly disrupted by the arrival of Smoke and his gang the Border Riders. The gang is plotting to take over one of the local mines in order to steal the gold found there but in order to do so Smoke decides that they need to deal with the Black Rider first. To do so, the gang -- aware that Doctor Matthew Masters is a "friend" of the Black Rider (but unaware that they are the same man) -- decide the best way to draw the hero out is to capture the doctor.

They come across Masters just as he is leaving his office with Marie Lathrop. They take the pair hostage and force Matthew to write a note for the Black Rider. They then leave town for their hideout, with Masters secretly leaving a trail made of bandage pieces to lead any potential help to their location. Meanwhile, Bobby Lathrop goes by Masters office to check in on his friend and comes across the ransom note. Realizing that the Black Rider cannot come to Masters rescue because they are the same man, Bobby decides to dress up as the Black Rider and ride out to save them on the Rider's horse Satan.

While Smoke and his gang prepare for the Rider, Bobby arrives at the scene and lures the men out on a wild chase. Bobby then doubles back to the cabin and frees Matthew and pulls him out of the house first. Bobby then gives the Masters back his Black Rider costume. As the Black Rider, Masters frees Marie and waits for Smoke and his gang, easily ambushing them when they return. The Rider then sees Marie off with a kiss and rides off. Marie finds Bobby waiting outside who tells her that he followed the trail that Doc Masters left. As they ride back they cross paths with Masters who was "on his way to get help" and is scoffed at by Marie, much to Bobby and Matthews amusement.

Recurring Characters

• Black Rider

• Marie Lathrop

• Bobby Lathrop

• Satan

The Canine Killer!

Skip McCoy catches Emery Val in trying to cover up the fact that he hit and run a dog.

Recurring Characters

• Skip McCoy

• Pepper Burns

Death on the Cliff!

The Prairie Kid arrives in the town of Dry Gulch to visit his wealthy friend Big Spud to learn that he has died under mysterious circumstances. Watching the funeral procession, the Kid spots Big Spud's widow, and learns that he had married some days before his tragic death.

Find this all too convenient, the Prairie Kid decides to investigate and rides out to Big Spuds ranch. When he arrives, he is confronted by none-to-friendly ranch hands and easily trounces them in a fight. The Kid then pays a visit to Spud's widow. He tells her a story that he has a large amount of money that he wanted to use to buy cattle off Big Spud. The widow, seeking to gain that money invites him in. She offers him whiskey, and the Prairie Kid plays along, taking glass after glass, pretending to get drunk but really pouring the drinks out into a nearby plant.

She suggests they go out to a nearby cliff to watch the stars and the Kid agrees to go along. There the widow attempts to push the Prairie Kid off the cliff, but he quickly grabs her and turns the situation around. Dangling over the edge of the cliff, the girl admits that she is really Mexicali Salli, a woman who marries rich men and then secretly poisons them to gain their wealth.

The Kid then pulls her from the cliff but before he can take her to the authorities he dodges a knife that strike Salli in the heart killing her. The knife, as it turns out, was thrown by Salli's real husband who is mortified that he killed his own wife and surrenders to the Kid. With Salli's widow turned over to the authorities, the Kid pays his last respects to Big Spud before leaving town.

Recurring Characters

• Prairie Kid

• Fury

Continuity Notes

• In this issue, Tex Taylor starts calling himself the Prairie Kid. He will continue to do so until his last appearance in Wild Western #14.

Mistaken Identity!

The Two-Gun Kid is riding into a nearby town to be in a guest in the wedding for his friend Sheriff Johnny Wilson. When he arrives in town one of the locals laughs at him for having flower and swats them out of his hand, calling the Kid a sissy. Two-Gun does not stand for it and easily beats the man in a fight. The sheriff, to the Kid's surprise is not Johnny Wilson, stops the fight and threatens to arrest Two-Gun when a local business man named McCabe steps in. He tells the new sheriff that Two-Gun is Pecos Charlie a man that he had hired, identifying him by the yellow snake band of his hat. Two-Gun, finding this situation curious decides to play along.

Two-Gun learns that McCabe is really involved in the local gang who has been running criminal operations in the area. He learns that when Johnny Wilson intended to get the US Marshals in to clean up town, McCabe installed his own sheriff and had Johnny thrown in jail. He then begins detailing to the Two-Gun Kid their next plan, to rob the local bank. Two-Gun excuses himself and as he is leaving the local saloon steals the phony sheriff's keys. He then pays a visit to Johnny's fiancée and instructs her to free Johnny while he goes with McCabe to do the bank job.

During the robbery, Two-Gun Kid reveals who he really is and guns down McCabes gang, and then tries to stop McCabe. However, the crime boss grabs and old lady and uses her for a hostage. However the timely arrival of Johnny Wilson distracts McCabe long enough for Two-Gun to get a clear shot at him, killing McCabe. In the aftermath, Johnny notices that Two-Gun has a different hat than he usually wears. Two-Gun explains that long the way to town he ran into the real Pecos Charlie who took a shot at him, putting a bullet hole in his hat. After knocking Charlie out, Two-Gun decided to take his hat to replace the one that he ruined.

Recurring Characters

• Two-Gun Kid

• Cyclone