Kid Colt Outlaw #1

Issue Details

Publisher	Marvel
Series	Kid Colt Outlaw
Published	August 1948

Creators

Artist	Various Artists
Writer	Various Writers

Synopsis

"Hot Lead for Crooked Lawmen!" In the western town of Purgatory, a local man named Gabby is being whipped by a ruffian named Lash Larribee. Coming to his aid is young Blaine Colt, gets Lash to stop whipping him. However, Larribee mocks Colt for not having the guts to carry shooting irons and begins whipping him next, however the sheriff soon comes and stops him form hurting the boy too much. The sheriff then orders Gabby to carry Colt out of town, warning that if Blaine starts trouble again he will be thrown in jail. Blaine and Gabby ride back to the Colt ranch where Blaine explains to his father what happened. Mr. Colt is furious that his own son got whipped and is too afraid to carry guns. Before his father can go into town and face Larribee to avoid looking like a fool, Blaine tries to stop him, but his father does not listen. Blaine then goes out to the Line Camp with Gabby. Along the way Gabby asks Blaine why he and his father don't get along better, and Blaine explains that his father and him are too alike with quick tempers. As they ride the range, Blaine comes across a rattler, and quickly pulls the gun from Gabby's holster and shoots the rattler dead. Gabby realizes that Blaine is a crack shot and realizes that Blaine doesn't carry guns because he does not want to kill anybody. The following morning at the Box C Line Camp, Colt and Gabby are visited by the sheriff. The sheriff puts Blaine under arrest for the murder of his father. Gabby throws coffee in the sheriff's face to allow Colt to escape, but Lash Larribee is there an ensnares the youth in his whip. Gabby is winged with a bullet for his troubles. Blaine Colt is then taken into Purgatory and placed in a jail to stand trial for his father's murder. The sheriff claims that Colt smashed his fathers head in after losing a poker game, knowing this is not true, Blaine denies it but it does him no good. As Blaine mourns his father's death, Gabby comes to the bared window of his cell. Tying ropes to the bars Gabby has their horses yank them off the window freeing Blaine. After hiding out the two go to the mortician's to look at the corpse of Blaine's father. Examining the body, they both see that he wasn't killed by a blow to the head, but a shotgun blast from a Buffalo Rifle. Realizing that the sheriff is the only one with such a rifle, Blaine realizes the truth. Drawing his fathers guns, Blaine becomes determined to avenge his father's death. After a posse is sent out into the range to search for Blaine, he and Gabby spot the sheriff entering his office. Blaine sends Gabby to get their horses and goes to the office. He bursts in through the window and accuses the sheriff of killing his father. When the sheriff admits it the duel and Colt easily wins, shooting the sheriff dead. Hearing shots from outside, Blaine rushes outside to see that Gabby has been shot by Lash Larribee. Before Larribee can begin whipping the dying old man, Blaine gets into the middle of things and takes a crack of the whip to the face. The quick drawing boy then shoots Lash through the hand before he can draw on him. Colt then grabs the whip and beats Lash to death. With everyone who knows the truth dead, and the posse returning to town, Blaine realizes he has no other choice but to flee town, riding off into the range an outlaw of a crime he did not commit... Thus starts the legendary journey of the outlaw known as Kid Colt. "Marshall of Colt-Crazy Mojave!" Now a wanted fugitive, Kid Colt rides into the town of Mojave City to get provisions. As he rides in a drunk gunslinger stumbles out of the local saloon and challenges him to a draw. Kid Colt wins the draw with great ease much to the delight to the townspeople. He is approached by a crowd led by Mr. Johnstone the local banker who explains that the drunk had been terrorizing the town and they had all agreed they would nominate the person who shot him dead as the marshal of Mojave. Kid Colt is flattered at the vote, and accepts it giving them the alias "Kid Arbuckle". Mr. Johnstone pulls Kid Colt aside and warns him that the town is evenly divided. On one side the law abiding citizens, and the other filled with outlaws. Colt decides to take a look at the bad part of town and is quickly called into a local saloon by the lead outlaw named Frenchy Larue. Larue offers him to side with his gang, but when Colt refuses Larue pulls his gun. A chorus girl throws off his shot saving Colt, and Kid Colt guns down another outlaw who pulls a gun on him. Kid Colt manages get out of there, and while doing so agrees to meet the girl out back. However, when he goes to meet her somebody shoots her in the back, killing her. When a crowd forms, they all accuse Kid Colt of shooting the girl dead, and Mr. Johnstone leads the call to strip "Kid Arbuckle" of his post. However Kid Colt demands the opportunity to catch the real killer. Suddenly someone hands Johnston a piece of paper and he suddenly changes his tone and asks the people give him a chance. He asks to speak to Kid Colt in private and shows him the wanted poster out for his arrest and demands that Kid Colt side with the outlaws or have his secret revealed. When Kid Colt still refuses, Frenchy and his gang get the drop on him and pistol whip the boy. However before they can eliminate him, Kid Colt trips them up on a rug and then guns them all down, sustaining only a minor bullet wound to the arm. When the blacksmith enters to find out what happened, Kid Colt explains everything. Believing him the blacksmith then rips up the wanted poster and tells him that he is free to go. Kid Colt then rides off and continues his lonely existence living out on the range. "A Killer in God's Acres!" Kid Colt is camping out for the night in the bush when he is suddenly approached by Pecos Pete, another outlaw on the run from the authorities. Recognizing Kid Colt, Pete asks to join up with him, however Colt has no interest in joining out with a genuine law breaker. However their palaver is cut short when the law spots them sending them both fleeing from a hail of bullets. Kid Colt is struck by one and passes out while his horse continues to ride him out of the way of danger. The horse is found by a man named Jim Cabot, a Quaker from the town of God's Acre who brings Kid Colt into town and patches him up. When Kid Colt comes out of his coma days later he finds himself patched up, but his guns gone. Jim doesn't recognize him but explains that guns are not allowed in God's Acre. They are soon visited by the sheriff. Colt tenses but the sheriff tells him not to worry, that everyone who comes to God's Acre is given a fair chance and that he is welcome to stay. Kid Colt spends the next few days healing and spending time among the people of the town, and begins to consider staying in the peaceful mountain town away from the world outside that constantly hunts him. Unfortunately, things come to a cruel end when Pecos Pete trails him back to God's Acre and once more offers to join up. When Kid Colt refuses, telling him he'd rather stay, Pete agrees that they can both take over the town and rule over it. Colt is horrified and beats him down making him drop his gun. The sheriff comes by and breaks up the fight. He then tells Pete to leave with his gun as they are not welcome in the area and sends Kid Colt to the telegraph office to send a message. Kid Colt returns outside when he hears commotion and goes out to investigate. Someone has ridden to the sheriff and informed him that Pecos Pete has gunned down Jim Cabot and robbed him. Seeing the body for himself, Kid Colt realizes that justice must be done. Reclaiming his guns he tracks down Pecos Pete and guns him down. The sheriff arrives and thanks Kid Colt, showing him a telegram that came in alerting them that Pecos Pete was in the area. The telegram also warns about Kid Colt's arrival, but the sheriff is convinced that Kid Colt is not a bad person and allows him to leave. As he does, the sheriff orders the telegrapher to send out a message informing the state marshals that Pecos Pete is dead but Kid Colt has not been seen. "Spawn of the Six-Gun Syndicate!" While camping out in the range, Kid Colt is shot at by a man with a rifle. Acting quickly he manages to shoot the gun out of his attackers hand and hold him at gunpoint. Demanding answers, Colt learns that the man is Olin Baxter, whose daughter Betty was kidnapped by the Six-Gun Syndicate. He explains that their leader Cash Collins was smitten by her and when he came courting, Olin sent him away, and in response kidnapped her. He had shot at Kid Colt because he thought him one of the Six-Gun's. Hearing this story, Kid Colt promises Olin that he will return his daughter and rides off to the location of the Six-Gun Syndicate's hideout. There he uses his outlaw status to convince Cash Collins to allow him to join their posse. He meets the rest of the gang, including Boots an elderly man who has been charged with guarding Betty. Cash Collins then gathers his men to rob a bank. In order to avoid the raid, Kid Colt ties a string around his horses foot to make it seems like it was injured and is limping it convinces Cash to send him back telling him to meet them in three weeks at their hideout. Instead, Kid Colt rides back to their hideout right away and convinces Boots to assist him in freeing Betty, as Boots had no interest in kidnapping a girl. However, as they are attempting to free Betty, Cash gets the drop on them with his shotgun, having followed Kid Colt back. Kid Colt decides to make a deal with Cash: They will draw cards to see who gets her. Cash agrees, and cheats with an Ace up his sleeve. But Boots sees this and when Cash draws for his gun, Kid Colt shoots it out of his hand. He collects Betty and he and Boots flee. However, Betty believes that Kid Colt had won her in a bet as opposed to coming to rescue her and hearing posse returning she calls for help. They flee, but Boots is fatally shot. As Boots dies, Betty is convinced that Kid Colt had come to rescue her, but before they can get away Cash Collins finds them. He shoots Kid Colt, seriously wounding him and captures Betty again. However, before he can ride off again Kid Colt manages to shoot him in the head, killing him instantly. Betty then helps Kid Colt back onto his horse and rides him back to her fathers ranch. There he spends days healing and although the time was some of the best he has, he decides to leave after he is all healed. Betty tries to convince him to stay, but Kid Colt cannot bring himself to stay for fear that his outlaw status will bring the Baxter's trouble and rides off.