Appearing in "Last of the Tomahawks!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Captain Bill Gregory
- Billy Kinkaid (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Tomahawks (First appearance)
- Tall Pine (First appearance)
- Great Bear (First appearance)
- Numerous unnamed members
- Sioux
- Yellow Wolf (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- United States Cavalry
- Unnamed Soldier
- Nightwind
- Mr. Kinkaid
- Connie Kinkaid (First appearance)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Synopsis for "Last of the Tomahawks!"
With the Tomahawk tribe about to go on the warpath, settlers have come to seek refuge at Fort Madison. As Captain Bill Gregory and Aloysius Kare count the last of the settlers, they both notice that the Kincaid family is not accounted for. Knowing that they live out near Native territory, Kare rides off and changes into the Apache Kid in order to see if they are in any trouble. He comes across the Kincaids as they are moving their wagon toward the fort. Their youngest son Billy, who dislikes Natives, tries to shoot the Apache Kid, but the hero easily disarms him and tells the boy that he admires his willingness to protect his family, he should not give into blind prejudice. The Kid then sends them on their way, telling them that he will be between them and the Tomahawks.
Down the path, the Apache Kid is jumped by Tomahawk warriors who are led by the Sioux warrior Yellow Wolf, the one who instigated the Tomahawks into preparing to go to war. Apache Kid is captured and brought before the Tomahawk leader Tall Pine and his son Great Bear. The Kid learns that Yellow Wolf had convinced Tall Pine that the white man is weak and that his tribe should go to war against them. Apache Kid tries to convince them to let a white man and a Tomahawk warrior fight one on one to prove they are equals to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, offering to go and get one. However, Yellow Wolf convinces Tall Pine not to let Apache Kid go, suspecting a trap.
Unable to get away to change into his alter ego of Aloysius Kare, the Apache Kid decides to expose his double identity and announces that a white man is present to fight their greatest warrior. However, before he can expose his secret, young Billy Kincade appears to take the challenge. Unwilling to have a boy fight his greatest warrior, Tall Pine agrees to let his son fight Billy to see who is the greatest. The two young men fight it out, and in the middle of the fight Tall Pine orders them to stop, convinced that white man and Native American are equals and calls off the war. When Yellow Wolf tries to flee the scene the Apache Kid chases after him and captures him, bringing him back to Tall Pine for punishment.
Appearing in "Range Rustler"
Featured Characters:
- Jim Kessel (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Sheriff Mark Terrill (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Mrs. Kessel (First appearance)
- Jim's Hired Hands
- Bill Emerson (First appearance)
- Five unnamed cowhands
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth-616
- Earth
- United States of America
- Tall K Corral
- Tiptonville (First appearance)
- United States of America
- Earth
Synopsis for "Range Rustler"
Range owner Jim Kessel thinks his heard has been rustled but the local Sheriff, Mark Terrill, points out that the weather was effecting the iron bar used to lock the gate and that there was no rustler just spooked cows and an open gate.
Appearing in "Wild Horse Mesa!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Apache
- Chief Red Hawk
- Long Trail
- Numerous unnamed Apache
Antagonists:
- Horse Thieves
- Barlow (First appearance)
- Hank (First appearance)
- Three unnamed thieves
Other Characters:
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth-616
- Earth
- United States of America
- Arizona
- Quamki Canyon (First appearance)
- Culver City (Mentioned)
- Arizona
- United States of America
- Earth
Synopsis for "Wild Horse Mesa!"
Red Hawk's Apache tribe, including the Apache Kid, are rounding up horses for their people unaware that an outlaw named Barlow and his gang are watching nearby. When the Apaches herd the horses into Quamki Canyon Barlow and his men move into position to steal the horses. Removing false rocks from the box canyon, they round up all the horses and cover their tracks. When the Apaches enter the canyon to collect the horses they are shocked to see that they have mysteriously vanished, and believe that the gods have punished them. With the threat of starvation looming, Red Hawk and his people return to their tribe, but the Apache Kid tells his adopted father that he believes he can recover the horses.
Apache Kid then straddles the side of his horse Nightwind and sends it running to the canyon. Barlow sees only the horse and decides to capture it as well, unknowingly exposing his trick to the Apache Kid. The Kid attacks Barlow and his men but is easily over powered and then tied to a tree so that Barlow can ransom him off later. Apache Kid warns Barlow and his men that the gods will punish them but they laugh off the Kid's warnings. Left to himself, the Kid manages to loosen his bonds enough to get to his change of clothes and changes into Aloysius Kare. He then calls out to the rustlers and they are shocked to see a white man in the place of the Apache warrior. Kare claims that he doesn't know how he got there, saying his last memory was sleeping at the hotel in Culver City. This frightens Barlow's men who believe it is a curse form the gods and they flee.
When Barlow himself tries to flee, Kare trips him and grabs the outlaw in his legs, threatening to crush him to death if he does not free him. Barlow complies and then flees the scene as well. Changing back into the Apache Kid, the brave warrior then herds the stolen horses back to his people.
Appearing in "The Man!"
Featured Characters:
- Ted Desmond (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Mrs. Desmond (Ted's Mother)
Antagonists:
- Yancy
Other Characters:
- Trailblaze (Horse)
- Lady (Horse)
- Unnamed Sheriff
Races and Species:
Locations:
Synopsis for "The Man!"
Ted Desmond leaves his house a boy in pursuit of a criminal who stole the family's horse. Ted returns as a man who caught the fugitive and protected what was his.
Appearing in "Dangerous Heritage!"
Featured Characters:
- Apache Kid (Aloysius Kare) (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- Apache (Main story and flashback)
- Swift Spear (First appearance) (Main story and flashback)
- Running Stag (First appearance) (Swift Spear's Son)
- Chief Red Hawk (Only in flashback)
- Numerous unnamed Apache (Main story and flashback)
Antagonists:
- Cohoes (Main story and flashback)
- Flaming Wolf (Only in flashback)
- Numerous unnamed Cohoes (Main story and flashback)
Other Characters:
- Gray Mountain (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
- Nightwind (Main story and flashback)
- United States Cavalry
- Captain Bill Gregory
- Numerous unnamed soldiers
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth-616 (Main story and flashback)
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- Arizona (Main story and flashback)
- Fort Madison (Mentioned)
- Arizona (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
Synopsis for "Dangerous Heritage!"
During an attack on the Apache people by their enemies the Cohoes, the father of young Running Stag tells his son no to fear and to have hope, relating to him a tale of the Apache Kid that occurred the last time the Cohos attacked...
It was during a great meeting between the Native chiefs that Coho leader Flaming Wolf demanded that the tribes work together to go to war against the white men who have settled on their land. However, Red Hawk convinces the other tribal leaders that going to war would do nothing more than bring bloodshed and death to their collective peoples. When Flaming Wolf calls Red Hawk a coward, his adopted son the Apache Kid came to his defense, but Flaming Wolf stands by his declaration and leaves his words seeding doubt among the Apache.
On their way back to their tribe, the Apache Kid warns his father that they should put up defenses should Flaming Wolf and his warriors attack, but Red Hawk refuses telling his son that he is a man of peace. Much to his shock the Apache Kid then leaves, sowing more doubt among Red Hawk and his people. Shortly thereafter, Aloysius Kare pays a visit to Flaming Wolf and offers to sell him guns to go to war against the Apache. Flaming Wolf agrees and Kare is soon on his way. However a Coho who is sympathetic to the Apache have warned them of Kare's business with Flaming Wolf and they ambush Aloysius on the trail. They bring him toward Red Hawk who is shocked to learn that Kare (whom only he knows is secretly the Apache Kid) was offering weapons to their enemies. Heart broken, Red Hawk tells his people to let Kare go, much to their confusion.
With his people thinking him a coward, Red Hawk decides to make a stand and tells his people to prepare to go to war against the Cohoes. Soon when the Cohoes arrive with their guns, both parties soon realize that Kare sold the Cohoes dud ammunition. Soon the Apache gain the upper hand the fair fight and Flaming Wolf tries to flee the scene. However he is stopped by the Apache Kid who easily trounces Flaming Wolf in battle. Realizing what the Apache Kid did in both his identities, Red Hawk tells the Kid that he is proud of them both.
...With his fathers tale done, Running Stag is given hope which blooms even more when he spots the Apache Kid leading the brave Apache warriors against the Cohoes.
Appearing in "The Sunset Trail!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Apache
- Chief Red Hawk
- Unnamed Elder Apache
- Numerous unnamed Apache
Other Characters:
- Nightwind
- United States Army (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Synopsis for "The Sunset Trail!"
When one of the Apaches becomes to old to hunt and defend himself he is sent on the "sunset trail". Watching this is Red Hawk and the Apache Kid, the exile of another elderly man is too much for the Kid who demands to know how they can just send away one of their elderly when they should be looking after him. Red Hawk tells him that the laws cannot change unless an elderly tribesman can prove he is not too old to look after himself, but to date no elder is foolish enough to challenge a young warrior, and the young warriors have too much respect to battle one of their elders.
Later when Apache Kid and Red Hawk join a buffalo hunt, Red Hawk gets caught in the middle of a buffalo stampede forcing the Apache Kid to rescue his adopted father. Realizing that he can no longer defend himself or provide for the tribe, Red Hawk makes the decision to take the sunset trail himself, much to the dismay of the entire tribe. Knowing that his people need Red Hawk, the Apache Kid sets plans into motion to try and change the law of the tribe.
Returning to the tribe in his alter ego of Aloysius Kare, Kare asks where Red Hawk is. When he is told that their chief has left, Kare tells them that he made a bet with Red Hawk that he could not defeat the Apache Kid in battle, if he lost the Apaches would forfeit their hunting ground. With Red Hawk gone, Kare tells them that the challenge is forfeit and that he will go to get the soldiers of Fort Madison to secure their land. Not wishing to lose their hunting grounds, the Apaches agree to bring Red Hawk while Kare tells them that he will bring the Apache Kid.
Sure enough the Apache Kid is present when Red Hawk is returned to the tribe and the two fight it out. Apache Kid loses the fight and the Apaches decree that the laws must change and Red Hawk reinstalled as their tribal leader. In privacy, Red Hawk believes that his son lied to his people and allowed him to win the fight, however the Kid points out it was Kare who lied and reassures his adopted father that he won the bout fairly.
Notes
Publication Notes[]
- "Last of the Tomahawks!" is reprinted in Western Gunfighters (Vol. 2) #23.
- "Wild Horse Mesa!" is reprinted in Western Gunfighters (Vol. 2) #30.
- "The Man!" is reprinted in Kid Colt Outlaw #190.
- "Dangerous Heritage!" is reprinted in Western Gunfighters (Vol. 2) #27.
- "The Sunset Trail!" is reprinted in Western Gunfighters (Vol. 2) #29.