Appearing in "O mistério do Vale dos Gigantes"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Marie Lathrop
- Jim Lathrop
- Bobby Lathrop
- Jim
- Jack
Antagonists:
- Professor Chalis (First appearance; dies)
- Zugg
Other Characters:
Realities:
Locations:
Synopsis for "O mistério do Vale dos Gigantes"
A gang of cattle rustlers descend on the Lathrop ranch to steal the entire stock. They are held off by Jim Lathrop, his daughter Marie and a posse. They are assisted by the sudden arrival of the Black Rider who guns down the rustlers and leaves after giving a kiss to Marie.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, a scientist named Professor Chalis is being reprimanded by his fellow scientists for his grizzly experiments in growing humans to the size of giants. They question his unethical science and that it could mean the destruction of the human race. Chalis refuses to listen to reason and tells them that he will continue his work. Deciding that his colleagues will try to stop him, Chalis decides to relocate to the American west where he can continue his experiments uninterrupted. He returns to his lab to find his giant, Zugg, has killed the police officers who had come to clear out his equipment. Lamenting how his growth experiment causes a loss of intelligence in those exposed to it, Chalis has Zugg assist him in fleeing town, intending on continuing his experiments and correcting the flaw.
Six months later, Dr. Matthew Masters is met by one of the Lathrop ranch hands named Jim who tells him about Professor Chalis who moved into the area near the Lathrop ranch recently, however Masters has not had the opportunity to meet him yet. Jim also tells of how he hears strange noises coming from Chalis' ranch. Masters is dismayed to see that Chalis has already met and is riding into town with Marie Lathrop, who seems to find the scientist fascinating. When Matthew confronts her about it, Marie once more chastises him for not being interesting like Chalis or brave like the Black Rider. Suddenly, Bobby rides into town and tells Marie that some of their bulls have been stolen overnight, so Marie and Jim ride off back to the ranch.
At Bobby's suggestion, Matthew slips away to investigate himself. Looking around the area where the bulls went missing, Masters finds a massive footprint that looks human and decides that it's time for the Black Rider to start investigating. Changing into his costume, the Black Rider follows the footprints out to Professor Chalis' lab. However, when he tries to bust in he is attacked by a giant wolf and guns it down then flees before he can be discovered. The Black Rider changes back into his civilian guise and returns to town and tells Bobby what happened then goes to the local library to read up on Professor Chalis and learns about his growth experiments.
Meanwhile, at Professor Chalis' lab, the Professor has Zugg train his growth ray on the captured bulls. However, before the experiment can be completed, Chalis has everything hidden when Marie comes by for a visit. The Professor then shows off his work, but when Zugg comes out of hiding, he frightens Marie who accidentally bumps the activation switch of the growth ray. The ray beam strikes the Professor, who then shuts it off before passing out. Marie rushes out and gets Doc Masters and brings him to the ranch. Masters is shocked to see the Zugg and realizes what Chalis has been up to. Doc then treats Chalis and then slips away to look around as the Black Rider. Searching, the Rider accidentally activates a trap door and is almost dropped into a pit filled with giant rattlers. Zugg tries to attack him, but Black Rider breaks free and flees, changing back into Doc Masters. He finds Chalis seemingly all right and so he and Marie leave.
However exposure to the ray has driven Chalis mad and he creates an antidote to reverse the growth effects so that he can experience them. A few days later, Masters returns to his office and is shocked to find Jim there, and that he has been experimented on by Professor Chalis, and has grown to a giant size but lost intelligence as a result. Meanwhile, Marie and Bobby are out on a ride when they run into Professor Chalis. When Marie refuses to go back to Chalis' manor, he kidnaps her and rides away. Bobby then rushes to Doc Masters' office.
As the Black Rider, Masters rides out to the Professor's manor where he battles Zugg. When he realizes Marie is tied up, he weakens his focus and is defeated by Zugg and taken prisoner as well. When the Black Rider comes around he finds himself and Marie in the path of the Professor's growth ray. However, before the Professor can activate it, his giants turn on him destroying the machine and killing Chalis. As the fire spreads, Satan bursts through the door and chews through the ropes that keep the Black Rider and Marie prisoner. When they try to escape, Zugg gets in the way but Satan kills him.
With everyone free, the Black Rider gives the antidote to the other giants and then bids everyone farewell and rides off into the night.Appearing in "Cavaleiro Negro"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Trip Tomlin
Other Characters:
Realities:
Locations:
Synopsis for "Cavaleiro Negro"
Trip Tomlin and his gang attempt to rob a stage coach but are forced to retreat from the attack. Furious at the Black Rider's constant interference, Trip becomes determined to learn the Black Rider's true identity. Suspecting that someone must know who the Black Rider really is, Tomlin remembers that the Black Rider is close to the Lathrop family and suspects that one of them must know who the masked hero really is.
Later, as Bobby Lathrop is out hunting a rabbit, he is upset when the rabbit is scooped up a bird swoops up his kill, but the Black Rider drops it. After the Black Rider leaves, Trip Tomlin and his posse begin asking Bobby about the Black Rider's real identity. When Bobby lets slip that he does know, Trip and his men take the boy prisoner and take Bobby to their hideout. There Trip beats the boy in an attempt to get him to tell tell who the Black Rider's true identity is, however Bobby refuses to talk. Trip loses his temper and hits Bobby too hard, knocking him out.
Fearing that the boy will die before he can tell the secret of the Black Rider, Trip sends his men to bring him Dr. Matthew Masters. Back at Master's office, Matthew is visited by Marie who is worried about her brother who has not gone home. Before they can start searching they are taken prisoner by Trip. Masters is forced to treat Bobby, and finds that he has a concussion. Bobby regains consciousness and agrees to tell Trip and his men the true identity of the Black Rider only if Matthew Masters leaves the room. Trip agrees to the terms, and Masters uses this opportunity to change into the Black Rider and come back with guns blazing. Taking Trip and his men off guard, he blasts them all away. As quickly as he appears the Black Rider disappears and changes back into Matthew Masters to check and see how Bobby and Marie are doing.Appearing in "Cavaleiro Negro"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Tonto Kane
Other Characters:
Realities:
Locations:
Synopsis for "Cavaleiro Negro"
One day, Dr. Matthew Masters goes for a root beer at the local saloon, when suddenly a hush falls the room when disgraced lawman named Vale, who has come looking for Tonto Kane. He instead is mocked for being a yellow coward, and only Matthew Masters stands up to him. Seeing the dejected man leave the saloon, Masters decides to follow after him as the Black Rider.
He catches up to the former lawman just as he is about to jump off a cliff but stops him with his lasso. The Black Rider learns that Tonto Kane threatened his family in order to force him to stand down as they were robbing the bank in the town of Salt Lick. Because this was unseen, Vale was branded a coward. Having heard this, the Black Rider agrees to help him track down Tonto Kane and his men. The pair track the outlaws down to the town of Jericho, where they succeed in slaying Kane and his gang, redeeming Vale's tarnished reputation.Notes
- Almanaque do Cavaleiro Negro was a reprint title of the brasilian publisher RGE, who had the license to reprint Black Rider from Marvel.
- When the American material ended, RGE produced new stories for the already established Black Rider character, using his original background. They also used various other western comics like Gringo (from Selecciones Ilustradas) or Durango Kid and renamed these characters as "Cavaleiro Negro" to continue the series[1]
- In this brazilian version, Matthew Masters was renamed Heron Robledo,but all his backstory was left the same.