History
Cory Rand was a practitioner of law during the days of the American Frontier. In the late 19th century he fell in love with and married a Comanche princess named Dawn Star. Due to the social stigmas of the time, their marriage was frowned upon by Rand's employers and he was disbarred and fired from his job. Taking it on stride, Cory decided to start a ranch and live off the land and eventually established a successful business.
One day Rand was approached by a businessman named Shad Rathburn who sought to buy Rand's land. Rand refused and sent Rathburn and his men fleeing, Rathburn vowed to obtain Cory's land by any means possible. That night, Dawn Star gave birth to their son who Cory educated at home to spare him the prejudices of the outside world while the Comanche people embraced the boy and taught him their ways. The boy's proficiency with six guns and delight of the sound exploding bottle made when shot earned the nickname the Ringo Kid.
However, Cory Rand's happy family life came to an abrupt end in 1868 when Ringo decided to go into town to try and befriend some local children his own age. There the Kid found nothing but prejudice toward his mixed heritage, leading to a fight when one of the boys insulted his mother. Seeing this, Rathburn decided to get revenge against Cory Rand through his son and began whipping the Ringo Kid. Cory came across the scene and shot Shad Rathburn dead for harming his son. Now a wanted outlaw, Cory gave his guns to his son and told the boy to look after his mother.
Riding back to the ranch to say goodbye to Dawn Star, Cory was horrified to see that someone set fire to his cabin. Rushing inside to rescue his wife, Cory arrived too late and Dawn Star died in his arms. Leaving the burning home he found that it was Rathburn's vengeful men who were responsible for the fire and they took him, prisoner. Cory was to be lynched but was rescued when the Ringo Kid arrived and slew all the men who had his father captive. Both men now outlaws, Cory decided they should part company, believing that both had a better chance of avoiding capture if they remain apart.
Cory Rand regularly met with his son, frequently choosing Dawn Star's grave as a meeting place. During the first such meeting, Cory was captured Gyp Halliday, but he was later rescued by the Ringo Kid and his childhood friend Dull Knife.[1] During another meeting with his son, Cory repaid his son for his previous rescue by saving the Kid from capture after he was apprehended by Jackknife Jordan.[2] Cory's land was soon sought to be taken by lawyer Clem Dugall. With no legal means to claim the land without Cory and Ringo Kid's death, he hired outlaw Gorm Trevor to kill them. However, Cory and Ringo's bond warmed the outlaw's heart and he went to eliminate Dugall instead, dying in the crossfire. Cory and the Kid buried Trevor in a grave near Dawn Star's grave. Later, Cory saved his son again -- this time with the help of Dull Knife -- when Brand Dillon captured him and turned the Ringo Kid over to the authorities.[3]
Cory next assisted his son in capturing an outlaw named Leech from crashing stagecoaches. The pair were next approached by One-Eye Mapes and his gang and offered to join an attack on the nearby army fort. Instead, Ringo and his father defended the fort and the pair had their names stricken from the army's wanted list.[4] However the pair were still wanted criminals in the eyes of many sheriffs and US Marshals. Cory later assisted in rescuing his son from jail in the town of Black Mesa, not long after he helped his son rescue the daughter of a local sheriff, winning their freedom. Soon after, Cory was kidnapped by Faro Travis who sought to force the Ringo Kid to assist in his criminal activities. However, the Kid turned on Travis and freed Cory with the help of Dull Knife.[5] Cory was soon captured once again, this time by Blast Banyon, who sought to force the Ringo Kid to sign over the Rand family land over to him. Alerting the authorities and leaving Banyon with phony documents, the Kid succeeded in rescuing his father.[6] Cory soon used his skills as a lawyer when he donned a mask and represented his son in court when Ringo was framed for the murder of Don Hopkins. Having investigated the crime scene, Cory fingered the real killer: Frank Leech, and exposed him during the trail, winning the Kid's freedom.[7]
While in Vista Del Toro, Cory was later captured by a gang of outlaws who learned that he knew the location of a long lost Aztec treasure that was in the area. He was rescued thanks to the help of his son and Dull Knife. Cory later returned the favor when he and Dull Knife rescued the Ringo Kid from a trap being set by the law in the town of La Paz.[8] When Ringo Kid clashed with the mad scientist known as Dr. Saturn, who had develop a blinding "Black Sunset" device to try and overthrow the government, Cory created a special formula to dilate the Kid's pupils and thus make him immune to Saturn's device. Not long after this, Cory was captured by Cheyenne Castro and his gang in an attempt to force the Ringo Kid in assisting in an attack on Fort Saginaw. Ringo instead tipped off the soldiers leading to Castro and his gang getting captured, and Cory being set free.[9] Cory later became a target of an outlaw named Alf Deveres. However, when he and the Ringo Kid tried to flee the town of Tumbleweed, Cory was apprehended by the sheriff and incarcerated. Alf and his men then disguised themselves as US soldiers on a phony prisoner transfer to try and eliminate him. The Ringo Kid intervened, and rescued his father and exposed Alf and his men.[10] Cory also won his freedom when he and his son helped save the life of US Marshall "Bulldog" Peyton from Duke Geiger and his gang. Rand and Dull Knife once more rescued the Ringo Kid after he was temporarily blinded and framed for a coach robbery and arrested. Breaking the Kid out of jail, the trio captured the real crooks.[11]
Soon after this, Cory was apprehended by the military who shipped him off in a prisoner wagon that was later ambushed by outlaw Jake Saterlee and his gang, but was later rescued by Ringo and Dull Knife.[12] Cory returned the favour when his son was accused of being part of the so-called "Phantom Raiders". The pair exposed the real crooks who snatched stagecoaches in a sophisticated net system in a canyon pass on the route to Fargo City.[13] By this time, Cory -- like his son Ringo -- soon became outlaws in name only, as their crusades for truth and justice made them sought after allies with the law, although they never were cleared of charges. When the Ringo Kid was asked by the soldiers at Fort Sierra to assist in capturing outlaws responsible for robbing payroll shipments, he enlisted the aid of his father and Dull Knife. The trio tied the robberies to Shotgun Blane and his gang and used their status as outlaws to infiltrate his gang and lead them into a trap.[14] Cory later assisted his son in liberating the town of Calico from the clutches of the Black Widow gang.[15]
When a Comanche brave named Wild Horse was kidnapped by Jag Fresco, Cory joined Ringo and Dull Knife in liberating him. Cory also assisted his son in finding proof that Jag was stealing gold from Comanche land. Soon after Cory joined his son in moving cattle to Medicine Bluff unaware that they were stolen cattle. However, when they learned the truth they rounded up the man who gave them job. Cory was later tricked again by an outlaw named Harlo, who convinced him that a stagecoach had been stolen. Cory helped Harlo stop it and Harlo stole it instead. Arrested, Rand was put on trial at Fort Cheyenne. When Ringo learned of this he appealed to the soldiers there to capture the man responsible and helped clear his father's name.[16] Not long after this, Cory was accused and arrested for yet another coach robbery in the town of Remuda. Once again the Ringo Kid and Dull Knife cleared his name for catching the real criminal.[17] Cory next assisted Ringo and Dull Knife and stopping Scar Parsons and his gang from robbing the Prairie Express. The trio also worked together to recover money stolen from the Pawnee People by a gambler named Pecos. When Pecos tried to burn down the Pawnee's hunting land, they foiled the plot.[18] In his last recorded appearance, Cory was with Ringo and Dull Knife when they helped a group of homesteaders find a new place to settle.[19]
Cory Rand's ultimate fate is unknown, however, records indicate that he is deceased.[20]Paraphernalia
Weapons
Transportation
See Also
Links and References
References
- ↑ Ringo Kid #1
- ↑ Ringo Kid #2
- ↑ Ringo Kid #3
- ↑ Ringo Kid #4
- ↑ Ringo Kid #5
- ↑ Ringo Kid #6
- ↑ Wild Western #44
- ↑ Ringo Kid #7
- ↑ Ringo Kid #8
- ↑ Wild Western #46
- ↑ Ringo Kid #9
- ↑ Ringo Kid #11
- ↑ Ringo Kid #12
- ↑ Ringo Kid #13
- ↑ Ringo Kid #16
- ↑ Ringo Kid #17
- ↑ Western Trails #1
- ↑ Ringo Kid #20
- ↑ Ringo Kid #21
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #9