Lancelot Temple (Earth-616)

Texas Kid
Name	Lancelot Temple
Current Alias	Texas Kid
Affiliation and Relationships
Affiliation	Sometimes assisted by Emilio Diaz and Red Hawk
Relatives	Parents: Zane Temple (father); Lucy Temple (mother, deceased)
Marital Status	Single
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Male
Eyes	Irises: Blue
Hair	Orange
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Humans
Living Status	Alive
Reality	Earth-616
Personal Information
Identity	Secret
Citizenship	American
Occupation	Rancher, vigilante, adventurer
Base of Operations	Temple Ranch, near Caliber City, Texas, circa 1850's
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Joe Maneely
First	Texas Kid #1 (September, 1950)
First	Texas Kid #1 (September, 1950)

History

The Texas Kid and Outlaw Kid

There are many similarities between the Texas Kid and the Outlaw Kid, both men had been known as Lance Temple, both initially had the same origins. Accounts also show both heroes working with Emilio Diaz and Red Hawk, both having blind fathers named Zane, and both operating out of Caliber City. Sources do not make a connection between the two characters. While it's clear that the Outlaw Kid existed in the Earth-616 universe, there has yet to be an explanation as to exact nature of Texas Kid. It has been stated that many adventures of western heroes were adapted into dime store novels. A later info-file of Texas Kid by an unknown source (seeking operatives) showed that Lancelot Temple, the Texas Kid existed in the Old West, but not more is know of him. Another difference between the two characters is that Texas Kid operated c. 1850 but Outlaw Kid was set after the Civil War, in the 1870s and 1880s.

Is possible that details concerning Texas Kid and Outlaw Kid's origins were mixed up when adapted, however any official explanation remains to be provided.

Origin

As a boy

Lancelot Temple was the son of Zane Temple a former Texas Ranger who had retired in order to become a rancher. Zane had been a veteran in the Texas war of independence in the battles of Alamo and Goliad. In 1846, Texas was in tumult by the Mexican American war but Zane and his family still lived a peaceful life until the day outlaw Link Cado and his gang came to Caliber city, seeking revenge on the man who had sent them to jail six years ago. They attacked the ranch and killed Lucy, Zane's wife, Zane retaliated, killing many of them before Zane shot him in the back. Lancelot tried to fight too, but Link shot the gun out of his hands and was about to kill him when when Lance was saved by two wandering travelers who happened to be passing by: the Mexican Emilio Diaz and Red Hawk a Native American. The pair forced Link Cado away and saw to the Temple family.

As an adult

Though Red Hawk was able to save Zane's life, he was permanently blind following the attack. Emilio and Red Hawk vowed to look after the two remaining Temple's and take care of their ranch. As Lance grew, they trained him in hunting, ranching and fighting, so that he became an expert in each. Reaching adulthood, Lance sought revenge on Link, but his father made him swear to not seek violence and live a peaceful life instead. Rather than disappoint his father, he created a new identity for himself so he could seek his vengeance. He was supported by his two friends in his decision, with Emilio giving him a costume he had worn as a young caballero, and Red Hawk gave him a horse and Winchester rifle. As the Texas Kid, Lance avenged his family by killing Link Cado and his men. After avenging his family, Lance decided to protect the area as the Texas Kid, keeping his double identity secret to everyone -- including his father -- but Emilio and Red Hawk.

Hero of Caliber City

The Texas Kid earned his reputation as a crime fighting hero by stopping gunning down lawbreakers as the Native American warrior Howling Wolf, slaver Manuel Toledo, and a gold thief named Cahill. He saved Belle Cameron from Toledo's slave outfit and had a short romantic interaction with her, but she rejected him considering he a coward. Later, Lance faced a seemingly supernatural threat called the Phantom of Massacre Gulch who was in reality a local banker. With the aid of Emilio and Red Hawk he also stopped an outlaw named Jake Bedlam. The Texas Kid also gunned down an old foe of his father, an outlaw named Masabe Pete who came to Caliber City to get revenge against Zane Temple for sending him to prison years earlier. On a more mundane day, the Kid beat the crooked Luke Spandrell during the Caliber City rodeo and stopped Banker Bogg's stagecoach thieving operations. He also forced out the likes of Buck Mulligan and his gang when they tried to take over town.

He also defended the town from Deuce Kinsey with the help of Emilio and Red Hawk, and stopped the Phantom Rider. The Texas Kid had his identity compromised when Lance was caught changing into his costume in Hidden Valley by Brag Beaver who briefly posed as the Texas Kid to frame the hero for a crime, but the hero wiped out Brag and his gang and cleared his name. Next he stopped crooked US Marshall and Crossdraw Fenshaw from forcing local ranchers off their land. The Texas Kid was once more framed for a crime this time by Coley Welch, who ironically knocked out Lance Temple and dressed him up as the Texas Kid. However, one of Welch's repentant men, Sam Bender -- whom Lance helped earlier when he was shot escaping the law -- used the Texas Kid costume to force Coley to confess, clearing Lance of the crimes he was framed for. The Kid then rode out to Juarez, Mexico, to assist Emilio in liberating the area from the crooked Don Carlos who was attempting to use phony land claims to push people off the land in order to get elected governor. The Texas Kid, Emilio, and Red Hawk next came to the aid of local nesters who were being driven from their land by a group of masked vigilantes.

Lance once more had his double identity compromised when his father hired a crooked ranch hand named Radcliff who deduced Lance's alter ego. He attempted to force Lance to allow him to sell more of Zane's cattle and pocket the money or risk having it revealed to his father that he was the Texas Kid. Lance was determined to fess up to his father before Radcliff had the chance, but Emilio then posed as the Texas Kid and gunned Radcliff down, saving Lance's double identity. The Kid then avenged the death of his friend Johnny Destry, the owner of a small time caravan owner who was murdered by outlaws posing as Apaches who were hired by his fiancee Kathy who sought to gain control of all the caravan interests in town. Later, Lance and his father Zane were held hostage by two New York criminals named Gyp Correlli and Broadway Becker who fled to Texas from New York City. Lance was ordered to escort them to Mexico and was sent out to prepare horses for them or risk his father being killed. Lance instead changed into the Texas Kid and killed the two outlaws. In the aftermath, Zane was believed that the Texas Kid sounded familiar, but apparently did not realize the fact that the Texas Kid and his son Lance were the same person. When Evelyn Cartright was kidnapped by outlaws looking to ransom her, the Texas Kid, Emilio, and Red Hawk rescued her. Later, the Texas Kid went after the Callendar Gang after the wounded his father and brought them to justice.

Soon after, Zane Temple's past came back to haunt him again, when "Smiler" Fenton, an outlaw whose face Zane disfigured during his days as a lawman came to Caliber City for revenge. Once more Lance, as the Texas Kid saved his father's life. The Texas Kid next cleared the name of miner Muely Coats when he was framed for the murder of his bitter rival Hardpan Hart and later stopped a local rancher named Simms from preventing his competition from selling their cattle in Kansas City. When a group of outlaws that the Texas Kid captured broke out of prison, they attempted to get revenge by capturing Emilio and Red Hawk, but the plan failed and they all saw their end under the Texas Kid's guns. Not long after, Caliber City was terrorized by Snake Gault when he took over the towns mines by force, however like many before him he too was stopped by the Texas Kid. The Texas Kid next help protect Gale Romney from Killer Jalk and his gang who were hired by her uncle to kill her so he could claim the family ranch. When there was unrest among the local Native American tribe, the Texas Kid defeated their leader Black Wolf in hand to hand combat in order to prevent a war between the tribe and the people of Caliber City.

Later, the Texas Kid went after outlaw Bat Corbet and was struck with amnesia when a bullet grazed his skull. Corbet convinced the Kid to go after his friends Emilio and Red Hawk, but the heroes memory was restored when he was knocked off his horse and struck his head. The trio then worked together to bring Corbet and his gang to justice. When rancher Cal Nichols was murdered, the Texas Kid investigated the death and learned that his niece had hired outlaw Deuce Page to kill him so she could inherit his ranch. With Emilio and Red Hawk, the Texas Kid stopped another Native American uprising, this time coming from the Ute tribe who were inflamed from drinking alcohol. During this adventure, the Ute warriors briefly stole the Kid's horse Thunder, but the Kid and his friends wiped them out and recovered his horse. Soon after this, Texas kid went to investigate a call of his father's friend, Burro Bates, about people that wanted to kill him because of his gold discovery. He found Burro death, and he and his friends Emilio and Red Hawk were accused by a crooked sheriff, but Texas Kid exposed him as the killer. Next, Lancelot confronted a killer Native American called Bear Talker, who after being defeated, discovered the Kid's identity, trapped him and wanted to torture his father, Zane, using his companion bears. The horse of Texas Kid freed him and the Kid killed Bear Talker after a hand to hand struggle. The Texas Kid also uncovered the sinister plan of the owner of a poney express line to put the local ranchers against the arrival of the rail lines to Caliber City.

Caliber City was later terrorized by a local group of Apaches who were sold guns by Mr. Caine to force area ranchers off the land so he could claim it for his own. This backfired when the Apaches betrayed him in order to take the land for themselves, capturing Caine's daughter. The Texas Kid and his friends rescued Miss Caine, and using cannons found in an old Spanish fort, wiped out the Apaches. Riding solo again, the Texas Kid helped a rancher named Barette get his cattle to the manager of the local Native American reservation when and outlaw named Creech tried to stop him from meeting his obligations. In his next adventure he Texas Kid later stopped crooked politician Henry Brandy and banker Jesse Devlin from using violence and intimidation to win the election to be the next Marshal in Caliber City.

A new foccus

Lancelot and Red Hawk arrived to River City. In the road where they meet an old miner and his grandson, Lino. that had been attacked by the outlaw Farrel and his gang. They brought the miner to Lance house and were joined by Emilio to hunt the bandits. They found them and Texas kid found that Lino was a woman, Belinda. Then, the Texas Kid was chasing a burglar know as the Black Cat, and couldn't caught him. The same night, Mr. Wallace, a local millionaire, was mysteriously killed after he had suddenly proposed to a saloon girl named Mary Peggy. Two days later, Texas kid showed to the justice that Molly, supposed brother of Mary Peggy, was actually her husband, and was also the Black Cat. Both had an scheme to prey on rich men using Mary's beauty.

Local Jericho's casino owner, Bill Wilson, rejected the sale of his casino to a newcomer, fearing that it would lost his decency. Alex Yates, the newcomer, established his own casino, hiring local saloon girls and bouncers(Mike Frost and Duck Hawkins), and using a trick roulette. The new casino bouncers attacked Lance and Red Hawk when they were riding across the street. Yates casino quickly gained popularity and Wilson's one had financial troubles, and was assaulted too. Texas Kid just arrived to stop the assault, but the bandits would escape. The Kid believed that Yates was behind the attack. Time later, Yates tried to force Wilson to sell his casino, using force, but Texas Kid arrived and stopped him.

Later actions of the Texas Kid and his final fate is presently unknown.

Attributes

Powers

None

Abilities

Lance is an exceptional shot, able to shoot arrows right out of the air, as well as a master of the thrown knife. He is also a master horseman.

Paraphernalia

Weapons

Winchester rifle, pistols, knife

Transportation

The Texas Kid rode a horse named Thunder

Notes

• The Texas Kid should not be confused with the Outlaw Kid who is also named Lance Temple. While the origins of the Texas Kid (in Texas Kid #1) and the Outlaw Kid (in Outlaw Kid #1) are basically identical (with the exception of the heroes' names) the Outlaw Kid's origins have since been retconned in Outlaw Kid (Vol. 2) #10, giving him a somewhat unique origin.
• The Texas Kid should also not be confused with the Texas Kid who appeared in Daring Mystery Comics in the 1940s
• The Texas Kid became popular in Brazil and Australia. The publishers that reprinted Texas Kid,RGE and Horwitz,independently comissionated the production of new stories in the series Texas Kid (BR) (from issue 27 to 86) and Texas Kid (AU) (from issue 15-23).The character also starred in his own annuals and specials by RGE. The canonicity of these stories to Earth-616 still had not been established.

See Also

• 88 appearance(s) of Lancelot Temple (Earth-616)
• 105 image(s) of Lancelot Temple (Earth-616)
• 1 quotation(s) by or about Lancelot Temple (Earth-616)

Links and References

• http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/t/texaskidatlas.htm