Appearing in "The Cobra Strikes!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Cobra (Herman Dull) (First appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- H.G. Wells (Mentioned)
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Synopsis for "The Cobra Strikes!"
Riding into a nearby town, Two-Gun Kid is determined to have Rusty continue his schooling. The pair make a stop at the local library despite Rusty's protests. As the enter the library they overhear the sheriff telling the librarian about an outlaw calling himself the Cobra, who has stolen the Ghengis Jewel, warning her to keep vigilant because the Cobra likes books. When the sheriff notices Two-Gun and Rusty listening in and learning they came looking for books, he accuses the Kid of being the Cobra. Two-Gun shoots the sheriff's gun out of his hand, and introduces himself, putting the sheriff at ease.
Although the librarian dislikes Two-Gun's fast drawing ways, she helps him out and allows him to take out H.G. Wells "Outline of History". When they take it back to their hotel room, Rusty opens it up and finds that the book has been hollowed out and that the Ghengis Jewels are inside. Realizing that the librarian could be in trouble now that the jewels are missing, Two-Gun and Rusty rush back to the library. There they find a crowd and talk to the sheriff. He shows them a note from the Cobra that states that he has kidnapped the librarian and will exchange her for the jewels. The sheriff then forms a posse and rides off to find the librarian in the bush.
Two-Gun finds this plan pointless, telling Rusty that since the Cobra is an easterner he would get lost in the bush and is likely staying nearby. They are overheard by a man named Herman Dull, who introduces himself as an insurance detective who has been hired by the owners of the Ghengis Jewels to recover them and offers to hire Two-Gun and Rusty as his guides. Two-Gun accepts and they begin deducing where the Cobra may have taken the librarian. Two-Gun correctly concludes that the kidnapper must be hiding in a nearby stable and finds a man with the girl inside. The man accuses Two-Gun of being the Cobra, but the heroic gunfighter shoots his pistols out of his hands. The Kid easily beats the guy in a fight but the librarian stops him telling the Kid that this man is the insurance detective.
Talking things out, Two-Gun deduces that Dull is really the Cobra since he knows that the jewels where stolen. Dull grabs the librarian and tries to use her as a hostage to escape. Two-Gun agrees to hand over the jewels and tosses the book they are hiding in at him. When the Cobra reaches to grab them, Two-Gun shoots him dead. In the aftermath of the battle, Rusty asks Two-Gun how he figured it out, Two-Gun explained that he is an educated man which convinces Rusty that he should focus on his studies so he can be as smart as his idol.
Appearing in "The Injun's Revenge!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Injun Mantog (First appearance; dies)
Races and Species:
Synopsis for "The Injun's Revenge!"
Native American outlaw Injun Mantog breaks out of Deer Lodge Penitentiary killing all those in his way. He is determined to get out to Shepard's Creek and get revenge against Judge Sampson for sending him away to prison. Disguised in a military uniform, Mantog rides into town and goes to the Dirty Cantina located in the Mexican quarter of town. He learns from the owner Pedro that the judge is going to try Kid Colt, who was recently captured. Mantog then has Pedro write him a note. That night while Sampson is out on a walk, Mantog breaks into his home and kidnaps his daughter and leaves a ransom note demanding that he pay $10,000 to get her back.
An hour later when the sheriff arrives with Kid Colt as his prisoner, Sampson makes the Kid an offer: Knowing that while Kid Colt is an outlaw, he has done good, Sampson offers to let him go free if he tracks down Mantog's hidden cabin and rescue his daughter. Kid Colt agrees and they stage a jail break. Kid Colt then rushes to Pedro's cantina where he demands food and provisions. Mantog is waiting there for his ransom and gets the drop on Kid Colt. The Kid manages to convince Mantog that he is on the run from the law and the Native agrees to take him to his secret hideout in the badlands.
He takes Kid Colt through a secret path to where his cabin is located: in a dried out lake that has the feeder river held back by a dam. Kid Colt is then introduced to Mantog's posse. The Kid is then challenged by four of Mantog's men, two by gun, one by knife and the last in hand-to-hand combat. Kid Colt succeeds in each test, killing each man, proving to Mantog that he has what it takes to be a member of his gang. Mantog then introduces Kid Colt to Sampson's daughter, who scoffs the hero. Suddenly, Pedro arrives with Sampson prisoner and explains that he overheard him and the sheriff talking about planting Kid Colt in the gang, and so apprehended him when he came with the ransom.
Before Mantog can shoot Kid Colt, he dives out a window and races away on Steel. Holding up behind a dynamite shack, Kid Colt witnesses as Mantog prepares to burn the Sampsons at the stake. Kid Colt distracts them with gun fire and then rides off to the nearby dam and uses TNT to blast it open. As the water rushes into the dried out lake. Kid Colt races Steel and rescues the Sampsons and provides cover fire from Mantog and his men who climb up onto the roof of the cabin. Once they are safely on the other side, the Kid notices that the cabin is completely under water, and that Mantog and his men are either shot or drowned. Thanking Kid Colt for his help, Judge Sampson is true to his word and allows Kid Colt to go free.
Appearing in "Scrapbook of the West: Billy the Kid"
Featured Characters:
- Billy the Kid (William Bonney)
Races and Species:
Synopsis for "Scrapbook of the West: Billy the Kid"
- Synopsis not yet written
Appearing in "Ranch Holiday"
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Locations:
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Synopsis for "Ranch Holiday"
- Synopsis not yet written
Appearing in "The Mountain of Mystery!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Cavemen of Mystery Mountain (First appearance; dies)
Races and Species:
Synopsis for "The Mountain of Mystery!"
Matthew Masters is brought outside his office to find that a man who has been mauled to death was brought in from town from the base of Mystery Mountain. They all recall how every now and then someone gets attacked by some mysterious creature in the area. Suddenly, Bobby Lathrop rushes into town telling everyone that his sister Marie has gone missing near Mystery Mountain.
Fearing the worst, Masters retires to his office and changes into the Black Rider to go out and search for her. Riding out to Mystery Mountain, the Black Rider begins climbing the mountain unaware that he is being watched by some mysterious cave man. Climbing to the top, he discovers the prehistoric men and that they have Marie tied to a stake to be burned alive as a sacrifice to their gods. The cavemen all swarm the Black Rider and overpower him and the hero finds himself also put at the stake as well. When the fire is lit, the Black Rider uses the flames to burn through his bonds, even though it'll burn his wrists as well. He then frees Marie and begins shooting down the cavemen who get in his way. The Black Rider makes short work of the cave men and carries Marie back to down the mountain.
A few days later when Marie and Bobby return to town they pay a visit to Matthew Masters, and Marie notices that his wrists are burned in the same place as the Black Rider. Matthew quickly covers for himself telling her that he burned himself on the stove, reaffirming to Marie that Matt is a coward, and protecting his secret identity.
Appearing in "Scrapbook of the West: Custer's Last Stand!"
Featured Characters:
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Synopsis for "Scrapbook of the West: Custer's Last Stand!"
- Synopsis not yet written
Notes
- This issue provides some wonky continuity in terms of the Two-Gun Kid's timeline when comparing the broader history of the character and the fact that he was succeeded by Matt Hawk. Hawk was identified as being a hero in the latter days of the American Frontier (between 1900-1910). This continuity error has to do with the book that Two-Gun takes out of the library for Rusty Rudolph in the story "The Cobra Strikes". The book is H.G. Wells' "The Outline of History", which was not published until 1919. It was published 9 years after the year historians consider the end of the American Frontier days (1910). Furthermore, in Wild Western #3 the Two-Gun Kid encounters a 20 year old man who was born shortly after the American Civil War, which places the time that story occurred sometime around 1885, 34 years before the book was published. Likely the writer of this story did not do any historical research before choosing the book, something that would have been closer to being historically accurate would have been H.G. Wells' "Time Machine", which was published in 1895. Whatever the case may be, between the time the book was published, Clay Harder was already succeeded by Matt Hawk as the Two-Gun Kid.
- This issue features a one page "Scrapbook of the West" feature on Billy the Kid.
- This is the final issue of Western Winners that features Timely Comics' regular western heroes. The next issue instead focuses on tales that are "Based on true events".