Featuring: Two-Gun Kid
Release: June 1, 1965
Cover: September 1965
12 cents
Edited by: Stan Lee
Written by: Al Hartley
Pencilling by: Dick Ayers
Inking by: Carl Hubbell
Lettering by: Artie Simek
17 pages
He wore two guns and a mask?
We are reading Marvel’s superhero line, which they started back up in 1961. We’ve occasionally read stories older than 1961 that seem vaguely relevant, and refer to those as PRELUDE posts. We occasionally read stories long after 1961 and call those POSTLUDE posts. We will also be doing INTERLUDE posts, which we will read at the time they came out, but are disconnected from the normal superhero universe.
If you’ve been following along, this will be the first INTERLUDE post you’ve come across. But I’ve retroactively made a few other posts be INTERLUDE posts. Those stories featuring Medusa, Merlin, Odin, or Zeus that weren’t really properly connected to the superhero reading.
Superheroes are on the rise and starting to crowd out other genres, but Marvel is still publishing its romance and western comics. Marvel had a single western hero, the Masked Raider, way back in the beginning in Marvel Comics #1. But they’ve been regularly publishing westerns since 1948, starting with Annie Oakley and the Two-Gun Kid.
That’s the original Two-Gun Kid, mind you. Not to be confused with the character we are about to read about. The original Two-Gun Kid was Clay Harder.
In 1962, Lee and Kirby introduced a new hero with the same name, lawyer Matt Hawk.
Marvel’s other continuing western titles are Rawhide Kid, and Kid Colt: Outlaw.
Former western heroes include Wyatt Earp, Apache Kid, Outlaw Kid, Blaze Carson, Tex Morgan, and Tex Taylor.
One of Two-Gun Kid’s steadfast allies is Boom-Boom Brown, a former boxer turned blacksmith.
His most trusted ally of course is his horse Thunder.
A very non-violent western hero, he shoots guns out of crooks’ hands.
The story opens with Professor Elixir arrested for being the infamous Panther. But lawyer Matt Haws gets him released due to the circumstantial nature of the evidence.
Irony: The Panther is defeated by a cat.
Why are we reading this? The villain has a costume and identity, so this blends in more with the superhero genre more than the average western. The big change to Two-Gun Kid in this new version a few years back was to add a mask and secret identity into the mix, so already reminiscent of superheroes. In fact, his secret identity is a lawyer named Matt.
And this particular villain has an interesting name and visage. This will serve as a good reference for a compare/contrast with a new character we’ll be meeting in the near future.
It’s possible we should be reading every Two-Gun Kid story back to 1948. He will eventually become a part of the superhero universe, even joining the Avengers. But right now it seems like too much of a digression.
The issue then features a short western tale, “Return of the Bad Man”. This is a reprint from Kid Colt Outlaw #96, by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers. Published almost a year before Lee and Kirby created the Fantastic Four.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 52/100
Characters:
- The Sheriff
- The Deputy
- Professor Elixir/Panther
- Matt Hawk/Two-Gun Kid
- Boom-Boom Brown
- Thunder
Minor characters:
- Luke (the bandit)
Story notes:
- Professor Elixir wagon branded “Elixir Cure-All”.
- Panther has been on crime spree; Sheriff has noted Professor Elixir is always in area and never attacked.
- Hawk has judge sign release for Professor Elixir based on lack of evidence.
- Panther’s gang robs Elixir’s wagon.
- Kid and Elixir plan trap for Panther on Limestone Trail.
- Reprints “Return of the Bad Man” by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers, from Kid Colt Outlaw #96 (1961, almost a year before Lee and Kirby released Fantastic Four)
From my creator-centric POV the Western titles are as important as any other books in painting a complete picture of Marvel in the ’60s. Good to see them covered here. (Finally. :))
Also on a personal level, cowboys vs. Costumed supervillians is one of my very favorite Silver Age tropes – up there with army guys vs. Dinosaurs. Always just delightful.