Kid Colt

Last updated

Kid Colt is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first is a cowboy whose adventures have taken place in numerous western-themed comic book series published by Marvel. The second is a cowboy-themed horse-like superhero. The character's first appearance was in Kid Colt #1 (August 1948).

Contents

Publication history

Kid Colt starred in the comic book series Kid Colt Outlaw , as well as in several other titles. He is the longest-running cowboy star in American comic-book publishing, featured in stories for a 31-year stretch from 1948 to 1979, though from 1966 most of the published stories were reprints.

Kid Colt appeared in numerous series through that decade, including All Western Winners , Wild Western , Two-Gun Western, and Gunsmoke Western . Each issue of The Mighty Marvel Western featured three Old West heroes: the Rawhide Kid and the Two-Gun Kid in all issues, and Kid Colt in all issues except #25-42 (July 1973 - Oct. 1975), in which Matt Slade, from the 1956 series Matt Slade, Gunfighter, published by Marvel forerunner Atlas Comics, was substituted. Virtually all Kid Colt stories were drawn by the character's longtime artist, Jack Keller. [1] [2] The series ended with #229 (April 1979), making it the longest-running Western comic book. [3]

Kid Colt additionally headlined the three-issue Giant-Size Kid Colt (Jan. 1975-July 1975), which consisted entirely of reprints except for one new story in each of the latter two issues. [4]

The character has appeared sporadically in Marvel universe superhero titles, usually in stories involving time travel between the current era and Western times. These have included The Avengers #141-43 (1975), The Fantastic Four vol. 3 #33-34 (2000) and The Black Panther vol. 3 #46-47 (2002).

It was not until 2000, with the miniseries Blaze of Glory , by writer John Ostrander and artist Leonardo Manco, that a Western series again featured Kid Colt. The gritty miniseries — which featured different-looking versions of Marvel Western characters and retconned that the naively clean-cut Marvel Western stories of years past were merely dime novel fictions of their actual lives — killed off Kid Colt in the series' conclusion (#4, March 2000). An older version of Kid Colt appears in 'Skaar: King Of The Savage Land, having faked his death and subsequently time-traveling. [5]

Marvel reintroduced Kid Colt as teenager in a 2009 "one-shot" comic ("Kill the Kid") written by Tom Defalco and illustrated by Rick Burchett (originally published in digital format). The book, narrated by a self-proclaimed drifter named Everett Hawkmore who partners with the Kid, retells a somewhat modified origin story. [6]

The character also appears in 2010's Rawhide Kid: The Sensational Seven.

Fictional character biography

Kid Colt (Western hero)

Kid Colt
Kid Colt, Outlaw1.jpg
Cover of Kid Colt, Outlaw #200.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Kid Colt #1 (Aug. 1948)
In-story information
Alter egoBlaine Colt
Team affiliationsThe Sensational Seven
PartnershipsSteel (horse)
Notable aliasesMr. Jones, various other aliases

Kid Colt (real name: Blaine Colt, but see below) is an American Old West cowboy who was wrongly accused of murder (he killed his father's murderer in a fair gun battle) and became a fugitive from the law, along the way engaging in heroic good acts in an effort to restore his reputation. [7] He fought many villains such as the Robin Hood Raider. [8]

Kid Colt was later killed. [9]

Kid Colt was later reintroduced as a teenager whose real name was changed to Blaine Cole. A brother of Cole was missing after the raid that killed his parents and a search for a witness to the gunfight that had erroneously branded him an outlaw. [10]

An older version of Kid Colt later appears, having faked his death and subsequently time-traveling. [11]

During a period where time itself was becoming unraveled, Kid Colt teamed up with the Hulk, Rawhide Kid and Two-Gun Kid to stop a murderous sheriff with time-traveling powers. [12]

Kid Colt (superhero)

Kid Colt
KidColtElric.jpg
Elric (Kid Colt II) in his horse form. Art by Mark Bagley.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Heroes Reborn: Young Allies #1 (Jan. 2000)
Created by Fabian Nicieza
Mark Bagley
In-story information
Alter egoElric Freedom Whitemane
Species Human, Kymellian hybrid
Team affiliations Young Allies
AbilitiesShapeshifting
Teleportation
Creation of sub-space pockets

Kid Colt (real name: Elric Freedom Whitemane) is a contemporary superhero character in the Marvel Comics universe who has appeared as a member of the modern-day Young Allies. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley, he debuted in Heroes Reborn: Young Allies #1 (Jan. 2000).

Born to hippies, Elric was a normal child, until government agents paid his parents to let them give him special "tests" (which were attempts to fuse his DNA with the DNA of the equine aliens known as the Kymellians). The tests were successful, and young Elric changed into a strange, bipedal horse-like creature. Hearing stories of the wild west, Elric assumed the identity of Kid Colt, and began to use his newfound powers to help those in need. He was eventually recruited by the Young Allies to help them free two alien beings. Elric decided to remain with the team.[ volume & issue needed ]

Elric is a hybrid of human and Kymellian. Due to his alien DNA, he can shapeshift into a humanoid horse, and teleport short distances. He can store items in sub-space "closets", pockets of extra-dimensional space which can hold items as large as a human being until Elric needs them. By creating multiple pockets which are linked together, Elric can run through them, and seem to rapidly blink in-and-out of existence. When he is not in his horse form, Elric wears a cowboy-themed costume in homage to the original Kid Colt. Due to his horse-like digestive system, Elric is a vegetarian.[ volume & issue needed ]

In other media

Television

Video games

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rawhide Kid</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Rawhide Kid is a fictional Old West cowboy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A heroic gunfighter of the 19th-century American West who was unjustly wanted as an outlaw, he is one of Marvel's most prolific Western characters. He and other Marvel western heroes have on rare occasions guest-starred through time travel in such contemporary titles as The Avengers and West Coast Avengers. In two mature-audience miniseries, in 2003 and 2010, he is depicted as gay.

<i>Western Gunfighters</i>

Western Gunfighters is the name of two American Western-anthology comic book series published by Marvel Comics and its 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apache Kid (comics)</span> Comics character

The Apache Kid (Alan Krandal) is a fictional Old West character in the Marvel Comics universe, mostly seen in stories from Marvel's 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics. This character was named after, but is unrelated to, the real-life Native American man known as The Apache Kid (Haskay-bay-nay-natyl).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two-Gun Kid</span> Fictional character in Marvel Comics

The Two-Gun Kid is the name of two Western fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first, Clay Harder, was introduced in a 1948 comic from Marvel predecessor Timely Comics. The second, Matt Hawk a.k.a. Matthew J. Hawkins, was introduced in 1962 and has continued to appear into the 2010s. The latter Kid is better known, thanks primarily to his connection with, and later full integration into, the shared continuity of Marvel Comics known as the Marvel Universe, but the Clay Harder Kid enjoyed a 14-year span in comics.

Young Allies is the name of three superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<i>Blaze of Glory: The Last Ride of the Western Heroes</i>

Blaze of Glory: The Last Ride of the Western Heroes is a four-issue comic book limited series published in 2000 by Marvel Comics. It was written by John Ostrander and drawn by Leonardo Manco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outlaw Kid</span> Comics character

The Outlaw Kid is a fictional Western hero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character originally appeared in the company's 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics. A lesser-known character than the company's Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid or Two-Gun Kid, he also starred in a reprint series in the 1970s and a short-lived revival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Keller (artist)</span>

Jack R. Keller was an American comic book artist best known for his 1950s and 1960s work on the Marvel Comics Western character Kid Colt, and for his later hot rod and racecar series at Charlton Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlas Comics (1950s)</span> US comic book publisher (1951–1957)

Atlas Comics was the 1950s comic-book publishing label that evolved into Marvel Comics. Magazine and paperback novel publisher Martin Goodman, whose business strategy involved having a multitude of corporate entities, used Atlas as the umbrella name for his comic-book division during this time. Atlas evolved out of Goodman's 1940s comic-book division, Timely Comics, and was located on the 14th floor of the Empire State Building. This company is distinct from the 1970s comic-book company, also founded by Goodman, that is known as Atlas/Seaboard Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ringo Kid</span> Comics character

The Ringo Kid is a fictional Western appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. His comic book series was originally released by the company's 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. A lesser-known character than the company's Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, or Two-Gun Kid, he also appeared in a reprint series in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weird West</span> Term applied to three hybrid genres of the Western

Weird West is a term used for the hybrid genres of fantasy Western, horror Western and science fiction Western. The term originated with DC's Weird Western Tales in 1972, but the idea is older as the genres have been blended since the 1930s, possibly earlier, in B-movie Westerns, comic books, movie serials and pulp magazines. Individually, the hybrid genres combine elements of the Western genre with those of fantasy, horror and science fiction respectively.

Red Raven is the name of three separate fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. These characters are the original Red Raven, a flying superhero, who appeared in print once in 1940, then not again until 1968, and occasionally since then; the second Red Raven, named Dania, who is a flying superhero and daughter of the original Red Raven, who first appeared in print in 1992, and occasionally since then; and Redford Raven, a Wild West villain who owned a set of medicine-enchanted wings, was also called Red Raven, and has appeared in print three times, in 1964, 1985, and 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Rider (character)</span> Fictional Western character

The Black Rider is a fictional Western character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in All-Western Winners #2, from the company's 1940s forerunner, Timely Comics.

Red Wolf is a superhero identity used by several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Those who assume the identity are Native American heroes with mystical powers and a trusted wolf companion named Lobo.

<i>Kid Colt, Outlaw</i>

Kid Colt, Outlaw is a comic book title featuring the character Kid Colt originally published by Atlas Comics beginning in 1948 and later Marvel Comics.

Howard Peter Tumlinson was an American comic book artist whose work appeared from the late 1940s through the 1950s in titles published by the Marvel Comics predecessors Timely Comics and Atlas Comics, and a book illustrator. His comics work includes most of the early stories of the Western hero Kid Colt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Kid</span> Fictional character

The Western Kid is a fictional Old West character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was the star of Western feature published by Marvel's 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western comics</span> Comic genre

Western comics is a comics genre usually depicting the American Old West frontier and typically set during the late nineteenth century. The term is generally associated with an American comic books genre published from the late 1940s through the 1950s. Western comics of the period typically featured dramatic scripts about cowboys, gunfighters, lawmen, bounty hunters, outlaws, and Native Americans. Accompanying artwork depicted a rural America populated with such iconic images as guns, cowboy hats, vests, horses, saloons, ranches, and deserts, contemporaneous with the setting.

<i>Gunsmoke Western</i> American comic book series

Gunsmoke Western was an American comic book series published initially by Atlas Comics, the 1950s forerunner of Marvel Comics, and then into the 1960s by Marvel. A Western anthology that ran 46 issues, it featured early stories of the Marvel Old West heroes Kid Colt and the Two-Gun Kid, and work by such artists as Jack Kirby, John Severin, Joe Maneely, Doug Wildey, and many others.

<i>The Mighty Marvel Western</i> Marvel comic book series

The Mighty Marvel Western was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. A Western anthology that ran 46 issues, it consisted of reprint stories of the Marvel Old West heroes the Rawhide Kid, Kid Colt, the Two-Gun Kid, and Matt Slade, featuring much art by Jack Kirby, Jack Keller, and others. New covers, on all but three issues, were by Herb Trimpe, John Severin and Gil Kane, among others.

References

  1. The Mighty Marvel Western at the Grand Comics Database
  2. Matt Slade, Gunfighter at AtlasTales.com
  3. Kid Colt, Outlaw at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015.
  4. Giant-Size Kid Colt at the Grand Comics Database.
  5. Skaar: King of the Savage Land #2-4 (2011)
  6. Kid Colt one-shot (Sept. 2009, Marvel Publishing, Inc., New York)
  7. Nevins, Jess (2013). Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes. High Rock Press. p. 61. ISBN   978-1-61318-023-5.
  8. Kid Colt, Outlaw #139
  9. Blaze of Glory #4 (2000)
  10. Kid Colt one-shot (Sept. 2009, Marvel Publishing, Inc., New York)
  11. Skaar: King of the Savage Land #2-4 (2011)
  12. The Indestructible Hulk #12 (Oct. 2013)
  13. Sava, Oliver (January 27, 2016). "Agent Carter continues its winning streak by embracing Hollywood history". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  14. "Characters". IGN Database. Retrieved 22 December 2017.