Some where the builders, and some where the planners. And of the latter, one man stood head and shoulders above his fellows...one man whose eyes foresaw the future...Big Jim Fraser!
During the grand period of the Western Expantion in America, foreman Big Jim Fraser stands out as a model worker. Fraser not only oversees all work on the railroad line, but is more than apt to join in on work when help is low, stands up to renagade ranchers, and fights to ensure that all workers of all races are treated and paid equally.
Example of the 3D "technology" as seen in the second story.
After being left for dead in the Nevada desert, Marshal Sandy Sandlin is hot on the trail of The Rustlers' Roost Gang, lead by the ruthless Twist Staley. After rustling and selling of the Lazy S Ranch's herd, Staley and company attempt to steal the Bar 3 herd, only to be caught in an ambush by the Bar 3 ranch hands. In their escape attempt, most of the gang's low-level riders are shot or captured and sent to jail.
Staley and his second in command Crow Kessler have a quick-draw contest to determine who is worthy to lead the crew, but they're interupted by Sandlin, who shoots Little Augie dead. Sandlin takes the remain gang members to jail, where all the surviving members are sentence to death by hanging.
Hired gun Fred Cole terrorizes Carson City in the dead of night, killing ranchers and leaving them with their heads resting on stones, his particular trademark. Cole is in fact under the employement of a local man named Blaine, who swoops in and cons the widows of Cole's victims into selling away their land for dirt cheap prices.
During the murder of a rancher named Bartley, Cole is shot in the arm by Bartley's son. Cole breaks protocol and shows up at Blaine's house. The two arguee, and Cole shoots Blaine dead. As Cole tries to escape, Bartley's son arrives with Sheriff Kramer and his deputies. Kramer shoots Cole, who falls down an embankment, and lands with his head on a rock.
Appearing in "Black Rider, Mystery Man of The Western Range! Part 1: The Texas Tigress!"
Reprint of the 1st story from Wild Western #16 (originally printed as The Texas Tigress!)
Synopsis for "Black Rider, Mystery Man of The Western Range! Part 1: The Texas Tigress!"
Reprint of the 1st story from Wild Western #16 (originally printed as The Texas Tigress!)
Alamo Lou and her gang are plotting to rob a train, as they prepare Whip, one of Lou's men, asks her to marry him after they cross the border. Lou refuses his advancements telling him that she would marry a coward like Whip and cuts his hand with a knife. This rejection, Lou became quite upset. They block the tracks with logs causing the train to derail.
Among the passengers disrupted in the crash are frontier doctor Matthew Masters. Whip demands that Masters comes along to treat his hand and takes him and the other passengers prisoner to hold them hostage. When Whip and Lou leave to make their ransom demands, Masters takes this as an opportunity to escape. Hearing how the guards are hoping for liquor, Matthew tells them that he knows where to find some good whiskey and they allow him out to go and get them son.
When aware from the ranch where they are being held, Masters changes into the Black Rider and returns to the camp and guns down the outlaws and frees the other prisoners. He sends them off to town while he goes to deal with Whip and Alamo Lou. He catches up with Lou and Whip while they are collecting their ransom and attacks with guns blazing. Lou is wounded by a gunshot and pretends to faint. Black Rider gets concerned and goes to check on her, but she gets the drop on him and knocks the hero out.
They take Black Rider prisoner because Lou has become smitten of him. However a rainstorm forces them seek refuge at a nearby ranch, which they take over easily. Once inside, they tie the Black Rider to a chair. Because of Whip's jealousy, Lou forces him to wait outside. While Lou is upstairs looking for a change of clothing, Whip comes in and tries to unmask the Black Rider, but he fights back. Before Whip can strike the Rider with his whip, Lou comes downstairs and shoots it out of his hand. She then tries to romance the Black Rider and asks for a kiss. When the Black Rider refuses, she orders Whip to bring in the man who owns the ranch and orders him shot dead.
Lou then tells the Black Rider if he does not kiss her she will have every prisoner on the ranch killed. When Whip hears this, he gets so enraged he shoots Lou in the back. Whip and his men then go outside to kill everyone else, saving the Black Rider for last. While they are gone, Lou uses the last of her strength to free the Black Rider. The hero gets the drop on Whip and his men and shoot them dead. Going back to Lou, she asks him to kiss her as her dying wish. Because she showed a moment of heroism, Black Rider kisses her and Lou dies happy.
After stumbling across gold deposits in a stream just uphill of a settlement, Rick Gerard decided the best way to ensure he can collect the gold is to have the local Indian tribe eliminate the settlers.
After failing to convince Chief White Feather to attack the settlers, Rick uses a flaming arrow to burn down a building in the settlement, and rides in to make it seem that he scared off the Indians. The settlers believe his story, and confront the tribe in the morning. After the settlers take two children as hostages in order to ensure no further attacks, the tribe decides to retaliate. To persuade the wary chief, Rick supplies them with rifles.
As the tribe prepares to attack, Chief White Feather and Rick talk about the attacks when the chief notices a mark on Rics arm from firing a string bow. Piecing together the truth, Chief White Feather attempts to subdue Rick, but is knocked out.
Rick attempts to lead the tribe in the attack, but the chief comes to in time to tell his tribe the truth about Rick. Rick shoots Chief White Feather dead, and starts shooting tribe members as they attack him. A tribesman throws Rick into the stream, and Rick drowns in the water. Settlers from the town come to investigate the gun shots and learn the truth from the tribe, just as a settler discovers gold collecting in Rick's hand, which they determine as the cause of Rick's meddling.
The glasses included with every copy of 3-D Tales of the West
Released during the first American 3D film craze, the comic is printed with "3D" artwork in an attempt to cash in on the fad's sudden burst of popularity. It features black and white artwork, suplimented by red and blue lines designed to make the images and speech bubbles appear to pop off the page, and came with two pairs of cardboard 3D glasses.
The issue features a full page advertisement for the next issue of 3-D Tales of the West, although the second issue was never released, as well as Atlas' other 3D title, 3-D Action #1, which focused on World War II stories.
The fifth story, "Warpath!", makes frequent use of the racist term "Redskin" when referring to the Indians.
Some where the builders, and some where the planners. And of the latter, one man stood head and shoulders above his fellows...one man whose eyes foresaw the future...Big Jim Fraser! 
