History
Origins[]
The man who became known as the Ringo Kid was the son of white settler Cory Rand and his Comanche wife Dawn Star in the mid 19th century. The boy was welcomed and blessed by the Comanche tribe to whom his mother was a princess. As the boy grew up he was tutored by his father and learned hunting, fighting, and survival skills from the Comanche people. The young boy also became proficient in shooting six-guns and came to enjoy the ringing sound that was produced when he practiced his aim with bottles, earning him the nickname the Ringo Kid.
Taught at home, the Ringo Kid never knew the prejudice of the outside world, and as he grew up often wondered why he could not go to school with the other children. When he asked his father why that was, Cory Rand refused to tell the boy, telling him instead that he would find out why one day. That dark day came in 1868 when the teenaged Ringo's curiosity got the better of him and he went into town to try and befriend the children there. He was shocked to find that the children were cruel and ignorant to him due to his mixed heritage. One of the boys insulted Ringo's mother, causing a fight between the boys and the Kid. Shad Rathburn, a man who sought to steal Cory Rand's land, happened upon the fight and decided to use it as an opportunity to get back at Rand for refusing his offer to buy the land and began whipping the boy. Cory Rand arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and shot Rathburn dead in order to avenge his son. Now an outlaw, Cory Rand turned his guns over to his son and left.
However, Rathburn's minions killed Dawn Star and burned down the Rand family ranch then captured Cory Rand and prepared to lynch him. Cory was rescued by his son who came to his rescue with guns blazing, slaying all of Rathburn's men making himself an outlaw as well in the process. Knowing that they had better chances at being free if they parted ways, Cory Rand and the Ringo Kid parted company.[1]
Outlaw Hero[]
Not long after becoming an outlaw, Ringo Kid met with his father at the grave of his mother. The pair were ambushed by Gyp Halliday who captured Cory. The Ringo Kid and his childhood friend Dull Knife worked together to break him out of jail. Later, the Ringo Kid prevented Doc Stiles from stopping a sale of Comanche and Cherokee land.[1] Riding into the town of Dry Wells, the Ringo Kid learned of and prevented the Starr brothers' attempt to murder the local sheriff. When fleeing the law, the Ringo Kid's horse was seriously injured. Taking the steed to a vet, he learned that his horse was about to die. Fleeing from the law on the Santa Fe line, the Ringo Kid rode in a box car with a magnificent Arabian stallion destined for Colonel James Hutton. When the train was held up by outlaws who came to steal the horse, the Ringo Kid protected the horse and saved Hutton's daughter. In thanks, Hutton gifted the horse to the Kid, who named his new steed Arab, the two becoming inseparable since. Another reunion with his father was cut short when outlaw Jackknife Jordan sought to turn the Ringo Kid in for the ransom on his head. Cory Rand in turn rescued his father.[2]
Returning to his mother's tribe, Ringo Kid found them displaced by outlaw Hatchet Harmond who sought to wipe out the entire tribe. The Kid helped reunite the tribe and helped them stand their ground, wiping out Harmond and his gangs.[3] Later the Ringo Kid came to the aid of an unrelated Comanche tribe saving one of their women from a renegade Mandans who sought to sacrifice her to their gods. When crooked lawyer Clem Dugal sought to take Cory Rand's land, he hired outlaw Grom Trevor to eliminate both the Rands. However, after seeing how close the family members were, Grom went back to eliminate Dugal, and died in the ensuing gun battle. Ringo and his father buried Trevor near his mother's grave. Later Brand Dillon offered to purchase Arab off the Ringo Kid, but when the Kid refused Brand had him arrested and collected the reward. However, the Ringo Kid was freed by his father and Dull Knife and then gunned down Dillon.[4]
Later the Ringo Kid and Dull Knife worked together to stop an outlaw named Driscol from obtaining the lost treasure of Ra-Mal.[5] Riding solo again, Ringo stopped Flip Cullin and his gang from robbing a wagon train of Mormon settlers when Flip mistook the Mormon's claims of "gold" being literal, as opposed to an allegory -- in reality the Mormon "gold" was really their children and their supply of Holy Bibles. The Kid and his father later helped a local sheriff capture the Leech gang, the pair later assisted in defending a US Army fort that was attacked by One-Eye Mapes and his army of outlaws. For their assistance, Ringo Kid and Cory Rand had their names stricken from the Army's list of wanted men.[6] However, the pair were still considered outlaws to both local sheriffs and US Marshals alike. In the town of Cavallo, the Ringo Kid was approached by Vic Vandal, a local gang leader, to help enforce his rule over the town. Ringo refused and easily slew Largo and the Weasle, assassins hired by Vandal, and liberated the town.[7] In the town of Black Mesa, the Ringo Kid was framed for crimes by an outlaw named Gila and was summarily arrested and incarcerated in a US Army fort. He was freed by his father, and the pair prevented Gila from attacking an army gold shipment, clearing Ringo's name. The Ringo Kid later rescued the daughter of a US Marshall from a gang of outlaws. Later when that same Marshall captured Cory Rand, Ringo turned himself so his father could go free. Seeing the loyalty between the two family members, the Marshall instead let both men go. Ringo Kid soon found himself forced into murdering land owners for Faro Travis, who had captured his father. However, before Ringo ended up with any blood on his hands, he was rescued by Dull Knife and the pair then helped free Cory.[8]
Renounces Killing[]
Soon the Ringo Kid appeared to renounce killing his foes, opting instead to use his shooting skills to disarm his opponents and fighting them hand to hand. However, despite this new stance the Ringo Kid still remained an outlaw.[9]
During this period, the Ringo Kid rescued miners who were enslaved by Hutch Hammer.[10] Ringo Kid and Dull Knife later came to the aid of the Roark family helping them recoup their losses after they were swindled by the Baxter gang and faced losing their land. When outlaw Chuck Hanna framed the Ringo Kid for robbing the Pony Express, the Ringo Kid cleared his name. Ringo's father Cory soon became a target of Blast Banyon who sought to claim the Rand family land by forcing Ringo to sign it over to him. The Ringo Kid instead brought the law to his door and used a bunch of unrelated documents to fool Banyon long enough for Ringo and Cory to escape and Banyon to be arrested.[11] Ringo Kid was subsequently arrested for the murder of Don Hopkins. Cory Rand represented Ringo in court, wearing a mask to protect his own identity and exposed the real killer: Frank Leech.[12] In one of his more bizarre adventures, the Ringo Kid experienced Pa-Ki-Wanta, also known to the Comanche people as the "Life Mirror", witnessing his father being attacked by outlaws in the town of Vista Del Toro. Ringo and Dull Knife then freed Cory from the outlaws, who sought to force him to reveal the location of a long lost Aztec treasure. Riding solo again, Ringo was captured by a US Marshall who intended to bring him to Dry Creek to stand trial. However, after the Kid saved Marshall's life multiple times and did not make any escape attempts the Marshall decided to set the Kid free instead. Ringo was later led into a trap set by law enforcement in the town of La Paz, his escape was assisted by his father and Dull Knife.[13]
The Ringo Kid later was charged with getting the very documents that would exonerate both himself and his father to Judge Baxter in Shotgun City. Although impeded by the Travis gang, Ringo succeeded in his task, however, a sudden house fire destroyed the documents, leaving Ringo and his father no better for the experience.[14] Later, the Ringo Kid and Dull Knife helped capture an outlaw named Spider and expose his secret hideout to the law. Shortly thereafter, the Ringo Kid clashed with the mad scientist known as Dr. Saturn who sought to take over the United States using his "Black Sunset" device that temporarily blinds people. Given pupil dilation medication from his father, Ringo Kid rendered himself immune to the Black Sunset and easily defeated Dr. Saturn. The Kid was once more forced to do the bidding of another outlaw, this time by Cheyenne Castro who captured his father in an attempt to force Ringo to assist in his gang's attack on Fort Saginaw. However, Ringo still managed to tip off the soldiers and rescue his father.[15] In the town of Tumbleweed, the Ringo Kid helped free his father from jail as well as thwart an assassination attempt by outlaw Alf Deveres.[16] Hunted by US Marshall "Bulldog" Peyton, Ringo and his father saved his life from Duke Geiger and his gang, earning their continued freedom. When Ringo is blinded by drugged water and framed for a coach robbery and arrested, Cory and Dull Knife broke him out of jail and the trio captured the real thieves just as they were about to taint the stream water near a gold mine and rob it as well. Riding solo again, Ringo traveled to the town of Stampede where he convinced local Sheriff "Hurricane" Pardee to come out of retirement and clean out the lawless town.[17]
After being mistaken for outlaw Whip Kirby, the Ringo Kid hunted down the outlaw and captured him.[18] Later he liberated the town of Thunder Gap from Rex Bradshaw and his gang. With Dull Knife, he stopped Tarlowe and his poachers from killing an entire herd of buffalo on Comanche land. Coming to the aid of Sheriff Gil Ransom, the Ringo Kid helped steer his son Joe from the life of an outlaw. Always devoted to ensure that outlaws face justice, the Ringo Kid captured who he thought was Buzzard Brady and brought to the law and realized that he was actually US Marshal Cameron, who had done in Brady already.[19] Not entirely out of trouble with the law, the Ringo Kid was arrested by the sheriff of Salt Lick, but helped him capture an outlaw named Humber who targeted the Kid in the hopes of killing him and claiming his family land.[20] Ringo next rescued a man in the Texas Panhandle from the Darrow gang. The man later revealed to be a US Marshal, returns the favor later. With the help of Dull Knife, the Ringo Kid attempted to save his father from an army prison wagon, only to find that he had been kidnapped by Jake Saterlee and his gang, and rescued him. On the run from the law, the Ringo Kid was allowed to go free when he saved the life of the wife of one of his pursuers when she was terrorized by vengeful outlaws. The Ringo Kid later went after some outlaws that stolen gold from a stagecoach, only to find that the man he apprehended was the lawman hired to recover the loot.[21]
Outlaw in Name Only[]
Eventually, the Ringo Kid's reputation of helping out the law and those in need soon made him an outlaw in name only, although he still maintained the status of an outlaw.
When Ringo and Dull Knife tried to stop a coach robbery, Dull Knife was wounded. Ringo took him to the town of Arrowhead where the bigoted locals refused to allow the local doctor to treat a Native American. However, they changed their tune when the doctor abandoned them and the Red Plague struck the town. Ringo and Dull Knife recovered the vaccine, stolen during the coach robbery.[22] The pair later helped to protect Colonel Henshaw from a gang of outlaws until he reached Colt City. He and his father later stopped the so-called "Phantom Raiders" from robbing coaches headed to Fargo City. In one of his more mundane adventures, the Ringo Kid came to the aid of school marm Sally Barnes, taming her class of energetic youths. When the town of El Quintero was taken over by bandits, the Ringo Kid came to the locals aid, liberating the town.[23] Likewise, Ringo came to the aid of the people of Pilares and helped them liberate their town from the control of Shark Diston.[24]
In the town of Comanche Gap, Ringo cleared the name of newspaper man Jim Haggard who was framed for murder by Lex Packard. Ringo, his father, and Dull Knife were later asked by the soldiers of Fort Sierra to recover stolen payrolls that were carried out by Shotgun Blane. Using their status as outlaws, the trio infiltrated Blane's gang and led them into a trap. When two outlaws stole charity money from the town of Shasta that was to be used to build a new library, the Kid recovered the stolen funds. He also encountered Landis, a repentant thief, and convinced him to return a stolen payroll sack.[25] Ringo was later deputized by a wounded lawman to bring a reformed outlaw named Lance to Wichita to face execution, defending him from the King gang who framed him. Ringo forced a confession out of King, clearing Lance's name. When Ringo and Dull Knife soon protected circuit judge Matt Carmody who was to preside over the trial of Snake Radcliff, and prevented his gang from breaking him out of jail. Ringo also was a champion of children, when he came to the aid of young Billy Jay who was forced to live with outlaw Jake Sutton who used fraud to pose as his uncle when the boy was orphaned to make money off his family ranch. In the town of Bowstring, the Kid was forced to turn over his guns while in town. Two men named Lobo and Zack tried to push the Kid into a fight, but when he refused they burned down the local bank, framing him for the arson. Ringo however managed to clear his name, turning the pair over to the justice.[26]
In spite of his life as an outlaw, the Ringo Kid frequently came to the aid of those who lost the will to live, such as famous gunfighter Ben Santee, helping him find a new life as a deputy sheriff, he and Dull Knife also helped a young boy named Tippy make friends at school. Ever a champion of those in need of help, the Kid also helped Charles Wilkes keep his land when it was in the process of being swindled by Ernie Slade and Jake Denton. In the town of Barnaby, Ringo was deputized by the aging sheriff to clean up the town from the control of the Cox, Caton, and Purcell gangs.[27] The Kid also helped disgraced lawman Pat Howland clean up the town of Calope which was overrun by Bull Morgan and his gang. Ringo was later framed for the murder of Cabe Tilson and jailed. Breaking out, he uncovered a conspiracy by Hank Sawyer to frame him. Promising slain lawman Sam Kimball that he would not avenge his death at the hands of Gila Bass, the Ringo Kid tricked the outlaw into using the dead man's guns to try and eliminate him, the guns blew up in Gila's hands due to the fact that Sam jammed the barrel, getting his revenge from beyond the grave. Shortly thereafter with the aid of his father, Ringo liberated the town of Calico from the Black Widow gang.[28] In Caribou, the Kid helped Sheriff Tom Cutcliff capture Shag Wilson and Brink Loran. When the Comanche brave Wild Horse was accused of stealing Jag Fresco's fur trappings, Ringo, Dull Knife, and Cory Rand had him freed from jail and exposed Jag's attempts to steal gold from Comanche land. Ringo and his father were later tricked into shipping stolen cattle for an outlaw named Ronson but they both learned the truth and brought Ronson to justice. Soon after Ringo's father was framed for a coach robbery and was put on trial at Fort Cheyenne. Asking for a chance to clear his father's name, Ringo and Dull Knife succeeded in proving that an outlaw named Harlo was responsible.[29] Cory was once again arrested under the suspicion of robbing yet another coach not long after this. Ringo and Dull Knife once more cleared Cory's name by exposing that banker Borden was using fake shipments to commit insurance fraud.[30]
Traveling to Cross Creek, Ringo was witness to sheriff Jim Langry taking a bullet that ended his career as a lawman. When the people in town were unwilling to help provide for Jim in his convalescence, Ringo allowed the town to be overrun by outlaws and then put a stop to them, convincing them that Jim did a lot for them before he was crippled. Ringo later assisted logger Jim Abbot in defending his land from men seeking to drive him out of business in order to take possession of his gold rich river. The Kid also helped young outlaw Frisco Durand renounce his life as an outlaw, helping him get a job as a sheriff's deputy after they took down the Luke Friday gang. Ringo stopped a crooked railroad agent named Harlo from drugging people into signing contracts forcing them to work on the railroad and give him half of their pay.[31] In the town of Padundo the Ringo Kid and Dull Knife came to the aid of a local Comanche tribe whose wise man was stolen by outlaws who sought to exploit his apparent ability to tell the future. Rescuing the old man, they learned what the outlaws were after and thwarted them from robbing a train.[32]
Ringo his father and Dull Knife also prevented Scar Parsons from robbing the payroll aboard the Prairie Express. Riding solo he also stopped the so-called Phantom Gunman a disgruntled Confederate soldier who sought revenge against those he thought were traitors to the Confederacy during the American Civil War. When his horse Arab seemingly attacked some men unprovoked and faced being destroyed, the Kid exposed the men as previously having attacked him, hence why Arab came to his defense. Ringo also put a stop to the so-called Riders of Doom that consisted of the remnants of the Union and Confederate Armies, convincing them that the war was over and that the government had supplied them all with new land to live on.[33] Ringo was again framed, this time for a bank robbery orchestrated by its own Chet Guthrie, however, he broke out of jail with Johnny Tumbleweed (another man framed by Guthrie) thanks to Dull Knife. The trio then led Guthrie into a trap leading to his capture. In one of his more bizarre adventures, the Ringo Kid investigated a stagecoach that was apparently haunted by the ghost of Sam McGee. However, the Kid soon uncovered that McGee was alive and well, hiding out inside the coach and using it to capture the outlaws that robbed it and ended his career. Ringo soon came to the aid of his friend Buzz Drury, and helped him expose Yarby, an outlaw posing as his half-brother in order to claim a stake in his father's ranch. Ringo reunited with his father and Dull Knife to recover money stolen from the Pawnee by a gambler named Pecos. When Pecos tried to get revenge by setting the Pawnee hunting ground on fire, the trio put the fire out and captured the outlaw.[34] Stopping an elderly ranch hand named Rosco from robbing a bank, the Kid learned that he could not find employment and devoted himself to finding Roscoe a job. When the pair stopped a bank robbery, Roscoe landed a job as security for the railroad. Ringo, his father and Dull Knife next rescued some stolen horses from the Shilo gang owned by some pilgrims. Agreeing to assist the homesteaders in finding a place to settle, they convinced a community to allow them to settle there after the homesteaders helped stop a massive fire. Ringo also helped famous gunfighter Zack Bolt reunite with his estranged son. Ringo also helped an unspecified territory reach statehood, preventing the Blackjack gang from preventing the vote from reaching the territorial government.[35]
Encounter with Time Travelers[]
In 1873, Kang the Conqueror a time traveler from the 31st Century of Earth-6311 came to the 19th Century of Earth-616 in order to conquer that time period. Taking over the town of Tombstone, it's lone hero the Two-Gun Kid sent out the call for help to other heroes of the frontier. The Ringo Kid joined forces with Two-Gun and his other allies, Kid Colt, the Rawhide Kid, and the Night-Rider, however, the posse were driven back by Kang's genetically engineered creature and the enthralled citizens of Tombstone.[36] The group fell back but were soon joined by Hawkeye a hero from the modern era who had battled Kang in his relative past along side the 20th-century heroes, the Avengers. They were also joined by two other time displaced Avengers, the thunder god Thor and the Titanian priestess Moondragon who were brought to that era by another time traveler named Immortus (who unknown to all was Kang's older self). Ringo joined the other western heroes and Avengers in preventing Kang from securing a shipment of uranium.[37] Ringo also joined the heroes in the final assault on Kang's citadel, a battle which the Avengers won and ended with the seeming destruction of Kang.[38]
Ringo's subsequent activities and ultimate fate are unknown.Attributes
Powers
Abilities
Paraphernalia
Weapons
Transportation
Notes
See Also
- 53 appearance(s) of Ringo Kid (Earth-616)
- 5 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Ringo Kid (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Ringo Kid (Earth-616)
- 65 image(s) of Ringo Kid (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ringo Kid #1
- ↑ Ringo Kid #2
- ↑ Wild Western #38
- ↑ Ringo Kid #3
- ↑ Wild Western #40
- ↑ Ringo Kid #4
- ↑ Wild Western #41
- ↑ Ringo Kid #5
- ↑ This change in character was due to the implementation of the Comic Code Authority which enforced changes to the entire comic industry
- ↑ Wild Western #43
- ↑ Ringo Kid #6
- ↑ Wild Western #44
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Ringo Kid #7
- ↑ Wild Western #45
- ↑ Ringo Kid #8
- ↑ Wild Western #46
- ↑ Ringo Kid #9
- ↑ Wild Western #47
- ↑ Ringo Kid #10
- ↑ Wild Western #48
- ↑ Ringo Kid #11
- ↑ Frontier Western #3
- ↑ Ringo Kid #12
- ↑ Frontier Western #4
- ↑ Ringo Kid #13
- ↑ Ringo Kid #14
- ↑ Ringo Kid #15
- ↑ Ringo Kid #16
- ↑ Ringo Kid #17
- ↑ Western Trails #1
- ↑ Ringo Kid #18
- ↑ Western Trails #2
- ↑ Ringo Kid #19
- ↑ Ringo Kid #20
- ↑ Ringo Kid #21
- ↑ Avengers: Forever #6
- ↑ Avengers #142
- ↑ Avengers #143
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 9