Our first story is Outlaw in "Billy the Kid... Killer" by John Albano and Tony DeZuniga. Billy the Kid's father has been murdered and Billy has been on the killer's trail. Tracking down a Mexican named Poncho, Billy believes him to be the killer, however, Poncho tells Billy that he saw the killers of Billy's father. Agreeing to be taken to the killer, Poncho takes Billy out into the desert.
After camping, the next day Billy wakes up to find that Poncho stole everything including Billy's pocket watch. Tracking Pancho to a house, Billy finds the woman has all his money in her possession but also learns that she is blind. Finally tracking down Poncho, Poncho tells Billy that the watch was stolen. Deciding that they need more money to buy new provisions, Billy takes up a job in a town to stop Blackie Kane, a gunfighter who has been terrorizing the town.
However before Billy can round up Blackie, Billy has to rush a boy to the town doctor when a horse spooked by Kane tramples the boy. While Billy is off saving the boy's life, learning of who caused the trouble, Poncho goes after Blackie on his own. Blackie tricks Poncho and shoots him with a gun hidden in his hat. Billy returns and finds Poncho near death, Poncho hands over Billy's pocket watch. After killing Blackie and after burying Poncho, Billy takes a look at the picture inside. The picture is of Billy and her father, and we learn that Billy is secretly a girl named Billy Jo. Reprinted in Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales #2 (1979) and Showcase Presents Jonah Hex Vol. 1 TPB (2006).
Next up is Wild Bill Hickock in "Town Tamer" written and drawn by Gil Kane. It is 1871 and Wild Bill leaves Abiline, Kansas late one night, having tamed the town and no longer needed there. While contemplating the fate of a wild man in a tamer and tamer world, Bill is attacked by a grizzly bear. Losing his gun, Hickock must kill the bear using only his knife and in doing so, reconnects to his true being. Once the bear is dead, Hickcock mounts his horse and rides off in search of the next town to tame. Reprinted in Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales #3 (1980).
We end with "The Night of the Snake" written by Denny O'Neil and Gil Kane, penciled by Gil Kane, and inked by Tony DeZuniga. Bick Lupson was a trouble-making cattle minder. One night while drinking on the job, Bick leaves his post to find some more fun and ends up finding a cabin owned by a native woman.
The woman has a pet snake, a servant to the great spirit she worships. Bick promptly kills the snake and attempts to rape the woman. The woman's trapper husband comes home interrupting Bick but Bick shoots them both in cold blood. Before dying, the woman curses Bick with the curse of the snake.
Haunted by the sound of rattlesnakes, Bick races back to the ranch where his employers tell him to get back to work. The increasingly frightened Bick is dogged by the sound of the rattlesnake until his horse, spooked badly enough, throws him off it and into a ravine. Bick soon finds himself confronted by a giant snake and the ghost of the woman who he killed welcoming him to Hell. Reprinted in Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales #3 (1980) and Showcase Presents Jonah Hex Vol. 1 TPB (2006).
Edited by Joe Orlando.
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