Black Rider (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Black Rider is a fictional Western
character in comic books published by Marvel Comics
. He first appeared in All-Western Winners
#2 (Winter 1948), from the company's 1940s forerunner, Timely Comics
.
forerunner Timely Comics
' All-Western Winners
#2 (Winter 1948) the Black Rider appeared in most issues of that omnibus series, as well as in the omnibus Gunsmoke Western
and his own title through the 1950s. When his adventures were reprinted in the 1970s in Western Gunfighters
, the character was renamed the Black Mask.
A one-shot revival, Strange Westerns Starring the Black Rider appeared in 2006, with a story by Steve Englehart
and art by Marshall Rogers
.
, when he faced a gang of killers who had taken the town hostage. When the dust cleared, the killers were dead, and the Cactus Kid was arrested for murder. The governor of Texas, convinced that the Kid had learned his lesson, pardoned the young outlaw after he promised to go to medical school and become a doctor.
Years later, "Doc" Masters became the new physician for the small town of Leadville, Texas. Masters' new peaceful lifestyle left him unwilling to use violence when a hired killer came to town, and he was branded a coward by the townspeople. Masters decided to disguise himself as the Black Rider, so that he could fight criminals without revealing his criminal past to the town.
Sometimes later, the Black Rider investigates a crime in Texas that leads him to New York City
's Chinatown
. There he receives help from a mysterious Chinese man, who is eventually revealed to be a younger version of the Ancient One
, future mentor of the occult superhero
Doctor Strange
.
Six Guns (#1-4 cover-dated Jan.-March 2012), by writer Andy Diggle
and artist Davide Gianfelice, and also starring the extant female mercenary Tarantula and new contemporary versions of the Marvel Old West heroes Tex Dawson a.k.a. the Western Kid
; Matt Slade; and the Two-Gun Kid
.
Western fiction
Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 1900s and Louis L'Amour from the mid 20th century...
character in comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. He first appeared in All-Western Winners
All Winners Comics
All Winners Comics was the name of two American comic book series of the 1940s, both published by Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. A superhero anthology comic in both cases, they variously featured such star...
#2 (Winter 1948), from the company's 1940s forerunner, Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
.
Publication history
Following the character's debut in Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
forerunner Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
All Winners Comics
All Winners Comics was the name of two American comic book series of the 1940s, both published by Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. A superhero anthology comic in both cases, they variously featured such star...
#2 (Winter 1948) the Black Rider appeared in most issues of that omnibus series, as well as in the omnibus Gunsmoke Western
Gunsmoke Western
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...
and his own title through the 1950s. When his adventures were reprinted in the 1970s in Western Gunfighters
Western Gunfighters
Western Gunfighters is the name of two American Western omnibus comic book series published by Marvel Comics and its 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics....
, the character was renamed the Black Mask.
A one-shot revival, Strange Westerns Starring the Black Rider appeared in 2006, with a story by Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart is an American novelist. In his earlier career he was a comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics, particularly in the 1970s...
and art by Marshall Rogers
Marshall Rogers
Marshall Rogers was an American comic-book artist best known for his work at Marvel and DC Comics in the 1970s, particularly as one of the illustrators of Batman and Silver Surfer...
.
Fictional character biography
As a young man, Matthew Masters was known as the Cactus Kid, an outlaw. His criminal career ended one day at the Last Chance Saloon in Jefferson County, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, when he faced a gang of killers who had taken the town hostage. When the dust cleared, the killers were dead, and the Cactus Kid was arrested for murder. The governor of Texas, convinced that the Kid had learned his lesson, pardoned the young outlaw after he promised to go to medical school and become a doctor.
Years later, "Doc" Masters became the new physician for the small town of Leadville, Texas. Masters' new peaceful lifestyle left him unwilling to use violence when a hired killer came to town, and he was branded a coward by the townspeople. Masters decided to disguise himself as the Black Rider, so that he could fight criminals without revealing his criminal past to the town.
Sometimes later, the Black Rider investigates a crime in Texas that leads him to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Chinatown
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
. There he receives help from a mysterious Chinese man, who is eventually revealed to be a younger version of the Ancient One
Ancient One
The Ancient One is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He was the mentor of Doctor Strange and preceded him as Sorcerer Supreme.-Fictional character biography:...
, future mentor of the occult superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
.
Other versions
A modern-day version of the character stars in the five-issue ensemble miniseriesMiniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Six Guns (#1-4 cover-dated Jan.-March 2012), by writer Andy Diggle
Andy Diggle
Andy Diggle is a British comic book writer and former editor of 2000 AD. He is best known for his work on The Losers, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Adam Strange and Silent Dragon at DC Comics and for his run on Thunderbolts and Daredevil after his move to Marvel.-Career:Diggle took over editing 2000 AD...
and artist Davide Gianfelice, and also starring the extant female mercenary Tarantula and new contemporary versions of the Marvel Old West heroes Tex Dawson a.k.a. the Western Kid
Western Kid
The Western Kid is a fictional Old West character in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe, and the star of Western feature published by Marvel's 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics.-Publication history:...
; Matt Slade; and the Two-Gun Kid
Two-Gun Kid
The Two-Gun Kid is a fictional character, a cowboy gunslinger in the Wild West of Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
.