(Rocket Comics 003, 1940)
The Phantom Ranger is just minding his business one day when he receives a sternly-worded letter via throwing knife, warning him to "steer clear of the red-headed girl." This is of course your classic case of warning the hero off before he has a dang clue what's going on.
Everything is okay though, because the young woman who shortly rides up and requests the Ranger's help has blonde hair. The "red-headed girl" must be seeking aid elsewhere. Or the colourist and the letterer had some sort of miscommunication. One of the two.
The girl, whatever her hair colour, is named Lindy Davis, and the Masked Terror has kidnapped her father for ransom, a crime you don't see as much in a lot of Western comics but I am certain is an authentic Old West crime.
The Phantom Ranger accompanies Lindy to the handoff, where we learn that a) the Masked Terror is one homely cuss and eventually b) that he has already killed Mr Davis. The Phantom Ranger sets off in hot pursuit.
And of course the Masked Terror turns out to be Ansom, the Davis' neighbour and, crucially, the only one Lindy told about her plan to contact the Phantom Ranger. Plus I assume that he is the only nearby man ugly enough to be a suspect. The Terror chooses to go for his gun and meets a swift end.
No comments:
Post a Comment