(Whiz Comics 022, 1941)
As we join the action, a passing stranger informs us and also Golden Arrow that the Rattler has broken jail! And he's handing out calling cards!
Turns out that the Rattler, notorious outlaw of the West, is out to get the men who served on the jury at his trial (and, we must assume, the judge and prosecutor as well), and he's being impressively proactive about it: the above scene takes place the morning after he breaks jail and he has already killed nine members of the jury.
After the unnamed sheriff's deputy quits in the face of the Rattler's murderous machinations, Golden Arrow signs up for the job and is immediately pinned down by a hail of bullets. Bullets which are then revealed to be yet another calling card-type image! For an Old West character, the Rattler is surprisingly brand-conscious.
The Rattler's industriousness turns out to include planning super-hero contingency plans: by the time Golden Arrow gets ready to pursue and apprehend him, the villain's men have already made off not only with Golden Arrow's horse White Wind but his ladyfriend Carol Braddock. And he arranges for Golden Arrow to be attacked by a (jumping!) rattlesnake - more brand consciousness.
I'm almost sad that the Rattler falls for Golden Arrow's subsequent trap. He was doing so well! There's a lesson here that I can't quite articulate - perhaps something about the path of revenge laying even the most clever among us low. In any case, it's back to jail for the Rattler, which will give him more time to come up with an even more extensive revenge list.
JUDGE AND JURY REVENGE KILLER SCORE: 9/15+
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