All-Star Western (Volume 3) #28 is an issue of the series All-Star Western (Volume 3) with a cover date of April, 2014. It was published on February 26, 2014.
Synopsis for "The New Frontier"
After drunkenly driving his motorcycle straight into an oncoming truck, Jonah Hex finds up in an ambulance, where the EMTs mistake his facial scarring for a wound caused by the accident. In the Intensive Care Unit's waiting room, later, Gina Green struggles to fill out paperwork for a man whose medical history is actual history. Eventually, a doctor arrives, and explains that Hex has fallen into a coma, and they assume based on his unbelievably high blood alcohol level that he was trying to kill himself.
One month later, Gina has been visiting Jonah regularly, and befriended much of the hospital staff. Unfortunately, he has remained comatose throughout, much as she begs. One of the nurses gives her hope by explaining that she has seen many miraculous recoveries, and all of Jonah's scars indicate that he is a fighter.
After another two months, Gina receives an unexpected visit from her father. He had seen her on the news and went to great trouble to track her down. He explains that after all this time, he and her mother are ready to forgive her and welcome her back home. Gina responds that she didn't leave home because of them - she just needed to find her own way without them micromanaging her life. She explains that she loves them both, and will visit eventually, but for now, she is more concerned about Jonah. Sadly, her father watches her return to Jonah's room.
Finally, one night, Jonah wakes, and rips the IV from his arm. Stumbling out of bed and into the hallway, he collapses into one of the nurses' arms. Soon, they have him back in bed with a doctor to tell him what happened to him. Gina interrupts, gleefully rushing in to give him a hug. With both of them present, the doctor explains that they did a fair amount of reconstructive surgery on him, including fixing the cataract in his eye. Soon, they will be able to remove his bandages.
Sitting in front of a mirror, Jonah waits as a doctor peels the bandages from his face, and stares with confusion at his face; clean of scarring. Confused, he can't imagine how it was possible, but the doctor simply states that Jonah was lucky, and he should take a minute to get used to the new man in the mirror. Gina explains that they can leave by noon tomorrow, and Jonah asks her the favour of leaving him there alone until then. Though she is hurt, she promises to come to pick him up by noon.
In the interim, Jonah takes some coffee in the cafeteria, but he is distracted by the sound of a man running away from security. He seems to be under the influence of some kind of drugs, and when he knocks the police off of him, Jonah decides to intervene, stealing one of the unconscious security guards' nightsticks, and clubbing the man into unconsciousness. With a crowd gathered around, he begs for a cigarette, and several hands pop up to offer him one.
Taking his cigarette on the roof, Jonah is interrupted by a chatty man who asks what he was in the hospital for. Jonah explains that he mixed whiskey and motorcycles, and the doctors assumed he was trying to kill himself. Smirking, the man wonders if Jonah intends to jump off the roof. Grimly, Jonah responds that he is fixing to throw his guest off the roof if he doesn't leave him alone. After a moment, the man bursts out laughing.
Come morning, Gina fills out Jonah's paperwork to be discharged, but before they can leave, the police arrive to serve him a summons for his DUI. He doesn't understand it, but Gina promises to explain it to him as she leads him outside, revealing that she used some of his money to buy them a car - but she will be driving. Suddenly, though, Booster Gold appears from nowhere, suggesting that he will put them out of their misery.
Booster apologizes for getting Jonah stuck in the wrong time, and in response, Jonah punches him in the face. As a peace offering, Booster presents Jonah with an old confederate uniform and gun, explaining that he can't take any of the technology he's got since he arrived with him when he goes back in time. Gina, however, insists that she at least, must go with him. Despite Booster's warnings against it, both she and Jonah insist, and soon they are standing on a Mesa in the desert - without a drop of water to drink, and surrounded by Apache warriors.
Jonah explains that he is a brother to the Apache, having been raised as the adopted son of Ko-Tante. The chief of the tribe introduces himself as Gray Bear, but warns that Hex is a liar. The Apache neither call Hex brother, nor is this man before him scarred with the Mark of the Demon that the real Hex was given for murdering Noh-Tante and Ko-Tante. Thus revealed as a liar, the Apache declare that they shall kill Jonah Hex and take his woman.
Appearing in "The New Frontier"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Booster Gold
- Doctor Lieberman (Single appearance)
- Gina Green
- Metropolis General hospital nurses
- Samantha (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Apache Tribe
- Gray Bear (First appearance)
- Unnamed junkie (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Mr. Green (Single appearance) (Unnamed)
- Metropolis Police Department
- Superman (On a TV or computer screen) (Cameo)
- Confederate Army (Mentioned only)
- Mrs. Green (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
- Ko-Tante (Real name revealed) (Mentioned only)
- Noh-Tante (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- Jonah Hex's Motorcycle (Destroyed) (Mentioned only)
Concepts:
- Mark of the Demon (Mentioned only)
- Time Travel
See Also