Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1979. It was published on June 7, 1979.
Synopsis for "The Hundred Dollar Deal"
This story is reprinted from All-Star Western (Volume 2) #11.
While camping out, Jonah Hex has his horse stolen by a man named Terry. Hex wings him with a bullet that takes him off his horse. Hex is about to leave him behind when he spots buzzards flying about. Hating the scavengers worse than anything else, Hex decides to save the man from being the buzzards' next meal and waits for him to revive. Hex then learns that the reason why Terry tried to steal Hex's horse was because he has been accused of killing old man Hillsworth, and there are hired gun runners after him.
Hex gives Terry a ride and offer him protection from any other gun fighters for the price of $100 that is to be paid once they get to Terry's sister's farm. After a brief gun fight with some men hired to capture Terry, Hex manages to get Terry to his sister's ranch. There, Hex is paid his $100 dollars, and agrees to stay and defend the farm until Terry is well enough to leave. He and Terry's sister begin to grow close to one another.
However, things are not what they appear to be. When Terry is well enough, it turns out that he really did steal the money, and that his "sister" is really his wife, and that they intend on leaving Hex high and dry while they go and reclaim the money. Terry's wife tries to talk Terry out of it, but Hex has been listening in on their conversation and shoots Terry when he tries to draw on him. After burying the men he shot, Hex turns Terry and his wife over to the nearest sheriff.
Later, as Hex has a meal in a diner, he is approached by a jeweler who tries to sell Hex a diamond ring. Hex responds by promptly throwing him out a window.
Appearing in "The Hundred Dollar Deal"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Amy White (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Hillsworth Gang (Single appearance)
- Terry White (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Jerome P. Courtney (Single appearance)
- Wes (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Night of the Living Dead"
This story is reprinted from Weird Western Tales #13.
A trio of bank robbers, having only recently escaped from a five-year prison sentence, ride out to the hacienda of Lazarus Lane. Before going to prison, they had secreted the stolen money beneath the floorboards of Lane's home.
Arriving at the house, they find a Mexican house servant and an aging Apache taking care of the comatose Lazarus Lane. A thief named Slate grabs the servant girl by her hair, while the other, Clint, accosts the elderly Wise Owl.
Wise Owl begins muttering an Apache prayer, and suddenly Lazarus Lane snaps to life. Donning the garb of El Diablo, he attacks the men, disarming one of them with his bolas. Slate grabs the bolas and uses them to attack Wise Owl. Clint and he then rush outside where they meet the third member of their party – the Kid. El Diablo mysteriously appears in their midst and during the scuffle, the Kid accidentally shoots Clint. Just as quickly, El Diablo disappears, leaving the other two bank robbers confused.
The Kid then faces off against Slate, whom he discovers had intended on betraying him. Slate outdraws the other bank robber and shoots the Kid dead. He then takes off towards a mountain pass, but El Diablo follows close behind him on his steed Lucifer. Slate turns around and finds El Diablo resting beneath a rocky overhang. The thief fires his shotgun hoping that the canyon echoes would cause the overhang to collapse on top of El Diablo. The plan nearly works, but El Diablo steers Lucifer into an adjacent cave. Emerging from the cavern, El Diablo finds Slate charging towards him on his horse. The criminal swings at the masked avenger, but loses his balance and falls, toppling over the cliff's edge to his doom.
Appearing in "Night of the Living Dead"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Clint
- Slate
- The Kid
Other Characters:
- Lazarus Lane's housekeeper
Locations:
- American Old West
- California
- Lazarus Lane's hacienda
- California
Items:
- El Diablo's bolos and whip
Synopsis for "The Point Pyrrhus Massacre"
This story is reprinted from Weird Western Tales #23.
Hunting down the the Lando brothers, Jonah Hex kills one and captures the other and brings them to the town of Point Pyrrhus to collect his bounty. That night as he is resting in bed, Hex is visited by Michael Fenton of the US Secret Service.
Fenton has been assigned to be security at Point Pyrrhus for President Grant's trip across the country. He hires Hex for $500 to help him try and stop a cell of former Union supporters who are angry over Grant's preferential treatment of the Southern States after the Civil War, and seek to assassinate him when he visits the town.
Tracking down the would be assassins to an abandoned warehouse, they also learn that the sheriff is involved. Before killing Hex and Fenton, the assassins inform them that they have men hiding out in a hay cart and in a water towner hoping to mow down the president. Hex and Fenton manage to break free, however Fenton is killed in the meelee, but Hex manages to get away. As the Presidents train arrives, Hex manages to destroy the hay cart and stop the assassins in the water tower armed with a Gatling gun, however he is seriously wounded during the fight.
In light of the battle raging, and having received a telegraph message from Washington asking for Grant's immediate return, Grant orders the train to drive through and keep on going. Aboard the train is also the mysterious man with the eagle headed cane spies Hex's unconscious body and considers his opponent dead. After the train pulls out the people of Pyrrhus point sift through the damage and find the near-dead Hex and carry him off for medical treatment.
Appearing in "The Point Pyrrhus Massacre"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Michael Fenton (Single appearance; dies)
- Ulysses S. Grant
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Doc (Single appearance)
- Jeb Turnbull (First appearance; painting)
- Lucas Lando (Single appearance)
- Sheriff (Single appearance; dies)
- Solomon (Turnbull's butler)
- Virgil Lando (Single appearance; dies)
Locations:
- American Old West
- Point Pyrrhus
- Washington, D.C.
Synopsis for "Bullet for a Gambler!"
This story is reprinted from All-Star Western (Volume 2) #7.
Being saved by a man named Ace, twice, by attacking Indians, Billy the Kid agrees to go with Ace to be safe from further attacks. Ace has a case of tuberculosis and is is dead set on killing any Indian that happens on his path. However the two are surrounded soon after Ace indiscriminately kills a hunting party.
However, the Indians let Billy go, as Billy tried to stop Ace from killing the Indian chief's son. Not wishing to be burned alive, Ace demands that Billy pay his debt, and reveals that he was the killer of Billy's father, and that he knows that Billy is really a girl. Billy agrees to kill Ace in a draw only, and Ace tricks Billy into shooting him by not drawing when it's time to shoot.
Appearing in "Bullet for a Gambler!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Ace Van Winston (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- Native American tribe
Other Characters:
Locations:
Synopsis for "Scalphunter: The Origin"
This story is reprinted from Weird Western Tales #39.
Appearing in "Scalphunter: The Origin"
Featured Characters:
- Scalphunter (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Matt Savage (Dies)
Locations:
Synopsis for "The Point Pyrrhus Aftermath"
This story is reprinted from Weird Western Tales #24.
Part 1: Blind Man's Bluff
Having spent the past two months recovering from his injuries in Point Pyrrhus, Jonah Hex must keep his eyes bandaged and is blind, making him the target of any gun fighter that has a grudge against him. When Russ Cranston comes to take a shot at Hex, Hex is still able to gun down his opponent. The people of Point Pyrrhus, having grown tired of Hex unanimously agree to kick Hex out of town along with an out of work actor. With another week of recovery to go, Hex cannot bandages his eyes for risk of permanent blindness. To make matters worse, it will only be a matter of time before Cranston's brothers Blackie and Pete learn of the death of Russ.
With the actor not having any shooting skill, he and Hex work together to make a system where the Actor calls out where the opponents are. When the surviving Cranston's track down Jonah and the actor, this method works to their favor, and Hex is able to gun down Pete as they try to make their escape aboard a horse ferry, however the ferry men are killed in the meelee however, forcing the two to pilot the ferry themselves.
Part 2: Curtain Call
Their getaway is short lived when the ferry is caught in the currents of a waterfall. When the Actor falls in the water, Hex jumps in and saves them. However, their rope breaks and the two are forced to swim ashore, losing Jonah's guns to the waterfall. Enough time has passed for Hex to be able to remove his bandages, however his vision is still blurry.
The actor then knocks Hex out with a rock and uses his make-up kit to make himself look like Hex. When Blackie finally finds them, he shoots who he thinks is Hex, but it turns out to be the Actor instead. This proves the revived Hex with enough time to kill the distracted Blackie with his hunting knife. Afterwards, Hex buries his friend and leaves Blackie's body for the buzzards.
Appearing in "The Point Pyrrhus Aftermath"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- The Actor (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- Blackie Cranston (Single appearance; dies)
- Pete Cranston (Single appearance; dies)
- Russ Cranston (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Doc (Single appearance)
- Tom (Single appearance)
Locations:
- American Old West
- Point Pyrrhus
- Point Pyrrhus
Synopsis for "Notebook of a Gunfighter"
Appearing in "Notebook of a Gunfighter"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales is part of DC Comics' Blue Ribbon Digest series. Each issue was published as a 100-page pocket-size edition special.
- "The Hundred Dollar Deal" was originally printed in All-Star Western (Volume 2) #11.
- "Night of the Living Dead" was originally printed in Weird Western Tales #13.
- "The Point Pyrrhus Massacre" was originally printed in Weird Western Tales #23.
- "Bullet for a Gambler!" was originally printed in All-Star Western (Volume 2) #7.
- "Scalphunter: the Origin" was originally printed in Weird Western Tales #39.
- "The Point Pyrrhus Aftermath" was originally printed in Weird Western Tales #24.
Trivia
- This issue reprints the first appearance of Scalphunter.