Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales #2 is an issue of the series Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1979. It was published on August 9, 1979.
Synopsis for "Blood Brothers"
This story is reprinted from Weird Western Tales #20.
On the trail of AWOL infantryman John Running Wolf, Hex saves him from being beaten by a bunch of bar patrons. Returning him to Fort Lang, they find that it is being attacked by Indians from Running Wolf's tribe. Turning over Running Wolf to the Fort, Hex goes into town and goes to Widow Lacey's home for some r&r.
There, Hex learns that "Widow" Lacey, is an old aquiantence of Eileen Lacey, who introduces him to mayor Harrison Barnett. Barnett hires Hex to rescue Muriel, a girl who had been kidnapped by Red Horse of the local Indian Tribe.
Hex tracks them down and learns that Muriel actually willingly lives with Red Horse, but still rounds them up anyway. Bringing them back to town, Red Horse tells Hex that somebody has been hiring renegade Indians to attack the Fort in order to coerce Washington to send orders to clear the land, so that the mastermind can capitalize on the acquisition of the land. However, Red Horse is killed by gunmen. Hex only manages to get two of them and the third manages to get away.
Taking Muriel back to Lacey's place, he finds out that the mayor and his friend William Vandermeer were the masterminds behind the plot, and that the third gunman was Red Horse's own brother, Running Wolf. Fighting Running Wolf, Hex manages to beat him in a fist fight, even though Running Wolf is able to stab him in the arm with a knife. With Running Wolf defeated, Hex takes his payment for services rendered and turns over all involved to the Fort.
Appearing in "Blood Brothers"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Eileen Lacey (Single appearance)
- Muriel Lacey (Single appearance)
- Red Horse (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- John Running Wolf (Single appearance)
- Mayor Harrison Barnett (Single appearance)
- William Vandermeer (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Chief Machana (Mentioned only)
- Gray Bear (Single appearance; dies)
- Major Shaw (Single appearance)
- Red (Single appearance)
Locations:
- American Old West
- Fort Lang
Animals:
Synopsis for "Billy the Kid... Killer"
This story is reprinted from All-Star Western (Volume 2) #6.
Billy the Kid's father has been murdered and Billy has been on the killers trail. Tracking down a Mexican named Poncho, Billy believes him to be the killer, however Poncho tells Billy that he saw the killers of Billy's father. Agreeing to be taken to the killer, Poncho takes Billy out into the desert.
After camping, the next day Billy wakes up to find that Poncho stole everything including Billy's pocket watch. Tracking Pancho to a house, Billy finds the woman has all his money in her possession, but also learns that she is blind. Finally tracking down Poncho, Poncho tells Billy that the watch was stolen. Deciding that they need more money to buy new provisions, Billy takes up a job in a town to stop Blackie Kane, a gun fighter who has been terrorizing the town.
However before Billy can round up Blackie, Billy has to rush a boy to the town doctor when a horse spooked by Kane tramples the boy. While Billy is off saving the boys life, leaning of who caused the trouble, Poncho goes after Blackie on his own. Blackie tricks Poncho and shoots him with a gun hidden in his hat. Billy returns and finds Poncho near death, Poncho hands over Billy's pocket watch. After Billy kills Blackie and after burring Poncho takes a look of the picture inside. The picture is of Billy and HER father, and we learn that Billy is secretly a girl named Billy Jo.
Appearing in "Billy the Kid... Killer"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Pancho Guinones (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- Blackie Kane (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Tommy (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for "Never Kill a Demon"
This story is reprinted from Weird Western Tales #15.
Appearing in "Never Kill a Demon"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Synopsis for "Grasshopper Courage"
This story is reprinted from Weird Western Tales #16.
On the trail of two saddle bums, Hex ends up shooting them down in a town where the people are critical of the bumbling sheriff Luke Little's attempts to stop the Scortch Donnigan Gang from robbing stage coaches around town. Luke's love Amy Gauwell pays Jonah Hex to accompany Luke in rounding up Scortch and his goons.
After tracking down Scortch and his gang and gunning them down, however Hex finds himself in quicksand after shooting Scortch. Saved by Luke, Luke reveals that he was involved and that with his conspirators dead to leave with all the stolen money and run to Mexico where he has another woman waiting for him. Hex, not having been paid to kill Little agrees to let him go, however in his dying breath Scortch shoots Luke dead.
Later, Hex brings Luke Little's body into town and tells everyone there that he died a hero, and then heads off to Meixco.
Appearing in "Grasshopper Courage"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Amy Gauwell (Single appearance)
- Mr. Gauwell (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Luke Little (Single appearance; dies)
- Scortch Donnigan (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Abner (Single appearance)
- Clem (Single appearance)
- General the Horse
- Josh (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for "The Mark of a Warrior"
This story is reprinted from Weird Western Tales #40.
Appearing in "The Mark of a Warrior"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
- American Old West
- Southwest, Missouri
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Anachronism"
This story is reprinted from Weird Western Tales #14.
Appearing in "Anachronism"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Synopsis for "Promise to a Princess!"
This story is reprinted from Weird Western Tales #12.
After Jonah Hex guns down two men looking to pick a fight with him in a saloon, the townspeople want to run Hex out of town. However, before they are able to do so, one of their people return back on a horse, dieing from an arrow wound by the Pawnee Indians.
Later, as Hex is washing himself in a nearby river, he has the drop taken on him by Little Fawn, daughter of the chief of the Pawnee Indians. Holding him at gun point with his own guns, and with the added protection of her Timber Wolf, Iron Jaws, she ties up Hex and begins to take him back to her tribe. However, when she makes them cross a rickety bridge, the bridge shatters and they fall into the rushing water below. Although Hex is accidentally shot in the fall, he manages to save the girl and he wolf and take them back to their tribe where he passes out.
He wakes up to find that the Indians there have healed him, in speaking with their chief he learns that a man named Craig had given them blankets infected with Small Pox in order to reduce their fighting numbers so that Craig and his men can easily take over the land and kill any opposition. Hex, having been vaccinated is immune to infection, however Little Fawn falls ill and Hex promises the chief that he will return with the antidote, fighting through Craig's men to get into town.
Hex however learns that the doctor has gone out on a call, and when he finally tracks him down and gets the Small Pox vaccine, and takes it back to the tribe, he finds them all dead -- including Little Fawn. Taking Iron Jaws under his care, Hex rides into town to get revenge on Craig, to find that the entire town has also been infected with Small Pox. Tracking Craig to his home, he finds that Craig himself has ironically been infected with the disease as well. Offering him the vaccine after Craig begs for it, Hex shoots the bottle, smashing it in Craig's hands, dashing his hopes of curing himself. Hex then leaves town to let them all suffer the same fate they put upon the Pawnee tribe.
Appearing in "Promise to a Princess!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Iron Jaws (First appearance)
- Pawnee Tribe
- Chief (Single appearance; dies)
- Little Fawn (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- Mr. Craig (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Clem (Single appearance)
- Doc Harrow (Single appearance)
- Jed (Single appearance)
- Joe Higgins (Only; deceased)
Locations:
- American Old West
- Green Valley
- Winston Mills
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.
Trivia
- This issue includes a one-page feature entitled, "The Old West - Fiction vs. Fact", written by Mike W. Barr.