JOHN SLADE
Real Name:: John Slade
Identity/Class: Normal human (Old West Era)
Occupation: Vigilante (briefly)
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Jud Barker (briefly)
Known Relatives: Will Slade (brother, deceased)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile in rural/frontier USA, Old West era
First Appearance: Cowboy Action#11/7 (March,
1956)
Powers/Abilities: Teen-aged John Slade is fit and an
excellent horse rider. He considers himself a good shot with a handgun
and has a simple view of justice.
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
History:
(Cowboy Action#11/7 (fb) - BTS) - While a boy, John
Slade's older brother Will was shot and killed by lawman Jud Barker during a
bank robbery. Unbeknown to John, Will was an outlaw who rode with the
notorious Kreegar gang. John was misled to think the outlaws were
friends and they lied that Marshal Barker shot Will in the back after
getting caught cheating at cards. The seed for vengeance blossomed in
John and he hunted for Barker for five years on a quest to kill him.
Meanwhile, Barker had given up being a marshal and settled on a remote
farm.
(Cowboy Action#11/7) - John Slade finally found
Barker's home and barged in with his gun drawn, demanding Jud Barker
show himself, frightening Barker's wife and son. Barker confronted John
and asked the reason for John targeting him for death. John explained
his history, but Jud refuted the claim, showing his old badge and
newspaper clippings of the Kreegar gang whom John had thought friends
years before. Realizing now that his brother Will had been an outlaw,
John felt despondent, his passion for vengeance gone. Feeling shocked
and empty, he rode off realizing he had wasted years seeking empty
revenge.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee & Al Williamson.
Stan Lee's snappy opening line: "His name was
Slade... and he was hunting... hunting for a man!"
Neat concise short
stories in them old western mags. I love it.
Al Williamson's unmistakable lines and layouts look better in the full panel than the cutout.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
John Slade has no known connections to:
Jud Barker was once a US Marshal who tackled the
notorious Kreegar gang, at one point shooting and killing gang member
Will Slade. The others lied to Will's brother John that Barker had shot
Will due to cheating while gambling. This led to John seeking vengeance
on Jud and he hunted down the lawman. Meanwhile, Barker had settled
down with wife Martha and young son on a remote farm. Five years after
starting his quest, John finally found Barker's home and barged in with
gun drawn, scaring Martha and son. Barker immediately appeared and
confronted the gunman. He refuted the young manhunter's claims by
showing his marshal's badge and news clippings showing Will's friends
were actually outlaws. Realizing his errors, despondent John
Slade left the Barker family in peace.
--Cowboy Action#11/7
images:
(without ads)
Cowboy Action#11/7, p4, pan4 (main image)
p3, pan5 (headshot)
p3, pan1 (Barker)
Appearances:
Cowboy Action#11/7 (March, 1956) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Al
Williamson (pencils/possible inks)
First posted: 06/02/2025
Last updated:
06/02/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™
and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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