GUNSMOKE KID

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human (Old West Era)

Occupation: Cowboy

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Andrews, Walt Case, Marsh

Enemies: Benton, Nat Brock, Frank Lance (Mort Judson)

Known Relatives: Unidentified mother (deceased), unidentified father (deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile in the American west and Mexico

First Appearance: Gunsmoke Western I#54/2 (September, 1959)

Powers/Abilities: The Gunsmoke Kid was an excellent marksman with pistols, although he preferred to solve problems without violence. He was also a good horse rider. He wore a six-gun on his right hip and had a derringer pistol concealed in the right sleeve of his shirt.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'1")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 180 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

History:

(Wyatt Earp I#25/3 (fb) - BTS) - As an infant, the child who would become known as the Gunsmoke Kid literally cut his first teeth on a six-gun - biting the grip of his father's gun.

    By the age of 17, he became known as the Gunsmoke Kid, a notorious gunfighter. The Kid was at a cantina in Mexico when a man picked a fight with him. The Kid shot him then fled the town.

(Wyatt Earp I#25/3) - The Mexican authorities pursued the Kid to the border but he escaped back into the USA. The Mexican authorities didn't actually want to capture him, just to keep their town trouble-free.

    The Kid rode back to his home town; he'd heard that his father had been killed and on his arrival, the town doctor told him his mother had passed away, her heart broken by his father's death. The doctor told the Kid the man who killed his father wasn't identified, but gave him a letter from his mother where she asked him to change his wild ways.

    The Kid remained in his home town, asking locals if they knew anything about who killed his father. The saloon keeper Nat Brock was especially hostile to the Kid's questioning. The Kid began to lurk around Brock, deliberating hovering to throw off his nerves. Finally, Brock and another man tried to ambush and kill the Kid; the Kid heard them and spun, shooting Brock's accomplice. However, Brock fled and the Kid had no evidence he'd been one of the attempted killers.

    Finally, one day Brock lost his temper when he saw the Kid lurking nearby. Brock challenged the Kid to a gunfight but the Kid easily outdrew him and shot him in the shoulder. Taking the gun Brock dropped, the Kid identified it as his father's gun, as it still had his teeth marks on the grip. The Kid successfully had the sheriff arrest Brock for murdering his father.

    Visiting his mother's grave, the Kid apologized for being a disappointment to her and vowed he make it up to her through using his guns for good, the way she wanted him to. The other people in town knew nothing of the Kid's vow and believed he was a cold, heartless gunfighter.

(Gunsmoke Western I#55/2 (fb) - BTS) - At some time in his wanderings, the Gunsmoke Kid encountered Mort Judson, a cattle rustler.

(Gunsmoke Western I#54/2) - The Gunsmoke Kid rode into a town where many of the locals, including a boy named Jeff, were raging against Marsh, whom they claimed was a notorious gunslinger. The Gunsmoke Kid helped defuse the situation by convincing Marsh to leave town with him, pretending they'd both been scared away.

(Gunsmoke Western I#55/2) - Arriving in Whipsnake, the Gunsmoke Kid discovered the local ranchers Walt Case and Frank Lance were sparring with each other. Both men tried to hire the Gunsmoke Kid to help beat the other but the Kid waited until he learned more about the situation. The Kid finally went to work for Walt Case and rode along with him. He and Case's men came across what seemed to be cowboys from Lance's ranch trying to rustle Case's cattle, but Lance dismissed their suspicions. The situation begin to grow more intense when one of Case's men was beaten by rustlers, but still the Kid refused to start a range war. Instead, the Kid confronted Lance, having recognized him as Mort Judson and turned him over the local sheriff.

(Kid Colt Outlaw I#87/3) - The Gunsmoke Kid found a man named Benton who led a party of Piutes was attempting to force the gold miner Andrews into making him a partner in his mine. When Benton drew his gun on him, the Kid shot it out of Benton's hand. Benton and the Piutes left, but promised to return. The Kid offered his help to Andrews, but Andrews was reluctant, fearing the Kid was after his gold. Andrew's only companion was his pet wolf King.

    The Piutes returned and captured the Kid and Andrews, holding them as prisoners in their camp while Benton continued to demand Andrews make him his partner. Andrews still refused. When King dug into the tepee where the Kid and Andrews were held, the Kid schemed their escape by putting gold dust on two of King's teeth to match Benton's own gold teeth; when the Piutes saw King, they believed Benton had become a werewolf and fled his employ. The Kid took Benton as a prisoner, leaving Andrews to his mine.

(Marvel Westerns: Outlaw Files - Gunsmoke Kid) - The Gunsmoke Kid continued to send letters to the town doctor in his home town, telling him of his progress in keeping his promise to his mother.

Comments: Created by Jack Oleck and Jack Davis.

    It really seems like the story in Wyatt Earp I#25 should have been published first, since it's his origin story.

   

    This profile was completed on 03/10/2026 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Gunsmoke Kid should not be confused with:

images: (without ads)
Wyatt Earp I#25/3, page 1 (main)
Gunsmoke Western I#54/2, page 6, panel 4 (face)

Appearances:
Gunsmoke Western I#54/2 (September, 1959) - Jack Oleck (writer), Jack Davis (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Wyatt Earp I#25/3 (October, 1959) - Jack Oleck (writer), Jack Davis (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Gunsmoke Western I#55/2 (November, 1959) - Jack Oleck (writer), Jack Davis (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Kid Colt Outlaw I#87/3 (November, 1959) - Jack Oleck (writer), Jack Davis (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Marvel Westerns: Outlaw Files (2006) - Michael Hoskin (head writer), Jeff Youngquist (editor)

First posted: 09/13/2026
Last updated: 03/10/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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