RED JOHN
Real Name: John (last name unrevealed)
Identity/Class: Human (Old
West Era)
Occupation: Hired gunman
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Grant DuMont, Sash Grale
Enemies: Black Rider (Matthew Masters), Jim Lathrop
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Impersonated the Black Rider
Base of Operations: Leadville, Texas, USA
First Appearance: Best Western I#58 (June, 1949)
Powers/Abilities: Red John was an ace gunfighter. He was also an able horse rider.
Height: Unrevealed
(approximately 5'11")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 190 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Red
History:
(Best Western I#58) - Red John was a gun-hawk hired by sheep man Sash
Grale to help protect his sheep in the Leadville area. One day, when
Red John rode into town, he shot a man dead. When the sheriff tried to
make Red John leave town, Red John shot the sheriff in turn. Doc
Masters stepped forward to tend to the sheriff but Red John rode up to
him and struck him in the head, boasting that he would take over
Leadville.
Red John's actions fascinated Grant DuMont, a cattle rancher who was a rival to Grale. DuMont arranged a meeting with Red John in a bar and suggested the two of them pit the other cattle ranchers against the sheep men so that both sides would destroy each other, leaving DuMont able to claim the choicest land. In exchange, DuMont offered to give Red John all the land he wanted as long as his cattle were left alone.
To begin his scheme, Red John dressed himself up in imitation of Leadville's costumed protector the Black Rider and led his gang in robbing Leadville's bank. This provoked the real Black Rider to investigate, albeit somewhat hamstrung by a posse led by Jim Lathrop. The Black Rider evaded the posse and found tracks from the bank which led him to Red John and his men. Red John prepared to shoot the Black Rider in the back when suddenly, the posse arrived and one of them shot Red John in the back.
Dying from his wound, Red John explained Grant DuMont's entire scheme to the Black Rider then confessed to the posse that he was the one who robbed Leadville's bank. Telling the posse to follow the Black Rider in order to save the Leadville ranches, Red John passed away.
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and
John Severin.
This profile was completed
05/09/2022, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the
Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Red John should not be confused with:
Grant DuMont was a cattle man - that is, a rancher who kept cattle. Grant was an associate of Jim Lathrop but the two men parted ways, as Grant resolved to drive the sheep men out of the Leadville territory by any means.
To that end, Grant hired Sash Grale's gun-hawk Red John over to his side, scheming to pit his fellow ranchers against the sheep men so that they would destroy each other, leaving the best land for him. However, Red John was killed by a posse and described Grant's plan to the Black Rider.
The Black Rider and the posse confronted Grant and routed his men but Grant took Jim's daughter Marie and son Bobby hostage. When Bobby struggled against Grant it gave the Black Rider an opening to shoot Grant to death.
--Best Western I#58
Sash Grale was a sheep man - that is, a rancher who kept sheep.
Sash was manipulated by his own gun-hawk Red John to send his sheep into territory being used by the cattle men. When the Black Rider confronted Sash, Sash tried to kill him, and the Black Rider shot him to death.
--Best Western I#58
images: (without ads)
Best Western I#58, page 3, panel 2 (main)
Best Western I#58, page 5, panel 5 (face)
Best Western I#58, page 4, panel 6 (as Black Rider)
Best Western I#58, page 1, panel 5 (DuMont)
Best Western I#58, page 1, panel 2 (Grale)
Appearances:
Best Western I#58 (June, 1949) - unidentified writer, John Severin
(artist), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/13/2026
Last updated:
09/10/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
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