KENYON

Real Name: Kenyon (first name unrevealed (see comments) )

Identity/Class: Temporary human mutate (1950s era)

Occupation: Trouble-maker (likely unemployed)

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Sheriff Taylor

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "The Man Who Crushed Rocks" (in story title)

Base of Operations: An unidentified rural town, somewhere in America

First Appearance: Strange Tales I#53/6 (December, 1956)

Powers/Abilities: The scruffy and belligerent Kenyon originally had no paranormal abilities; but after imbibing the water from a spring in the swamp, he was endowed with superhuman strength (Class 10?).

However, the effect of the spring-water was only temporary, and Kenyon's enhanced strength faded back to normal after two days.

Having spent his formative years growing up in the swamp, the rustic Kenyon was skilled at hunting and surviving in that type of environment.

Height: 5' 10" (by approximation)
Weight: 170 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

History:
(Strange Tales I#53/6 (fb) - BTS) - As children living in a rural community, both Kenyon and Taylor had been raised in the swamp under impoverished upbringings. But whereas Taylor grew up to be a decent man, and eventually became the town's sheriff, Kenyon was a bully and a life-long trouble-maker.

(Strange Tales I#53/6 (fb) ) - When the townspeople had enough of Kenyon's criminal behavior, Sheriff Taylor took him out to a dock and had him pack his meager belongings into a canoe, then ordered him to return to the swamp. As he paddled away, Kenyon was angry about his banishment from the town, and he vowed that someday he'd get back at the townspeople...and especially Sheriff Taylor. For weeks, the outcast Kenyon wandered the treacherous swamp.

(Strange Tales I#53/6) - One day, while Kenyon was hunting, he knelt down to drink from the sparkling waters of a bubbling spring in the midst of the swamp; but when he picked up his rifle, he unintentionally crushed it in his hand! Stunned by this surprising display of incredible strength, Kenyon next picked up a rock and crushed it to dust--he figured something in the spring-water had made him strong as an elephant. Realizing that he now had the power to get his revenge, Kenyon got in his canoe and paddled back to the dock--there were many long, weary miles to walk before he reached the town, but what was that to a strong-man?

   When Kenyon finally reached his journey's end, he spotted the town's bank, which gave him an idea. As Kenyon boldly walked toward the building, a citizen recognized him and asked what he was doing back in town; Kenyon replied that he was going to rob the bank, and he even invited the townsman to watch. The townsman told another bystander to notify Sheriff Taylor, but he learned Taylor was away at the county seat, and he wouldn't be back until that night. When the townsman tried to prevent him from entering the bank, the super-strong Kenyon merely swatted him aside.

   Kenyon went into the bank and tore the vault's door off its hinges; after he filled a bag full of loot. Kenyon returned to the swamp--he purposely left a clear trail for Taylor to follow, so he could get his revenge on the lawman.

   The next morning, Kenyon awoke to find Sheriff Taylor standing in front of him. When Taylor told him he was under arrest, Kenyon mockingly laughed at him, then he charged toward the lawman. But Taylor informed him that the effect of the spring-water wore off after two days--Taylor knew this because long ago, he had found the spring, too...but he kept it a secret so that men like Kenyon wouldn't take advantage of it.

   Upon learning that his super-strength was gone, Kenyon tried to stop his headlong charge...but it was too late--Sheriff Taylor had him in a restraining-hold.

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Reed Crandall.

This 4-page story never revealed Kenyon's full name, but considering the surname of the town's sheriff, I'll suggest "Ernest T. Kenyon" (...and if you haven't guessed why, see HERE).
(And maybe that flustered security-guard at the bank (see fourth image) was named "Barney Knotts".)

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Kenyon has no known connections to:

Sheriff Taylor has no known connections to:

Sheriff Taylor

In his youth, Taylor was raised in poverty, and he lived in a swamp outside a small rural town. At some point, he discovered a water-spring in the swamp that could temporarily enhance the strength of those who drank from it; but he kept the spring a secret, so that evil men wouldn't take advantage of it.

Taylor grew up with the trouble-making bully Kenyon, who also lived in the swamp. Although they both came from similar impoverished backgrounds, Taylor grew up to be a decent man, and eventually became the town's sheriff, while Kenyon continued with his malicious ways.

When the townspeople had enough of Kenyon's criminal behavior, Sheriff Taylor banished him from town and ordered him to return to the swamp--the angry Kenyon swore to the sheriff that someday he'd get even with him.

Some weeks later, Taylor left town for a meeting at the county seat; but when he returned that night, he learned that Kenyon was endowed with super-strength, and that he had returned to town to rob the bank. Figuring that Kenyon drank the water from the secret spring, Taylor waited for morning to apprehend the trouble-maker, because he knew the effects of the spring-water would have worn off by then.

When morning came, Taylor followed Kenyon's trail through the swamp to confront the criminal and arrest him. But as Kenyon came charging at him, confident that he would finish off the sheriff with his super-strength, Taylor revealed that the water-spring's temporary strength-enhancing effects had faded from Kenyon by then.

Taylor easily put Kenyon in a restraining hold and placed him under arrest.

--Strange Tales I#53/6

images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#53/6, p2, pan7 (Main Image - Kenyon by water-spring)
Strange Tales I#53/6, p2, pan6 (Headshot - Kenyon crushes rock with his super-strength)
Strange Tales I#53/6, p3, pan5 (Kenyon swatting townsman aside with his super-strength)
Strange Tales I#53/6, p3, pan7 (Kenyon uses his super-strength to tear bank vault door from its hinges; bank security-guard (background))
Strange Tales I#53/6, p1, pan2 (Sheriff Taylor banishes Kenyon from town)
Strange Tales I#53/6, p4, pan4 (Sheriff Taylor faces Kenyon in final confrontation)
Strange Tales I#53/6, p4, pan7 (Sheriff Taylor puts Kenyon in restraining hold and arrests him)

Appearances:
Strange Tales I#53/6 (December, 1956) - unidentified writer, Reed Crandall (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 04/11/2021
Last updated: 04/11/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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