Jonah Hex #35 "The Fort Charlotte Brigade!"

Jonah Hex #35 April 1980
"The Fort Charlotte Brigade"
Michael Fleisher, story - Dick Ayers & Luis Dominguez, art- Luis Dominguez, cover

Judging by the cactus, Jonah is riding across Arizona looking for the Carley brothers who have robbed the Santa Fe Bank. Little does he realize, two of the brothers are high up in the cliffs, laying an ambush for him. Two of the brothers are ready to gun Jonah down as he rides into a narrow canyon, but suddenly Jonah walks up behind them and tells them to surrender. They both aim their rifles at Jonah, telling him to put his hands up. As Jonah raises his right hand, he grabs his knife in the back of his coat and buries it in the chest of one of the Carleys. The other brother surrenders and Jonah tells him that since he is shaking so much, he should put on Jonah's coat.


On the other side of the canyon, the third Carley brother is waiting for Jonah to come along. Just then he spots Jonah riding straight up the middle of the canyon and the brother opens up, knocking the rider from the horse. He celebrates and then runs down to the corpse, only to find it is his brother, bound to the saddle, gagged and dressed up to look like Jonah. He has killed his own brother. Jonah gets the drop on him too and the next morning he takes the two corpses and one survivor on into Painted Butte, Texas.

Calendars and geography are not the strong suit in DC westerns. Saguaro cactus are found in SE California, southern Arizona, and NW Mexico. The bank is robbed in Santa Fe (N NM), Jonah captures them amongst the saguaro cactus and then takes them clear across AZ & halfway across NM and into TX (about a 400 mile trip) ...the next morning. My head just exploded. And we haven't gotten to the fun part.

Jonah rides into town and steps into the sheriff's office. An elderly man sitting on a porch sees, Jonah, jumps up and runs into the telegraph office. Next we are in the outskirts of Richmond, Virginia, where a man with an eagle-topped cane receives a telegram from his servant Solomon. We know this is Quentin Turnbull, but are not allowed to see his face in order to add mystery for new readers. Turnbull states that the news of Hex in Texas is welcome news and it is just in time for tonight's meeting of the Fort Charlotte Brigade.

That evening, Turnbull and Solomon head toward an old barn filled with about a dozen men in confederate uniforms. Once Turnbull enters, they repeat their solemn vow "Long Live Jefferson Davis and the Old Confederacy and Death to Jonah Hex!"

We then get an 8 page recap of the Fort Charlotte Massacre. However, the black orderly is now white and the Captain has a full head of hair and full mustache. At the end of the recap it is stated "Of the three dozen Confederate prisoners who took part in the ill-fated Fort Charlotte breakout that day, only a handful escaped alive." (emphasis added). Looking at the picture, I can count 13 people. Granted, some of those may have died from their wounds, but then we have a dozen men or so in the barn. I will be gracious and say that some of the men in the barn may be sons, brothers, or fathers of the deceased (not unlike Turnbull). There is no clear way to get an accurate account of the survivors of the massacre.



Anyway, Turnbull announces that Hex is in Texas and they all swear to ride out there and have their vengeance. To be continued...

Statistics for this issue
Men killed by Jonah - 2
Running Total - 263
Jonah's injuries - none
Timeline - No real way to tell, but it appears to take place after the last run in with Turnbull so this is probably around 1878?

Next Issue: Jonah Hex, a hooker, and explosives. What more do you want?!?!?

Jonah Hex #16 "The Wyandott Verdict!"

Jonah Hex #16 Sept. 1978
"The Wyandott Verdict!"
Michael Fleisher - story, Vincente Alcazar - art, Rich Buckler & Frank Giacoia, cover

Michael Fleisher is back in the saddle right from the start of the DC EXPLOSION with a 25 page story to finish out the framed Jonah storyline. Diving right into the action, Jonah's horse has fallen and broken it's leg, putting Jonah on foot trying to outrun a posse of vigilantes, set on hanging him. Jonah manages to make it to a cave and he starts looking for a back way out.

Outside the posse already knows about the exit and they send a couple of men there to light brush on fir and toss it into the cave. Jonah finds the exit, but gunfire prevents him from escaping and soon the cave is filled with smoke from the brushfires. Jonah runs out, coughing for air, and the posse nab him, tie him, beat him and then commence with hanging him. They explain that they aren't interested in justice or the reward since they knew the men that Jonah is accused of murdering. They place Jonah on a hrose, put a noose around his neck and slap the horse's behind, causing the horse to take off and leave Jonah dangling from the tree. The posse, their work done, leave Jonah twitching and dancing at the end of the rope.

Nearby, there is a man in some bushes, watching the entire scene. To quote the thoughts of the mystery man "N-no! H-He can't die! He can't! Not after all I've endured! N-Not after all I've suffered! For months I've dogged his footsteps..stood within inches of him when he least suspected it ... all the while crafting a retribution worthy of my greatness! And now to see him hanging there, gasping his life away, snatched from my grasp by a bunch of brutal vigilantes! It's more than I can.."

It is my humble opinion that is Fleisher took several months off to craft this wrapup of Framed Jonah, he should have taken another day or two to trim out some of the melodrama. But, this is the DC EXPLOSION and they have pages to fill. That little speech took up three panels.

Back to the story where we find two men trying to save Jonah. A black man, Joseph, is in the tree trying to cut the rope, while an elderly white man, Tobia Nostrum, is trying to hold Jonah up to keep him from hanging. Together they get Jonah down and loaded into their wagon. Nostrum keeps insisting that no matter what a man has done, he is entitled to a fair trial and not a hanging by vigilantes. As they ride off, the mystery man in the bushes is elated. They have saved Jonah Hex, they have saved him for .... WAIT, the mystery man won't say his own name out loud because SOMEONE COULD BE LISTENING!! Do we actually have the fourth wall in a Jonah Hex story????

Jonah awakens in the cabin of Tobias Nostrum. Nostrum makes introductions all around and states that he knows who Jonah is and that he is wanted in nearby Wyandot. Nostrum assures Jonah that they have taken every precaution by removing the bullets from Jonah's guns. Nostrum believes that criminals should be brought to justice via science and not by mobs. Jonah protests his innocence and Nostrum is fascinated at the prospect that Jonah could have been framed.

Joseph goes out into the night to get some firewood, but he is suddenly attacked from behind and a knife is thrust into his heart. The attacker drags Josephs body into the brush and shortly we see the killer head to the cabin. Inside, Nostrum is explaining concepts of fingerprinting and ballistics, saying that he can possibly use these to determine who framed Jonah. Joseph comes back in with the firewood (!?!?!?) Nostrum decides that to compare ballistic patterns they will have to exhume the bodies, so they head out in the night to rob graves.

Several hours later, Jonah, Nostrum, and Joseph are in a cabin by the cemetery. They have a corpse on a table and Nostrum tells Joseph to stand guard outside. Outside, joseph's speech patterns change from the stereotypical to mimic the mysterious man in the bush that saw Jonah hanged. 'Joseph' unhooks the horse from the wagon and heads off.

In Wyandott, the sheriff is cleaning his rifle when there is a knock on the door. A young woman, a saloon girl, comes in and explains to the sheriff that she has seen Jonah Hex at the cemetery. the sheriff keeps trying to put the moves on her, but she manages to get away, and as she runs down an alley, we learn that she is the 'mystery man' (Holy Crying Game!!) .

Meanwhile, back at the grave-robbin'... Jonah hears something outside the small cabin that he & Nostrum are working in. Jonah goes outside to check on the noise and comes face to face with the sheriff and a posse with their guns drawn. Several days later (lets say 10) a couple of men are working on the scaffolding that the town will use to hang Jonah, after his fair trial, that is. And of course they are working on it right outside Jonah's jail cell.

In the jail, Jonah gets a visit from Nostrum. Nostrum has good news. The bullets that he dug out of the three corpses came from a single action Smith & Wesson pocket .38, a small inaccurate gun that a gunfighter would never use (and of course doesn't match Jonah's .45 Colt Peacemakers). But Nostrum went even farther. He traveled to the barn that Jonah had told him about and dug up Ned Landon, finding a .38 and was able to ID it as the murder weapon using ballistics. Nostrum has written it all down in a report and will present it at Jonah's trial tomorrow.

QUICK CUT!!! to The Man with the Eagle Topped Cane reading a newspaper about Jonah going to trial tomorrow in Texas. This man (who is, of course, Quentin Turnbull) has his identity hidden from us. Why? Probably because the last time we saw him identified was 11 issues ago and Fleisher assumes that everyone has forgotten. This gives a sloppy feel (at least to followers of Jonah) when Fleisher tries to generate suspense from something that has already been revealed and is also a major factor in the story. But I digress...

Quentin Turnbull is reading the paper, sees an article about Jonah on trial and the fact that Nostrum is going to testify on Jonah's behalf. Turnbull summons Solomon and instructs him to contact the Wilson boys, there is a job for them.

The next day Wyandott is packed to the gills with people as folks from all over try to squeeze into Gleason's Saloon to see the trial. Down the street at the Wyandott Hotel a man that looks like Nostrum picks the lock on the door to Nostrum's room. He ponders to himself about destroying the evidence. As he is ransacking the room, the real Nostrum comes in. The imposter stabs him and stuffs the body under the bed.

Shortly thereafter, 'Nostrum' appears before the court and is sworn in to testify. Back at the hotel, the Wilson boys (3, count 'em, 3 Wilson boys) point a pistol at the hotel clerk demanding to know where Nostrum's room is. The clerk informs them about the trial down the street. Brian (the ringleader), Bill (the whiner), and Alnert (who wears a bowler ?!?!?) all head down to the saloon to earn their money.

The defense attorney is asking 'Nostrum' the first question when the Wilson boys storm in, guns drawn, demanding to know who & where Nostrum is. 'Nostrum' reacts with a gasp, giving away his position and before the Wilson's can open fire, Jonah, in handcuffs, jumps up and headbutts Brian Wilson, then knees him in the crotch, dives to the floor to grab the dropped pistol and then rolling across the floor of the saloon, guns down Bill & Albert.

The judge is furious and eventually the trial gets back underway. 'Nostrum' begins his testimony by saying that the evidence proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jonah Hex killed all three men. The defense starts to protest when the real Nostrum, bleeding, staggers into the courtroom, states that Jonah is innocent and produces the notebook of evidence proving Jonah's innocence, then he drops dead.

The judge turns to 'Nostrum', demanding to know what is going on. 'Nostrum' then identifies himself as The Chameleon, master thespian!!! He rips off his mask, showing his horribly burned face. Still ranting at the top of his lungs, he states that he is about to shoot Jonah when STABIFICATION!!!, Jonah throws his knife right into Chammy's chest.

The judge declares Jonah innocent and demands that he be released. As Jonah rides out of town, the two men building the gallows start griping that they never got to use it and some days it don't pay to get out of bed.

Statistics for this issue

Men killed by Jonah - 3, two of the Wilson boys and the Chameleon

Running Total - 167

Jonah's injuries - None

Timeline - This wraps up the Hex, Fugitive saga so this is around 1877 or so.

Fleisher really tried to pack a lot into this 25 page saga. Did I like it? At times I really enjoyed it, the Chameleon, Turnbull hiring thugs on a moments notice, and the scientist on the cusp of CSI gives this story a Wild Wild West feel. Depending on my mood, that can be a good thing or a bad thing. So much time was spent on the Chameleon's impersonations that the ending felt rushed, even though it was a little funny. The last few panels went like this:

Rant rant rant rant REVEAL rant rant STABIFICATION!!!!! Release.

Next issue - The DC EXPLOSION continues as Jonah heads east, gets hoodwinked and then the cannibals show up.

Weird Western Tales #30 "The Trial

Weird Western Tales #30 Sept-Oct 1975
"The Trial"
Michael Fleisher, story - George Moliterini, art - Luis Domiguez, cover

WWT 30 is another pivot point in the Jonah Hex saga. First off, this was the month that DC started with a new format for its covers, trying to have a branded banner running across the top of the book. Back in the 70s, comics were sold in spinner racks and kids would just flip through the tops. Having this banner was a good idea in that it was easier & faster to find a DC book. It was a bad idea for a book like Weird Western Tales in that 40% of the cover was taken up with the title and the banner.

Next, this book continues with the aftermath of the Fort Charlotte massacre and has Jonah confront Turnbull for the first (& last?) time. Third, it starts the domino effect of bad or incorrect dates/timeline for Jonah. But enough of all that, let's get into the book.

The story starts in 1875 in Richmond, Virginia as Jonah rides into town, thinking that he needs to square things between himself and Quentin Turnbull. Jonah stops in a tavern and asks for whiskey. As he stands at the bar drinking a man at a nearby table shouts that he doesn't want to be in the same establishment with a Yankee turncoat. He continues ranting about how Jonah caused the death of many of his friends and he wants to have revenge on Jonah. The man's friend convinces him to leave the bar and eventually everyone leaves, including the owner. As the owner walks out the door, he tells Jonah that the whiskey is free but just bust the glass when he is done because the owner doesn't want real people to catch what Jonah has. Jonah broods for several minutes and finally shatters the mirror behind the bar with a well placed whiskey bottle.

Out at the Turnbull plantation, Solomon informs Turnbull that Jonah is in town and that "aftuh all the trials an' tribulations you done been through" Turnbull will get his revenge. Turnbull plans to get some men armed with shotguns but then gets a better idea, inspired by what Solomon said.

Later that night, as Jonah is resting outside his hotel, he is approached by a local lawman who informs Jonah that there is a matter of settlement for the broken mirror in the bar. As Jonah reaches in his pocket to pay for the damages, he is knocked out from behind. The "lawman" and the attacker bind him and haul him to a undisclosed barn.

When Jonah wakes up, he finds himself tied to a chair and in the middle of a 'courtroom' that has Quentin Turnbull as the judge and survivors of the Fort Charlotte massacre as the jury and witnesses. Jonah is being charged with treason against the Confederate States of America for betrayal of his comrades in January of 1863 (1). Man after man testifies about what they saw in Fort Charlotte and then they pronounce him guilty as charged.

Turnbull decrees that Jonah will have the buttons of his coat removed as a sign of disgrace, he will have a yellow stripe painted down his back as a sign of betrayal, and he will be shot at dawn by a firing squad. Turnbull then orders Jonah taken away because "the very sight of him makes me want to vomit". Jonah is lead away and as he is locked in a toolshed one of the guards kicks him in the stomach and throws Jonah inside.

In the toolshed, Jonah finds a pitchfork and manages to use the pitchfork to cut the rope holding his hands. He then lures the guard to the window in the door, grabbing the man by the throat and threatening to kill him unless he opens the door. The guard opens the door and Jonah slams the door into the guard, knocking him out. Jonah reaches to get the guards gun but just then Solomon arrives with a shotgun. As Solomon holds Jonah at gunpoint, Solomon says how much he regrets doing this. Jonah maintains his innocence but Turnbull arrives and takes the shotgun from Solomon.

Turnbull states that he is going to kill Jonah himself, but Solomon tries to reason with Turnbull about Jonah's innocence. As Turnbull gets ready to shoot, Jonah turns and grabs the pitchfork and uses it to deflect the shotgun. He then knocks the shotgun from Turnbull's hands. Turnbull states that Jonah should kill him now or else he will kill Jonah. Jonah wants to talk to Turnbull and he tosses the pitchfork aside. Turnbull rushes Jonah and as Jonah sidesteps out of the way, Turnbull trips and falls on the pitchfork. The last scene is of Jonah riding off as Solomon holds the dead body of Turnbull.

Statistics for this issue
Men killed by Jonah - none, not one.
Running Total - 84
Jonah's injuries - Knocked out once and gut kicked once.
Timeline - When this was published, the timeline wasn't a problem, but in 1980 Jonah Hex #37 had Jonah meeting Stonewall Jackson and ultimately shooting him. Stonewall was shot by his own troops in May of 1863. But in this issue, Turnbull states that the massacre happened in January 1863, 4 months prior to Jacksons death.
Later on, 1875 itself becomes a problem when Fleisher starts a running continuity and places some major events in Jonah's life in 1875-1876. 

Overall, this story wasn't as great as the previous one. The stabbing of Turnbull was overly melodramatic and this story seemed a poor resolution to the Fort Charlotte Massacre/Turnbull revenge subplots.

Next Week: Jonah Hex vs. Wolverine!!!

Weird Western Tales #29 "Breakout at Fort Charlotte"

Weird Western Tales #29 July-Aug 1975
"Breakout at Fort Charlotte"
Michael Fleisher- story, Noly Panaligan - art, Luis Domiguez - cover

There is no way that I can do this story justice, but I will try. If you are a Hex fan, you have to get a copy of this, either on ebay or in the Showcase Presents. It is that good, the artwork and layouts are that rich, the story is that pivotal in the Jonah Hex saga. I understand it will also be retold in the upcoming 3 parter in the new Jonah Hex series. But, I'm getting the cart before the horse. Let's get to the story.

The story starts with Jonah riding into Red Rock Texas, 1875. As Jonah dismounts a young man calls Jonah a Judas & a traitor and starts yelling at Hex about Fort Charlotte. He says that his dad died because of Jonah being a traitor. Jonah turns and walks away, leading his horse, but the young draws his pistol and fires. He misses Hex, but hits the bit on the horse's bridle. The bullet ricochets away but the horse, spooked, rears up and accidentally kicks Jonah in the head. The doc comes rushing out and gets Jonah into his office. There, Jonah starts crying out in a delirium and the story goes into a flashback.

Richmond, Virginia, Christmas Day, 1861. Jonah, unscarred, and his best friend Jeb ride up in front of a large plantation. The black butler calls for Mr. Turnbull to come out because Jeb Turnbull & Jonah are home. Jeb explains that he & Jonah are on a three day pass. They are welcomed into the home & they present Mr. Turnbull with a present, the Eagle-topped cane that we have seen previously. Jeb mentions that they took it off a Union General.


During dinner there is a discussion about how well the war is going. Jeb, full of bravado, exclaims that within three months, the Confederacy will have won its freedom. Jonah expresses doubts because it seems that for every Yankee he shoots, six more seem to pop up. Just then, one of Mr. Turnbull's men comes in, shouting that some of the slaves have gotten loose and started an uprising by setting the barn on fire. They all rush outside to see some of the hired hands and some loyal slaves shooting into the mob, trying to calm the riot. Suddenly one of the slaves rushes up behind Jonah, wielding a large club. Jeb shouts a warning & Jonah turns and shoots the slave dead.
Jeb shouts, "YAHOO! You got im, Jonah boy! Good shot!" Jonah appears remorseful at having killed the man and mumbles a short thanks. Mr Turnbull orders his son to forget about Jonah and to "get those rebellious darkies back to their sheds so we can resume our Christmas dinner".

The next day, Mr. Turnbull personally takes it upon himself to flog the leaders of the uprising. Jonah comments that maybe the slaves had been whipped enough, but Turnbull says that slaves are like children, requiring beating to understand their master's love for them. A day or so later, Jonah & Jeb are back on the front lines, fighting the Yankees.

January 1st, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation takes effect. Even though it was written on Sept 22nd of '62, this story shows Lincoln reading it on Jan 1 '63.

An undisclosed time later, Jonah & Jeb are talking over the campfire. Jonah explains that he can't continue to kill Yankees while they are fighting for men to be free, but he can't turn & fight against his friends. His only solution is to turn himself in to the Union & sit the war out in prison.

That night, Jonah appears in the bedroom of the commander of the nearby Fort Charlotte. The Commander thinks that the fort has been overtaken, but Jonah explains that he is surrendering to the top man at the fort. The commander questions Jonah as to the location of his unit, but Jonah explains that he alone is surrendering & will not divulge that information.

The commander calls for his orderly, a black soldier, & berates him for allowing Jonah to get into the bedroom. He tells the orderly tha Jonah can have free reign of the stockade area. Jonah, mentally notes that it seems like the black man has no real home in the North or the South. Later, the orderly comes in and explains that he found red clay on the hooves of Jonah's horse. That may lead them to where Jonah's platoon is camped. The commander orders that a platoon be sent out to check a nearby marsh.

That morning, Jonah's entire platoon is captured in their bedrolls and not one shot is fired. As they are being taken to Fort Charlotte, some of the men are already blaming Hex, calling him a "sneaky, nigger-lovin'..." before being threatened by Jeb. once they are all in the fort, the commander has Jonah brought out and publically thanks him for turning traitor on his friends. Jonah punches the commander, but the damage is done, his friends believe he has turned them in. Jonah is then locked in solitary confinement.

While in solitary confinement, Jonah locates a loose board that leads to a tunnel. The jailer brings Jonah's ration of bread & water, notices the loose board and then warns the captain. The captain is overjoyed because the fort doesn't have enough supplies to feed their own soldiers, much less dozens of prisoners. The captain orders gatlin guns placed around the perimeter, ready for a breakout.

Jonah climbs down the tunnel into the prisoner barracks. He hands out some guns he stole along with wire cutters, however only a few men of the thrity five escaping are able to escape alive. Jeb dies in Jonah's arms, begging to know if Jonah is guilty of the betrayal.
Jonah later hunts down the captain and kills him in revenge. Two weeks later when the news reaches Quentin Turnbull, he swears vengence upon Jonah for the death of Jeb.

The flashback ends as Jonah awakens. Jonah asks the doctor about the young man that shot at him. The doctor tells him that the young man is still waiting across the street. Jonah walks out and asks the man if he's ready for a showdown. The young man quickly pulls his gun and guns Jonah down before Hex can get a shot off. The doctor runs out & pronounces Jonah dead. The young man, having avenged his dad, rides slowly off. Once he is gone, Jonah gets up. The doc says that Jonah took an awful chance, letting the boy take a shot, but Jonah replies that a kid that wet behind the ears couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. He then rides off as well.

Statistics for this issue
Men killed by Jonah - 2; Jonah shoots the captain and we see Jonah shoot a man in battle.
Running Total - 84
Jonah's Injuries - Kicked in the head by a horse and punched in the face.
Timeline - 1875 for the opening & closing and 1862-63 for the flashback. This is the beginning of some of the stickier points in Jonah's timeline. 1875 was a dumping ground for Michael Fleisher and it seemed that later on, when the Jonah Hex stories started having a continung storyline the 1875 stories that were told earlier were not shoehorned in. This was a western comic & people weren't paying attention to it. The errors, starting with issue #30, just kept coming.

Like I said earlier, this is probably one of the best & most pivotal stories in the Hex legend. Quentin Turnbull was a driving force in Jonah's life and that would come to a climax in the next issue.

Next Week: Disgrace, Cowardice, Yellow Paint, and Turnbull almost upchucks!!!

Note of thanks to Susan for spotting my error on the year Turnbull got the cane. It wasn't 1962 (or even 1862) it was 1861.

Weird Western Tales #26 "Face-off with the Gallagher Boys!"

Weird Western Tales # 26 Jan-Feb 1975
"Face-off with the Gallagher Boys! "
Michael Fleisher, story - Doug Wildey, art

The story starts off with the 5 member gang of the Gallagher Boys pulling apart the rails in front of an oncoming train. Naturally the train derails horribly and the Boys head for the payroll car. Jonah has been trailing them for 2 months and gets the drop on them during the robbery.

He kills one and then is forced to jump into the overturned payroll car to avoid being shot by one of the gang. They slam the door and lock him before they ride off. A few minutes a posse rides up (where they came from is anybody's guess) and assume that Jonah is part of the gang that got left behind. They cuff Hex and take him to town to stand trial.

Meanwhile, we get an interlude as the Gallaghers make their getaway. They are aided by local ranchers that hate the railroads. The ranchers misdirect the following posse and the Gallaghers end up at the home of Mack & Martha and their teenage daughter Debbie. It's very obvious that Debbie & Ben, the leader, have a flirting relationship.

Back in Poozle Junction (honest to God, that's the name of the town) Jonah is jailed and kicked into his cell. Later he is offered coffee and when he refuses, it's thrown in his face by the deputy.

Back in Virginia, it is raining in a graveyard as a surrey pulls up to a grave marker. The man with the Eagle-topped cane disembarks and lays flowers at the grave of his son. He rants for a few panels to his servant, Solomon, and then gives him a letter to mail. A few days later the letter finds it's way to the Gallagher's hideout. How the man in Virginia knows the Gallaghers or where to find them is never addressed (haw haw, addressed, git it?) but he has offered them $10,000 for killing Jonah Hex. Ben Gallagher convinces Debbie that Jonah is one of their gang and enlists her help to free Hex.

That night Debbie goes into town to take some soup to the deputy (who does recognize her). As he is scarfing down the soup, she slips the key ring to Jonah. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Jonah gets out of the cell, pulls a gun on the deputy, empties the contents of the ashtray into the soup and then forces the deputy to eat it. When the deputy stands up, choking on the nauseating mixture, Jonah cranks him in the head with the ashtray, knocking him out.

Jonah follows Debbie back to the ranch and as they enter the house Debbie comments how about Jonah's 'friends'. Before Jonah can respond, the door swings open and the Gallaghers usher Jonah inside at gunpoint. They sit Jonah in a chair & and mention they are getting paid by a ma in Virginia to kill him. Debbie intervenes since she's angry at being fooled & used. She shoves Ben, shouting that he's just a murderer.

Mack quickly responds by grabbing a shotgun from the mantle and tosses it to Hex. Almost everyone hits the floor as Jonah opens fire with both barrels, killing two of the gang and wounding a third. Ben starts to draw down on Jonah but Jonah literally busts the shotgun over Ben's head.

The next morning, Jonah leaves to take the gang to town & clear the slate with the sheriff. As he leaves he makes a mention that maybe someday the railroads will all go bankrupt and that maybe he needs to go visit Virginia.

Statistics for this issue
Men killed by Jonah - Four. 3 of them were shot and Jonah busted a shotgun across Ben Gallagher's head so hard that he appears unconscious the next morning (?). I'm assuming that he's dead.
Running Total - 76
Jonah's Injuries - Kicked in the ribs & hot coffee to the face
Timeline - Since this does contain a reference to the Man with the eagle topped cane it takes place prior to Jonah heading back to Virginia. This part of the timeline starts getting real sticky & I'm sure that we'll have to come back & revisit it. There is nothing else in the story to place it in the timeline.


I would rate this near the very bottom of Hex stories. The Doug Wildey art is very murky with the ziptone shading, that just doesn't work on newspaper especially when it is colored on top of it all. The story consists of Jonah shooting a guy, getting jailed, being freed, and shooting 3 more guys. If they had phones back then, he could have phoned it in. Also, Fleisher has a bad habit of making rewards in the thousands of dollars as opposed to hundreds that they probably were. Every dollar in 1875 is equal to sixteen in today's dollars. That means that $10,000 offer is $160,000 today. That, coupled with the bizarre unexplained way as to how the man with the cane knows how to find the Gallagher boys, just really seals the lid on a bad story that is already dead.

Next issue - Jonah rocks the vote & is revealed as a cross-dresser.

Weird Western Tales #23 "The Point Pyrrhus Massacre"

Weird Western Tales #23 - July/Aug 1974

"The Point Pyrrhus Massacre"

Michael Fleisher, story - Tony DeZuniga, art - Luis Dominguez, cover

The story opens with two outlaws getting ready to bushwhack Jonah Hex after being pursued by him for three weeks. They lie in wait on opposite sides of a canyon. Eventually, Jonah comes riding along and one of the outlaws guns him down. When the corpse is examined, it isn't Jonah, but the other outlaw wearing Jonah's coat & hat. Hex steps out from behind a rock and convinces the first outlaw to drop his gun. Jonah then takes both men into nearby Point Pyrrhus.

While in town, Jonah drops the men off with the sheriff and says that he'll be staying in town for a few days until his reward money arrives from the state capital. The sheriff mentions that the end of the week, President Grant will be stopping in town during his tour of the West.

Meanwhile in Washington, D.C. at a meeting of the President's advisors we see the man with the eagle-topped cane. The man chairing the meeting explains that Grant will be touring the west to make a firsthand evaluation of the possibilities the west has to offer. The men at the table, captains of commerce they are called, will be on the trip as well to be able to advise Grant afterward.

Back in Point Pyrrhus, a man inquires at the hotel as to which room Jonah is in. He walks in & finds Jonah fast asleep. Jonah quickly pulls a pistol on the man, demanding to know his business. The man is Michael Fenton of the Secret Service. He has learned of a plot to murder Grant in retaliation of his gentle handling of the South after the war. Fenton wants Jonah's help. Hex will have no part of it until Fenton makes an offer of $500.

In Virginia, Solomon, the butler, brings a telegram to the man with the eagle-topped cane, informing him that their operative is in Point Pyrrhus & will murder Hex at the first opportunity.

Things are uneventful in town until the end of the week. Fenton has tracked some men to an abandoned warehouse. He will bust in the front while Jonah storms the back. Jonah smashes his way into the back and finds Fenton being held by four men. The men explain that they are going to kill Grant because of his "cozyin' up" to the South. They have two men hiding in a hay wagon by the station and another two in the water tower with a gatling gun.

Fenton quickly grabs one man while Jonah snatches a nearby axe, throws it, killing one of the men. During the fight, Fenton is killed and Jonah guns down the remaining three men. He grabs some dynamite in order to take out the others. As Jonah leaves the warehouse he encounters the sheriff. The sheriff pulls a shotgun & explains that he is going to kill Hex because he is being paid to.

Jonah tries to reason with the sheriff but just then the train whistle is heard. The sheriff glances away and Jonah leaps forward, busting the sheriff in the jaw & then takes off running. As Jonah heads for the hay wagon he grabs a lantern and lights it. The sheriff appears and tells Jonah to freeze. The men in the hay wagon think that the sheriff is onto their plan and gun him down. Jonah then sets the hay wagon on fire and shoots the two men as they try to escape. Jonah lights the dynamite and runs across the tracks to the water tower but he is cut down by the Gatling gun.

As Jonah crawls closer to the tower he manages to throw the dynamite into the tower so it explodes, killing the two men in it, just before the train arrives. Onboard the train, the President's advisor explains that they won't be stopping because the President is needed back in D.C. & the smaller towns are being dropped from the itinerary. As the train roars through town, the man with the eagle-topped cane sees the body of Hex and assumes he is dead.

The townspeople appear and realize that Hex is barely alive. The town doctor orders them to get Hex to his house where he probably will die anyway. The issue closes with folks seeing the dead sheriff, assuming he killed all the men and that Hex only got caught in the crossfire. A couple of kids try to get souvenirs.

Statistics for the issue

Men killed by Jonah - 9 shot

Running Total - 65

Injuries - shot with Gatling gun

Timeline - Obviously took place during the Grant presidency (1869-1877) . I can't find any record of Grant touring the West, so we can't pin this one down exactly. UPDATE - This took place in 1873 (Thanks, Brandon)

This issue was on of the best. I had assumed that Fenton would be the operative to kill Hex & was pleasantly fooled. Hex is seen as being motivated by money initially, but doesn’t back down once Fenton is dead. There are a few pieces of comedy with a waiter urging Hex to leave a table so "gentlemen" can use it. Jonah quickly finishes his dessert & leaves. I also enjoyed the townspeople misunderstanding what had transpired. Makes me wonder how much of history is misunderstood.

On a final note, in a letter David DeWitt asks when we will see a team up of Hex & El Diablo. 32 years later in an upcoming issue of the second Jonah Hex series, that's when. I hope David is still reading.

Next issue? ACTING!! THANK YOU!!!

Also, Saturday, I'll post WWT #19, the first Hex book I ever purchased.

Weird Western Tales #22 "Showdown at Hard Times"

Weird Western Tales #22 -May/Jun 1974
"Showdown at Hard Times"
Michael Fleisher - story, Tony DeZuniga - art

This story starts off with two outlaws caught in a downpour coming up on a prospector in a lean-to. They decide to rob the prospector, but they learn (too late) that it's Jonah Hex in disguise. During the shootout both outlaws are killed, Jonah's horse is killed and the outlaw's horses run off. Jonah is now on foot.

In a scene straight out of Stagecoach, the next day Jonah flags down a passing stage and hitches a ride. In the stage are a spinster, a deputy sheriff (Fred Caro), a black prisoner in handcuffs (Blackjack Jorgis), & and another man in black. During the ride, Jonah takes a swig from a bottle he is carrying. The spinster acts offended. In a nice bit of comedy, Jonah apologizes for being rude and not offering her any. She is even MORE offended. Jonah realizes his mistake and wipes off the top of the bottle to sterilize it and offers it to her again. She tells Jonah off and Jonah replies "Jonah, boy, ah'm thinkin' it's about time tuh keep yore mouth shut, an' enjoy the scenery." (Side note: How did Fleisher write like this? Did he get paid by the apostrophe? Did he write in normal English and then run it through a Hex-ifier?)The man in black (aka Lee Van Cleef) takes notice of Jonah's name and pulls out a photo of Jonah, unscarred, standing next to a Confederate flag. Cleef pencils in the scars on Jonah's face and makes a positive ID. Just then, burning tumbleweeds roll down a hill, spooking the horses. A couple of shots ring out and the driver & the guard are both killed.

The horses are running wild & Jonah climbs out of the stage to stop them, but the stage takes a sharp turn and the whole thing tips over. When Jonah gets up, he is being held at riflepoint by a couple of Mexicans and an Indian that are trying to free Blackjack. Blackjack kills the deputy and offers the spinster to one of the Mexicans. Jonah attempts to defend the lady, insults the Mexican and then Blackjack notices Jonah's Confederate jacket.

Blackjack then decides to show the 'Johnny Reb' some 'courtesy & respect' by beating the tar out of Jonah before he & his gang escapes. Jonah recovers and then takes the stagecoach on into the nearby town, Hard Times.
In town, Jonah meets the sheriff, Hank Brewster. Hank hasn't seen Jonah in 15 years and makes mention of hearing how fast Jonah is with a gun, figuring it was some of the things that Hank had taught Jonah that made him so fast. Jonah says that Hank taught him everything he knows. The next morning Hank & Jonah are talking. Hank states that he heard about Jonah's scars & is sorry about that. He then asks "How's yore paw? Is the old coot still..." "thet's right, Hank. He still is." replies Jonah.

In that quick little 3 panel exchange we get some nice early glimpses into Jonah's past. Here is someone that taught him about shooting, knew him before his scars, and knows his family (& his father is still alive.)

Jonah & Hank continue drinking & then Jonah decides to track down Blackjack. Meanwhile, Cleef has ridden to a cabin full of men that appear to be associated with the Confederacy. He tells of finding Jonah and they state that they must now find Jonah & kill him.
Later that day, Jonah tracks down Blackjack & his gang. He breaks into their cabin, but one of the gang gets the drop on Jonah. They drag him outside to kill him, but they are suddenly cut down in a blaze of gunfire. Jonah thanks the men, but they are the men that Cleef contacted. They prepare to lynch Hex, but Sheriff Brewster shows up with a posse. Brewster observes how much the bounty will be for the dead Blackjack gang, but Jonah points out that it should go to Cleef's men.

Everybody heads back to town where Jonah is begged by the village idiot for his autograph. Jonah complies and the man is elated to get the autograph of Buffalo Bill. Later that evening, Brewster interrupts Jonah's dinner to tell him that the four men from earlier in the day have told Brewster to give Jonah the altered photo. Brewster offers his help but Jonah declines.

The men are waiting by the stockyards. As Jonah prepares to meet them he comments that he doesn't mind going up against four men wanting to kill him, that sorta thing builds character. It's a cerftain fifth man that gnaws on him. Jonah climbs to a second floor balcony of a nearby building and ambushes two of the men. A third is preparing to shoot Hex when the cattle his is hiding among get spooked and trample him to death.

In the gathering darkness a fourth man comes up behind Jonah and calls his name. Jonah turns and shoots. While he is reloading, he is shot twice in the left shoulder by the fourth gunman. As the man prepares to kill Jonah, Hex grabs his pistol and kills the fourth gunman. Jonah then discovers that the man he shot in the darkness was Sheriff Brewster coming to Jonah's aid. Brewster dies in Jonah's arms. The townsfolk gather around, acknowledging the accidental shooting of the shreiff, but wondering why those men were gunning for Hex. One person commenting on Jonah asks "did you see them scars? I've heard it said it was the devil's own pitchfork what done it". Another comments, "Look at him, will you? Five men dead and he rides outta here like a parson going on a picnic." It's at that point we witness a tear rolling down Hex's scarred cheek.
The very end of the book happens two days later as a black butler, Solomon, tells a man with an eagle-topped cane that Jonah is still alive and the other men are dead. The mystery man mentions to his dog, Caesar, that they will have to try again.

Stats for the issue
Men killed by Jonah - 6 shot, 1 trampled
Running Total - 56
Jonah's injuries - Beaten twice, shot twice in the left shoulder.
Timeline - This is the start of the Turnbull saga and the only time clue we have is the reference to Buffalo Bill. Bill had gained some prominence by 1872 when he was awarded Medal of Honor while being a civilian scout for the Army, but he had not yet started his Wild West touring show by this time. I would place this between 1868 (when Buffalo Bill started working for the Army) & 1875, but it could probably be narrowed down more to take place after 1872.
This was a pretty graphic tale with 7 men dying by Jonah's hand , 6 others getting shot during the story, and an implied impending rape. The most disturbing part of the story has to be Blackjack's dialogue. I can understand wanting to portray people as uneducated, but allowing the ongoing use of the term "watermelly" by Blackjack (a black man weilding a watermelon like a weapon) was pretty offensive to me even back in 1974 at the age of 13. I'm just wondering if DC changed the text in the recent Showcase Trade of Jonah Hex.

This story also set the stage for so much more that was to follow, Jonah's scarring by a tomahawk, the Fort Charolette massacre, Quentin Turnbull, Jonah's father, and it also showed a compassionate side of Hex that he even denies to himself, when a good friend is killed. I would place this in the better half of Hex tales.

Next week: Jonah, President Grant, and the town gets blown to hell.