Kid Colt is a 2009 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics. The series was part of Marvel's Digital Comics Exclusive range and initially only available in digital format. It's written by Tom DeFalco with art by Rick Burchett and color art by Allan Passalaqua.
The series is a Western starring the titular Kid Colt, a long-running character originally introduced by Marvel's predecessor Atlas Comics in the 1940s.
Although other stories have linked Kid Colt to the shared Marvel Universe, this particular series is a straightforward Western, with no superhumans or fantastic elements.
Colt, whose real name is Blaine Cole, is a young man who was framed and declared an outlaw after avenging his family's murder. Accompanied by Everett 'Hawk' Hawkmore, he finds himself hunted by bounty killers working for Sheriff McGreeley, the man who initially framed him for murder - and that clash is complicated by the arrival of another, very different, group of outlaws.
The first issue was released March 4, 2009. The final issue (#4) was released June 3, 2009.
Kid Colt contains examples of:
- Bad Boss: Sheriff McGreeley responds to news of the Kid's escape by backhanding one of his men, who had nothing to do with the incident. The final issue also mentions that he shot the man who told him that Kid Colt had killed his brother.
- Big Bad: Sheriff McGreeley sets the plot in motion by hiring Sherman Wilks and his Bounty Hunters to bring in Kid Colt, with no intention of letting Colt live long enough for a fair trial. It was McGreeley who framed Colt for murder and put a price on his head in the first place.
- Boom, Headshot!: When the body of 'Colt' (actually Sherman Wilks) is handed in for the bounty, the face is almost entirely gone. 'Wilks' (actually Hawk) explains that he was shot in the face during their duel. Colt and Hawk later discuss the widow they're wiring the bounty to, who was named in Wilks's papers. There's a hole through the papers, an implication that Wilks was actually shot in the chest, with the headshot a post-mortem tactic to disguise the corpse.
- Bounty Hunter: Sherman Wilks is an ex-Confederate officer turned ‘bounty killer’, who takes several jobs from Sheriff McGreeley.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The first issue begins with Colt eating breakfast in a saloon, only to be attacked by gunmen. One of the other diners, visible in the background from the start of the scene, keeps calmly eating until the final gunman is about to shoot Colt In the Back - and then he steps in and shoots the man. He's introduced as Hawk, Colt's future sidekick, whose narration opened the story.
- Chromosome Casting: The cast is entirely male. Colt's mother is briefly seen in flashback (one panel with the family, one panel as a silhouette, a final panel as a corpse), but gets no dialogue. The widows of Wilks' soldiers are mentioned, but never seen or named.
- Code of Honour: Bloodeye and his scavenger band have their own rules, one of which is that they don't attack other outlaws.Bloodeye: Contrary to what people say about us, me and mine are honest thieves, outlaws and killers. We live by a strict code of honor and don't prey on our own.
- Cold Sniper: Sherman Wilks is a very accurate shot when he's using a rifle and sight at long range, and he's also a cool headed tactician. He only gets to act at that range during his first clash with Colt, though.
- Death by Origin Story: Kid Colt's updated origin story has Joshua McGreeley's gang kill his parents, then has Colt kill McGreeley in revenge. A fourth essential death is the nameless man who told Sheriff McGreeley about his brother Joshua's fate, only to be shot dead by the sheriff, as it’s that murder which Colt was framed for, leading to his ongoing battle to clear his name.
- Enemy Mine: 'Bounty killer' Sherman Wilks joins forces with Kid Colt when both sides are ambushed by scavengers. Some of Wilks' men aren't too happy with the arrangement, but the scavengers kill all of them before they can complain too much.
- Exactly What I Aimed At: Colt Plays Possum after Wilks's initial rifle shot wings him, pretending it was fatal. Wilks' right-hand-man Kayne is taken in, as is Colt's ally Hawk. Wilks doesn't fall for it and, after Kayne realises Colt's alive, confirms that he was only ever aiming at the Kid's gun arm - exactly what he hit.
- Faking the Dead: The story ends with the heroes faking Kid Colt's death (using Wilks's corpse) and claiming the bounty on his head. Sheriff McGreeley will presumably work it out - but, at least for a little while, the authorities think Colt is dead.
- False Flag Operation: When Kid Colt and Hawk find a burnt out cottage with the residents killed and arrows in the woodwork, Hawk assumes that Indians killed the residents. However, Colt notices that the arrows are from several different tribes - and decides that the killers were probably scavengers looking to cast blame elsewhere.
- Gory Discretion Shot: When the body of 'Colt' (actually Sherman Wilks) is handed in for the bounty, dialogue mentions that the face is almost entirely gone. It’s only pictured in silhouette, with a ragged outline suggesting the damage.
- Groin Attack: Colt ends his Trial by Combat against Big Bull Banyon with a dive roll that channels his momentum into a devastating kick to the larger man's groin.
- Guns Akimbo: One of the men ambushing Colt during his breakfast comes in shooting with a pistol in each hand. He's almost immediately shot dead, though, and the trope is generally averted.
- Hat of Authority: Wilks' stovepipe hat and more formal outfit immediately makes it clear that he's the man in charge of the bounty killers.
- Honor Before Reason: Wilks is a man of his word, and he gave the sheriff his word that he'd bring Kid Colt in. Even if Colt's just saved his life. Even if he now believes Colt was framed. However, when Colt's finally held at gunpoint and refusing to surrender, Wilks sighs, calmly puts down his rifle, and challenges him to a fair duel. Colt wins and shoots him dead.
- I Gave My Word: Sherman Wilks, who's first seen violently clearing land for Sheriff McGreeley, is gradually revealed as a Noble Confederate Soldier who absolutely will not break his word. The war left him impoverished, but he’d offered a $1,000 death benefit for the family of each soldier who died under his command, so he became a Bounty Hunter to pay that debt. Even after Colt saves his life, and he accepts that the sheriff is probably corrupt and Colt was framed, Wilks won't let him go free, because he gave the sheriff his word.
- In the Back: At the very start of the story, Colt's having breakfast in a saloon when three gunmen burst in and try to kill him. The fourth creeps in more quietly, hoping to shoot him in the back. He gets the drop on the kid and is just about to fire - having stopped to gloat - when Hawk shoots him first.
- Karma Houdini:
- Sheriff McGreeley is tricked into paying 'Wilks' a bounty for Kid Colt's supposed death, but apart from that money, he remains The Unfought and suffers no consequences for his plot.
- Bloodeye's gang murder a house full of innocents, as well as trying to kill Colt, Hawk and Wilks (and killing almost all of Wilks's men). Quite a few of his gang are killed, but Bloodeye himself is unharmed and simply rides off after Colt wins Wilks's freedom.
- Kill and Replace: Colt kills Wilks in a Quick Draw duel and then his sidekick Hawk briefly replaces him, handing in the faceless corpse and claiming it's Colt's, so that they can claim the bounty Wilks was owed. Wilks’ reputation means he's not challenged too closely.
- Killed Offscreen: The result of the Quick Draw duel between Wilks and Colt isn't directly shown, and it initially seems that Wilks may have won - or at least survived. But then it's revealed that his faceless body was handed in as Colt's...
- Never Found the Body: After the Cole family were murdered, Blaine didn't find his younger brother Jeb's body. He assumes Jeb died in the fire when the house was torched, but the other two bodies were left outside. Jeb's fate is never confirmed.
- Noble Confederate Soldier: Sherman Wilks was a Confederate officer who believed in the Southern cause. He's spent the years since the war as a bounty hunter, compensating the families of the men who died under his command, and he absolutely will not break his word or compromise his personal code of honor. In the end, the conflict between the two things gets him killed in a duel with Colt.
- Outfit Decoy: Colt and Hawk put their hats and jackets on corpses to set up a convincing decoy for Wilks' gunmen. By the time they realise they're attacking the dead, they've been outflanked.
- Outlaw: Aside from Kid Colt himself (as usual), Bloodeye's scavengers are a gang of outlaws. They're cold blooded killers, but also keep to a Code of Honour that prohibits attacks on other outlaws.
- Playing Possum: Wilks' first attack on Colt and Hawk starts with a rifle shot that takes Colt off his horse, and Hawk worries that he's dead. He's actually playing possum, as the bullet only hit his arm - which doesn't surprise Wilks, as he wasn't shooting to kill in the first place.
- Poor Communication Kills: Bloodeye's scavengers have a Code of Honour that says they don't prey on other outlaws, but they're deep in battle with Colt, Hawk and Wilks's men - with heavy casualties on both sides - before Mr. Hodges thinks to mention that he recognises Colt from wanted posters. Bloodeye is not impressed.
- Posthumous Character: Joshua McGreeley is introduced as part of Kid Colt's updated origin. He killed Blaine Cole's family, and it's Blaine's attempt to avenge them that made him into the outlaw Kid Colt. Although Joshua's already dead when the story starts, he's seen in flashback and casts a long shadow over the plot. The Big Bad is his brother, who wants revenge - and Colt's long-term goal is to find the survivors of Joshua's gang and use them to clear his name.
- Quick Draw: Wilks won't let Colt escape, but his personal code of honor means he'll put down his rifle and offer a fair gunfight instead of shooting him in cold blood. Both men approach the duel in good faith. Colt wins.
- Rewrite: The series revises a few things about Colt's past. His real surname is now Cole, not Colt. The circumstances surrounding his family's murder, and the identities of the killers, have also changed (previous Kid Colt comics had already changed this backstory several times).
- Sequel Hook: The series resolves its arc, but leaves a lot of scope for sequels:
- Sheriff McGreeley, who originally framed Kid Colt for murder, is still in office, hasn't directly confronted Colt at any point, and hasn't suffered any consequences other than paying out a bounty to 'Wilks' in the belief that Colt was dead.
- When Wilks is first introduced, Sheriff McGreeley mentions that he's been busy clearing land for one of the Sheriff's brothers, suggesting that Joshua McGreeley has at least two more siblings who might want revenge on Kid Colt.
- The fate of Colt's younger brother Jeb is left undefined, as Colt Never Found the Body.
- Bloodeye comments that he thinks he's destined to cross paths with Kid Colt again.
- Kid Colt is still looking for the surviving members of Joshua McGreeley's gang, seeking a witness who can clear his name.
- The Sheriff: Sheriff McGreeley is a Dirty Cop and Small-Town Tyrant who's determined to kill Kid Colt. That's partly because Colt killed his brother, but it's also clear that the family is crooked and Colt could derail their wider schemes. At one point McGreeley directly tells one of his lackeys that if Colt is captured, he'll never live to see trial.
- Single-Episode Handicap: Colt, who's right handed, is shot in his right arm when Wilks first attacks him. He spends the rest of the limited series with that arm in a sling, shooting and fighting left-handed. It’s downplayed to the point where it doesn't slow him down at all, though - he's still a great shot, he wins an unarmed Trial by Combat and he's fast enough to win a Quick Draw duel against Wilks.
- Trial by Combat: Kid Colt takes on Big Bull Banyon, Bloodeye's champion, in unarmed combat to save the Bounty Hunter Sherman Wilks from the scavengers. Despite having one arm in a sling, he manages to leave Banyon in a great deal of pain.
- The Unfought: Colt and Sheriff McGreeley never directly meet or interact, and certainly don't fight. At the end of it all, the sheriff's been tricked into paying out a bounty, but is a Karma Houdini apart from that loss of money.
- The Western: Kid Colt is a straightforward Western tale, with none of the fantastic elements or brightly costumed villains that appear in some of his earlier tales.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: In the first issue a United States Marshal, Samuel Gemmell, unexpectedly drops in on McGreeley, telling him that the district judge will soon be visiting, and is taking an interest in the Kid Colt case. Colt himself later pays a visit to the Marshal, holding him at gunpoint while explaining that he was framed and is trying to clear his name. Gemmell never appears again, and the judge's visit plays no part in the rest of the story.
