Breaking Promises with the Outlaw Kid

Throughout the early 1940s and ’50s, western themes found increasing popularity within pop culture. From cowboys and gunslingers to bounty hunters and lawmen, the comic universe was overrun with heroes of the Wild West. One such hero had to battle not only outlaws and bandits, but his father’s disapproval. Do you know who this was?

The Outlaw Kid, aka Lance Temple, was created by Doug Wildey and made his first appearance 70 years ago in The Outlaw Kid #1 (September 1954). Following the Civil War, Temple returned home and began working as a frontier lawyer. At the same time, he assisted his father Hoot on the family ranch. One evening, while out for a leisurely ride, the pair were ambushed by a group of outlaws. During the struggle a keg of dynamite exploded nearby, leaving Hoot blinded. Temple was outraged by the incident and wanted to take revenge on the vicious outlaws. Hoot however, blamed violence for his injuries and made Temple promise to never use a gun again.

Over time, Temple found himself unable to keep his promise. However, to protect his trespasses from his father, he created the alternate identity of the Outlaw Kid. Shortly after debuting Outlaw Kid, the ranches surrounding Caliber City were terrorized by Crazy Wolf, a Native American warrior. After joining forces with Red Hawk, the duo found Crazy Wolf’s camp and challenged him to the death. Naturally, the two succeeded and ensured peace within the ranches. It was during this time that Temple began dating Belle Taylor and fell in love with her. Unfortunately, due to his promise to his father, Belle thought of Temple as a coward and grew infatuated with the Outlaw Kid. Creating an awkward situation where the girl you love, loves someone else, but that someone else is still you.

The Outlaw Kid series followed the confusing love triangle between Belle and Temple, his dishonesty with his father, and the intense battles that ensued between bandits around the city. While the initial comic series had a brief run, the Outlaw Kid made appearances in various other spinoffs and even inspired a revival series in 2000. Although the western trend isn’t as popular today, the legend of the Outlaw Kid lives on.