Johnny Bart

Orphaned as a boy, John Barton Clay was raised by his uncle Ben Bart, a Texas Ranger, who taught him to ride and shoot. Taking the name Johnny Bart, he grew into a peerless marksman and lightning-fast gunfighter roaming the Old West.

Few characters can claim the distinction of launching one of Marvel's most beloved Western franchises, but Johnny Bart did exactly that — debuting in Rawhide Kid #1 in 1955, brought to life by the talented trio of Don Rico, Joe Maneely, and Bob Brown. A product of the mid-fifties Western comics boom, Johnny rides through Marvel's dusty frontier pages across a remarkable span of decades, sharing adventures with legendary saddle-pals like Two-Gun Kid, Kid Colt, and Matt Hawk in titles like The Mighty Marvel Western and Apache Skies. That debut issue carries key-issue status among collectors, a testament to just how significant this opening chapter was for Marvel's Western universe. With 69 appearances stretching from 1955 all the way to 2026, Johnny Bart is a quietly enduring figure of the frontier — well worth tracking down for any fan who loves their comics with a little trail dust.