Six-Gun Heroes Western Comic Annual #4

Tex Ritter's reputation for quick action is tested when he's called to investigate a string of trap robberies in the hills, armed with the keen instincts of his faithful dog Fury and his horse White Flash. What starts as a search for a common thief leads Tex to an isolated cabin and a dangerous discovery that puts him face-to-face with a killer whose weapon of choice is far more primal than any six-gun. With danger closing in from all sides, Tex must rely on his wits and his loyal companions to survive an encounter with a threat unlike any outlaw he's faced before.

Slim Pickens opens a struggling restaurant out west, complete with dubious cooking methods and even more dubious staff—including a gorilla in the kitchen. When Saddler stops by to see how the enterprise is going, he's treated to a masterclass in Slim's creative approach to hospitality and food preparation, complete with wordplay and increasingly outrageous kitchen secrets that test even a customer's patience.

Tex Ritter uncovers a murder at a carnival when a widow seeks advice about her late husband's fortune, leading the Prairie Ranger to suspect a charlatan medium named Madame Lagyppe is running a con—until he devises a clever trap using the medium herself to catch the real killer. With a seance planned for midnight, Tex must outwit both the criminal and the untrustworthy medium to expose who really committed the crime.

When a patient complains of a sore throat, Doc Sorebones offers to treat it—for a price that strikes the cowboy as outrageously steep. The resulting squabble over the cost of medical care delivers a punch line that lands squarely on frontier practicality.

When Gabby Hayes pins on the tax collector's badge for the Rawhide school fund, he sets his sights on the wealthiest—and most stubborn—holdout in the county: the miserly Abel, whose fortified ranch has already sent an entire squad of collectors to the hospital. With the help of his scrappy young companion Tippy, Gabby tangles with Abel's guards, wild animals, and the slippery con man Windy Swindle in a wild scramble to get the tax money the schools desperately need.

Young Falcon discovers that the Onadontas' young braves are mysteriously failing their traditional test—slaying a giant grizzly in single combat with bow and arrow—and sets out to learn why so many have fallen. When he encounters the beast himself, careful observation reveals a cunning strategy: not one bear, but two, working in tandem to outmaneuver their inexperienced hunters. Young Falcon must rely on his experience and quick thinking to survive an encounter that's proven deadly to every brave before him.

Rod Cameron finds himself caught between crooks and the law when he's framed for a bank robbery orchestrated by criminals who've coerced Banker Turnbill into the scheme. Forced to prove his innocence while imprisoned, Rod must outwit the outlaws, rescue their hostage, and stop their plan to use the banker as a shield for their biggest heist yet. This 1959 western tale delivers plenty of gunplay and quick thinking as Rod races to save the day.

When Tex Ritter rolls into a rodeo town, he reconnects with an old friend, Gail, whose prize horse has been sabotaged by hired hands working for the ruthless Link Hodge—who's determined to seize her ranch. Tex enters his own mount, White Flash, in the fifty-mile marathon race and must outride a gauntlet of gunfire, landslides, wildfire, and a sabotaged bridge as Hodge's men stop at nothing to keep him from the finish line. It's a breakneck test of nerve and horsemanship, with the ranch—and Gail's future—hanging on whether Tex can cross that finish line first.

Hammer Head's notorious shyness keeps him from joining in the fun at a local dance, prompting him to share just how deep his bashfulness runs—all the way back to his schooldays. This 1959 western humor tale plays up the quirky contradiction between a tough frontier character and an unexpectedly timid disposition.

When the dedication of Centerville's new dam explodes in violence, suspicion falls on rancher Joe Barton—but Golden Arrow isn't convinced the lazy cattleman is guilty. The West's champion of justice must dig beneath the surface to uncover who really dynamited the floodgate and why, while an angry mob demands swift frontier justice.

Bob Steele races to protect Don José's oilfield operation from the ruthless outlaw Mead Jameson, who's determined to destroy the water wagons and supplies needed to keep the camp running. When Jameson's bandits launch a nighttime assault with dynamite, Bob must outmaneuver the criminals and confront their leader in a desperate final showdown atop the warehouse. It's a race against time, explosives, and a desperate man willing to burn everything down rather than lose.

Bird Brain runs a clothing store in the Old West, and when a customer comes in looking for a suit, the quick-talking proprietor launches into an enthusiastic sales pitch—complete with a series of increasingly steep discounts. What follows is a comedic negotiation that turns the tables on Bird Brain's own haggling tactics in the most unexpected way.

When a flying saucer mysteriously lands near Ben Carter's ranch, Bob Colt witnesses the arrival of tiny alien visitors who've been systematically stealing objects—and a missing ranch hand—from the property. Determined to uncover their true purpose and rescue his friend, Bob stows away aboard the craft, only to discover the aliens are cataloging Earth's treasures on a remote mesa location. Now Bob must find a way to free the captured cowhand and stop the extraterrestrial collection before it's too late.

Hammer Head starts an unusual organization to protest people's mistreatment of sheep—specifically, the nightly practice of counting them to fall asleep. It's a lighthearted take on frontier justice, where even the smallest creatures deserve a fair shake.