Star Ranger #1

Bob Horne returns to the western frontier after years away studying radio engineering back east, only to be forced at gunpoint into a dangerous scheme to pass counterfeit bills at the local bank. Using his knowledge of radio signals, Bob devises a clever way to alert the cashier to his predicament and call for help from the authorities. It's a tense test of wits and nerve as Bob navigates a tight spot with quick thinking and an unexpected skill.

Texas Ranger Lee Trent is ordered to track down the Ghost Riders, a mysterious outlaw gang that strikes banks across the state and vanishes like phantoms—but this time, Trent has set a trap, planting word of a big cash haul to draw them in. When the gang hits the bait and flees town, Trent pursues them to an abandoned shack, where a startling discovery about their method of escape begins to unravel the mystery of how they've eluded capture for so long.

In this humor tale, a duel between two gunslingers in a field of honor spirals into chaos when one contestant pulls an unexpected trick—only to have his opponent counter with an even more audacious move. By the time the dust settles, a victor emerges to claim the title of Public Enemy Number One, and the whole affair plays out with the anarchic energy you'd expect from a 1937 comic strip.

Kidnapped at gunpoint and forced into servitude, the brilliant scientist Montgomery Barnard discovers he's been taken to a remote mining operation where other Americans are imprisoned—and failure to locate gold with his specialized instrument means death. Trapped in the "Valley of Living Death" with brutal captors watching his every move, Barnard must decide whether to comply with his captors' demands or risk the fate that's already claimed so many others.

A fugitive on the run with only one bullet left flees a pursuing posse, only to cross paths with a prospector whose seemingly empty gun holds a secret worth far more than either man realizes. In this 1937 western tale, a desperate gamble at the border reveals that empty cartridges aren't always what they seem—and neither are the stakes of a frontier chase.

A deputy rushes to the town hall after hearing a gang plans to hang the mayor, eager to finally prove his worth by catching them red-handed. His heroic expectations take a humorous turn when he discovers what's actually going on at the scene.

A gunslinger known as the Joker returns from the city with plans for a practical joke on his pal Shorty, but instead finds himself face-to-face with Red McGraw, a vengeful outlaw bent on retrieving blood money and avenging his fallen partner. When Red makes his play for the reward and the Joker's life, a quick draw and a clever quip turn the tables—and land the Joker another bounty to claim.

Dave and Billy pursue the outlaw Pecos Slim to recover stolen gold that threatens their outfit's survival, tracking him through a bandit camp where Slim has gone undercover in disguise. When Dave's sharp eyes and quick gun work corner the fugitive, a clever detail about Slim's weighted cape reveals where the stolen fortune has been hidden all along.