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DRAGON FACE

Real Name: Dragon Face

Identity/Class: Normal human (Native American - Apache) (Old West Era)

Occupation: Briefly chief of his Red Hawk's Apache tribe;
   formerly leader of his own small Apache band

Group Membership: His small band of Apaches

Affiliations: Fellow Apaches of his tribe;
   formerly Red Hawk

Enemies: Apache Kid (Alan Krandal/Aloysius Kare), Major Bill Gregory, Mary Gregory, Red Hawk, US soldiers, local white settlers

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile near Fort Judson, Arizona Territory, USA

First Appearance: Two Gun Western#7/1 (April, 1951)

Powers/Abilities: Raised an Apache, Dragon Face used religion, invoking the revered spirit Manitou, to fuel his quest for power. He was willing to kill, including holding human sacrifices, to achieve this, particularly against encroaching white settlers. He could shoot a rifle fairly accurately and had good horse-riding skills.

Height: 5'8" (by approximation)
Weight: 160 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

History:

(Two Gun Western#7/1 (fb) - BTS) - Dragon Face railed against encroaching white settlers and military that protected the settlers on Apache lands. Leader of a small group, he was a firebrand drifter among the Apaches, encouraging the killing of non-Apaches, or their capture and human sacrifice, invoking the revered Native American spirit Manitou to gain reluctant compliance from his fellows. His extremist stance earned him a feared reputation among the local population.

(Two Gun Western#7/1) - Harnessing superstition, Dragon Face led a stealthy attack against a four US troopers patrolling the area, killing three but kept one alive to burn at the stake out in the open. The killers took refuge in Chief Red Hawk's encampment. The Apache Kid, having seen the carnage, challenged Dragon Face but the Kid's stepfather, Red Hawk, was honor-bound to provide hospitality for one more night (although he denounced human sacrifice). Dragon Face and his men later wore stolen US trooper uniforms and opened fire on Apaches gathering sacred water from a scalding geyser, using this trickery as an excuse to usurp Red Hawk's leadership and then attack a nearby wagon train. Dragon Face captured Mary Gregory (Apache Kid's secret love) for sacrifice and readied for war against Major Gregory and his US fort, but Apache Kid rode in and rescued Mary while also scattering Dragon Face's forces. The firebrand gave chase and they passed near the sacred geyser, which blew an hour early, scalding Dragon Face as he shot far up into the air and died. The Apache Kid mused that there may have been divine intervention from Manitou.

Comments: Created by uncredited writer, Joe Maneely (pencils & inks).

He appeared in one panel only with what appears to be a ceremonial mask (see third image at right), but this was the introductory panel and the headgear is not shown again. Presumably it was used at one point in the human sacrifice ceremony.

This story was later reprinted, as per comics.org, in Apache Kid#11 (December, 1954) (but had a white chest stripe instead of green) and Western Gunfighters#10 (July, 1972) (but had a red face stripe instead of green).

Marvel's Apache Skies miniseries retconned many of the adventures of Marvel's western stars as dime novel fictional accounts, but we can't be sure which stories that account covers.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Dragon Face has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Two Gun Western#7/1, p5, pan2 (main image)
   p4, pan4 (headshot)
   p1, pan1 (with ceremonial mask)

Appearances:
Two Gun Western#7/1 (April, 1951) - uncredited writer, Joe Maneely (pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 11/04/2020
Last updated: 11/04/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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