main image

JOHN DARBY

Real Name: John Darby

Identity/Class: Normal human (Old West Era)

Occupation: Traveling salesman, criminal

Group Membership: Leader of his gang

Affiliations: His gang (Brazos, others)

Enemies: Federal Marshall Jim Brannigan, Lobo, Red Wolf (Johnny Wakely), Colonel Brett Sabre, Bess Warner (loose), indirectly Owayodata

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile in Midwest USA

First Appearance: Red Wolf I#3 (September, 1972)

Powers/Abilities: John Darby is an overweight criminal organizer who operates a traveling medicine show as a front, leading a gang of armed thugs. He has his men commit murder and robbery for him. He drives a horse & carriage very well.

Height: 5'5" (by approximation)
Weight: 145 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

History:

(Red Wolf I#3 (fb) - BTS) - John Darby ran a traveling medicine show as a front for his roving criminal activities. He and his outlaw thugs robbed the Overland Stagecoach of a huge haul of gold. Soon followed by Federal Marshall Jim Brannigan, the gang knocked the lawman out and left him for dead. Darby then buried the cache of gold in the roots of a large tree. But local Cheyenne Native Americans had set up a small village that thwarted Darby's hopes of recovering the loot, so he resorted to violence to retrieve it.

(Red Wolf I#3) - Darby had his men, led by the thug Brazos, to attack the Cheyenne village, killing men and burning the tepee dwellings. Red Wolf, passing by, rode swiftly in and stopped the attack, forcing Darby and his men to retreat to nearby Fort Rango. Darby feigned victimhood of an assault to the disbelieving Colonel Sabre. Darby then had Brazos and his men poison the water supply used by the local Cheyenne and they almost killed Red Wolf. The Cheyenne soon became sick, and Darby and his men again attacked. Red Wolf and Brannigan, both since recovered, and accompanied by Red Wolf's wolf companion Lobo and a wolfpack, stopped the criminals' deadly raid. Nearby, seeing defeat, Darby tried to escape but was stopped by Sabre. Guided by his spirit Owayodata, Red Wolf revealed where the gold was hidden. Brannigan took Darby and the surviving outlaws to be jailed.

 

 

Comments: Created by Gardner Fox, Syd Shores, Vince Colletta.

This profile was completed 1/29/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
John Darby has no known connections to:

Jim Brannigan

Federal Marshall Jim Brannigan was trailing the thieves who robbed the Overland Stagecoach but the criminals knocked him out and left him for dead. Later, Red Wolf came across him and took Brannigan to widow Bess Warner to nurse him back to health. Having recovered his memory, Brannigan rode out to explain to Red Wolf the situation, and aided him in the capture of John Darby and his outlaws. Brannigan hoped to return to Bess Warner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Red Wolf I#3

Brazos

Brazos was the right-hand man of John Darby and led the pack of violent outlaws following Darby's orders. Brazos and his men robbed the Overland Stagecoach of its gold and knocked out the pursuing Federal Marshall Jim Brannigan, leaving him for dead. The gold was buried what soon became a small Cheyenne village. Darby had Brazos and his men attack and murder the Native Americans so he could access the village, but Red Wolf stopped the raid. Later, Brazos almost killed Red Wolf when he tried to stop them poisoning the Cheyennes' water supply. Brazos led a second attack on the weakened Cheyenne villagers, but Red Wolf and Brannigan, both recovered and accompanied by a pack of wolves, stopped their rampage. Brazos had a final brawl against Red Wolf but was soundly defeated. He was later arrested and taken to jail by Brannigan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Red Wolf I#3

Bess Warner

Bess Warner was a widow who lived near Fort Rango. Red Wolf brought the near unconscious Jim Brannigan to her, hoping she would care for him. She was greatly surprised to find a Native American helping a white man and nursed the patient back to good health. After helping Red Wolf, Brannigan hoped to meet up with Warner again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Red Wolf I#3

images: (without ads)
Red Wolf I#3, p19, pan3 (main image)
   p6, pan4 (headshot)
   p2, pan1 (carriage)
   p16, pan4 (Brannigan)
   p18, pan2 (Brazos full body)
   p18, pan1 (Brazos headshot)
   p5, pan1 (Warner)

Appearances:
Red Wolf I#3 (September, 1972) - Gardner Fox (writer), Roy Thomas (dialogue re-write), Syd Shores (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 09/10/2021
Last updated: 09/07/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Back to Characters