CAPTAIN CLIFF MACKLIN

Real Name: Cliff Macklin

Identity/Class: Human (Old West Era)

Occupation: Law enforcement officer (Texas Ranger)

Group Membership: Texas Rangers

Affiliations: Arizona Kid (Davy Laramee), Chief Cochise, Major Cullen, Chief Grey Fox, Heglin, Happy Hicks, Kirby, Sheriff Cain Tolliver (Cal Toomey), Mr. Vanderpool, Mr. Whitney, Roy Wing, Senator Talley Wing

Enemies: Big Bear, Carl Butler, El Chivuto, Bull Corbin, Creech gang (Chili Charlie, Job Creech, Ox Creech, Crooked Wolf), Jules DuBois, Pete Fallon and his gang (Hank Bellew, Corby, Deuce), Marshal Sam Forbes, Sir Reginald Fornal, Frank Giles, Toad Holden, Kurt, Weasel Labrot, Slade, Bart Trager

Known Relatives: Nan Macklin (daughter), Kent Macklin (brother, deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Fort Houston, Prairie City, southern Texas, USA (late 1800s)

First Appearance: Arizona Kid I#1 (March, 1951)

Powers/Abilities: Captain Macklin was an excellent horse rider whose favorite steed was Deacon. He almost always carried a pistol (sometimes two).

Height: 5'10" (by approximation)
Weight: 170 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black (turning gray)

History: (Arizona Kid I#1) - Captain Macklin was pursuing a trio of outlaws in the prairies when the three men ambushed him. Before they could open fire, the Arizona Kid quickly fired three shots which struck each man in the heart, killing them instantly. The Arizona Kid introduced himself to Macklin and explained that he wanted to join the Texas Rangers. Macklin had heard of the Arizona Kid and was impressed by his abilities so he agreed to escort him to Fort Houston. Arriving at the fort, Captain Macklin introduced the Kid to his daughter Nan then to Major Cullen, who agreed to enlist the Kid as a scout for the Rangers.

Macklin introduced the Kid to Bart Trager and Happy Hicks. The next day, the Kid noticed Macklin's horse Deacon had been rode the previous night. As they set out to investigate rustling at Kirby's ranch, Kirby recognized Deacon as the horse the rustler rode. A fight nearly broke out between Kirby's men and the Rangers until the Arizona Kid suggested they examine the hoofprints of the rustler's horse. The prints matched Deacon's but the Kid noticed the horse was weighed down more heavily than when Macklin rode him. When the Kid discerned Trager was the culprit, Trager tried to take Major Cullen hostage but the Kid shot him; dying, Trager confessed his crimes as the Texas Rangers went to his hideout to bring down his gang and recapture the cattle.

(Arizona Kid I#1/2) - When Major Cullen asked for volunteers to investigate a report of an Apache-led massacre at Apache Wells near Butler City, Captain Macklin volunteered alongside the Arizona Kid and Happy Hicks. The trio rode to Butler City and conferred with the town founder Carl Butler but the Kid found holes in Butler's account. The Kid led the others to meet with the Apaches. Chief Cochise did not trust the Rangers and tortured them by tying them up and firing arrows near their bodies. Macklin faced the situation bravely, telling Hicks and the Kid he was honored to die alongside them but the Kid freed them by challenging Cochise to show he was a better shot than he. After impressing the chief, the Rangers were released and conferred with Cochise. Realizing Butler's own men had impersonated the Apache in the massacre, the Rangers confronted Butler. Macklin and Hicks fired their guns to make Butler's cattle stampede and trample his men to death. The Kid turned Butler over to the Apaches to face their justice. Macklin felt it was inhuman to turn a white man over to the Apaches but the Kid countered that what Butler had done was far more inhuman.

(Arizona Kid I#2) - The Arizona Kid, Macklin and Hicks were summoned by the Texas-Pacific Railroad Company to investigate the Comanche, who were killing their Chinese laborers. The Kid discovered that the man hiring the Chinese laborers, Frank Giles, was selling firearms and liquor to the Comanches, urging them to kill his Chinese laborers because he was paid according to the number of laborers he brought to the railroad. When Giles' duplicity was revealed, the Chinese men murdered him.

(Arizona Kid I#2/2) - Major Cullen revealed to Macklin that Mayor Sobey of Hangtown had asked for the Texas Rangers to protect him against the recently-released convict Red Rand. Captain Macklin assigned the task to the Arizona Kid and Happy Hicks.

(Arizona Kid I#2/5) - When Major Cullen asked the Arizona Kid to help professional game hunter Sir Reginald Fornal hunt animals on nearby Apache lands, Captain Macklin told the Kid his daughter Nan would like to accompany them. The Kid took Nan along but later returned without Nan, who had seemingly been taken prisoner by the Apaches. Sir Reginald accused the Kid of "insubordination" but the Kid proceeded to thrash him soundly then revealed that Nan was in fact safe in the care of Chief Bear Claws, who had helped the Kid deceive Sir Reginald.

(Arizona Kid I#3) - Cliff went with the Kid and Happy to Fort Lauderdale and saw Jim Bernard, the heavyweight champion of the world, as he disembarked from a boat. They watched as Bernard lost in a wrestling match against Big Bear, an Apache. When Big Bear then became the chief of his tribe and declared a warpath, Major Cullen sent the Kid, Cliff and Happy to defend the local homesteads. Davy attempted to stalk the Apache war party but the Rangers were discovered and taken prisoner. The Kid challenged Big Bear to a fight but when he began to win, Big Bear's white ally Weasel threw a knife at the Kid but the Kid ducked and knife hit Big Bear, injuring him. The other Apaches killed Weasel and Big Bear realized he had been duped by Weasel all along and called off the warpath.

(Arizona Kid I#4) - Captain Macklin joined a Texas Rangers assignment to Klamath Wells, where discovery of gold on Apache land had led to violence. When the Rangers' first attempt to negotiate with the Apaches led to a townsperson shooting at the Apaches, the Apaches kidnapped Nan in retribution. The Arizona Kid rescued Nan and Cliff was present as the Kid and Major Cullen negotiated with Chief Grey Fox for peace.

(Arizona Kid I#4/2) - When the Rangers camped near Cactus City, Cliff insisted on going into town to visit his brother Kent. However, the local lawman, Marshal Sam Forbes, hated the Rangers and wanted to keep them from opposing his authority so he murdered Kent just as Cliff and the Kid were riding up to Kent's home. The marshal then arrested the two Rangers, claiming they were Kent's killer. The two Rangers were put into the town jail to await trial alongside Happy but when Cliff saw Nan being accosted by the marshal's men, he flew into a rage. The Kid broke them out of the jail and they fought the marshal and his men, joined by Major Cullen and other Texas Rangers. The Kid killed Marshal Forbes.

(Arizona Kid I#4/5) - Cliff was summoned to San Antone to deal with the Mexican outlaw el Chivuto but he was outgunned and shot by him. Two townspeople carried the injured Cliff back to Fort Houston to receive medical care. The Arizona Kid got revenge by killing el Chivuto and Cliff made a full recovery.

(Arizona Kid I#5) - Cliff and the Arizona Kid rode after three killers in the desert but when they saw their tracks went in two directions, they split up, Cliff heading to the south while the Kid rode north. Cliff found no trace of the fugitives as they had simply let one of their horses ride free. By the time Cliff caught up to the Kid, he had killed the three outlaws.

(Arizona Kid I#5/3) - Cliff and the Arizona Kid rode to San Saba in southwestern Texas in search of the fugitive Cal Toomey. After befriending lawman Sheriff Cain Tolliver, they gradually realized "Tolliver" was really Cal Toomey. When outlaw Toad Holden rode into town, the Kid fought and killed him in a gunfight then told Sheriff Tolliver that he and Cliff would identify Toad as Cal Toomey, permitting Tolliver to remain in peace at San Saba.

(Arizona Kid I#5/5) - Major Cullen assigned Cliff and the Arizona Kid to help guard a team of buffalo hunters led by Senator Talley Wing, against the Kid's objections. When buffalo hunter Bull Corbin inflicted a mass slaughter of buffalo, it outraged the Sioux and Corbin made matters worse by murdering Chief Tomacha when he confronted the hunters. Next, Corbin attempted to massacre a Sioux village and Cliff and the Kid intervened to stop him, during which Corbin killed Senator Wing's son Roy. The Kid killed Corbin and Senator Wing revealed he was really half-Native and his anti-Sioux policies had come from his own self-loathing.

(Arizona Kid I#6) - Cliff joined the Texas Rangers on a mission near Sioux Falls as they were assigned to stop the Creech Gang, who had been raiding towns and leaving them as little more than ruins. Cliff and the Arizona Kid fought with the Creech Gang when they attacked Sioux Falls and the Kid took Job Creech as prisoner. However, Ox Creech then kidnapped Nan to use her as a hostage to force Job's release. However, the townsfolk of Sioux Falls lynched Job to death before Cliff and the Kid could agree to the exchange. At night, Cliff and the Kid rode to where the exchange was supposed to occur and silently killed one of the guards then released Nan. As they fled from the outlaws' mountain hideout, the outlaws gave chase but the Kid knocked over a giant boulder which caused an avalanche, wiping out the Creech Gang.

(Arizona Kid I#6/5) - Major Cullen assigned Cliff to lead six men in search of the outlaw Twist Reeves but told the Arizona Kid he was needed for game hunting and couldn't join Cliff's party. Cliff teased the Kid but he later returned from his pursuit to learn the Kid had found and killed Reeves while out hunting.

(Wild Western I#21/4) - Cliff observed Arizona Kid receiving a mission to find Miss Ramsdell's missing brother Pete. Miss Ramdell was so grateful that she kissed the Kid, making Nan jealous. The Kid expressed his exasperation to Cliff as he set out on the mission.

(Texas Kid I#9/3) - Cliff saw what seemed to be Ute medicine man White Elk kidnap his daughter. He went to the other Texas Rangers to inform them but the Arizona Kid suspected it was a trick; the Kid rescued Nan and proved the false White Elk was really outlaw trader Jules DuBois.

(Wild Western I#23/4) - Cliff, Happy and the Kid found a wrecked wagon which had been carrying gold but was raided by a gang. They tried to bring the lone survivor of the attack to nearby Sand City but one of the gang, Hank Bellew, had lingered behind. Bellew killed the surviving man but the Kid and Cliff killed Bellew. Realizing Bellew looked just like the Arizona Kid, Cliff convinced him to dress up as him and discover where the gang and the stolen gold were. The Kid found the gang led by Pete Fallon in Sand City and Cliff and Happy helped the Kid round up the gang while the Kid recovered the gold.

Comments: Created by an unknown writer and Russ Heath.

    This profile was completed 9/07/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Captain Cliff Macklin should not be confused with:

Deacon

Deacon was Cliff Macklin's favored steed. Bart Trager stole Deacon for nighttime cattle rustling at the Kirby ranch, knowing that if the horse were recognized, Kirby would think Captain Macklin was the rustler. Sure enough, when the Texas Rangers investigated, Deacon was recognized and Captain Macklin blamed but the Arizona Kid examined the hoofprints which Deacon had left and judged that the man riding Deacon was heavier than Macklin, which led to proving Trager was the rustler.










--Arizona Kid I#1 (#1/2, 2, 3, 4/2, 4/5, 5, 5/3, 5/5, 6, Texas Kid I#9/3, Wild Western I#23/4,

Kent Macklin

Kent Macklin was Cliff's brother who lived in Cactus City and ran the local newspaper. He was murdered by Marshal Sam Forbes, a corrupt lawman who tried to frame the Texas Rangers for Kent's death.


--Arizona Kid I#4/2

images: (without ads)
Arizona Kid I#2, page 2, panel 2 (main)
Arizona Kid #4, page 2, panel 5 (headshot)
Arizona Kid #1, page 1, panel 2 (Deacon)
Arizona Kid #4/2, page 3, panel 2 (Kent)

Appearances:
Arizona Kid I#1 (March, 1951) - unknown writer, Russ Heath (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Arizona Kid I#2 (May, 1951) - unknown writer, Russ Heath (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Arizona Kid I#3 (July, 1951) - unknown writer, Russ Heath (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Arizona Kid I#4 (September, 1951) - unknown writer, Russ Heath (artist, story 1 and 2), Pete Morisi (artist, story 5), Stan Lee (editor)
Arizona Kid I#5 (November, 1951) - unknown writer, Pete Morisi (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Arizona Kid I#6 (January, 1952) - unknown writer, Pete Morisi (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Wild Western I#21/4 (April, 1952) - unknown writer, Pete Morisi (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Texas Kid I#9/3 (May, 1952) - unknown writer, Pete Morisi (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Wild Western I#23/4 (August, 1952) - unknown writer, Pete Morisi (artist), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 09/30/2021
Last updated: 09/28/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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