BILLY STEELE: KID RANGER--THE DARK SKULL'S REVENGE

Their rifle bullets bounced off the new Dark Skull’s chest. Col. Tim then led the charge against the invincible titan. Their sabers flashed in the dawn’s early light as they tried to chop down the towering menace like a lumberjack tries to fall a great tree. Enraged by their assault, the new Dark Skull used his merciless forearm to brutally sweep his smaller opponents away, knocking the stunned cavalrymen from their neighing horses.

Flying to his Ranger family’s rescue, The Lightning Warrior shot a dazzling energy bolt from his wristbands at the dissident aggressor. But the humongous creature swatted it away as if it were a horsefly. The Dark Skull then fired a shot from his massive gun. Boom! The lead meteor struck the warrior. His shield withstood the bullet’s piercing power, but the force of the blow knocked the warrior from his white steed and he fell onto the ground.

The new Dark Skull tried to stomp his opponent to death. The nimble warrior swiftly leaped away and then managed to use his magical lariat to bind the Dark Skull’s legs. Using the speed of a jackrabbit and the courage of a cougar, the warrior circled his giant opponent’s legs and like a lightning flash, he tightened his lasso around the monster’s boots. The giant fell and crashed into the office of the territory supervisor Slade, Paradise Valley’s corrupt political leader. The snake like Slade, however, managed to narrowly escape his lair’s collapse.

Seizing the advantage, The Lightning Warrior used his enchanted lance to try and poke the eyes from the monster’s head. If the Native American superhero could render his adversary blind and helpless, the evil incarnate could be subdued.

But before The Lightning Warrior could impale the horrific horseman’s eyes, the Dark Skull, seeing that his prey was close to his mouth, chomped his fangs into the warrior’s arm.

The warrior first howled in pain upon being bitten by the Dark Skull; blood gushed from the warrior’s muscular arm. Seconds later, a transformation overtook The Lightning Warrior. His bleeding suddenly stopped. His face no longer radiated anguish but rather, a wicked sneer appeared on the warrior’s face. This heinous smirk transcended the warrior’s black mask and gave him a contaminated radiance.

The new Dark Skull rose to his feet and looked at the warrior in depraved satisfaction. The Dark Skull’s eyes bid the warrior welcome to the dark side, for the warrior felt an evil surge throughout his mind, body and soul. The transfusion of blood had done its purpose, the new Dark Skull had now exacted his revenge by turning The Lightning Warrior into a wicked, vendetta spirited soldier. Both were hell bent on conquering the West and the world.

While The Lightning Warrior felt an evil excitation speed through his fiber, the new, demonic Dark Skull compelled his new protégé to follow the devil woman’s plan. Reasoning that Billy’s mentor could hold the secret to the mine’s location, Lucy Fur mentally transmitted a message into her Dark Skull’s mind that he must secure the map and the mine’s hidden location from White Eagle. The new Dark Skull then ordered The new Lightning Warrior to hunt down his elderly sage, White Eagle and force the medicine man to reveal the location of the secret mine and then silence his lips for an eternity.

The new Dark Skull, in the meantime, would head to the mining fields to try and find the mine on his own.