Masked Maverick

Masked Maverick was a criminal in the Old West and an enemy of the Rawhide Kid - unlike most of the Kid's enemies however the Masker Maverick was not a criminal by choice but rather as a victim of circumstances.

History
Crippled for years and confined to a wheelchair, Mr. Mason suddenly regained the use of his legs. Mason, however, kept this extraordinary development a secret as the Mason Ranch had been losing money for years, and he had worked out a plan to make money. He used a remote canyon he had remembered from his youth, which served as a perfect escape route for a rustler, putting a moveable boulder controlled by a concealed lever at the entrance so he couldn't be followed, and became the Masked Maverick. As no one would ever suspect a crippled man, it seemed the perfect cover-up.

During one of his rustling escapades, the Maverick saw the Rawhide Kid camping in the wild. He crept upon the Kid and knocked him out from behind, planting his mask and gear in the Kid's belongings in the process. The Kid was discovered the next morning by a posse who were searching for the Maverick, and was arrested when the men discovered the planted evidence.

The Rawhide Kid was soon proven innocent though, as the Masked Maverick struck again, rustling more cattle and wounding a man in the arm, while the Kid was being held in the jail of the nearby town. The Kid was subsequently released and asked by the townspople to help them stop the Maverick. The Kid immediately set out after him, having a personal score to settle with the criminal. He soon found his prey and chased after him, but lost him when the Maverick used the secret tunnel to escape to the Mason Ranch. The Kid was also soonafter able to find the lever that opened the secret entrance, and followed the Maverick's tracks to the Mason ranch.

The Kid confronted Mr. Mason and his two sons with his suspicions and said that he believed that either the hot-headed Lint or mild mannered Wade had committed the crimes. Mr. Mason offered to let the Kid stay the night at the ranch to help prove their innocence, but later snuck into the Kid's room dressed as the Maverick, determined to kill him. The Kid awoke, hoewever, and the Maverick escaped, further strengthening the Kid's claims that someone in the house was indeed the Maverick. To flush out the Maverick, the Kid had the local ranchers stage a cattle drive. The Maverick did indeed appear and the Kid chased him back to his secret passageway. The two men then fought within the cavern and the Maverick was mortally wounded by one of his own bullets that ricocheted off the walls of the tunnel and hit him in the chest. As the man lay dying, his two sons appeared and Mason recounted how he had become the Maverick and begged for his sons forgiveness before he died.

Powers and Abilities
The Masked Maverick was an accomplished marksman and horseman.

Equipment
His secret passageway operated by a concealed lever which was hidden in a hillside near his ranch.

Transportation
Horse

Weapons
Two pistols