David Wayne (grandfather; deceased)
Pauline Wayne (grandmother; deceased)
James Reid (father; deceased)
Clara Reid (mother; deceased)
Lillian Wayne (aunt; deceased)
Joseph Preston (uncle; deceased)
William Preston (cousin; deceased)
Dan Reid Sr. (brother; deceased)
Linda Reid (sister-in-law;deceased)
Dan Reid Jr. (nephew; deceased)
Britt Reid Sr. (great nephew; deceased)
Britt Reid Jr. (great, great nephew)
History[]
John Reid (born 1850) was a Texas Ranger who later became the masked vigilante known as The Lone Ranger. He operated in this guise from 1869 to 1896 and briefly again in 1938.
Early Life
John Reid was born in 1850, the second son of Texas Ranger James Reid and Clara Reid, and the younger brother of Daniel Reid (Senior). As a small child, John's mother would read to him a small selection from the Holy Bible and a chapter of Ivanhoe every night before bed[1]. During his childhood, Reid's mother at some point fell ill and passed away shortly after, leaving James to raise his two sons alone[2]. The passing of his mother would mark the first death of close family member in John's life and would have a profound impact on him.
Becoming A Texas Ranger
In 1866, John began attending Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, where he was studying to become a lawyer[3][4]. His older brother Daniel had already followed in their father's footsteps and became a ranger sometime prior, with John wanting to join as soon as he possibly could. After three years, John returned home to Texas in 1868, and after several months, officially became a member of the Texas Rangers[5].
The Lone Ranger
John's life would be forever changed in 1869, when he and his fellow Texas Rangers (including his father and older brother) were ambushed by a gang of bandits after being led into a dead end canyon called Brian's Gap[6]. The severely injured John was found by a Native American named Tonto, who nursed Reid back to health[7]. Donning a mask made from his brother's black vest, John and Tonto set out to discover who had orchestrated the ambush on the rangers, with John promising that he would kill them for what they did. Over the course of his mission, John's attitude changed from wanting to murder the individual to bringing them in alive to face a fair trial in the court of law. He believed that his father and brother would not want him to murder in the name of vengeance. John eventually found out that a rising politician named Butch Cavendish was behind the attack on the rangers[8].
On his quest to find Butch Cavendish, the disguised Reid was given the name of the "Lone Ranger" by the general public. Eventually confronting and capturing Cavendish, Reid continued his mission to bring justice to the lawless west as The Lone Ranger until 1896[9][10][11][12][13][14].
Retirement
In 1896, John decided to retire the Lone Ranger persona following an encounter with an elderly Butch Cavendish, who had escaped prison[15]. Deciding to focus on helping his nephew Daniel Reid Junior with his career as a lawyer and the eventual creation of The Daily Sentinel newspaper in Chicago, Reid and his long time sidekick Tonto parted ways[16]. At some point between 1896 and 1938, Reid's identity became public knowledge.
The Final Ride of The Lone Ranger
By 1938, John had taken on a mentor-like role in the life of Britt Reid, Dan Junior's only child. After Britt returned from a "world tour" in the summer of 1938, John was approached by Eliot Ness to help take what they believed to be a new incarnation of the Cavendish Gang targeting and killing high-profile scientists. While John was hesitant due to his age (seeing that his life of adventure was over), he agreed to help Ness any way he could. John would encourage Britt to become a new Lone Ranger for the modern age, giving him what remained of Dan Reid Senior's Texas Ranger vest to make a new mask from. While not the masked persona John had hoped for, Britt created an alter ego called "The Green Hornet", not wanting to call himself The Lone Ranger due to him never being a Texas Ranger[17].
During this investigation into the new Cavendish Gang, John was reunited with Tonto, who had become a part of Buffalo Bill's touring Wild West Show. After their reunion, Tonto joined John, Britt (and Britt's assistant Hayashi Kato) in their investigation on the Cavendish Gang. Eventually, it was discovered that this new Cavendish Gang had nothing to do with Butch Cavendish, but rather named after Henry Cavendish, the scientist who discovered Hydrogen[18]. The investigation led to the Chicago Wax Museum, the "headquarters" of the Gang's leader, Charles Bowles Junior, the son of infamous Western outlaw Charles "Black Bart" Bowles Senior. Bowles killed Tonto in an attempt to get the Reids to break their code of no-killing[19]. John held the dying Tonto in his arms as Chicago police arrested Bowles, but "Black Bart" managed to escape custody. While Eliot Ness managed to capture Bowles, John and Britt discovered Bowles had ordered the immediate murder of one last scientist, and the two (in their respective alter-egos as The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet) raced across Chicago to save him. When they confronted the gang atop the bleachers in Stagg Field, John pushed one of the armed thugs off the top railing when a gun was pulled on Britt. The gangster grabbed John by his red bandana, sending the both of them to the ground from several stories. Britt raced down to see if he could save his great-uncle, but with his dying words, John told Britt that the Lone Ranger's legacy must never die, and he loved him. A few days later, John and Tonto were buried next to each other in a Chicago cemetery[20].
Legacy
After the death of John and Tonto, Britt Reid (in his guise of The Green Hornet) continued to follow the rules and moral code for dealing with criminals John created for himself during his time as The Lone Ranger. In 1939, Britt would open The Silver Bullet Club, a restaurant named after his great-uncle's unique choice of ammunition[21]. Britt's son would later take on the Green Hornet title, and would also adhere to the same moral code created by John.
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Marksmanship
- Unarmed Combat (Basic) - The Ranger was a moderately skilled hand-to-hand combatant, but was often outmatched by dedicated warriors in fights.
- Tracking
- Survival
- Stealth
- Hunting
- Intellect - The Ranger was a college educated "city boy" with considerable knowledge in chemistry.
Paraphernalia
Transportation
Silver the Horse - The Lone Ranger uses a horse named Silver as his mode of transport.
Weapons
Revolvers Silver Bullets - One of the Lone Ranger's trademarks was the use of silver bullets in his guns. Although he frequently used firearms, he used them in non-lethal ways whenever possible.
Links[]
- 40 Appearances of John Reid (Earth-818793)
- Media John Reid (Earth-818793) was Mentioned in
- 62 Images featuring John Reid (Earth-818793)
- 3 Quotations by or about John Reid (Earth-818793)
- Character Gallery: John Reid (Earth-818793)
- ↑ The Lone Ranger Vol 2 15
- ↑ The Lone Ranger Vol 2 1
- ↑ The Lone Ranger Vol 1 15
- ↑ The Lone Ranger Vol 2 17
- ↑ The Lone Ranger Vol 1 1
- ↑ The Lone Ranger Vol 1 1
- ↑ The Lone Ranger Vol 1 2
- ↑ The Lone Ranger Vol 1 6
- ↑ The Lone Ranger Vol 1
- ↑ The Lone Ranger Vol 2
- ↑ The Lone Ranger & Tonto Vol 1
- ↑ The Lone Ranger: Snake of Iron Vol 1
- ↑ The Lone Ranger/Zorro: The Death of Zorro Vol 1
- ↑ The Lone Ranger: Vindicated Vol 1
- ↑ The Lone Ranger/Green Hornet Vol 1 1
- ↑ The Lone Ranger/Green Hornet Vol 1 3
- ↑ The Lone Ranger/Green Hornet Vol 1 2
- ↑ The Lone Ranger/Green Hornet Vol 1 3
- ↑ The Lone Ranger/Green Hornet Vol 1 4
- ↑ The Lone Ranger/Green Hornet Vol 1 5
- ↑ The Shadow/Green Hornet: Dark Nights Vol 1 1