Yo're pretty tough when it comes tuh usin' thet bullwhip on young'uns whut's half yore size, skunk. How's 'bout you show us how brave you kin be 'gainst a full-growed man! 
- — Jonah Hex
Jonah Hex #1 is an issue of the series Jonah Hex (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1977.
Synopsis for "Vengeance for a Fallen Gladiator!"
In 1874, in Whalenburg, Tennessee, three men named Medford, Frank, and Perry were beating up Jonah Hex, until a doctor stopped them, explaining that the man was Jonah Hex and that Frederic Royden had requested his presence. Royden, who was dying in his bed tasked Hex with finding his son Tommy, who was kidnapped, in exchange for $20,000.
Two weeks later, Hex arrived in Rock Creek, Kansas, where he saw two children, one named "Bruiser Donovan" and the other Pablo "The Killer" Sanchez fighting, resulting in Bruiser Donovan having his kidney ruptured, leading to life-threatening injuries. The referee, Blackie LeClerc beat Pablo with a whip for "damaging some of his best property." Hex intervened and punched LeClerc in the face, before learning who he was and apologizing to him out of fear. Hex asked LeClerc if he had seen Tommy Royden, which both he and Pablo both claimed they had not.
That night, Pablo snuck into Hex's room, where he revealed that Tommy had been the one carried away that day after the fight and that Blackie LeClerc and Charlie Mange take in orphans and force them to fight each other in exchange for food and shelter. Then, Pablo took Hex to the undertaker's parlor, where he revealed that Tommy had died from his wounds. LeClerc and Mange confronted Hex and Pablo at gunpoint killed Pablo and grazed Hex, before locking him inside of a coffin. After an hour, Hex escaped with the help of a knife, which LeClerc and Mange neglected to confiscate. Hex came out and held LeClerc and Mange at gunpoint and forced them to fight against each other, until they were at the edge of a cliff, causing Mange to fall to his death, while LeClerc begged Hex to save him. Instead, Hex knocked LeClerc off, killing him, and turned around.
Epilogue
Hex returned to Tennessee with Tommy in a coffin, much to Mrs. Royden's sadness. The doctor told Hex that Frederic Royden died a week prior and offered him money, believing that Royden would want Hex to be paid. Jonah Hex rode off, ignoring the doctor, as Mrs. Royden cried on her son's coffin.
Appearing in "Vengeance for a Fallen Gladiator!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Frederick Royden (Single appearance; dies)
- Pablo "The Killer" Sanchez (Single appearance; dies)
- Tommy "Bruiser Donovan" Royden (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- Blackie LeClerc (Single appearance; dies)
- Charlie Mange (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Billy (Single appearance)
- Frank (Single appearance)
- Medford (Single appearance)
- Mrs. Royden (Single appearance)
- Perry (Single appearance)
Locations: