Strum a few chords along with the Prairie Troubadour...Greg Sanders, The Vigilante. Garbed in a hat, bandana mask, six shooters, lariat, and riding a steel horse (that's a motorcycle for the Bon Jovi impaired), he was the original urban cowboy. Mort Weisinger and Mort Meskin's creation came to New York City in Action Comics #42 (Nov, 1941) with dreams of becoming a country singer (guess Nashville wasn't returning his calls). Greg soon returned out west to avenge the death of his father, a sheriff that had been killed by bandits. As the Vigilante, he made the Big Apple his main stomping grounds. He gained two sidekicks. The first was Stuff, the Chinatown Kid. The other, was an old coot named Billy Gunn. In addition, Greg was a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. While fighting the Nebula Man, the Soldiers were scattered throughout time. Eventually, they were returned to the 1970's during a classic JLA/JSA crossover.
Because the Vigilante debuted in the Golden Age, he resided on the Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths planet, Earth 2. However, he had an Earth 1 counterpart, that first showed up in Justice League of America. From there, this version would bounce through several titles before getting a short-lived backup in World's Finest. After the Crisis, there would only be one Greg Saunders (notice the spelling change), and he would die during Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers event. But, a short time later, James Robinson brought him back. Now, not only alive, but younger- he serves as the sheriff of a town called Warpath.
Some fans may know he was voiced by Firefly and Castle star, Nathan Fillion, on Justice League Unlimited. That said, the character actually appeared as a live action hero in a 1947 movie serial, decades ahead of his animated self.
Tomorrow, the definitive Legion LEADER...
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