Jonah Hex is a scarred drifter and bounty hunter of last resort, a tough and stoic gunslinger who can track down anyone…and anything. Having survived death, Jonah’s violent history is steeped in myth and legend, and has left him with one foot in the natural world and one on the “other side.”
Jonah Hex was born the only son to Woodson Hex and his wife, Virginia “Ginny” Hex. Growing up in Woodson’s small farmhouse was a tumultuous time for young Jonah. Woodson was known for his excessive drinking and his abusive nature, and often took his violent urges out upon Jonah and Ginny. Finally on Jonah’s tenth birthday Ginny abandoned her husband and child, after one of Woodson’s drunken rages.
After his wife left, Woodson took Jonah and traveled out to California in the hopes of mining for gold during the California gold rush. In his travels, he came across a tribe of Apache American Indians and entered into a dialogue with the Apache chief. He sold his thirteen-year-old son to the tribe in exchange for some fur pelts. The Apaches raised Jonah and educated him in the ways of their tribe. Through the chief, Jonah learned how to track and to hunt, as well as fighting and survival skills. after saving the chief from a puma, Jonah was granted freedom. Even though he now possessed the ability to come and go as he pleased, Jonah had grown accustomed to life among the American Indians, and preferred to stay in the Apache camp.
While the Apaches believed Jonah dead, a group of bounty hunters conducted their own raid on the Kiowa camp. During the firefight, a stray bullet struck Jonah’s body and he was left bleeding on the ground. Shortly thereafter, a trapper discovered Hex’s limp form and nursed him back to health. Betrayed by his own family, Jonah swore to never return to the Apache camp. He relied upon their teachings in order to survive however, and eked out a meager existence as a buffalo hunter.
Despite his surly and cynical attitude seeming to care about nothing but himself, Jonah Hex is considered an anti-hero because of his strict personal moral code. Dedicated to protecting and avenging the innocent, he makes himself many enemies. During the Civil War he fought in the Confederate army. He was a member of the Rough Bunch along with several other great heroes of his era, and the Five Warriors from Forever. Jonah Hex was created by John Albano and Tony DeZuniga, first appearing in All-Star Western (Volume 2) #10. (1972)
You can get the Vertigo imprint of Jonah Hex HERE.