First Appearance: Two Gun Western v1 #5 (November 1950).
Appearances: Two Gun Western v1 #5-14, Apache Kid #1(#53)-#19, Wild Western #15-22, 39, Western Gunfighters #2-33.
Years Active: 1870s-?

The Kid is actually an Anglo named Alan Krandal. Krandal was raised by Red Hawk, the chief of a group of Apaches; the Kid loves Red Hawk "like a father." (The Kid was also raised by a nameless white woman, who presumably was Red Hawk's wife.) In his civilian guise the Kid is Aloysius Kare, a "wandering cowpoke," "saddle tramp," and occasional scout, but when evil threatens Krandal puts on war paint and a pseudo-Apache outfit (white pants, moccasins, no shirt--see the cover of the image on this site for what I mean) and becomes the Apache Kid, riding his horse Nightwind and fighting the bad guys, whether white, Apache, or other Native American group. The Kid is widely respected; even a band of enemy Sioux say of him that "We have heard of him! He is a warrior of honor, respected by both redmen and white!"

The Kid is in love with White Swan, the niece of Red Hawk. Red Hawk knows that Krandal is the Apache Kid; the only white man trusted with that knowledge is Captain Bill Gregory, the leader of a fort/stockade that Aloysius Kare is a sometimes-habitué at, who Krandal refers to as "my white brother." Gregory also treats Red Hawk with respect; on more than one occasion Gregory calls in both the Kid and Red Hawk for consultation. (There's also Mary, at the fort, who has feelings for the Apache Kid.) Aloysius Kare's horse is sometimes called Nightwind and sometimes called Careless.

Note: The Apache Kid stories were in some ways surprisingly progressive for their time and place; the writers were seemingly making an honest attempt to present the "Indians" in a positive light, with the Apache Kid uttering phrases like "Indians fight only for their way of life." Too, the writers were careful to draw distinctions between native peoples, so that the reader rarely sees "Indians" fighting against the white man, but instead sees tribes of Apache or Sioux fighting against the honkies or even against each other.