He’s the deadliest (and fastest) gun in the Old West. He’s got a disfigured face, a quick temper and a keen mind. If you’re his target, you’re already dead. Meet Jonah Hex, a gunslinger who plays by his own rules. You may have read some of Hex’s comics over the years, but how much do you really know about the legendary bounty hunter? For example, did you know he owns some of Batman’s family business, or that he was once a temporary Secret Service member? With Michael Walsh’s Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death now on stands, let’s get to know our favorite Old West antihero a little better.
He Was a Member of the Secret Service
Jonah Hex isn’t one to talk up his accomplishments, but if he were, he’d have much to brag about, including the time he straight up saved democracy. In 1974’s Weird Western Tales #23, Hex is approached by a member of the Secret Service about stopping a plot to kill President Ulysses S. Grant. Hex accepts the job for $500 and succeeds in tracking down the assassins. The ensuing battle leaves Hex blind for a few months, but in the process, he saves the nation. Sadly, since this story was set in the 1870s, the Secret Service didn’t have their standard black uniforms, dark sunglasses and cool earpieces, which is a shame, because I would love to see how Hex would’ve looked in that getup.
He Has a Confirmed Kill Count of 336 (But It’s Probably Much Higher)
In 1987’s Secret Origins #21, a Western historian estimates that Jonah Hex killed at least 336 people single-handedly. But for all his PhDs, clearly this guy didn’t have access to the entirety of Jonah Hex’s comics, or he would’ve known that the number is likely much higher. The Jonah Hex fansite Matching Dragoons keeps a running tally of every confirmed kill, which they estimate is around 893. According to their count, 391 of those kills are from his 2006-2011 series. Oh, and they’re still counting, so expect that number to climb higher as Shadow of Death continues.
He Owns a Piece of Bruce Wayne’s Empire
Jonah Hex actually owns a share of the Wayne family empire, something that caught Batman by surprise. In 2013’s All-Star Western #17, Vandal Savage kidnaps Catherine Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s great-great-grandmother. Alan Wayne hires Hex to rescue his wife, and the bounty hunter demands a 30% share of Wayne Casino in return. Hex gets the job done (as if there were any doubt), and Alan Wayne holds up his end of the bargain.
Things take a turn in All-Star Western #22, as Hex unexpectedly finds himself in present day Gotham. In order to prove his identity, he tells the doctors at Arkham to look into the Wayne family records. To Batman’s surprise, Hex is telling the truth. The gunslinger remarks that the Wayne family owes him money since the casino was sold off in order to build more of their business empire in Gotham. I wonder if his 30% share is enough to outrank Bruce Wayne at board meetings.
He Killed Superman (and Didn’t Even Break a Sweat)
Make no mistake, Jonah Hex always gets his man, even if it’s the Man of Steel. In 2004’s Superman/Batman #16, time travel shenanigans temporarily rewrite reality, throwing the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel into a world where Lex Luthor is still president and he’s placed a huge bounty on Batman and Superman’s heads. You’d think this particular job would be quite a challenge for Hex, but truth be told, he didn’t even break a sweat.
Hex uses twin guns to riddle Superman’s body with Kryptonite bullets. Batman does his best to stop the assault, but Scalphunter incapacitates the Dark Knight, allowing Hex to fire a final killshot into Superman’s skull. It may have been a corrupted timeline, but in just three pages, Jonah Hex was able to do more than Lex Luthor has been able to pull off in 86 years!
The Whole Bounty Hunter Thing Was Kind of a Drunken Accident
Jonah Hex is known as one of the most notorious bounty hunters in the Old West, but it turns out that career path was kind of a drunken accident. As recounted in 1987’s Secret Origins #21 (yes, the same comic with the know-it-all historian), a drunk Jonah Hex spots an outlaw named Lucas “Mad Dog” McGill beating a woman in the street. Hex’s unresolved childhood trauma (and a few gallons of booze) cause him to mistake Mad Dog for his abusive father and the woman for his mother.
Enraged, the drunk Hex guns down Mad Dog. The local sheriff arrives on the scene and informs him that there’s a sizeable bounty on the criminal. The sheriff hands Hex a wad of cash and the gunslinger realizes that he could profit off of one of his favorite hobbies—shooting people. Who knows? If Hex hadn’t been so thoroughly tying one on that night, he might never have become one of the most famous bounty hunters in the DC Universe!
What’s next for Jonah Hex? Unresolved trauma, a small-town mystery and something that will have him questioning his very soul. The old gunslinger has his work cut out for him, especially since he’s dealing with a problem that he can’t shoot his way out of. Check out Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death #1, now available at your local comic shop!
Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death #1 by Michael Walsh and Toni-Marie Griffin is now available in print and as a digital comic book.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
