Butch Cavendish

Butch Cavendish is the ruthless leader of a vicious band of outlaws.

History

Butch Cavendish is a vicious outlaw who seems to rob and kill just for the sake of doing it. When he and his gang of crooks were being pursued by the Texas Rangers he sent a man named Collins to lead the Rangers into a trap. Collins led six Rangers into a narrow pass called Bryant's Gap where Cavendish and his men were waiting in ambush.

Being convinced that all six of the Rangers were dead, Cavendish went about his business. Slowly, his organization began to crumble as members of the gang were pursued and captured by a masked man and an indian. Eventually, the Lone Ranger caught up with Cavendish himself, who was jailed for his crimes with a life sentence.

Radio

While the Lone Ranger didn't have an origin story at first, after the 1938 serial introduced the ambush idea this origin was incorporated into the radio program. Butch Cavendish was not content to stay in prison however, and for the 20th anniversary of the program he escaped for a final showdown with the Lone Ranger at Bryant's Gap.

Glenn Strange as Butch Cavendish

Television

Glenn Strange played Cavendish in the three-part origin story of the television show. After the ambush of the Rangers the Cavendish Gang embark on a plan to take over the town of Colby. The plan is foiled by the Lone Ranger and Cavendish is sent to jail.

Film

In 1981's "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" Christopher Lloyd is the evil Major Bartholomew "Butch" Cavendish. After being court-martialed and thrown out of the Union army by General Ulysses S. Grant, Cavendish forms an army of his own. He manages to kidnap the now-President Grant and hold him for ransom before the Lone Ranger arrives to save the president.

Dynamite Entertainment

Dynamite Entertainment's Butch Cavendish

In the 2006 Dynamite Entertainment comic book series Butch Cavendish likes to run things more behind-the-scenes. This version of Cavendish is a politician and railroad magnate who orders the ambush of the Rangers from several states away. The Lone Ranger is able to piece together enough information to trace it all back to Cavendish, however.