Copper (Episode)

Copper is the first episode of season 2 of 'The Adventures of Red Ryder'. This episode features the debut of Eric Skipper, also known as Copper.

Plot
After battling against the villainous Bombshell, Red Ryder heads home, on the way back, he notices a mugging taking place and goes to stop it, inspite being able to defeat the mugger, he was not able to save the victims, the mugger had already killed a man and a woman, leaving only a teenage kid. When the police arrive, the mugger reveals that he was hired by someone called 'Don Marella'.

The next day, the kid is in police custody for the time being, when David Young arrives, he offers to take the boy home with him. The kid starts warming up to David, eventually, the kid finally reveals that his name is Eric Skipper. Later on, Eric finds David in a private gym practicing martial arts and asks David to train him, which David does.

Inspite the friendship that Eric and David develop, Eric is constantly annoyed by David not being around most of the time. Red Ryder has been investigating Don Matella's location and eventually finds him hiding at his uncle's, but when Ryder leaves, not finding Marella, Marella's uncle disowns him and kicks him out, in time for Ryder to catch him, however, Marella gets away.

Ryder eventually returns home, where Angelo talks to him about Eric, saying that what he needs at the moment is a friend. The next night, after David and Eric finish a sparring session, David is confronted by the commissioner, saying that they have a lead on Marella's location. When Eric overhears, he goes out to find Marella himself, eventually, he locates Marella's location, but is attacked by Marella when he tries to call the police.

Eric is saved by Red Ryder, but during a fight between Ryder and Marella, Eric falls into a river and is washed away, if Ryder saves him, Marella would be able to escape, Ryder is able to save Eric and take him back to the manor. The next day, Eric notices David acting weird when he enters the cellar, when David leaves for work, Eric uses his lockpicking skills to enter the cellar, where he stumbles upon a secret tunnel, going through the secret tunnel, he finds the lab and realises something...David Young is Red Ryder. David returns from work and enters the lab to see if there was any news on Marella, when he finds Eric in the lab, Eric promises not to tell anyone, but requests that the 2 work together to catch Marella, but David refuses, because he doesn't want Eric to get hurt.

Over the next few weeks, David has recieved no word on Marella's location. It the lab, Eric is thinking of a sidekick name, but David still refuses to put Eric in harms way. Eventually, Ryder is able to track Marella's location. Meanwhile, Eric appears to have run away. Ryder heads off to get Marella, when he finds him, but after a fight, Marella is able to escape again. The next night, Ryder is able to track Marella using a tracker he placed on him and heads out to get him, before he leaves, he is interrupted by someone wearing a hooded cape and a Zorro Mask, who reveals themselves to be Eric, who has now adopted the Superhero Alias, Copper, and David finally agrees to let him come along.

Ryder and Copper plan a sneak attack on Marella, who sees Ryder's plan coming and is able to injure his knee, during the fight, Copper comes to the aid of Ryder and beats Marella nearly to death, however, after Ryder makes him come to his senses, he stops. Marella is soon arrested and Copper officially becomes Ryder's new sidekick.