Tevun-Krus #6 - Superhuman

Who Was That Masked Man?

Who Was That Masked Man? - Batman and the Masked Hero Archetype.

@CarolinaC

In November of 1939 Detective Comics # 33 presented a tragedy in two pages. The story would be retold numerous times, in comics and on the screen, but the gist of it is this:

A small boy is taken to the movies by his loving parents. The evening is going well until the film ends, and the trio – a mother, a father, and a child – set off for home. In a dark alley, they are accosted by a man with a gun. He demands money; the parents refuse. By the time the police arrive on the scene, the worst has happened – both parents are dead, and the child has vowed to avenge them.

The name of the little boy? Bruce Wayne, or, as the criminals of Gotham City would come to know him, Batman.

Unlike many superheroes, Batman has no superpowers. He is neither an alien, nor the victim of a radioactive arachnid, nor a mutant with godlike abilities. Instead, he is an ordinary man, relying on skill and ingenuity. In all the versions of the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne, one telling detail remains constant – the last movie they ever watched, the film that enthralled and enchanted their child, is The Mark of Zorro. Through this reference, the comic squarely positions Batman as one in a train of similar masked heroes, none of whom have superpowers, and all of whom first appeared between the two world wars. Despite a great diversity in characterization and setting, Zorro, the Lone Ranger, the Green Hornet, and Batman all have similar motivations and similar modi operandi. Their stories cross and interconnect, forming much of the framework of 20th century popular culture.

Zorro seems to be the ur-example of this type of masked hero, and the most direct inspiration for Batman. He first appeared in 1919, in “The Curse of Capistrano”, a novella serialized in pulp magazine All-Story Weekly. Later republished under the title The Mark of Zorro, “The Curse of Capistrano” tells the tale of Don Diego de la Vega, a foppish nobleman in early 19th century Spanish California. Diego appears to be more concerned with fashion than justice, and useless with as sword. But, when he dons his black mask, hat, and cape, Diego becomes Zorro – Spanish for “fox” – a brilliant swordsman with a passion for truth and fair-play. Clearly inspired by the 1903 stage play (and subsequent novel) The Scarlet Pimpernel, the contrast between Zorro's public and secret identities provides both drama and humour. Like many a hero to come after, Zorro has a secret base – a cave beneath his mansion – and an assistant, faithful manservant Bernardo. Zorro would cast a long shadow, with the elements of wealth, secret identity, ingenuity, and the loyal servant, all appearing repeatedly.

The next masked hero to emerge would be the Lone Ranger, title character in a radio drama that first began airing in 1933. As of 2011, there is a Zorro-Lone Ranger crossover comic, but the two started out in entirely separate universes. The Lone Ranger was a young Texas Ranger, one of a group of six headed by his own older brother. When they are ambushed by bandits, the other five rangers are murdered, leaving the Lone Ranger, well, alone. Like Zorro, the Lone Ranger has a mask, a hat, a horse, and a thirst for justice. His weapon has been updated – a six-shooter rather than a sword – and he is the first among the masked heroes to have a proper sidekick in the hard-working Tonto. Like Zorro, he wears a hat, though he lacks a cape, and like Zorro he has a faithful horse.

In 1936, radio audiences would find out that the Lone Ranger's great-nephew had also grown up to be a masked hero. Wealthy newspaper publisher by day, masked vigilante by night, the Green Hornet fights corruption and organized crime with the help of his valet, Kato. As both a servant and a heroic sidekick, Kato combines the roles of Bernardo and Tonto. While they lack horses, both Kato and the Green Hornet have a strong affection for their black, sleek, super-charged car. Neither wears a cape, but both do wear distinctive coats. Finally, to bring the circle of interconnections to a close, the 1960s Green Hornet and Batman television shows included several crossover cameos, and there has also been a crossover comic.

Zorro influenced a generation of heroes, but his shadow falls most prominently on on Batman, who first appeared in 1939. This is not to say that Batman does not have other predecessors; his creators listed Sherlock Holmes and Leonardo DaVinci among their inspirations. Nonetheless, Batman fits firmly into the mould established by Zorro. Both heroes are wealthy men with different public and private personas. Both dress in black, wearing masks and capes. Both have secret bases in caves beneath their mansions. Both have stalwart manservants – Zorro's Bernardo, and Batman's Alfred - who are loyal to a fault. Like the Lone Ranger, Batman has a sidekick, in wide-eyed boy wonder, Robin. And like the Green Hornet, Batman has modern technology on his side, in the form of a powerful automobile.

Batman does not have any superpowers, but instead, he is typical of another type of hero. He is a wealthy young man with a secret identity, dedicated to fighting crime. He wears a dark cape, and with the help of a servant and a sidekick, he fights crime from his secret base using a really awesome car. And of course, he wears a mask.