Who Rides For Justice? by Dave Goode

 

 

 

 

I've long maintained that the most imitated heroes in comics aside from Superman himself were Tarzan and the Lone Ranger. Many of the Ranger imitations differed from the "daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains" in that they had secret identities. While the Lone Ranger much like el Santo lived the mask.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Lone Ranger also had his imitators in the movies as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite of these was the Durango Kid, portrayed in dozens of B-Westerns by Charles Starrett.

 

So popular were these flicks that there was a Durango Kid comic book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the masked western hero I always wanted to see, but never did, was the Copperhead. In the classic movie serial THE MYSTERIOUS DR. SATAN the hero is the Copperhead, a masked mystery man who would not have been out of place in a comic book or pulp magazine. In the first chapter of the serial we learn that this Copperhead is the son of the original Copperhead, a masked nightrider of the old west in a chainmail copper mask.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I wish that Republic had made a prequel to THE MYSTERIOUS DR.SATAN that featured the adventures of the old west Copperhead starring one of there many western stars like " Wild " Bill Elliott or Alan " Rocky " Lane.

 

 

 

 Who was your favorite masked cowboy? Let us know in the comments below. Also, don't forget to click the "Link" to see our books and comics.