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.

 

 

THE ICONIC HERO by Dave Goode

Art by Vance Capley - 11x17 posters are available for $15 - Vance Capley Arts

 

"With his faithful Indian companion Tonto , the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. Nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice." I sometimes wonder if Fran Striker was creating The Lone Ranger for George W. Trendle and WXYZ Radio back in 1933 that he was creating one of America's iconic pop culture heroes.

 

The hero's origin is as much a part of Americana as real-life western legends of the Siege of the Alamo and the Gunfight at the OK Corral. Six Texas Rangers in pursuit of the Butch Cavendash gang are led into an ambush. Only one man survived. The younger brother of ranger captain Dan Reid. Found and nursed back to health by Tonto , a Native-American the surviving ranger makes a mask from his murdered brother's vest to hide his identity and the fact that one man had survived the massacre. He makes a vow to bring a hundred outlaws to justice for each one of his fallen comrades. As he begins his new life as a masked crime-fighter he adopts the silver bullet as his sign.The Lone Ranger is much like the masked wrestling heroes of Mexican cinema in that once he dons his mask he ceases to have any other identity than that of the Lone Ranger. No changing in phone booths for this character.

 Many actors have portrayed the Lone Ranger over the years. On the radio the most notable were George Seaton ,Earle Graser and Brace Beemer. Lee Powell played the character in Republic's 1938 serial THE LONE RANGER. Republic followed that up with the 1939 serial THE LONE RANGER RIDES AGAIN starring Robert Livingston. On television from 1949 to1957 the character was portrayed by two actors. Clayton Moore began playing the role in 1949. John Hart took over the role for one season while Moore sat out the year in a contract dispute. On television Tonto, the Ranger's faithful Indian companion was portrayed by Jay Silverheels, a Mohawk Indian born in Ontario, Canada. Moore is considered by many to be the definitive Lone Ranger. And aside from his playing the character on television he portrayed him in two feature movies THE LONE RANGER (1956) and THE LONE RANGER AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD (1958). Both of these movies are pretty entertaining B-westerns. And if you haven't seen them you should search them out.