What's up, Doc?

[thebitterguy]

Today is the 75th birthday of Doc Savage. And he doesn't look a day over 30.

Calisthetics, man. They're good for you.

Here's a quick question: Is the Lone Ranger a superhero? I was listening to a comics podcast and they apparently found it to be a question.

Mask, ayep.

Secret Identity, ayep.

Sidekick, ayep.

Strange MO (Silver bullet), ayep.

If we can consider Batman a superhero, I say go for it.

Comments

[dewline.livejournal.com]

Works for me.

[tfbretz.livejournal.com]

Is the Shadow a superhero, then?

I think you have to also take into account the hero's opposition. If he's mainly fighting racketeers and criminals who might hide behind some sort of weird conspiracy, he's not necessarily a superhero. Batman regularly goes toe-to-toe with costumed freaks; the Lone Ranger, not so much (at least not in my primary exposures to him, TV and Radio).

[thebitterguy]

Well, didn't he fight a giant mechanical spider once?

[tfbretz.livejournal.com]

Once is hardly a trend. Scooby-Doo once helped Batman & Robin, but I don't think that makes him a Dog Wonder.

Another thing that I believe is a characteristic of the superhero versus a mystery man or pulp hero or what have you is the recurrence of costumed opponents. While Batman encountered plenty of one-timers (Hugo Strange didn't resurface until the 70s), he developed a rogues gallery of repeat creeps fairly early on. Doc Savage only had one repeat enemy. I'm pretty sure most of the more costumed pulp heroes were in similar straits, unless you count pulps where the villain was the main character of the story (Fu Manchu, f'rinstance).

[zenten.livejournal.com]

So Superman and Batman were not originally superheroes, since for the first few years they pretty much only fought regular people?

[circus13.livejournal.com]

Well, actually the term "Super Hero" derives from Superman. So if there never was a "super man" there never would have been any "super" heroes.

Wonder what the hell we would be calling them....

[thebitterguy]

Awesome Dudes.

[tfbretz.livejournal.com]

Interesting question. Bear in mind, this is just my opinion.

Superman is, to me, the first comic-book superhero. Even in his toned-down 1938 version, he's got powers out the wazoo and is easily the most powerful mortal on the block. So he gets a pass.

Batman is a mystery-man/pulp hero/whatever, who grew into a superhero over time.

YMMV, and all that.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

The Lone Ranger is a Mystery Man.

[thebitterguy]

I can deal with that.

And a hearty Hi-ho Silver!

[gamera-spinning.livejournal.com]

Me: "Are you aware of the major werewolf gaucho problem we had in the Old West?"
Straight Man: "We had a werewolf gaucho problem in the Old West?"
Me: "Well we did, until the masked man with the silver bullets showed up."

[doc-mystery.livejournal.com]

As an aside, The Lone Ranger is supposed to be the Great-Uncle of The Green Hornet.

Both old time radio heroes were created for radio back in the 1930s by writer Fran Striker. Both debuted on station WXYZ, Detroit Michigan.

::B::

[thebitterguy]

I did, in fact, know this. The benefits of a mis-spent youth.

[absinthe-dot-ca.livejournal.com]

Just my $0.02, but the one thing that I don't recall the Lone Ranger ever having was an "alter ego". Superman has Clark Kent, Batman has Bruce Wayne, but the Lone Ranger? Just wears that damn mask all the time. By this point he must have some pretty hideous acne under there...