| Masked Rider | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Bronc Randall |
|
First Appearance |
Startling Comics #1 (June 1940) |
|
Original Publisher |
Standard/Nedor |
|
Created by |
John Daly |
Origin[]
After two years of riding in the rodeo circuit, Bronc returned home to his Uncle's ranch, only to find that he had been shot. A man named Bishop, and his gang, showed up with the deed to the ranch. Bronc was evicted from the property by the sheriff, and with nowhere else to go, he put on a mask to investigate Bishop, learning that he and his men were forcing all the ranchers in the region to sign their deeds over to him, because their property was rich in oil. As "The Masked Rider", Bronc exposed Bishop's plan with the help of Helen Carter, and his uncle's friend, Shorthorn Jones. With Bishop in jail, The Masked Rider rode off to fight injustice elsewhere.
The Masked Rider was an expert rider and roper, who could herd cattle with a whip. He was also an excellent fighter and a crack shot. He carried two revolvers and rode a smart white horse named Pinto.
The Masked Rider clearly lived at a time when cars were not common, but telephone poles were, which means that the stories probably took place around the 1890s.
Golden Age Appearances[]
- Startling Comics #1-2, 4-10, 12-17
Notes[]
- The Nedor comics were renewed by Popular Library, which was eventually bought out by Fawcett Books. When Fawcett went out of business, Popular Library was sold to Warner Bros. A number of different publishers, however, are currently/have been using these characters without any lawsuits from Warner Bros., so any action over them is (probably) unlikely. They are still, however, "use at your own risk" characters.
- The Masked Rider character originated in an eponymous pulp magazine published by Ranger Publications, one of the earliest companies run by founder of Marvel Comics, Martin Goodman. The title was later sold to Standard Publications, which eventually adapted the character in its comics.
- Standard/Nedor had previously published stories about separate western heroes named "The Masked Rider" in the second issues of Best Comics (starring a character whose alter ego was not mentioned) and Exciting Comics (starring Jim Sanford), respectively.