Zorro

Zorro, Spanish for fox, is the name used by a fictional character, a Mexican-era California masked hero and master swordsman of the Old West, whose real name is Don Diego de la Vega. (Don Diego Vega in the original story). He fights for the Californio people against the corrupt tyranny of the Spanish governor, proving himself to be much too foxlike and cunning for the bumbling authorities to catch.

Influence on fiction

Although not completely original in its concept and recognizing influences from previous publications like the Spring Heeled Jack adventures, this character is one of the earliest precursors of the superhero of American comic books, being an independently wealthy person who has a secret identity (as with The Scarlet Pimpernel) which he defends by wearing a mask, and who accomplishes good for the people with his superior fighting abilities and resourcefulness.

Related Topics:
Spring Heeled Jack - Superhero - Comic books - Secret identity - The Scarlet Pimpernel

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He even has an animal symbol, though English-speaking peoples might not recognize it, his name being Spanish for "fox". The animal is never depicted as an emblem, but as a metaphor for the character's wiliness ("Zorro, 'the Fox', so cunning and free...") - as with the American historical figure Francis Marion, "The Swamp Fox", who was also the subject of a Disney television series in the 1950s.

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Zorro has also been adapted for comic books and comic strips. The most notable character whose creation was highly influenced by Zorro is Batman, created by Bob Kane in the 1930s; within the Batman storyline itself, Bruce Wayne was inspired by Zorro and his parents were killed after an evening watching "The Mark of Zorro." Zorro kept his horse in the basement of his house, and similarly Batman keeps his Batmobile in the basement of his. Zorro was also the inspiration of the remarkably similar character El Coyote.

Related Topics:
Comic books - Comic strips - Batman - Bob Kane - 1930s - El Coyote

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