The Lone Ranger...is he a superhero? Yay or Nay?

[enyawd72]

I was talking to my friend Ben about this today.

The Lone Ranger wears a mask. He has a secret identity and a sidekick. Wouldn't all these things qualify him as a superhero?

What about Zorro?

Also...little known fact...did you know the Lone Ranger (John Reid) is supposed to be the grandfather of Britt Reid, The Green Hornet?

That blew my mind.

[HardyGirl]

A crime fighter...yes... a superhero...no.To me, a superhero should have super powers. I've stated this before, but I don't even count Batman as a superhero. He has cool gadgets and the Batmobile, but no super powers.

And yes, I knew about the Lone Ranger being related to Britt Reid.

[kingdom warrior]

Lone Ranger is a crime fighter not a superhero, He's a Hero of the old west, relies on his instincts not any super abilities....same with Zorro.The Phantom,Flash Gordon,Buck Rogers and Green Hornet.

Batman is also a crime fighter, people think he's a superhero because he falls in that category when superheros became big in the late 30's early 40's.

[rchatlin]

Actually, he's the Great-Uncle, not Great Grandfatehr.

The Ranger's brother Dan, had a son also named Dan, who shared adventures with the LR & Tonto.
His son, Britt, is the Green Hornet.

While I agree he's a crime fighter rather than a superhero, I would argue he has no secret ID.
He gave up being Reid (no first name ever given on radio) to become the Lone Ranger.
But on the radio shows, and the TV show, he never went back to being just Reid.

He never took off the mask unless he was in some other type of disguise.


r
o
b

[Brazoo]

I think it's always tricky drawing steadfast rules when it comes to classifying any genre - there's always some elements that blur the lines.

To me, history is usually a key element. I personally believe that Superman was the first automatically recognizable superhero when he appeared in 1938, so serial heroes that came before Superman (like Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, The Shadow) contributed and share a lot of ideas that became key elements of the superhero genre - but I think of them more as proto-superheros.

I think you could even argue that Lone Ranger does have super-human physical abilities - he does have abilities that go beyond what normal people can do - BUT - I think you could say that about almost every action hero: Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones, John McClain...normal people can't do what they do either. So I think of super abilities as just one part. Lone Ranger also lacks the sci-fi elements and skintight suit that are iconic to the superhero genre.

Batman might not have super abilities, but he's got the Superman inspired skintight outfit and sci-fi contraptions that automatically make him a superhero - to me. Iron Man, same thing. He might not technically have physical superhero powers, but I always think of him as a superhero. Plus, they both live in superhero universes. In that way I think Nick Fury and Punisher are also basically superheroes.

Again, this is just how I look at the history of the genre - I think it's almost impossible to make a perfect list of rules for identifying any genre.

Usually when people ask me what my favorite superhero is I say Popeye. He's got superhuman strength, after all! But, I know in my heart he really doesn't fit. I really do love Popeye, and I guess I also like having an answer that throws people off a bit - but he's really not a superhero if I'm being honest to myself.

[Brazoo]

Oh, and a friend told me about the Lone Ranger/Green Hornet thing years ago. I'm no expert on either character, but I really like that connection because of the way it builds the mythology. It reminds me of the stories that connected Joker to the criminal who killed Batman's parents. I can see how some people don't like that too - but it's fun to think about for me.

[enyawd72]

Lone Ranger is a crime fighter not a superhero, He's a Hero of the old west, relies on his instincts not any super abilities....same with Zorro.The Phantom,Flash Gordon,Buck Rogers and Green Hornet.

Batman is also a crime fighter, people think he's a superhero because he falls in that category when superheros became big in the late 30's early 40's.

What about Captain America? I know he's referred to as a "super soldier" but his abilities aren't actually superhuman either. He's only as strong as a person can naturally be.

[MIB41]

I think the Lone Ranger is the God Father of all superheroes. It was that influence that led to the Phantom, which gave us the tights, which led to Superman and Batman and... well there you go. The Lone Ranger is absolutely a legitimate hero. But like many heroes of that era, he was a reflection of the times. You could only evolve the hero based on the flexibility of that original concept. Superman and Batman did it, but the Lone Ranger is so strongly tied with the old west, it's hard to reinvent him to a modern age. The most recent theatrical treatment demonstrated the frustration they had trying to move the character into a new age. But it will never taint his importance in the history of heroes. His legacy carries plenty of clout.

[jds1911a1]

What about Captain America? I know he's referred to as a "super soldier" but his abilities aren't actually superhuman either. He's only as strong as a person can naturally be.

2 things why he is a super hero (besides a costume)
1 he used an eaxperiment to improve his natural attributes to the "ultimate" in human capability
2 the serum gave him abilities normal humans don't have 0 reduced aging and the ability to literally be frozen and thaw out and live

the same was true for nick Fury (the original one created by Jack Kirby not the Sam Jackson inspired Jr) due to the infinity formula

[Figuremod73]

I like to think of Boone and Crockett as superheroes. They definately were not your average every day guys.

[PNGwynne]

I guess I don't believe a super-hero needs super-powers. The Scarlet Pimpernel, Tarzan, Zorro, Doc Savage, the Shadow (who admittedly in some versions has hypnotic "powers"), Flash Gordon, the Phantom, The Avenger, The Lone Ranger/Green Hornet--all of these "pulp" heroes are the precursors to the comic-book hero, who is usually super-powered. But they are superhuman in the way they've maximized themselves and addressed adversity: Batman is the distillation of that & the lucky example to survive & flourish.

But for the fickle hand of publishing & licensing, we could just as easily be championing Capt. Marvel & Mr. Terrific today, instead of Superman & Batman...

In the real world, Batman might have fallen to his death or been shot dead--the "super-human" aspect of his character lies in his being ingenious & fit enough to avoid not only the commonplace coincidence but the master criminal. Likewise, the other "pulp" heroes, like the Lone Ranger.

I really like these older characters, maybe I'm just making excuses for them. But it seems today that most characters' powers--Batman included--are amped-up until my suspension of disbelief is eroded.

[The Toyroom]

He's always been a super-hero in my book....
• Costume (Blue Shirt/Pants, White Hat, Black Mask)
• Sidekick (Tonto)
• Unusual Weapons (Silver Bullets)
• Secret ID (whether he uses it or not, he still keeps the fact that John Reid is indeed still alive. Plus, his penchant for disguises)
• Unusual Mode of Transportation (Silver)
• Secret Wealth (the silver mine)
• Catch-phrase ("Hi-Yo, Silver...Away!")

[madmarva]

I'm with ToyRoom and PNGwynne. It depends on how you interpret the "super" in super hero. Does it mean super powers are a necessity or does the "super" describe the degree that the character is a hero.

A person can be considered a hero over one act, while Characters like Batman, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, Tarzan and others go above and beyond what is normally considered heroic, thus they are super heroes despite not having powers.

It's a good question that I think could be argued either way.

[sprytel]

Hadn't really thought about it, and wouldn't have called him a superhero... but I think he fits. Anthony convinced me.

Besides... Mego sold the American West line with the "World's Greatest Superheroes" label, right?

[Figuremod73]

I didnt know Zorro predated Lone Ranger. Zorro may have influenced Lone Ranger creation a little.

Zorro-1919
Tarzan-1912
Lone Ranger-1933
The Shadow-1930