History Main / ProtoSuperhero

* Phantom (not [[ComicStrip/ThePhantom that one]]) was a pulp-novel masked detective from 1933, and the third longest-running pulp hero after Literature/TheShadow and Franchise/DocSavage. Notable for having a secret laboratory and for aiding the police when summoned by a BatSignal.
* ''Franchise/DocSavage'' is another early example, appearing in pulp novels from 1933 to 1949. He lacks any traditional superpowers, instead having been [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower trained by both scholars and savages alike]] to become the pinnacle of humanity: a massive GeniusBruiser with his own group of partners to help him out in various fields of expertise.

* The Gray Seal (1914) is [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob bored wealthy playboy]] Jimmie Dale by day, [[SecretIdentity master burglar do-gooder by night]] foiling the true evil-doers [[TheSyndicate the Crime Club]], complete with a costume (grey clothes, [[CoolMask mask]], [[NiceHat hat]] and [[UtilityBelt custom lockpick storage]]), [[CallingCard calling card]] and a [[HomeBase secret lair]] (that he calls The Sanctuary even though he uses it more like Clark Kent uses a phone booth). Also something of a master of disguise as he made use of not one but two underworld personas (anticipating Batman's "Matches" Malone). He also employed a butler and a driver.

* Franchise/{{Zorro}} started in 1919, when ''The Curse of Capistrano'' appeared in the PulpMagazine ''All-Story Weekly''. The Californio [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob nobleman]] Don Diego de la Vega disguises himself in [[DarkIsNotEvil all-black clothes,]] including [[BadassCape cape]], [[CoolMask mask]] and [[NiceHat hat]]. Using the [[SecretIdentity alias Señor Zorro]] -- [[AnimalThemedSuperbeing Mr. Fox]] -- he seeks to "avenge the helpless, to punish cruel politicians", and "to aid the oppressed." He did so [[NonPoweredCostumedHero without superpowers]] [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower except for his superb training]], [[TheCowl masked in black and operating mostly at night]], with the sole aid of his [[BattleButler faithful valet and assistant]] [[SecretKeeper Bernardo.]] To say he's one of the biggest inspirations for ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' is understating the case; in fact, it's now in-universe canon that Bruce was inspired by him.

-->-- '''Batman''' to Radio/TheShadow, ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' #253

* Literature/TheSpider was a PulpMagazine hero created in 1933 as a FollowTheLeader Expy of Radio/TheShadow. Creator/StanLee, in his 1974 book ''Origins Of Marvel Comics,'' credited him as an inspiration for ComicBook/SpiderMan -- or at least, his tagline, "The Spider, Master of Men!"; the two characters otherwise have virtually nothing in common.
* Phantom (not [[ComicStrip/ThePhantom that one]]) was a pulp-novel masked detective from 1933, and the third longest-running pulp hero after Radio/TheShadow and Franchise/DocSavage. Notable for having a secret laboratory and for aiding the police when summoned by a BatSignal.

-->-- The Caped Crusader to Radio/TheShadow, ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' #253

* Phantom (not [[ComicStrip/ThePhantom that one]]) was a pulp-novel masked detective from 1933, and the third longest-running pulp hero after TheShadow and Franchise/DocSavage. Notable for having a secret laboratory and for aiding the police when summoned by a BatSignal.

* ComicBook/DoctorOccult, created in 1935 by the same writers who would shortly introduce Superman, was an OccultDetective whose mystical powers aided his investigation of crimes. Also called "Dr. Mystic", in one early adventure he visited a magical realm in which he wore a cape and could fly, thus beating out Superman to be the first flying caped superhero in American comics.

* A modern evocation of this trope: When the ''Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' shredded DC's existing continuity, the question arose of what exactly the Comicbook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica was supposed to have been like if ComicBook/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, and Franchise/WonderWoman [[RetCon were never members.]] So Roy Thomas created [[{{Expy}} expies]] of them, and Superman's expy was clearly designed in the [[NotWearingTights plainclothes]] ProtoSuperhero mold, a super-strong guy named Iron Munro. Appropriately, Thomas based him on Aarn Munro by [[Creator/JohnWCampbell John W. Campell]] and Hugo Danner, the hero of the science fiction novel ''[[Literature/{{Gladiator}} Gladiator]]'' that inspired Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster to invent Superman. Hugo Danner was also used, being the father of Iron Munro. The name Iron Munro had already been used in Shadow Comics in the 40s, in addition, Thomas also made a story of Hugo Danner to Marvel in the 70s.

* The Gray Seal (1914) is [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob bored wealthy playboy]] Jimmie Dale by day, [[SecretIdentity master burglar do-gooder by night]] foiling the true evil-doers the Crime Club, complete with a costume (grey clothes, [[CoolMask mask]], [[NiceHat hat]] and [[UtilityBelt custom lockpick storage]]), [[CallingCard calling card]] and a [[HomeBase secret lair]] (that he calls The Sanctuary even though he uses it more like Clark Kent uses a phone booth). Also something of a master of disguise as he made use of not one but two underworld personas (anticipating Batman's "Matches" Malone). He also employed a butler and a driver.

* The Gray Seal (1914) is [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob bored wealthy playboy]] Jimmie Dale by day, [[SecretIdentity master burglar do-gooder by night,]] foiling true evil-doers, complete with a costume (grey clothes, [[CoolMask mask]] and [[NiceHat hat]]), [[HomeBase Secret Lair]] and calling card. Also something of a master of disguise as he made use of not one but two underworld personas (anticipating Batman's "Matches" Malone). He also employed a butler and a driver.
** The lady with his heart Marie LaSalle was not far behind in the [[SecretIdentity investigative alter ego game]], doing her own thing guiding him as mystery woman "the Tocsin" and underworld resident "Silver Mag".

With ''ComicBook/ActionComics [[ComicBook/ActionComicsNumberOne #1]]'' and its introduction of ComicBook/{{Superman}} (June 1938), these new heroes would find their lasting home in comic books. But prior to this emergence of UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, earlier prototypes of the genre had to blaze the trail via a wider range of media: penny dreadfuls, [[PulpMagazine pulp novels and magazines]], {{Radio Drama}}s, newspaper ComicStrips, and [[{{Theatre}} stage plays]] all preceded the explosion of comic books in the 1930s. The heroes of these works, whose adventures set the stage for the Golden Age, [[NonPoweredCostumedHero weren't always as completely "super"]] as their successors, but such prototypes demonstrate the transition by which age-old heroic folktales gave way to our contemporary genre of commercial superhero fiction.

With ''ComicBook/ActionComics #1'' and its introduction of ComicBook/{{Superman}} (June 1938), these new heroes would find their lasting home in comic books. But prior to this emergence of UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, earlier prototypes of the genre had to blaze the trail via a wider range of media: penny dreadfuls, [[PulpMagazine pulp novels and magazines]], {{Radio Drama}}s, newspaper ComicStrips, and [[{{Theatre}} stage plays]] all preceded the explosion of comic books in the 1930s. The heroes of these works, whose adventures set the stage for the Golden Age, [[NonPoweredCostumedHero weren't always as completely "super"]] as their successors, but such prototypes demonstrate the transition by which age-old heroic folktales gave way to our contemporary genre of commercial superhero fiction.

* ''Judex'' is a French FilmSerial created in 1914, but delayed from release until 1916 thanks to UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. Having been criticized for how his serial adaptation of ''Fantômas'' (see Literature below) had glorified criminals, director Louis Feuillade created Judex (Judge) as a heroic alternative: a MasterOfDisguise mystery man, seeking to foil the villainous banker who had driven his father to bankruptcy and suicide. Revenge achieved, a follow-up serial ''Judex's New Mission'' (1917) depicted him as a full-on vigilante and protector of the innocent. Shadow is compared to Judex, interestingly, in France, during the Nazi occupation, the Shadow strip was called Judex. [[https://www.coolfrenchcomics.com/judex.htm Judex at Cool French Comics]].

* Rocambole, a character from the 1844 french serial novel ''The Dramas of Paris'', influenced both ''Fantomas'' and ''Judex'' - a skilled fighter and master of disguises, he was a criminal mastermind who [[EnsembleDarkhorse quickly became the most popular character in the series]], and eventually got a HeelFaceTurn that turned him into a vigilante, complete with secret lair and cadre of sidekicks.

* [[RuleOfThree ...And a third example]] from Jules Verne would be Robur the Conqueror from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robur_the_Conqueror the eponymous novel]] and its sequel, ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_the_World_(novel) Master of the World]]'', who by the second novel wants to TakeOverTheWorld (obvious, really, with a title like that) thanks to his revolutionary flying, amphibious, submersible MilitaryMashupMachine (likely one of the earliest examples of the trope).

* Creator/JulesVerne created yet another proto-supervillain when he made Robur (another character with a SecretIdentity), who already is a anti-hero or anti-villain in ''Literature/RoburTheConqueror'' (1886), go into full-blown megalomaniac supervillain mode in the sequel, ''Literature/MasterOfTheWorld'' (1904).

* A modern evocation of this trope: When the ''Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' shredded DC's existing continuity, the question arose of what exactly the Comicbook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica was supposed to have been like if ComicBook/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, and Franchise/WonderWoman [[RetCon were never members.]] So Roy Thomas created [[{{Expy}} expies]] of them, and Superman's expy was clearly designed in the [[NotWearingTights plainclothes]] ProtoSuperhero mold, a super-strong guy named Iron Munro. Appropriately, Thomas based him on Aarn Munro by John W. Campbell and Hugo Danner, the hero of the science fiction novel ''[[Literature/{{Gladiator}} Gladiator]]'' that inspired Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster to invent Superman. Hugo Danner was also used, being the father of Iron Munro. The name Iron Munro had already been used in Shadow Comics in the 40s, in addition, Thomas also made a story of Hugo Danner to Marvel in the 70s.

Of the characters that arose during this transition, most have faded from the popular imagination. The Golden Age's superhuman heroes tended to overshadow their predecessors, who seldom boasted more than a CharlesAtlasSuperpower or a signature gadget to their advantage. (See also: NonPoweredCostumedHero.) Only a lucky handful (Zorro, Tarzan, The Shadow, The Phantom, Radio/TheLoneRanger, Anime/GoldenBat) have remained popularly-recognized since their inception. But superpowered or not, widely-remembered or not, it's these Proto Superheroes to which later Golden, Silver, Bronze, Dark and Modern Age comic superheroes owe their success, as inspiration for their archetype and the industry that birthed them.

[[quoteright:308:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zorrotarzanshadowphantom_8224.png]]
[[caption-width-right:308: Franchise/{{Zorro}}, Literature/{{Tarzan}}, Radio/TheShadow and ComicStrip/ThePhantom.]]

* ''Film/TheMarkOfZorro'' (1920) shaped Franchise/{{Zorro}} as we know him. It was based on the first Zorro story, "The Curse of Capistrano", published just the year before, but that story featured a Zorro who wore a sombrero and threatened people with a gun. This film invented the masked swordsman that became popular, which would later greatly inspire the creation of Franchise/{{Batman}}, even moreso since canonically Bruce Wayne's parents get murdered after watching the [[Film/TheMarkOfZorro1940 1940 remake]] in theaters.

[[folder:Theater]]

[[folder:Urban Legend]]

--> [[Radio/TheShadow "The honor is mine."]]

* ''Film/TheMarkOfZorro'' shaped Franchise/{{Zorro}} as we know him. It was based on the first Zorro story, "The Curse of Capistrano", published just the year before, but that story featured a Zorro who wore a sombrero and threatened people with a gun. This film invented the masked swordsman that became popular, which would later greatly inspire the creation of Franchise/{{Batman}}, even moreso since canonically Bruce Wayne's parents get murdered after watching the [[Film/TheMarkOfZorro1940 1940 remake]] in theaters.

With ''ComicBook/ActionComics #1'' and its introduction of ComicBook/{{Superman}} (June 1938), these new heroes would find their lasting home in comic books. But prior to this emergence of UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, earlier prototypes of the genre had to blaze the trail via a wider range of media: penny dreadfuls, [[PulpMagazine pulp novels and magazines]], {{Radio Drama}}s, newspaper ComicStrips, and [[{{Theatre}} stage plays]] all preceded the explosion of comic books in the 1930s. The heroes of these works, whose adventures set the stage for the Golden Age, weren't always as completely "super" as their successors, but such prototypes demonstrate the transition by which age-old heroic folktales gave way to our contemporary genre of commercial superhero fiction.

* ''Judex'' is a French FilmSerial created in 1914, but delayed from release until 1916 thanks to UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. Having been criticized for how his serial adaptation of ''Fantômas'' (see Literature below) had glorified criminals, director Louis Feuillade created Judex (Judge) as a heroic alternative: a MasterOfDisguise mystery man, seeking to foil the villainous banker who had driven his father to bankruptcy and suicide. Revenge achieved, a follow-up serial ''Judex's New Mission'' (1917) depicted him as a full-on vigilante and protector of the innocent. Shadow is compared to Judex, interestingly, in France, during the Nazi occupation, the Shadow strip was called Judex. [[https://www.coolfrenchcomics.com/judex.htm Judex at Cool French Comics]]

* ''Judex'' is a French FilmSerial created in 1914, but delayed from release until 1916 thanks to UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. Having been criticized for how his serial adaptation of ''Fantômas'' (see Literature below) had glorified criminals, director Louis Feuillade created Judex (Judge) as a heroic alternative: a MasterOfDisguise mystery man, seeking to foil the villainous banker who had driven his father to bankruptcy and suicide. Revenge achieved, a follow-up serial ''Judex's New Mission'' (1917) depicted him as a full-on vigilante and protector of the innocent.

* A modern evocation of this trope: When the ''Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' shredded DC's existing continuity, the question arose of what exactly the Comicbook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica was supposed to have been like if ComicBook/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, and Franchise/WonderWoman [[RetCon were never members.]] So Roy Thomas created [[{{Expy}} expies]] of them, and Superman's expy was clearly designed in the [[NotWearingTights plainclothes]] ProtoSuperhero mold, a super-strong guy named Iron Munro. Appropriately, Thomas based him on Aarn Munro by John W. Campbell and Hugo Danner, the hero of the science fiction novel ''[[Literature/{{Gladiator}} Gladiator]]'' that inspired Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster to invent Superman. Hugo Danner was also used, being the father of Iron Munro.

--- [[Radio/TheShadow "The honor is mine."]]

* Literature/TheSpider was a PulpMagazine hero created in 1933 as a FollowTheLeader Expy of TheShadow. Creator/StanLee, in his 1974 book ''Origins Of Marvel Comics,'' credited him as an inspiration for ComicBook/SpiderMan -- or at least, his tagline, "The Spider, Master of Men!"; the two characters otherwise have virtually nothing in common.

* The best-known [[InvertedTrope proto-super]]''[[InvertedTrope villain]]'' by far, Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera was created by Gaston Leroux in 1909. A key TropeCodifier for the elegant masked criminal, complete with themed obsessions and a RedRightHand, Erik bears all the trappings of a RoguesGallery bad guy: the dehumanizing StartOfDarkness, the SupervillainLair, the ample use of DeathTrap weapons, even a RoboticTortureDevice.

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