Masked Marvel
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The Masked Marvel was a fictional superhero originally published by Centaur Publications. He debuted in 1939, on the pages of Keen Detective Funnies #7. When Centaur Comics went out of business, he became dormant, until he was revived by Malibu Comics, where he acted as director of the government-run superhero team known as Protectors. His son, who took up his father's identity, became part of the team. Fearing the lawsuit by Marvel Comics, the writers changed Masked Marvel's name to Nightmask. Both Nightmasks remained prominent parts of the cast until the title's cancellation. A short time later, Malibu Comics was acquired by Marvel. Since then, Masked Marvel has not appeared aside from occasional reprints by AC Comics.
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[edit] Golden Age Masked Marvel
The original Masked Marvel was a non-powered hero whose secret identity (if any) was never revealed. He fought crime with the help of a trio of assistants known as ZL, ZR, and ZY. He operated out of glass-domed mountaintop headquarters. He had a number of gadgets, including an amphibious airplane, a televisor, which let him see anywhere in the world and a variety of weapons, including a paralysing ray gun.
[edit] Nightmask
This version was essentially identical to the original. However, his back story was flashed out and expanded. He was revealed to be Philip Reinhart, a young prodigy who already established a successful business at the age of 20. However, his success only left him longing for more. Inspired by The Clock, he became a crime-fighter known as Nightmask. Eventually, the two men met and formed a lasting friendship. When World War II broke out, they decided to give up crime-fighting and enlist, both out of the sense of duty and the feeling that the proliferation of super-powered heroes made them increasingly irrelevant. After the war, Phillip decided to focus on business endeavors. During this time, he was briefly married to Erika Blaine and fathered a son, Richard.
In 1988, the Clock became president in his civilian guise. At the former's request, Phillip became head of the project designed to track various super-powered beings, just in case the government should need their services. That proved to be a prudent measure, as the increasing supervillain activity made the need for a team of super-powered heroes starkly clear. In 1992, Phillip used the intelligence he gathered to form a super-powered team known as The Protectors. He acted as the team's director, charting the overall course of the team while delegating field decisions to Man of War.
[edit] Nightmask II
Richard Reinhart was the son of the original Nightmask. At the age of 3, he found himself in the midst of a bitter custody battle between his parents. He eventually wound up living with his mother. He went thought his life without much direction, finishing college without earning a degree and spent several years drifting through Europe after leaving college. The relationship between him and his father was strained at best.
When Richard learned about the formation of the Protectors, he petitioned the President directly, asking him to let him be part of team. The request was accepted, much to Richard's father's chagrin.
Richard wore a slightly modified version of his father's costume. He lacked his father's gadgets and possessed no extraordinary skills. However, he was determined to prove himself in spite of it.
[edit] Trivia
- Lev Gleason's Captain Battle had several similarities of the original Masked Marvel, namely nearly identical headquarters and equipment. This caused later-day fans to speculated that Captain Battle was intended to be ZX, who inherited Masked Marvel's equipment and headquarters after later's retirement (Captain Battle debuted after Centaur Comics went out of business). However, there has been no solid proof to suggest that this speculation has any merit.
[edit] Sources
Protectors Hardbook #1
