Zorro

Zorro is the main hero of the series of books, comic books and movies of the same name; a masked outlaw living in Spanish colonial-era California he is portrayed as a defender of civilians against the tyrannical authorities as well as other villains.

He is famous for his sword, which he uses to cut a Z shape into wood or enemy clothing; this has become somewhat of a trademark of the hero. "zorro" is the Spanish word for "fox" and is used to describe the hero's personality: clever and capable of taking great risks without seeming to care about personal safety.

Trivia

 * While Superman popularized the concept of the superhero and established some of its tropes, Zorro is considered by some to be the archetype of the modern American superhero as he debuted in a pulp novel in 1919 (20 years before Superman debuted). Thus making him the one of the oldest superheroes still in publication.
 * His influence on the genre includes the secret identity, the hidden lair and the masked costume.
 * He is also referenced in fiction as the key event for Batman to become a hero after his parents were murdered in front of him on their way home from seeing the film The Mark of Zorro. In reality, Batman's creator Bob Kane stated in interviews that Zorro was one of the inspirations for the character.