Children used to play “cowboys and Indians,” back when the western was the dominant popular cultural genre supplying tales about the clash of good and evil.
“In the western — as, of course, in most hero stories — the child can imagine himself in a world that is simple, clear-cut and well ordered,” observed Frederick Elkin in The Psychological Appeal of the Hollywood Western.
That entertainment niche is filled by superheroes now — more fantastic figures fit for a more fantastic world.
In fact, there was always significant crossover between the superhero and western genres, given dual-identity western heroes like Zorro, the Lone Ranger and the Durango Kid.
Fifteen years into Batman’s run, the writers were exploring new roles for the Masked Manhunter — often those that children enjoyed playing. So the superhero had become a jungle man, a cave man, a fireman — and an Indian chief.
In Batman 86 (Sept. 1954), the Dynamic Duo is called upon to temporarily adopt the identities of Chief Man-of-the-Bats and Little Raven — two Native American crimefighters who’d been inspired by Batman and Robin. The story, written by France Herron and drawn by Sheldon Moldoff, saw Batman combating the raider Black Elk to preserve the secret identity of the wounded Great Eagle, who was secretly Chief Man-of-the-Bats.
Being inspired by Batman became something of a cottage industry. In 1951, Batman and Robin met the Knight and the Squire, the Dynamic Duo of England. Then, in 1955, five pseudo-Batmen converged on Gotham City — the Squire, the Ranger, the Legionary, the Gaucho and the Musketeer — in the story The Batmen of All Nations.
No Man-of-the-Bats, but then he was hardly a foreigner.
“In addition to Batman, other do-gooders who donned headdresses to become Indian Chiefs included Superman, Captain Marvel and Rex the Wonder Dog,” noted comics historian J. Caleb Mozzocco.
“Of course, Rex was only an honorary Indian chief. Because making a dog, even one as wonderful as Rex, an actual Indian chief? That’s just silly.”
Bob Doncaster wrote: I think I was the only kid in the neighborhood that wanted to be the Indian. Loved my bow and arrow and knife. Same ones I used as Tarzan.
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