1 00:00:15,749 --> 00:00:18,479 Good evening, and welcome to The Culpeper Minute. 2 00:00:24,491 --> 00:00:26,007 It's been nearly a decade... 3 00:00:26,159 --> 00:00:28,857 ...since the best-selling autobiography Under the Hood... 4 00:00:29,029 --> 00:00:32,226 ...revealed secrets of the original band of masked adventurers... 5 00:00:32,399 --> 00:00:34,390 ...the new Minutemen. 6 00:00:34,667 --> 00:00:37,932 In 1975, when The Culpeper Minute was new to the airwaves... 7 00:00:38,104 --> 00:00:40,971 ...we profiled the author of Under the Hood, Hollis Mason... 8 00:00:41,141 --> 00:00:43,837 ...the former adventurer known as Nite Owl. 9 00:00:44,010 --> 00:00:48,743 When my original report aired in 1975, the Keene Act had not yet been passed. 10 00:00:48,915 --> 00:00:53,079 Now, this controversial bill outlawed all costumed adventurers and masked heroes. 11 00:00:53,653 --> 00:00:57,521 Given our current climate of unrest around the subject of masked justice... 12 00:00:57,690 --> 00:01:01,524 ...we thought it would be interesting to revisit that original episode... 13 00:01:01,694 --> 00:01:04,254 ...as a reminder of where the whole phenomena... 14 00:01:04,431 --> 00:01:06,922 ...of costumed heroics began. 15 00:01:12,072 --> 00:01:16,634 Tonight we're talking with Hollis Mason about his autobiography, Under the Hood. 16 00:01:16,810 --> 00:01:19,540 Hollis Mason's memoirs revealed some of the secrets... 17 00:01:19,712 --> 00:01:21,043 ...of the masked adventurers. 18 00:01:21,448 --> 00:01:27,080 I met with Hollis at one of his favorite New York establishments, the Gunga Diner. 19 00:01:29,622 --> 00:01:31,715 Coming to New York at 12 years old... 20 00:01:31,891 --> 00:01:36,453 ...it was, uh, fantastic for me in a lot of ways. 21 00:01:37,230 --> 00:01:41,564 And my dad got a job at Vernon's Auto Repair off 7th Avenue. 22 00:01:41,901 --> 00:01:45,064 - Now Mason's, right? - Now Mason's. Yeah, yeah. 23 00:01:45,505 --> 00:01:46,563 Same place. 24 00:01:46,739 --> 00:01:50,106 CULPEPER: Yet you didn't follow in your father's footsteps. You chose another path. 25 00:01:50,276 --> 00:01:52,369 MASON: Well, yeah, when I was 23... 26 00:01:53,146 --> 00:01:56,240 ...I joined the New York City Police Department. 27 00:01:56,416 --> 00:02:00,045 And I think that that had a lot to do with my grandfather... 28 00:02:00,220 --> 00:02:03,087 ...and the values that he'd instilled in me. 29 00:02:03,256 --> 00:02:07,056 Because for the first 12 years of my life, I spent a lot of time with my granddad. 30 00:02:07,227 --> 00:02:10,219 He was always keen to impress upon me... 31 00:02:10,396 --> 00:02:16,926 ...that country folk were morally healthier than city folk, the way they lived. 32 00:02:17,103 --> 00:02:20,561 Of course you were competitive in certain ways, but you were also... 33 00:02:20,740 --> 00:02:21,900 You helped each other. 34 00:02:22,075 --> 00:02:25,806 And it was kind of a moral value that stuck with me. 35 00:02:25,979 --> 00:02:28,641 And when I first got to the city... 36 00:02:28,815 --> 00:02:34,219 ...there were things I saw that really filled me with disgust... 37 00:02:34,387 --> 00:02:39,222 ...that I found a hard time shaking, and, you know, some really... 38 00:02:39,659 --> 00:02:41,991 Some of it I still can't. 39 00:02:53,273 --> 00:02:56,299 What my grandfather gave me... 40 00:02:56,476 --> 00:02:59,240 ...and what I was confronted with in the city... 41 00:02:59,412 --> 00:03:03,314 When the distance between those things got too great and I couldn't deal with it... 42 00:03:03,483 --> 00:03:08,716 ...then I would go to my real other world, the world of pulp-fiction novels. 43 00:03:10,890 --> 00:03:14,417 They described a world of absolute values... 44 00:03:14,594 --> 00:03:17,529 ...where what was good and true was never in doubt. 45 00:03:17,697 --> 00:03:19,562 And evil was... 46 00:03:19,732 --> 00:03:23,327 Well, it received its appropriate punishment. 47 00:03:23,503 --> 00:03:25,630 Is that how you've led your life, then? 48 00:03:25,805 --> 00:03:29,172 - That's what I've tried to do. Um... - Mm-hm. 49 00:03:30,543 --> 00:03:31,840 Yeah. 50 00:03:32,011 --> 00:03:34,536 Hollis Mason, idealizing young cop... 51 00:03:34,714 --> 00:03:37,512 ...trying to make sense of granddad's country values... 52 00:03:37,684 --> 00:03:40,551 ...and the grit of the big city he finds himself living in. 53 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:45,350 Soon enough, the police force and its brand of justice is not enough for young Mason. 54 00:03:45,525 --> 00:03:49,552 Long a fan of pulp detective fiction and comic-book heroics... 55 00:03:49,729 --> 00:03:52,254 ...Mason did what others only fantasize about. 56 00:03:52,432 --> 00:03:53,899 He made himself a disguise... 57 00:03:54,067 --> 00:03:56,831 ...and set out in the nights as a vigilante... 58 00:03:57,003 --> 00:03:59,528 ...doling out justice on his own terms. 59 00:03:59,706 --> 00:04:03,267 What influenced this shift in Mason's behavior? 60 00:04:04,944 --> 00:04:06,809 It's funny when you think about it. 61 00:04:08,881 --> 00:04:11,042 You know, I've heard all the... 62 00:04:11,217 --> 00:04:14,448 All the jokes and all the rumors and all the innuendos. 63 00:04:14,654 --> 00:04:17,418 What it really comes down to for me... 64 00:04:17,590 --> 00:04:21,287 ...is that I dressed up like an owl and I fought crime... 65 00:04:23,229 --> 00:04:25,220 ...because it was fun. 66 00:04:25,832 --> 00:04:28,266 And because it was the right thing to do. 67 00:04:29,202 --> 00:04:31,898 And because I darn well enjoyed it. 68 00:04:32,538 --> 00:04:33,869 [MASON CHUCKLES] 69 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:38,977 I suppose it really started to take shape for me in 1938. 70 00:04:39,145 --> 00:04:44,845 And on my beat there were a lot of kids reading that first issue of Action Comics. 71 00:04:45,018 --> 00:04:47,213 I was so drawn, I couldn't help it. 72 00:04:47,387 --> 00:04:50,447 I asked one of the kids if I could borrow it and take a look at it. 73 00:04:50,623 --> 00:04:54,184 And that first issue of Superman... 74 00:04:54,627 --> 00:04:57,323 ...wow, knocked me out. - Mm-hm. 75 00:04:57,930 --> 00:05:02,230 Okay, Superman was your biggest influence, and it was to a lot of kids. 76 00:05:02,402 --> 00:05:04,768 But you took it even further. 77 00:05:04,937 --> 00:05:08,464 MASON: Well, it all changed when I opened the newspaper one day... 78 00:05:08,641 --> 00:05:14,602 ...and I saw that these characters had escaped from their four-color world... 79 00:05:14,781 --> 00:05:21,084 ...and they were now in the factual black-and-white world of the headlines. 80 00:05:23,556 --> 00:05:27,458 An attempted assault and robbery was thwarted by a figure... 81 00:05:27,627 --> 00:05:30,755 ...who supposedly dropped into the alleyway from above... 82 00:05:30,930 --> 00:05:32,693 ...with something over his face. 83 00:05:32,865 --> 00:05:36,198 And he then proceeded to disarm the three attackers... 84 00:05:36,369 --> 00:05:40,396 ...and beat them with such severity that all three were hospitalized. 85 00:05:40,573 --> 00:05:44,634 The newspapers started calling him Hooded Justice. 86 00:05:44,811 --> 00:05:49,407 And that was the first masked vigilante. 87 00:05:49,782 --> 00:05:53,775 And when I heard that story I made up my mind right then... 88 00:05:53,953 --> 00:05:57,616 ...I was gonna be the second. 89 00:05:57,790 --> 00:06:01,021 We have to take a break for our sponsors now, but when we come back... 90 00:06:01,194 --> 00:06:05,494 ...more from our 1975 story on masked adventurers. 91 00:06:38,197 --> 00:06:39,824 Thank you for staying with us. 92 00:06:39,999 --> 00:06:43,196 We return now to our retrospective look at Under the Hood... 93 00:06:43,369 --> 00:06:46,395 ...and what these men and women mean to us today. 94 00:06:47,974 --> 00:06:50,465 CULPEPER: Why did you come up with the owl costume? 95 00:06:50,643 --> 00:06:52,543 MASON: It really came together... 96 00:06:52,712 --> 00:06:56,648 ...because of another cop that I was working with in my station house. 97 00:06:56,816 --> 00:07:00,013 And he kept asking me to go out for a beer after work. 98 00:07:00,186 --> 00:07:04,054 And I kept saying no, because, you know, I wanted to train at night... 99 00:07:04,223 --> 00:07:06,214 ...and get ready for my other career. 100 00:07:06,392 --> 00:07:09,054 And then he started calling me "night owl." 101 00:07:09,228 --> 00:07:12,061 - You know, he was being sarcastic. - Right. 102 00:07:12,231 --> 00:07:16,691 And I loved it. I thought, "Well, that's it, Nite Owl." 103 00:07:16,869 --> 00:07:19,531 - So that's where the name came from? - That's where it came from. 104 00:07:19,705 --> 00:07:23,004 So once I had the name, then I could start thinking about the costume. 105 00:07:23,176 --> 00:07:27,806 Should it have a cape or no cape? Should you have a mask or no mask? 106 00:07:27,980 --> 00:07:30,676 Eventually, I just boiled it down to the basics. 107 00:07:30,850 --> 00:07:32,841 I needed a costume where I was free to move. 108 00:07:33,019 --> 00:07:35,681 I needed to protect my body. I needed to protect my head. 109 00:07:35,855 --> 00:07:38,415 And I needed to protect my identity. 110 00:07:38,591 --> 00:07:43,756 So I did this with a tunic that was covered in leather and mail... 111 00:07:43,930 --> 00:07:45,397 ...a kind of steel mesh. 112 00:07:45,565 --> 00:07:50,525 And I had a hood with... It was leather and steel mesh again. 113 00:07:50,703 --> 00:07:54,503 And then briefs. They were covered in the same mail. 114 00:07:54,674 --> 00:07:58,110 So I've got my hair covered and all I need is a little mask. 115 00:07:58,277 --> 00:08:00,745 So I did it with this. This is the mask. 116 00:08:00,913 --> 00:08:04,440 I attached this mask with a spirit gum... 117 00:08:04,617 --> 00:08:08,485 ...which is what actors use to put on mustaches and beards. 118 00:08:08,654 --> 00:08:11,646 CULPEPER: It turned out, there were several masked adventurers at the time. 119 00:08:11,824 --> 00:08:14,418 MASON: Yeah, about a month after I made my debut... 120 00:08:14,594 --> 00:08:20,260 ...the headlines were all about a young woman called the Silhouette. 121 00:08:20,433 --> 00:08:25,461 She had exposed a crooked publisher who was dealing in child pornography. 122 00:08:25,638 --> 00:08:32,134 And she gave him such a brutal beating. Him and his two cameramen, right? 123 00:08:32,311 --> 00:08:34,871 Well, that was quite a story. 124 00:08:35,147 --> 00:08:37,377 From there it grew pretty quickly. 125 00:08:43,589 --> 00:08:47,025 There were stories of a man dressed like a moth... 126 00:08:47,193 --> 00:08:50,219 ...who could glide through the air. 127 00:08:53,833 --> 00:08:58,167 And then there was a story of a man in a yellow boiler suit... 128 00:08:58,337 --> 00:09:02,865 ...who was particularly brutal and vicious. 129 00:09:03,442 --> 00:09:08,539 In 12 months of Hooded Justice's dramatic entrance... 130 00:09:08,714 --> 00:09:12,445 ...there were at least, oh, seven other costumed vigilantes. 131 00:09:12,618 --> 00:09:15,917 There was Sally Jupiter, who took the name of Silk Spectre. 132 00:09:16,088 --> 00:09:18,215 There was Dollar Bill, there was Mothman... 133 00:09:18,391 --> 00:09:20,689 ...there was the Silhouette, there was Comedian. 134 00:09:20,860 --> 00:09:22,953 And, of course, there was me. 135 00:09:23,763 --> 00:09:26,664 Little that Mason told me was not already in his book. 136 00:09:26,832 --> 00:09:31,667 So I turned to some of the other figures from his world to find out more. 137 00:09:33,372 --> 00:09:35,932 She used her sexuality to fight crime... 138 00:09:36,108 --> 00:09:39,509 ...and her crime fighting to pursue a career on the silver screen. 139 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:42,341 Now her daughter lives on in her image... 140 00:09:42,515 --> 00:09:45,484 ...and life seemingly has passed Sally Jupiter by. 141 00:09:46,052 --> 00:09:50,182 We joined her at her home for the following exchange back in 1975. 142 00:09:52,491 --> 00:09:54,755 CULPEPER: Why the name Silk Spectre? 143 00:09:54,927 --> 00:09:56,155 JUPITER: You know, it's funny. 144 00:09:56,329 --> 00:10:00,231 Many people have hypothesized about reasons why that might have come up. 145 00:10:00,399 --> 00:10:03,960 And in truth, I wanted to find something mysterious... 146 00:10:04,136 --> 00:10:06,104 ...something that had a good ring to it, you know? 147 00:10:06,272 --> 00:10:10,766 And I felt that she should be somebody who could slip out of your hands. 148 00:10:10,943 --> 00:10:14,106 Silk stockings, you know, were very expensive at the time. 149 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:18,011 And it just had a good ring to it, I guess, is all I can really say. 150 00:10:18,184 --> 00:10:22,245 What were your motivations in becoming a masked adventurer? 151 00:10:22,421 --> 00:10:24,946 I saw Hooded Justice... 152 00:10:25,124 --> 00:10:28,651 ...and I think the idea of doing something that was out of the normal... 153 00:10:28,828 --> 00:10:30,523 I never felt like I really fit in. 154 00:10:30,696 --> 00:10:35,633 And I think that becoming Silk Spectre really made me feel actually more at home. 155 00:10:36,168 --> 00:10:41,697 Now, Silk Spectre is presented in fairly racy imagery in posters and in comics. 156 00:10:41,874 --> 00:10:46,573 How do you deal with these, what I call, visually degrading pictures? 157 00:10:46,746 --> 00:10:49,647 Oh, I never had a problem with that sort of thing. 158 00:10:49,815 --> 00:10:53,444 I mean, you know, they always referred to me as a sex symbol. 159 00:10:53,619 --> 00:10:55,951 And I have to say, I'd rather be a symbol of that... 160 00:10:56,122 --> 00:10:59,057 ...than a symbol for other things they've got symbols of. 161 00:10:59,225 --> 00:11:00,715 You know what I mean? 162 00:11:00,893 --> 00:11:04,294 Jimmy Fantucci, a famous mobster, I'm sure you've heard of him. 163 00:11:04,463 --> 00:11:08,092 He actually turned himself into the cops because he couldn't shoot me. 164 00:11:08,267 --> 00:11:12,465 You know, as I said, I never shied away from the way that I looked. 165 00:11:12,638 --> 00:11:14,731 And, in fact, it seemed in this case, I could use it. 166 00:11:14,907 --> 00:11:18,775 Masked adventurers or whatever what you wanna call them is all about commerce. 167 00:11:18,944 --> 00:11:23,381 You have to remember that this country was founded on entertainment. 168 00:11:23,549 --> 00:11:26,347 And when I managed Sally, the Silk Spectre... 169 00:11:26,519 --> 00:11:32,219 ...we used her status as a costumed hero to make lucrative deals of every kind. 170 00:11:32,391 --> 00:11:36,851 Movie deals, image licensing for pinups, comic books, everything. 171 00:11:37,029 --> 00:11:41,295 It was a business strategy that corporations picked up on almost immediately. 172 00:11:41,467 --> 00:11:44,163 Dollar Bill was originally a star college athlete from Kansas... 173 00:11:44,336 --> 00:11:46,133 ...hired by a major department store... 174 00:11:46,305 --> 00:11:48,865 ...when they realized that having their own superhero... 175 00:11:49,041 --> 00:11:52,135 ...was an interesting publicity prospect. 176 00:11:52,311 --> 00:11:55,747 Still, I like to think that Sally and I pioneered the concept. 177 00:11:55,915 --> 00:11:59,146 When you're trying to make a mark in the world, you need help. 178 00:11:59,318 --> 00:12:03,118 You need someone who can be sort of the cohesive factor... 179 00:12:03,289 --> 00:12:07,055 ...in bringing the awareness to the public, and he definitely did that. 180 00:12:07,226 --> 00:12:10,957 And I think, in fact, probably at the expense of many people's agendas, really. 181 00:12:11,130 --> 00:12:13,257 I don't think you can make value judgments... 182 00:12:13,432 --> 00:12:17,869 ...on whether or not costumed heroes are good or bad for society. 183 00:12:18,037 --> 00:12:20,870 That's like asking if television is good or bad. 184 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:22,871 The answer is that it's both. 185 00:12:23,042 --> 00:12:27,069 It was only really when we got together... 186 00:12:27,613 --> 00:12:31,515 ...that the problems started. 187 00:12:31,684 --> 00:12:33,845 The Minutemen, yeah. 188 00:12:34,019 --> 00:12:35,350 What a great idea. 189 00:12:35,521 --> 00:12:39,924 I wish I can take credit for it, but I can't in good conscience. 190 00:12:40,092 --> 00:12:45,189 The way it happened was one day I got a letter for Sally from Captain Metropolis. 191 00:12:45,364 --> 00:12:47,696 He said he wanted to get together to discuss the idea... 192 00:12:47,867 --> 00:12:50,267 ...of forming a group of masked adventurers. 193 00:12:50,436 --> 00:12:54,236 At first, I thought he was using the idea as a means to get her into bed. 194 00:12:54,406 --> 00:12:56,271 Then I did a little research... 195 00:12:56,442 --> 00:12:59,673 ...and I learned that my concerns... 196 00:12:59,845 --> 00:13:03,542 ...were, yeah, unfounded... 197 00:13:03,716 --> 00:13:06,844 ...if you get my meaning. 198 00:13:07,052 --> 00:13:09,577 Lawrence made the Minutemen. 199 00:13:09,755 --> 00:13:12,747 If it wasn't for him and his knack for publicity... 200 00:13:12,925 --> 00:13:16,884 I mean I think as someone in your profession, you could probably understand... 201 00:13:17,062 --> 00:13:20,623 ...that if we did this interview and no one saw it, then, poof, it doesn't matter. 202 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,564 SHEXNAYDER: I realized that without the occasional gimmick... 203 00:13:23,736 --> 00:13:26,068 ...to revitalize flagging public interest... 204 00:13:26,238 --> 00:13:28,900 ...the fad of costumed heroes... 205 00:13:29,074 --> 00:13:31,804 ...would eventually fade, even the ones dressed like Sally. 206 00:13:31,977 --> 00:13:35,640 After some consideration I suggested they take a large ad out in the Gazette... 207 00:13:35,815 --> 00:13:38,648 ...asking for more mystery men to come forward. 208 00:13:38,818 --> 00:13:42,276 And that's how the Minutemen came to be. 209 00:13:42,955 --> 00:13:44,923 CULPEPER: Now, when you first met The Comedian... 210 00:13:45,090 --> 00:13:47,149 ...Nite Owl, Silhouette and the others... 211 00:13:47,326 --> 00:13:50,727 ...what were your thoughts? Were you intimidated? 212 00:13:50,896 --> 00:13:52,523 Was there a sense of relief? 213 00:13:52,698 --> 00:13:56,498 Oh, it was an incredibly exhilarating time, I have to say. 214 00:13:56,669 --> 00:13:59,832 I think we all felt like we were part of a family... 215 00:14:00,005 --> 00:14:02,803 ...that we had found sort of a place... 216 00:14:02,975 --> 00:14:05,603 ...where we could feel like we actually were of value. 217 00:14:05,778 --> 00:14:08,269 Everyone brought something different to the Minutemen. 218 00:14:08,447 --> 00:14:11,814 But somehow when we were together there was a bonding feeling... 219 00:14:11,984 --> 00:14:14,384 ...that we all believed in what we were doing. 220 00:14:14,553 --> 00:14:18,614 Now, the reason I say "relief" is because many of the people back in those days... 221 00:14:18,791 --> 00:14:22,591 ...thought that you were all rather bizarre, abnormal individuals... 222 00:14:22,761 --> 00:14:25,662 ...running around in children's costumes. 223 00:14:25,831 --> 00:14:27,162 JUPITER: We were just people. 224 00:14:27,333 --> 00:14:30,268 And everyone did have absolutely different politics. 225 00:14:30,436 --> 00:14:33,132 Some of us were in it for fame. Some for power. 226 00:14:33,305 --> 00:14:37,264 Some to possibly hide from the rest of the world. 227 00:14:37,443 --> 00:14:41,436 But in the end of the day, our politics really didn't get in the way too much... 228 00:14:41,614 --> 00:14:44,310 ...of what we wanted to be there to do, which was good. 229 00:14:44,483 --> 00:14:49,352 We did too much good in our respective communities just to be written off. 230 00:14:49,521 --> 00:14:52,422 We were all attempting through our personal efforts... 231 00:14:52,591 --> 00:14:57,722 ...to make our country a better and a safer place to live. 232 00:14:57,897 --> 00:15:01,094 Clearly, Hollis Mason is a man who makes no apologies... 233 00:15:01,267 --> 00:15:03,827 ...for the life he's lived or the decisions he's made. 234 00:15:04,003 --> 00:15:07,439 But is his own personal moral code enough justification... 235 00:15:07,606 --> 00:15:10,803 ...for donning a mask and dispensing vigilante justice? 236 00:15:10,976 --> 00:15:13,968 I went out and asked around to get a better sense... 237 00:15:14,146 --> 00:15:17,707 ...of how you, the people, felt about masked heroes. 238 00:15:24,056 --> 00:15:25,717 MAN 1: I don't know. 239 00:15:25,891 --> 00:15:27,756 I get a lot of customers that are cops. 240 00:15:27,927 --> 00:15:30,361 Guys that come by and pay for a pack of smokes from me... 241 00:15:30,529 --> 00:15:34,124 ...and they tell me that these masked adventurers... 242 00:15:34,300 --> 00:15:36,928 ...they're making the job more difficult. 243 00:15:38,404 --> 00:15:40,065 MAN 2: What do I think of them? 244 00:15:40,239 --> 00:15:42,799 They've just about destroyed my business, I can tell you that. 245 00:15:44,677 --> 00:15:47,441 They maim my customers. 246 00:15:47,646 --> 00:15:52,083 They like to break fingers. They think it's funny. Yeah. They're dangerous. 247 00:15:52,518 --> 00:15:55,180 But then on the other hand, what if we hadn't had... 248 00:15:55,354 --> 00:15:58,187 ...that Dr. Manhattan guy on our side, huh? 249 00:15:58,357 --> 00:16:01,849 I mean, I know it's inconceivable to us, now knowing what we know... 250 00:16:02,127 --> 00:16:05,619 ...but who's to say that things wouldn't have gone the same in Vietnam... 251 00:16:05,798 --> 00:16:07,163 ...without them? 252 00:16:07,333 --> 00:16:09,028 Losing that war. 253 00:16:09,201 --> 00:16:10,793 That would've destroyed our country. 254 00:16:11,937 --> 00:16:15,338 More on costumed adventurers and the controversy surrounding them... 255 00:16:15,507 --> 00:16:18,237 ...after this word from our sponsors. 256 00:16:19,578 --> 00:16:22,411 ANNOUNCER: Seiko announces the world's first digital quartz... 257 00:16:22,581 --> 00:16:23,878 ... liquid crystal chronograph. 258 00:16:24,049 --> 00:16:25,641 It gives the time, the date... 259 00:16:25,818 --> 00:16:28,446 ... and with a push of a button, turns into a stopwatch... 260 00:16:28,620 --> 00:16:32,716 ... that records lap times and one-two finishes in tenths of seconds. 261 00:16:32,891 --> 00:16:37,555 The time of day, kept in electronic memory, reappears when you push the button again. 262 00:16:37,730 --> 00:16:39,823 The Seiko liquid crystal chronograph. 263 00:16:39,999 --> 00:16:43,264 Only one of Seiko's superb digital quartz watches. 264 00:16:49,742 --> 00:16:52,210 Welcome back, and thank you for watching. 265 00:16:52,378 --> 00:16:57,111 In our current climate, the relevance of masked adventurers, the Watchmen... 266 00:16:57,282 --> 00:16:59,375 ...is more in question than ever before. 267 00:16:59,551 --> 00:17:01,815 We continue now with our look back at a show... 268 00:17:01,987 --> 00:17:04,046 ...in which we discussed Under the Hood... 269 00:17:04,223 --> 00:17:08,887 ...a memoir of original masked hero The Nite Owl, n�e Hollis Mason. 270 00:17:09,061 --> 00:17:12,258 A book which precipitated many of the questions we have today... 271 00:17:12,431 --> 00:17:17,391 ...about these men and women who act apart from our prescribed laws of justice. 272 00:17:30,082 --> 00:17:34,678 Certainly there are many costumed heroes who would make for fascinating study. 273 00:17:34,853 --> 00:17:37,481 I spoke with psychiatrist William Long... 274 00:17:37,656 --> 00:17:39,681 ...to gain some professional insight. 275 00:17:39,858 --> 00:17:42,486 You know, it's an interesting question. 276 00:17:43,495 --> 00:17:46,555 Mostly, in the prison, I work with criminals. 277 00:17:46,732 --> 00:17:50,634 So my perception is slightly skewed. 278 00:17:50,836 --> 00:17:54,169 I think certainly there are masked heroes... 279 00:17:54,339 --> 00:17:57,740 ...and superhumans, like Dr. Manhattan... 280 00:17:57,910 --> 00:17:59,935 ...that just want to do good. 281 00:18:00,112 --> 00:18:04,879 I think there are others that are nothing more than criminals... 282 00:18:05,050 --> 00:18:07,610 ...who used this as a means... 283 00:18:07,786 --> 00:18:12,086 ...to justify their violent tendencies. 284 00:18:12,257 --> 00:18:18,218 The only masked heroes that pose an actual threat... 285 00:18:18,730 --> 00:18:23,190 ...are the relatively few borderline sociopaths... 286 00:18:23,368 --> 00:18:26,804 ...that actually believe that they are doing good. 287 00:18:26,972 --> 00:18:28,837 Beneath that mask... 288 00:18:30,309 --> 00:18:32,573 ...they're just like you and me... 289 00:18:33,078 --> 00:18:37,344 ...with hopes and desires, fears... 290 00:18:37,516 --> 00:18:39,848 ...love. 291 00:18:40,786 --> 00:18:43,254 I hope that one day... 292 00:18:43,422 --> 00:18:48,416 ...I can psychoanalyze one of these masked heroes. 293 00:18:48,994 --> 00:18:50,825 That would be something. 294 00:18:51,630 --> 00:18:53,723 It seems a bygone era to us now. 295 00:18:53,899 --> 00:18:56,231 The heady days of the roaring '40s. 296 00:18:56,401 --> 00:18:59,632 People were eager for distraction, hungry for a fix of drama. 297 00:18:59,805 --> 00:19:02,968 What better than a group of self-designed superheroes... 298 00:19:03,142 --> 00:19:06,475 ...to act out an exaggerated street theater of crime fighting. 299 00:19:06,645 --> 00:19:09,842 And in a world populated by supervillains... 300 00:19:10,015 --> 00:19:11,607 ...why not? 301 00:19:11,783 --> 00:19:14,684 There was the notorious Moloch the Mystic... 302 00:19:14,853 --> 00:19:20,155 ...using the sideshow novelty of the magic show to front his one-man wave of terror. 303 00:19:20,325 --> 00:19:23,852 Later, of course, came modern supervillains like Big Figure... 304 00:19:24,029 --> 00:19:28,295 ...the diminutive master criminal now serving a life sentence in the city jail. 305 00:19:35,207 --> 00:19:37,368 You think I'm the menace. 306 00:19:37,876 --> 00:19:41,334 I'm not the one wearing a mask. I got nothing to hide. 307 00:19:41,747 --> 00:19:44,739 What kind of person is that? Wear a mask? 308 00:19:47,819 --> 00:19:51,220 I'm a respectable businessman. 309 00:19:52,090 --> 00:19:54,524 CULPEPER: It wasn't easy finding Moloch the Mystic. 310 00:19:54,693 --> 00:19:57,161 But then again, well, it wasn't too difficult. 311 00:19:57,329 --> 00:20:01,390 You see, Moloch, like so many infamous figures of our postwar past... 312 00:20:01,567 --> 00:20:03,831 ...had simply gone into civilian life. 313 00:20:04,937 --> 00:20:06,336 MOLOCH: I was a younger man then. 314 00:20:06,505 --> 00:20:08,166 I was rebellious. 315 00:20:08,941 --> 00:20:12,707 Like these gangs you see around, the Knot Tops. 316 00:20:12,878 --> 00:20:16,678 When you live in a world with superhuman authority figures... 317 00:20:16,848 --> 00:20:19,612 ...and you wanna rebel, you have to rebel on a larger scale. 318 00:20:19,785 --> 00:20:23,186 You have to escalate things, you see. 319 00:20:23,355 --> 00:20:25,152 So... 320 00:20:25,524 --> 00:20:29,119 ...if you grow up in a world with superheroes and you wanna rebel... 321 00:20:29,294 --> 00:20:33,287 ...you have to become a supervillain. 322 00:20:35,601 --> 00:20:39,970 So, yeah, I think society is better off without the superheroes... 323 00:20:40,138 --> 00:20:45,667 ...because that means there's no need for any supervillains either. 324 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:50,643 MASON: Thank you. Thanks. 325 00:20:52,217 --> 00:20:56,984 You know, it didn't last, oh, 10 years. 326 00:20:57,155 --> 00:21:01,854 When the '50s came, the whole perception of costumed adventurers... 327 00:21:02,027 --> 00:21:04,928 ...you know, changed, you know? 328 00:21:05,264 --> 00:21:06,458 It was a fad, yeah. 329 00:21:06,632 --> 00:21:10,261 And the fad was dying out and we were dying with it. 330 00:21:10,435 --> 00:21:11,663 [CHUCKLES] 331 00:21:12,971 --> 00:21:14,529 Sally... 332 00:21:14,706 --> 00:21:16,901 ...well, she got pregnant and she left. 333 00:21:17,442 --> 00:21:20,707 The rest of us, we were forced to testify... 334 00:21:20,879 --> 00:21:23,279 ...before the House Un-American Activities Committee. 335 00:21:23,448 --> 00:21:24,972 It was a witch hunt. 336 00:21:25,150 --> 00:21:29,519 We were all forced to reveal our identities... 337 00:21:29,688 --> 00:21:32,088 ...to one of its representatives. 338 00:21:32,257 --> 00:21:35,158 I am Captain Metropolis from the Minutemen. 339 00:21:35,327 --> 00:21:37,227 MASON: Now, luckily, with Captain Metropolis... 340 00:21:37,396 --> 00:21:39,523 ...having such an outstanding military record... 341 00:21:39,698 --> 00:21:41,791 ...and with my own service in the police force... 342 00:21:41,967 --> 00:21:45,630 ...we both were more or less cleared of suspicion right away. 343 00:21:47,005 --> 00:21:51,408 Mothman met with more difficulty, mostly because of the left-wing friends... 344 00:21:51,576 --> 00:21:54,943 ...that he'd cultivated during his student days. 345 00:21:55,147 --> 00:21:56,808 Now, he's eventually cleared... 346 00:21:56,982 --> 00:22:01,510 ...but the investigations, they were so lengthy and so ruthless... 347 00:22:01,687 --> 00:22:04,349 ...that I think that the pressure he was under... 348 00:22:04,523 --> 00:22:06,718 ...it exacerbated his drinking problem... 349 00:22:06,892 --> 00:22:10,919 ...and it caused his eventual mental breakdown. 350 00:22:18,136 --> 00:22:20,331 Hooded Justice... 351 00:22:20,505 --> 00:22:21,836 ...refused to testify... 352 00:22:22,007 --> 00:22:26,205 ...on the grounds that he was not prepared to reveal his true identity to anybody. 353 00:22:26,378 --> 00:22:28,471 And when they pressed him... 354 00:22:29,114 --> 00:22:30,911 ...he disappeared. 355 00:22:31,416 --> 00:22:33,714 And I really respect him for that. 356 00:22:34,353 --> 00:22:36,253 He was the reason I became the Nite Owl... 357 00:22:36,421 --> 00:22:42,189 ...and I don't know to this day who he was behind that mask. 358 00:22:42,361 --> 00:22:43,453 Isn't that something? 359 00:22:43,628 --> 00:22:45,095 [CHUCKLES] 360 00:22:45,263 --> 00:22:48,858 I understand that you wanted to leave the Minutemen because you got pregnant. 361 00:22:49,034 --> 00:22:51,059 Is that the reason? Was there any other reasons... 362 00:22:51,236 --> 00:22:54,228 ...that you retired from the Minutemen? 363 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:57,601 JUPITER: You know, sometimes it's just time to move on. 364 00:22:57,776 --> 00:23:01,177 I think I would've stayed longer, had I not gotten pregnant. 365 00:23:01,346 --> 00:23:05,715 But it was... You know, life gives you those little signs of when to take the door out. 366 00:23:05,884 --> 00:23:07,818 And that seemed to be the one. 367 00:23:07,986 --> 00:23:12,650 In his biography, Hollis alleged that you were sexually assaulted by The Comedian. 368 00:23:12,824 --> 00:23:15,122 Yet you've never said anything about this. 369 00:23:15,594 --> 00:23:17,084 Hmm. 370 00:23:18,430 --> 00:23:21,194 Well, why should I break a lifetime's habit now, right? 371 00:23:21,366 --> 00:23:22,526 [CHUCKLES] 372 00:23:22,701 --> 00:23:27,968 I can't blame you for asking as a reporter, but, yes, it's... 373 00:23:28,140 --> 00:23:29,164 No comment. 374 00:23:29,341 --> 00:23:35,143 How much did the incident between Sally Jupiter and The Comedian... 375 00:23:35,313 --> 00:23:37,304 ...affect your decision to hang up the mask? 376 00:23:37,883 --> 00:23:41,717 Well, that had lot to do with it, yeah. 377 00:23:43,588 --> 00:23:46,489 I think once you realize that some of your teammates... 378 00:23:46,658 --> 00:23:49,286 ...are just as depraved... 379 00:23:49,461 --> 00:23:54,524 ...and twisted as the criminals you're going after... 380 00:23:56,234 --> 00:23:57,929 Yeah. 381 00:23:58,470 --> 00:24:01,098 That had a lot to do with why I quit. 382 00:24:01,273 --> 00:24:03,332 There's no truth to that rumor. 383 00:24:03,508 --> 00:24:05,271 If something like that had happened... 384 00:24:05,444 --> 00:24:11,076 ...don't you think I would have advised Sally to have pressed criminal charges? 385 00:24:11,249 --> 00:24:13,843 She was my best client. My biggest earner. 386 00:24:14,386 --> 00:24:17,446 I would never allow something like that to go unpunished. 387 00:24:17,622 --> 00:24:19,590 It's nothing more than sensationalism. 388 00:24:20,125 --> 00:24:21,683 Self-promotion. 389 00:24:21,860 --> 00:24:24,420 Hollis Mason wants to sell more books. 390 00:24:24,596 --> 00:24:27,030 CULPEPER: The Comedian declined to comment. 391 00:24:27,199 --> 00:24:31,135 Get that thing out of my face before I put my cigar out in your eye. 392 00:24:32,370 --> 00:24:34,804 Under the Hood is a fantastic book. 393 00:24:34,973 --> 00:24:37,100 You know, he's one of my customers, you know. 394 00:24:37,275 --> 00:24:39,266 I see him all the time. 395 00:24:39,611 --> 00:24:44,241 It's funny about this superhero thing, you know, it's a very fine line. 396 00:24:44,416 --> 00:24:46,384 And when you got somebody like the Nite Owl... 397 00:24:46,551 --> 00:24:50,749 ...who is your quintessential superhero, because outside you get this guy... 398 00:24:50,922 --> 00:24:53,447 ...who dresses up and does all the kaboom-kabang stuff... 399 00:24:53,625 --> 00:24:56,389 ...but inside he's a cop. 400 00:24:56,561 --> 00:24:59,758 So he's a guy who knows what's true blue. You know what I mean? 401 00:24:59,931 --> 00:25:02,126 He's not into these kind of artsy-fartsy things. 402 00:25:02,300 --> 00:25:04,063 He's a great man. 403 00:25:04,603 --> 00:25:06,002 So... 404 00:25:06,171 --> 00:25:07,661 ...I don't know. 405 00:25:07,839 --> 00:25:13,744 Hard to say whether these masked-hero types are a good or a bad thing... 406 00:25:13,912 --> 00:25:17,143 ...you know, in the final analysis. 407 00:25:17,315 --> 00:25:20,478 It's interesting to note that back in 1975... 408 00:25:20,652 --> 00:25:23,587 ...people were still very much divided as to whether or not... 409 00:25:23,755 --> 00:25:28,385 ...the so-called costumed adventurers were a benefit or a detriment to society. 410 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:30,721 Given the events after this interview aired... 411 00:25:30,896 --> 00:25:34,263 ...perhaps Hollis Mason's retirement came at the perfect time. 412 00:25:34,432 --> 00:25:38,232 We'll hear more from Hollis Mason after this commercial break. 413 00:25:39,538 --> 00:25:41,369 ANNOUNCER: Why do so many choose Sani-Flush... 414 00:25:41,540 --> 00:25:44,031 ... instead of the other leading bathroom-bowl cleaner? 415 00:25:44,209 --> 00:25:45,767 Sani-Flush has extra power. 416 00:25:45,944 --> 00:25:49,971 Cleans inside the bowl and cleans right round the bend. 417 00:25:50,615 --> 00:25:53,209 Time-lapse shows Sani-Flush, with its extra power... 418 00:25:53,385 --> 00:25:55,285 ... cleans away rust stains and deposits... 419 00:25:55,453 --> 00:25:57,853 ... inside the bowl and right round the bend. 420 00:25:58,023 --> 00:26:00,890 Sani-Flush, with the power to kill germs by the millions. 421 00:26:01,059 --> 00:26:04,995 Sani-Flush. Cleans inside the bowl and cleans right round the bend. 422 00:26:05,163 --> 00:26:07,757 Get Sani-Flush, powder or liquid. 423 00:26:09,935 --> 00:26:12,802 Continuing now with my interview of Hollis Mason. 424 00:26:12,971 --> 00:26:15,166 We're talking about costumed adventurers. 425 00:26:15,340 --> 00:26:18,104 He's been called the Eighth Wonder of the World. 426 00:26:18,276 --> 00:26:20,972 Our national treasure. Our greatest hope. 427 00:26:21,146 --> 00:26:24,309 But Dr. Manhattan is also viewed as a freak of nature. 428 00:26:24,482 --> 00:26:29,977 His power is so great as to illicit fear not only in our enemies but in ourselves. 429 00:26:30,155 --> 00:26:33,318 Before he was the radiating blue superbeing he is today... 430 00:26:33,491 --> 00:26:37,222 ...he was Jon Osterman, physicist, son of a watchmaker. 431 00:26:37,395 --> 00:26:42,094 A man with friendships, loves, common family values. 432 00:26:42,267 --> 00:26:44,633 One of his friends and, in fact, colleagues... 433 00:26:44,803 --> 00:26:47,397 ...who continues to work with Dr. Manhattan today... 434 00:26:47,572 --> 00:26:50,166 ...is an esteemed physicist in his own right... 435 00:26:50,342 --> 00:26:51,434 ...Wally Weaver. 436 00:26:51,610 --> 00:26:54,272 We went to Weaver's lab and had the following conversation. 437 00:26:54,446 --> 00:26:57,415 Well, I think... 438 00:26:57,616 --> 00:26:59,846 ...heroes of all kinds are a good thing. 439 00:27:00,018 --> 00:27:04,455 And I'm talking about the brave men and women of our Armed Forces. 440 00:27:04,623 --> 00:27:08,252 I'm talking about the policemen and the firefighters. 441 00:27:08,426 --> 00:27:13,762 I'm talking about the scientists and the doctors. And, uh... 442 00:27:14,132 --> 00:27:16,999 Yeah, I'd include masked heroes... 443 00:27:17,168 --> 00:27:19,636 ...in that group that's a benefit to society too. 444 00:27:19,804 --> 00:27:21,362 Jon is... 445 00:27:21,539 --> 00:27:25,066 I'm sorry. Dr. Manhattan... 446 00:27:25,510 --> 00:27:27,705 ...is something else entirely. 447 00:27:28,546 --> 00:27:34,416 I'm writing a book about how he's changed the geopolitical landscape forever... 448 00:27:35,086 --> 00:27:38,817 ...essentially making the very idea... 449 00:27:38,990 --> 00:27:41,925 ...of war obsolete. 450 00:27:43,628 --> 00:27:49,225 MASON: You know, the first thing was absolute disbelief. 451 00:27:49,401 --> 00:27:51,995 Well, of course, as you know, there was elation too. 452 00:27:52,170 --> 00:27:55,697 I mean, it was like Santa Claus was alive and thriving. 453 00:27:55,874 --> 00:27:58,104 But the fear... 454 00:27:59,144 --> 00:28:02,545 It was a terrible fear... 455 00:28:02,714 --> 00:28:06,650 ...and an uncertainty that went right to your core. 456 00:28:06,818 --> 00:28:09,218 I certainly understood how an old car feels... 457 00:28:09,387 --> 00:28:12,379 ...when it sees a new car, a new model come rolling out. 458 00:28:12,557 --> 00:28:14,047 [CHUCKLES] 459 00:28:14,659 --> 00:28:16,286 But it was more than that. 460 00:28:16,461 --> 00:28:22,889 You know, I think I can boil the feeling down to three words, really. It's: 461 00:28:23,068 --> 00:28:25,195 We've been replaced. 462 00:28:25,403 --> 00:28:28,634 And I don't just mean the masked adventurers. 463 00:28:28,807 --> 00:28:31,970 I mean, humanity. 464 00:28:32,877 --> 00:28:34,811 We've been replaced. 465 00:28:38,049 --> 00:28:41,348 Hollis always did have a flair for the dramatic. 466 00:28:41,519 --> 00:28:44,545 There is no doubt that it was an absolute shock to all of us. 467 00:28:44,723 --> 00:28:47,590 The fact that anything could exist like Dr. Manhattan. 468 00:28:47,759 --> 00:28:52,025 I mean, this was something out of the realm of concept for us. 469 00:28:52,197 --> 00:28:55,064 But we will always have a need for humanity... 470 00:28:55,233 --> 00:29:00,728 ...and as much as we expand and grow technologically, it's... 471 00:29:00,905 --> 00:29:03,032 We still need human contact, you know? 472 00:29:03,675 --> 00:29:06,838 People have always misinterpreted what I said about Jon. 473 00:29:07,378 --> 00:29:12,839 I wasn't comparing him to God. I wasn't saying he was a god. 474 00:29:13,017 --> 00:29:14,609 I just... 475 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,120 Just wish I wouldn't have ever said that. 476 00:29:18,490 --> 00:29:21,789 Bottom line is this: Jon is still Jon. 477 00:29:22,393 --> 00:29:24,361 At his core... 478 00:29:25,396 --> 00:29:27,227 ...he's still a man. 479 00:29:28,366 --> 00:29:33,326 Well, take what I said about supervillains being a direct response... 480 00:29:33,505 --> 00:29:35,473 ...to the appearance of superheroes... 481 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:39,007 ...and apply that to the current scenario. 482 00:29:39,177 --> 00:29:43,204 If you have a being that can destroy... 483 00:29:43,381 --> 00:29:44,939 ...with a single thought... 484 00:29:45,116 --> 00:29:47,346 ...then the terrifying thing is that there is... 485 00:29:47,519 --> 00:29:52,786 ...or there soon will be, a counterpoint or an adversary to that being. 486 00:29:52,957 --> 00:29:57,951 The universe has a way of finding its own equilibrium, its own level. 487 00:29:59,397 --> 00:30:05,063 What worries me is that Dr. Manhattan's nemesis will be arriving soon. 488 00:30:09,707 --> 00:30:12,232 Of course, some of these masked adventurers... 489 00:30:12,410 --> 00:30:14,970 ...never stopped practicing their unique craft. 490 00:30:15,146 --> 00:30:19,082 Eventually time moved forward to a point where their presence was again welcomed... 491 00:30:19,250 --> 00:30:21,548 ...and some would say sorely needed. 492 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:24,179 Big city streets festered with violence... 493 00:30:24,355 --> 00:30:26,516 ...intimidation and rampant crime. 494 00:30:26,691 --> 00:30:30,559 A perfect environment for a new breed of masked hero to emerge. 495 00:30:30,728 --> 00:30:32,992 Of course, I speak of the Watchmen. 496 00:30:33,565 --> 00:30:37,695 Now, with the Cold War escalating and the presence of a truly super being... 497 00:30:37,869 --> 00:30:39,962 ...at the forefront of our national defense... 498 00:30:40,138 --> 00:30:44,131 ...a growing fear and restlessness seems to permeate the population. 499 00:30:44,809 --> 00:30:47,471 Only this time, the fear is not of the criminals... 500 00:30:47,645 --> 00:30:49,670 ...but of the crime fighters themselves. 501 00:30:49,848 --> 00:30:53,306 Senator Keene surely thinks that the time has come to put an end... 502 00:30:53,484 --> 00:30:54,883 ...to masked adventuring. 503 00:30:55,053 --> 00:30:59,717 His suggested new laws would effectively clip the wings of these costumed heroes... 504 00:30:59,891 --> 00:31:01,483 ...making them hang up their masks... 505 00:31:01,659 --> 00:31:05,561 ...and preventing them from practicing vigilante justice in our fair streets. 506 00:31:06,030 --> 00:31:09,898 Senator Keene is an opportunistic... 507 00:31:11,269 --> 00:31:13,100 ...cipher. 508 00:31:13,271 --> 00:31:15,796 He has no idea what he's talking about. 509 00:31:15,974 --> 00:31:18,465 The real problem are the police departments. 510 00:31:18,643 --> 00:31:23,444 If they would take a little bit more of what these masked heroes have... 511 00:31:23,615 --> 00:31:26,516 ...then we wouldn't need people like Senator Keene... 512 00:31:26,684 --> 00:31:28,151 ...in the Senate in the first place. 513 00:31:29,420 --> 00:31:31,183 What do I think about Senator Keene? 514 00:31:31,356 --> 00:31:33,415 Listen, I work down here every day. 515 00:31:33,591 --> 00:31:36,890 Whenever I'm in trouble, whenever somebody's down here beating me up... 516 00:31:37,061 --> 00:31:39,791 ...and I yell for help, I don't care who comes to save my butt. 517 00:31:39,964 --> 00:31:43,422 I don't care if it's a superhero. I don't care if it's a cop. 518 00:31:43,601 --> 00:31:46,764 As long as somebody comes when I'm yelling "help." 519 00:31:47,171 --> 00:31:48,263 You understand? 520 00:31:48,439 --> 00:31:50,634 People have... 521 00:31:50,909 --> 00:31:53,275 ...a need for... 522 00:31:53,444 --> 00:31:55,435 ...an everyday hero. 523 00:31:55,813 --> 00:31:58,077 Masked or otherwise. 524 00:31:58,249 --> 00:32:00,080 And, uh... 525 00:32:02,220 --> 00:32:06,350 ...people who know right from wrong... 526 00:32:06,524 --> 00:32:10,187 ...will always be in demand. 527 00:32:23,675 --> 00:32:28,305 So I want to get a little personal here for the moment. 528 00:32:28,513 --> 00:32:30,003 You never married. Why is that? 529 00:32:32,750 --> 00:32:35,810 - Um... - Thank you. 530 00:32:35,987 --> 00:32:39,514 Well, I suppose if there's any one reason why I never got married... 531 00:32:39,691 --> 00:32:41,215 ...it was because... 532 00:32:42,393 --> 00:32:46,193 ...well, Sally Jupiter was taken. 533 00:32:46,364 --> 00:32:48,332 I don't think... 534 00:32:48,499 --> 00:32:51,491 ...it's any great secret that I had a thing for her. 535 00:32:51,669 --> 00:32:53,830 Half the male population did. 536 00:32:54,005 --> 00:32:58,169 By the time I'd rustled up the courage to ask her out on a proper date... 537 00:32:58,843 --> 00:33:00,868 ...she was already married to her manager. 538 00:33:01,446 --> 00:33:03,107 [CHUCKLES] 539 00:33:04,482 --> 00:33:06,814 It's kind of funny when you think of it. 540 00:33:07,185 --> 00:33:12,384 I dress up as an owl and risk my life on a daily basis... 541 00:33:12,957 --> 00:33:16,825 ...but when it came to asking a girl out... 542 00:33:16,995 --> 00:33:19,589 ...it was more than I could manage. 543 00:33:19,797 --> 00:33:24,131 Sadly, I think our marriage was doomed from the start. 544 00:33:24,302 --> 00:33:28,739 My professional position in Sally's life made it very difficult to be a good husband. 545 00:33:28,906 --> 00:33:30,737 It was my job as her manager... 546 00:33:30,908 --> 00:33:34,241 ...to not only accept the fact that men were attracted to her... 547 00:33:34,412 --> 00:33:36,846 ...but to build on that attraction... 548 00:33:37,815 --> 00:33:39,976 ...to prey upon it. 549 00:33:46,758 --> 00:33:48,385 Hollis was very important to you. 550 00:33:48,559 --> 00:33:50,618 He was a very important person in your life, correct? 551 00:33:50,795 --> 00:33:51,819 Absolutely. 552 00:33:51,996 --> 00:33:55,056 - You stay in contact with each other today? - We do. We do. 553 00:33:55,233 --> 00:33:57,531 Not as much as I would like, I must say. 554 00:33:57,702 --> 00:34:00,000 You know, your life takes you in different directions... 555 00:34:00,171 --> 00:34:03,607 ...but that was really a magical, magical time... 556 00:34:03,775 --> 00:34:07,267 ...and we do like to talk about the old times when we get together. 557 00:34:07,879 --> 00:34:09,779 You know, I think... 558 00:34:10,214 --> 00:34:12,648 I think I still have some kind of... 559 00:34:12,817 --> 00:34:15,718 ...half-baked idea that... 560 00:34:16,254 --> 00:34:20,384 ...Nite Owl and, uh... 561 00:34:21,059 --> 00:34:25,223 ...Silk Spectre are gonna end up together one day. 562 00:34:33,638 --> 00:34:34,969 Hm. 563 00:34:36,707 --> 00:34:39,073 When we originally spoke with Hollis Mason... 564 00:34:39,243 --> 00:34:42,303 ...he believed that the legacy he'd begun as the Nite Owl... 565 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:44,880 ...along with other members of the masked-hero community... 566 00:34:45,049 --> 00:34:47,108 ...would live on for years to come. 567 00:34:47,285 --> 00:34:50,721 He could not have known how wrong he was. 568 00:34:54,058 --> 00:34:58,552 This has been a nostalgic look back at a colorful time in this nation's past... 569 00:34:58,729 --> 00:35:01,789 ...when we turned to flamboyant heroes with cartoonish outfits... 570 00:35:01,966 --> 00:35:03,331 ...for our moral outlook. 571 00:35:03,501 --> 00:35:05,901 In the post-Keene Act world we now live in... 572 00:35:06,070 --> 00:35:08,630 ...the masked heroes are as outdated and irrelevant... 573 00:35:08,806 --> 00:35:12,674 ...as the old beat-up wrecks that Hollis Mason works on in his garage. 574 00:35:12,844 --> 00:35:16,837 We hope that you have found this look back at the history of costumed adventurers... 575 00:35:17,014 --> 00:35:19,482 ...both enlightening and informative. 576 00:35:19,650 --> 00:35:22,517 I'm Larry Culpeper for The Culpeper Minute. 577 00:37:30,815 --> 00:37:32,806 Subtitles by LeapinLar