What can I do?

I’m a total sucker for masked men on horseback. For that matter, on horseback even without the mask. The horse counts a lot.

I am equally passionate about superheroes, preferably with capes. Alas but none of them, masked or not, caped or otherwise, came for me. But I’m still ready. A little creaky in the bones, but if you’re off to save the world or just The American Way, I’ll go with you. Maybe then I’ll be young again.

Other girls wanted to be princesses. I wanted to be Robin Hood, but western style because I had to have a horse. My men would follow me anywhere because I was The Best.

Remember this one?

The Cisco Kid was actually filmed in color although almost no one had a color television yet. So was Superman, though I was well into my 30s before I saw it for myself.

Zorro made my heart flutter and The Lone Ranger made me weak in the knees. Despite the fact that to this day, I cannot fathom how come no one recognized Superman when he wore wire-rimmed eyeglasses, I loved him anyway. Batman too, though Supe was really My Guy.

I had some small issue with the whole phone booth thing since in New York, where I grew up, they had glass sides, so they were not exactly a private shelter. Why didn’t he just do it at super speed so no one could see? Who needs a phone booth anyhow?

There were heroes whose steeds were space ships patrolling the galaxy. Long before Star Trek, there was the original space cop … Captain Video, and his Video Rangers …

When we got more sophisticated, we moved on to Rocky Jones, Space Ranger …

Captain Kirk was really Captain Video with slightly better (but not much) effects. I think the acting was about the same, but the quality of the film had definitely improved by then.

I’ve loved them all and love them still.

I am glad that movie makers share my love for the super guys who filled the dreams of my girlhood. I was the only girl … hell, the only kid … I knew who had Lone Ranger wallpaper. Not on a computer. There was no such thing. No, I had it on my walls. Lone and Tonto, endlessly riding in a small circle around the same little patch of ground … “Hi yo Silver! The Lone Ranger Rides Again!” I always thought Tonto got rather short shrift and I thought his horse, Scout, was every bit as cool as Silver, but I would have settled for any kind of equine.

He could graze on our lawn, live in the otherwise unused garage, please mom? I’ll take care of him. You won’t have to do a thing.

She was immovable. How could I lead the fight for Justice without a horse? I tried flying, which worked for Superman, but all I got were scabby knees and elbows. No matter how hard, no leap got me over a single tall, or even medium-sized building.

So, return with me now to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when Silver and Scout, Trigger and that fabulous black horse that Zorro always rode carried my heroes, with and without masks.

Let us not forget the original save-the-world guy ..

We could use a few heroes now, could we not?

Maybe they are still out there … we just don’t seem to see them anymore.