El Zorro

Don Diego de la Vega is a vigilante who defends the commoners and Indigenous peoples of California against tyrants, first appearing in the 1919 serialized novel, “The Curse of Capistrano” by Johnston McCulley, set in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s. Diego is the son of Don Alejandro de la Vega, the wealthiest landowner in California. Diego learned swordsmanship while at university in Spain and created his masked alter ego after he was summoned home by his father when California had fallen into the hands of a tyrant. Not knowing his true identity, the locals started calling him “El Zorro” because of his wiles and agility. Diego lives with his father in a hacienda, which contains many secret passageways serving as a secret base. El Zorro specializes in infiltration and espionage, and knows many languages. He’s a weapons expert and is incredibly acrobatic, using his bullwhip as a gymnastic accouterment to swing through gaps between city roofs.