Green Hornet
Green Hornet is a male radio character who features in the Green Hornet.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Britt Reid
In actions, the Green Hornet operated as Britt Reid, the young and debonair publisher of the Daily Sentinel who had inherited the newspaper from his father. In the series' debut, he established a clandestine double life where he masqueraded as a notorious criminal to infiltrate and dismantle the city's rackets from the inside. He investigated the operations of a ruthless factory owner named John Fenwick, who had suddenly and suspiciously improved his employees' working conditions. Using his resources at the newspaper, he dispatched his newly hired crime reporter, Michael Axford, to uncover the truth behind Fenwick’s sudden change of heart, which led to the discovery of a blackmail plot. As the Green Hornet, he confronted Fenwick directly, revealing that he possessed evidence of the man’s past crimes, including a $100,000 theft and the framing of an innocent man named Jimmy Carleton. He utilised his high-powered, streamlined motor car—later known as the Black Beauty—and a specialized gas gun of his own invention to neutralize threats and ensure his escape from both the police and the underworld. He successfully leveraged his criminal reputation to force Fenwick to admit his guilt, thereby clearing Carleton's name while maintaining his own status as a wanted fugitive. By the conclusion of his first mission, he had successfully turned over the necessary incriminating evidence to the authorities, all while his loyal valet and partner, Kato, managed the logistics of their escape. (Episode 1)
NOW Comics
Britt Reid II took up his uncle's mantle after a friend is assassinated. Britt Reid II eventually retired due to a heart attack, and Kato—given the first name Hayashi, after that of the first actor to play Kato on radio—goes on to become a star of ninja movies. It was established that Hayashi Kato as Ikano Kato's son. Britt Reid's nephew, Paul Reid, a concert pianist, takes on the role of the Hornet after his older brother Alan, who had first taken on the mantle, is killed on his debut mission. Paul Reid is assisted by Mishi Kato, Hayashi's much-younger half-sister who was trained by Ikano Kato. Her being female caused problems between the publishers and the rights-holders, who withdrew approval of that character and mandated the return of "the Bruce Lee Kato". After Mishi's departure—explained as orders from her father to replace an injured automobile designer at the Zurich, Switzerland, facility of the family corporation, Nippon Today—Hayashi Kato returned to crime fighting alongside the Paul Reid Green Hornet Mishi Kato returned in volume two as the Crimson Wasp, following the death of her Swiss police-officer fiancé, on orders of a criminal leader. In NOW's final two issues, vol. 2, #39–40, a fourth Kato—Kono Kato, grandson of Ikano and nephew of Hayashi and Mishi—took over as Paul Reid's fellow masked vigilante. The comics also introduced Diana Reid, the original Britt Reid's daughter, who had become district attorney after the TV series' Frank Scanlon had retired. A romantic relationship eventually formed between her and Hayashi Kato.
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, the Green Hornet was a male with the physical build of a fit, well-proportioned young adult of social standing. In his civilian identity as Britt Reid, he possessed clean-cut facial features and dark hair, typically appearing in the high-end fashion of a wealthy newspaper publisher, which included tailored wool suits, pressed dress shirts, and silk ties. When he adopted his vigilante persona, he concealed his identity behind a mask that covered the upper portion of his face. His primary attire as the Green Hornet consisted of a dark overcoat and a fedora, both of which featured a distinct green hue that served as his visual trademark. He wore a mask made of green fabric that obscured his eyes and bridge of his nose, and his hands were covered by gloves to prevent the leaving of fingerprints. This uniform was designed to be functional yet imposing, allowing him to blend into the night while maintaining a professional, albeit criminal, silhouette. He carried a specialized gas gun of his own design, which was often kept concealed within the pockets of his heavy coat. (Episode 1) At night, he clad himself in a long green overcoat, gloves, green fedora hat and green mask where Reid fought crime as the mysterious vigilante known as the Green Hornet.
In the field, he was accompanied by his loyal and similarly masked partner and confidant, Kato.
Though both the police and the general public believe the Hornet to be a wanted criminal, Reid uses that perception to help him infiltrate the underworld, leaving behind for the police the criminals and any incriminating evidence he has found.
Powers and abilities
He exhibited a high degree of resourcefulness and technical aptitude, having developed specialized equipment such as his non-lethal gas gun and his high-performance automobile to facilitate his mission. He was a disciplined leader who maintained total control over his emotions, often using his reputation as a supposed criminal mastermind to manipulate both the police and the underworld. In terms of physical skills, he was a capable hand-to-hand combatant who relied on his agility and tactical positioning rather than brute strength. He was an expert driver and a skilled marksman with his gas gun, possessing the coordination to deploy chemical agents with precision during high-speed pursuits or close-quarters confrontations. His primary trait was his ability to operate with cold efficiency, utilizing his vast financial resources and the intelligence-gathering capabilities of his newspaper to identify and dismantle criminal rackets. Additionally, he was a master of psychological warfare, crafting a public persona of a dangerous fugitive to gain the trust of genuine criminals before orchestrating their downfall. (Episode 1)
By night, clad in a long green overcoat, gloves, green fedora hat and green mask, Reid fought crime as the mysterious vigilante known as the Green Hornet. Though both the police and the general public believe the Hornet to be a wanted criminal, Reid uses that perception to help him infiltrate the underworld, leaving behind for the police the criminals and any incriminating evidence he has found.
Kato served as the driver of a technologically advanced car called the Black Beauty.
He was also the wealthy young publisher of the Daily Sentinel newspaper.
Notes
- The Green Hornet was created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker where he made his first appearance in The Green Hornet radio program (January, 1936).
In other media
Television
Films
- In The Green Hornet, the Green Hornet appeared in the setting of the 1940 black and white movie serial where he was portrayed by actor Gordon Jones. Britt Reid, the new publisher of The Sentinel newspaper, secretly becomes the vigilante crime fighter The Green Hornet. Backing him up is his Korean valet and inventor Kato. Together, they investigate and expose several separate underworld rackets. During the course of 15 serial chapters, these high-profile events lead the Hornet and Kato into continued conflict with the henchmen of "The Chief", the hidden mastermind behind a 12-person criminal syndicate controlling those rackets.
Comic Books
Radio
- In The Green Hornet, the Green Hornet featured in the setting of the radio show. Britt Reid was the son of Dan Reid Jr., the nephew of the Lone Ranger (whose first name is never given, contrary to later articles), making the Green Hornet the great-nephew of the Ranger. The relationship is alluded to at least once in the radio shows, when Dan Reid visits his son to question him on why Britt has never captured the Hornet. On learning the truth behind his son's dual identity, Dan Reid recalls his days riding with his uncle, as the William Tell Overture plays briefly and softly in the background.
Appearances
- The Green Hornet: (1936)
External Links
This article is a stub. You can help Multiversal Omnipedia by expanding it.
