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[[File:batmanrip.jpg|link=Batman|frame|"[[Batman: Year One|Without warning, it comes. Crashing through the window of your study. I have seen it before... somewhere. It frightened me as a boy... frightened me. Yes, father. I shall become a bat]]."]]
{{quote|''A cloud of smoke and he appears;
''The master of surprise;
''Who's that cunning mind behind;
''The shadowy disguise?
''Nobody knows for sure, and bad guys are out of luck.''
|''[[Darkwing Duck]]'', "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}375ENQbru8s Opening Theme]"}}
In the dead of night, an innocent's scream pierces through the darkness. The laughter of the wicked echoes through the streets, and with the click of a gun being cocked it seems that evil will take the life of yet another. But, all of a sudden, there is movement in the shadows. The alleys fill with smoke as the silhouette of a mysterious interloper rushes towards the would be murderer. In a moment, the tides turn, as swift and severe punishment is meted out to the unjust. Suddenly finding their life saved, the grateful citizen looks to find their savior, only to find merely a passing shadow, gone just as quick as it appeared.
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Yet another tale of the night, a tale that leaves criminals looking over their shoulder in search of the shadowy phantom whose swift justice is as mysterious as it is indomitable. A hero who is always ahead of his quarry, and who never fails to arrive when help is needed, coming from the shadows, using monsters' own fear against them.
The Cowl is [[The Cape (trope)]] with a dark twist and typically on the cynical side on the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]]. Instead of adventuring in the daylight and showing themselves for the glory of the protected, they stick to the shadows and prey on the fears of their quarry. The Cowl tends to be a [[Costumed Nonsuper Hero]], their greatest assets being wit and psychological tactics, but if they do have powers, they tend to be related to darkness or some kind of sufficiently-creepy animal.
See also [[Dark Is Not Evil]] and [[Anti-Hero]]. Compare and contrast with [[The Cape (trope)]]. Sub trope of [[Terror Hero]].
{{examples
== Straight Examples==
=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===
* ''Kaiketsu [[Zorro]]''
* [[Batman]] in ''Batman: Gotham Knight''.
* [[Invoked Trope|Invoked]] in ''[[Code Geass]]'', where Lelouch (who is [[Magnificent Bastard|definitely]] [[The Chessmaster|not]] [[Squishy Wizard|this]]) tries to play himself up as a combination of
* [[Karas]], which has some resemblance to Batman.
* ''[[Puella Magi Madoka Magica]]'' applies this to [[Magical Girl
=== [[Comic Books]] ===
* [[Batman]] has, of course, [[Trope Codifier|practically built this trope, or at least the way it is seen now]], but is, however, not the [[Ur Example]], and is arguably not exactly the [[Trope Maker]] (see Literature, below). The description describes the quintessential [[Batman Cold Open]], emerging from the shadows and inducing fear in all the criminals his eyes meet. Most examples of the trope nowadays are at least partially influenced by the Dark Knight.
* [[The Spirit]]
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* [[Daredevil]], who is in many ways the closest Marvel analogue to Batman.
* [[Black Panther]].
* In [https://web.archive.org/web/20131029130101/http://www.johnnysaturn.com/2006/01/18/book-one-page-01/ "Johnny Saturn"] Johnny Saturn I is clearly a cowl, a street-level avenger who fights organized crime.
* The Revenant in ''[[PS238]]''.
* The Confessor from ''[[Astro City]]''.
* [[The Spectre]] is somewhat a subversion. Yes, he's scary, wears a cape and a <s>cowl</s> hood, chases villains at night, cloaks himself in shadows, makes bad people look over their shoulders and uses their fears against them. He is also one of the most powerful beings in the goddamn universe, and can juggle galaxies with one hand if he feels like it.
* Cloak. Which is to be expected from someone whose name is almost a synonym for this trope.
* In ''[[X-Men]]'', Wolverine sort of serves as this to Cyclops' [[The Cape (trope)]].
* The Terror from Alan Moore's ''[[Tom Strong]]''.
* Rorschach in ''[[Watchmen]]'' considers himself
=== [[Film]] ===
* Halle Berry's best-forgotten portrayal of ''[[Catwoman (film)|Catwoman]]'' as an [[Anti-Hero]].
* [[The Mask of Zorro|Zorro]]
* [[Batman]]
* David Dunn from [[Unbreakable]] is an example of this trope applied to a somewhat realistic setting- he wears a cowl-like poncho as part of his "costume", uses violence to save innocents, and has difficult family issues to boot.
=== [[Literature]] ===
* ''[[The Shadow]]'', which is the other candidate for [[Trope Maker]] of the modern version of this trope.
* Pulp magazine characters inspired by [[The Shadow]]:
** ''[[The Spider]]''
** [[wikipedia:The Phantom Detective|The Phantom Detective]]
** ''[[The Avenger]]''.
* ''[[Zorro]]'', [[Older Than They Think|who was a main influence to the creation of Batman]].
* ''[[Batman]]'', in many prose books and movie novelizations.
* [[Philip Pullman]]'s ''Spring-Heeled Jack'' is basically described as "Batman in [[Victorian Britain]]", and it suits.
* The Opera Ghost in [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[
* [[Soon I Will Be Invincible
* Though a villainous example, the appropriately-named Cowl in ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' believes he is one of these.
* NightHaunt, in ''[[In Hero Years… I'm Dead]]''. {{spoiler|Too bad, he's also the [[Big Bad]]}}
* Dr Shade in [[Kim Newman]]'s fiction. A British [[Captain Ersatz]] of the Shadow, he's so mysterious that the closest he's come to appearing in a story is as a spirit based on a fictional character in "The Original Doctor Shade". In settings where he's real (such as the ''[[Diogenes Club]]'' series ... [[Broad Strokes|usually]]), he is [[The Ghost|only referenced]], often as someone the Diogenes heroes really don't want involved, because it'll lead to a lot of dead people and no real answers.
* ''[[The Black Saint]]'' eventually becomes this.
=== [[Live
* [[Angel]] in early episodes of ''[[Buffy]]'' and his own series. At least in spirit since his wardrobe is more of a [[Badass Longcoat]]
** Subverted in the final season, when {{spoiler|he tries to pull this only for his security team to show up and the person he saved being asked to sign a form attesting that she had been saved by Angel, CEO of Wolfram and Hart, and they turned it into a photo op. He didn't try again.}}
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* [[Batman]]
* [[Jack of All Trades (TV series)|The Daring Dragoon]], being pretty heavily based on Zorro afterall.
* [[The Cape (trope)|Ironically]], [[The Cape (2010 TV series)|The Cape]].
* Spanish TV show [[Aguila Roja]] (Red Eagle) set in 17th century Spain.
* In [[Smallville]], [[Green Arrow]] is the Cowl to Clark's [[The Cape (trope)|Cape]].
** In the episode ''Vengeance'', Andrea Rojas aka "the Angel of Vengeance". Unlike [[Green Arrow]], who was a recurring character before becoming a main character, she only appeared in one episode.
* John Reese of [[Person of Interest]].
=== [[Professional Wrestling]] ===
* [[TNA|Suicide]] dresses in full-body spandex, appears out of nowhere to save people with violence, goes on and on about his dark and mysterious past... despite not being billed as a [[Superhero]], he's probably the purest example of
* [[wikipedia:El Zorro (wrestler)|El Zorro]], who worked the masked wrestler gimmmick for a number of years.
* [[The Undertaker]] can have shades of this, as a face at least. Normally when he does save someone it's because he's feuding with the other wrestler. He can appear suddenly after the lights in the arena go black for a few seconds and come back on again to the sound of his gong.
* [[TNA|Sting]] also has shades of this following his change from Malibu Sting to Crow Sting- the black clothing, billowing trenchcoat, sudden dramatic appearances (either suddenlly after the arena lights go out, or descending from the rafters in Batman-like fashion) and general [[Dark Is Not Evil]] aesthetic definitley evoke this trope.
=== [[Radio]] ===
* Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? [[The Shadow]] knows!
* [[Red Panda Adventures]]
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* [[Batman]]
=== [[Tabletop Games]] ===
* [[Warhammer
* Both DC and Marvel have released role playing and table top games based off their comics, so yes, it is possible to play as [[Batman]].
* Further, there was a Zorro RPG released by Gold Rush Games.
* The ''[[Freedom City]]'' setting for ''[[Mutants and Masterminds]]'' has The Raven, and his daughter, Raven II, homages to Batman and The Huntress, respectively.
** And Graywing ([[Golden Age]] Batman), Black Wing I ([[Silver Age]] Batman) and Black Wing II ([[Modern Age]] Batman/Nightwing) in the ''[[Halt Evil Doer]]!'' setting for same.
* [[Champions]] has the [[Darker and Edgier|Dark Champions]] setting with extensive rules and suggestions for building
=== [[Video Games]] ===
* ''[[Lego Adaptation Game|Lego Batman]]''
* ''[[Batman: Arkham Asylum]]''
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* Yuri Lowell in [[Tales of Vesperia]].
=== [[Web Original]] ===
* From the ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'': Achilles, leader of the Global Guardians. Battlecat and his daughter, Lynx, in New Orleans. The Nightwatchman in Boston. El Buho in Mexico City.
* {{spoiler|[[Running Gag|Batman]]}} in [[The Joker Blogs]].
=== [[Western Animation]] ===▼
▲== [[Western Animation]] ==
* [[Darkwing Duck]], as the page quote shows, though, unlike most examples of this trope, despite being shadowy and mysterious he is also a teensy bit of a glory hound. Though he's a [[Affectionate Parody]] of this concept anyway.
** ''Very'' affectionate. And when he says [[Let's Get Dangerous]], the trope becomes ''very'' real for the bad guys.
* ''[[South Park]]'' spoofed this in an episode where Cartman becomes a vigilante called The Coon but no one pays attention to anything he does. Played semi-straight with The Coon's [[Unknown Rival]], Mysterion.
* Monkey Man in ''[[Hey Arnold!]]'' is a comedic example of this.
* Apparently there was an episode of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh where Tigger called himself the "Masked Offender".
* "Catman" in ''[[The Fairly
* One episode of Disney's ''[[Hercules (
* [[Zorro]] [[Running Gag|again]]. He's had at least four [[Animated Adaptation|animated adaptations]], five if you count the [[Recycled in Space]] version.
* [[Batman]] in some of his animated incarnations.
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* After having to retire from the [[Kids Next Door]] due to a technicality, Tommy begins to dress like [[The Shadow]] and attempts to reinvent himself as one of these.
=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===▼
▲== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* Zero from ''[[Code Geass]]''. As mentioned above, Lelouch is invoking the trope to gain support.
* Hei of ''[[Darker
* [[Sailor Moon|Tuxedo Mask]] has some of this as part of his character (moreso in the manga, where he operated in a ''very'' Batman-like manner for awhile) But he also has elements of [[The Cape (trope)|the classic Cape]] as well.
=== [[Comic Books]] ===
* In Mike Grell's run of [[Green Arrow]] Ollie trades in his Robin Hood hat for an actual cowl.
* [[Batman]] was a questionable Cowl during the [[Silver Age]], with all of the wacky foes they faced and sci-fi hijinks. Keep in mind, the famous [[Adam West]] [[Batman (TV series)|Batman]] was an adaptation of all of this wackiness.
=== [[Live
* [[Adam West]]'s [[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]. The high camp level pretty much destroys the "uses his opponent's fears against them" aspect.
** Also the night theme. This Batman acts in broad daylight.
* The shortlived TV series ''[[Nightman]]'', based off the equally short-lived comic series.
* [[Superman|Clark Kent]] in Season 9 ''[[Smallville]]'', since he dresses in black, saves people at superspeed so the can't really see him, and briefly gets in the habit of burning the Mark of El into places where he's saved people as a [[Calling Card]].
=== Meta ===
* Pretty much the entire [[Vampire Detective]] trope.
=== [[Western Animation]] ===
* [[Batman]] in ''[[Batman: The Brave And The Bold|Batman the Brave And The Bold]]'', which is an homage to the more campy times of Batman.
* Batman in ''[[The Batman]]'' has
* ''[[Danny Phantom]]''
* Die Fledermaus on [[The Tick (animation)]] (This is clearly the image he's going for, but [[The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything|the fact that he never actually fights crime makes him somewhat less intimidating]].)
* Zuko's "Blue Spirit" alter-ego on ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]].'' He fits the style pretty well, but he doesn't really use the disguise for anything heroic. In his first appearance, the Spirit freed Aang from Zhao's clutches, but this was only so Zuko could capture Aang and get the glory for himself (though this was justifiable, as he felt this was the only way to [["Well Done, Son" Guy|make his father love him again]]). Later, in the second season, we see Zuko robbing Earth Kingdom merchants for his own selfish needs. Finally, Zuko dons the disguise one more time to capture Aang and Appa. {{spoiler|However, Iroh stops him and Zuko ends up abandoning his mission and freeing Appa. At the end of the episode, Zuko drops his Blue Spirit mask into Lake Laogai and abandons his alter-ego once and for all.}}
* In ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'', Mare Do Well from her [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
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[[Overly Long Gag|Did we mention Batman is an example of this trope]]? [[Department of Redundancy Department|Also, Zorro]]?
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Fountain of Expies]]
[[Category:Superhero Tropes]]
[[Category:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowl, The}}
▲[[Category:The Cowl]]
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