Nite-Owl
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- For other uses of the term, see Night Owl
Nite Owl is the name of a pair of fictional superheroes who are central characters in the classic comic book series, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics. They are modified versions of the different Blue Beetles created by Fox Features Syndicate and later sold to Charlton Comics.
Nite Owl I
Hollis J. Mason (1916-1985). Starting out as a NYC policeman in 1938, he was inspired by Action Comics' Superman and the real life exploits of Hooded Justice to take up the life of a vigilante. A member of the Minutemen who formed as a "masked adventurer" justice league in mid-1939. Operating in New York City, Nite Owl was an "old school" crimefighter, stopping colorful criminals and going on to fight Axis operatives during World War II. Retired in May, 1962 to open an auto business and wrote his memoir, Under the Hood informed Silk Spectre II of The Comedian's attempted rape of her mother Silk Spectre I.
Mason was killed by Derf, a Knot-top gang member, in a frenzied break-in after Nite Owl II (Daniel Dreiberg) and Silk Spectre II (Laurie Juspeczyk) broke Rorschach (Walter Kovacs) out of jail.
Nite Owl II
Dan Dreiberg. Relied more upon technical wizardry than toughness. Uses a vaguely owl shaped vehicle, nicknamed Archie. He also has a number of owl-like suits that allow him to survive in hostile environments and respirator masks, swoke bombs and pocket laser. He was rich, his father who was a banker, bored and other guys are crime-fighters. Hollis Mason was his hero and he retiring when Dan was started out, in the 1960's. His wrote and asked if he could carry the name. In 1965 Nite Owl (II) teamed up with another superhero Rorschach, whose technical skills and resources complemented. August 3rd, 1977 Dan Dreiberg retiring, he wouldn't be making his identity public. Rorschach said "No staying power".
During the Watchmen storyline, he becomes romantically entangled with the Silk Spectre II.