Swashbuckling entrepreneur Richard Branson has hurtled into space aboard his own winged rocket ship, beating fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos by nine days.
Coming out years before Superman or even The Shadow, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, along with the swashbuckling heroes of early cinema, helped to define costumed heroes.
He moved sword wielding away from the medieval romances, or even the swashbuckling of many of the other pulps, and made it into something more primal, more visceral and real.
There were many classic movies made in the 30s, 40s, and 50s with swashbuckling heroes – men, brave men who would go out and have these wonderful adventures and, of course, wonderful romances with the beautiful women.