359: vigalante Dec 2, 2015

'Vigilante' was popularized by 20th century pulp. From both Penny Westerns and superhero comic books, the idea of a freelancing avenger arose. The term came about in the American West from Spanish meaning, 'vigilant', as before there was an active police force, there were posse of men who would hang those they saw as law-breakers, without any authority to do so.