Zorro ( Spanish for "Fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley , and appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles during the era of Spanish California (1769–1821). He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante who defends the commoners and indigenous peoples of California against corrupt and tyrannical officials and other villains. His signature all-black costume includes a cape, a hat known as a sombrero cordobés , and a mask covering the upper half of his face.