TheShadow is a cunning master of the night, able to melt into the shadows and strike fear into the hearts of criminals with his whispered, mocking laugh. When not cloaked in black slouch hat and coat, The Shadow poses in a variety of identities, including that of wealthy playboy Lamont Cranston. The Shadow is helped by a cadre of agents, all of whom owe their lives and their allegiance to him. At one time, it looked as if The Shadow would become one of this centuries most famous fictional characters, along with icons such as Superman and Batman, but most people today would not be aware of the character. The Shadow started out as a narrative character on Detective Hour for American radio in 1930 - a year later Street & Smith (who sponsored the radio show) put the character into his own pulp magazine which lasted an impressive 18 years. Eventually, in 1936, the character was given his own show on American radio, where he was played by a young Orson Welles. The series proved extremely popular and lasted on the radio until 1954, five years after his pulp magazine series had ended.