5 superhero gimmicks that came before Nikki Cross in WWE

#3. Owen Hart began and ended his WWF/WWE career as The Blue Blazer

The Blue Blazer

When WWE (then WWF) signed Owen Hart in 1988 they didn't want to bill him as Bret Hart's younger brother, so they created a superhero gimmick for him to debut with - The Blue Blazer (originally called The Blue Angel.)

The Blue Blazer Part II pic.twitter.com/uXdxRBkgm2

— ©️ℭ𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔦𝔞𝔫®️ℜ𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔥 (@Rabeh_Saleh) June 22, 2021

Hart would go on to lose the Blue Blazer mask in a Mask vs Mask match against Mexican wrestler El Canek in 1991, before returning to WWE/WWF in 1991 and wrestling as himself all the way through to 1998.

Then WWF had Owen Hart bring back the Blue Blazer gimmick, this time as an overbearing self-righteous heel, which is the character Hart played until his untimely death during the now infamous accident at Over The Edge 1999.

El Canek defeats The Blue Blazer in a mask vs. mask in 1991. The Blue Blazer unmasks and the Owen Hart era begins. pic.twitter.com/Fq9z5YURtp

— Allan (@allan_cheapshot) May 20, 2020

Hart was only 34 when he died, but his legacy as a wrestler has endured even despite his relatively young age. He has gone down as one of the best wrestlers to set foot inside a ring, and a true superhero.