Hollis Mason

Inspired by Action Comics’ character Superman, and the real life exploits of the Hooded Justice, police officer Hollis Mason took up the life of the vigilante in 1938. Calling himself Nite-Owl, he battled such colorful villains as the Screaming Skull, Captain Axis and Moloch.

Mason was possibly the most decent and likeable of the Minutemen (a masked adventurer league), while many of his peers had issues with regard to society, race, sexual orientation, gender, Mason was apparently free of these traits; in fact he is regarded as something of a voice of reason by many of the other heroes. Often considered a "real stand up guy" by his peers, he seems to be able to get along with the vast majority of the other heroes despite being all too aware of their shortcomings; the sole exception seems to be the Comedian, whose brutal attempted rape of the Silk Spectre Hollis never forgave him for. In his twilight years, he was notably kindly and temperate.

Mason retired in 1962 and open an auto repair shop and write his memoir called ‘Under the Hood’. In the book openly spoke of certain scandals surrounding his former teammates and pointedly exposed the Comedian’s sexual assault upon the Silk Spectre.

Amidst a rekindled hatred for vigilantism as Nite-Owl II and Silk Spectre II broke Rorschach out of prison; in response Hollis Mason was brutally murdered by Derf, a top-knot gang member.

Hollis Mason's memoir 'Under the Hood' was also featured in the DC comics classic "Kingdom Come".

Dan Dreiberg

Dan Dreiberg was the successor to the Nite-Owl mantle. Inspired by Mason’s career and his love of predatory birds (especially Owls). With an inherited wealth he purchased and/or designed and constructed a variety of super heroic paraphernalia, notably the Owlship called ‘Archie’ (after Archimedes), Archie was an airship armed with flame-throwers, missiles, and all the other gadgets necessary to begin a war on crime without any sort of metahuman power.

Dreiberg was somewhat self-conscious and clearly liberal, and a sensitively intellectual in his everyday dealings. He would tend to over-think before acting and had an apparent fetish for superheroics and all its trappings. He was most effective when he is in costume, quickly shedding his inhibitions.

Dreiberg asked Mason’s permission in using the Nite-Owl name and began his career. He teamed up with Rorschach (Walter Kovacs) and was part of an abortive attempt to form the Crimebusters by Captain Metropolis.

In 1977 the Keene Act was passed outlawing vigilantism and Dreiberg retired. Dreiberg quietly mastered in aeronautics and zoology at Harvard, contributing scholarly articles to ornithological journals after his retirement.

In 1985, Dreiberg was contacted by a still very active Rorschach who was investigating the murder of Edward Blake (The Comedian). Rorschach believed it was someone targeting masked heroes and warned Dreiberg out of possibly professional courtesy or maybe because of their history together. Rorschach seemed to genuinely care about Dreiberg and in many repects considered him his only friend.

Soon, Dreiberg was forced to return to vigilantism along with the Silk Spectre II (daughter of the original, Laurie Juspeczyk, who later became his wife), to break Rorschach out of prison and attempt to stop Ozymandias from his scheme to ‘save the world from itself’. They failed. After the incident he and Juspeczyk took the names of Sam and Sandra Hollis and briefly visit Laurie's mother.

Inspiration
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Nite Owl I was inspired by the original Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett. Nite Owl II is inspired by Ted Kord the 2nd Blue Beetle. It is noticed that Nite Owl I's costume bears resemblance to Robin's and Nie Owl II's costume bears resemblance to Batman's.

Watchmen movie
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Both Nite Owls will appear in the movie. Though there ha been some critizisim that Nite Owl 2's costume is too cool.