The Crimson Ghost

The Crimson Ghost (1946) is a Republic film serial directed by Fred C. Brannon and William Witney with Charles Quigley and Linda Stirling playing the leads. This was Witney's last serial, after a career that left him one of the most praised of all serial directors. In the 1990s The Crimson Ghost was one of only two Republic serials to be colorised. The villain of the serial, the Crimson Ghost of the title, is one of the most visually striking of the medium. The Misfits adapted his visage as their skull logo and he has appeared in an Iron Maiden video.

In the early 1950s, The Crimson Ghost was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes. The Crimson Ghost was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Cyclotrode "X". This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length.

The poster for the Kansas City show, at the Max, on 28 March 1979 featured the first use of the Crimson Ghost by the band Misfits. The cover art for their Horror Business EP , the band's third single, would be the first time that the character would appear on a release by the band. It would continue to be used as the band's mascot and its skull image would serve as the Misfits' logo for the rest of their career.