The Black Hoods were a gang of xenophobic vigilantes from the town of Cottonwood. They were powerful enough that the authorities were afraid to stop them. Their leader was Crosby. They went after Albert Reiner and Carl Snyder, farmers of Pennsylvania Dutch descent, because they were jealous of their success. The Crusader from Mars and Zira stepped in to help them. They arrested Crosby and took him to Mars to dig canals. Without him the Black Hoods fell apart.