The Crimson Avenger is the name of three separate
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
s,
superheroA superhero is "a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest"...
es who exist in the
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
universeThe DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
.
Lee Walter Travis
The original Crimson Avenger made his first published appearance in
Detective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best-known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman. It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and the source of its company's name...
#20 (October 1938). He was a wealthy newsman named Lee Walter Travis who took up the identity of the Crimson Avenger to battle crime.
Travis initially dressed in a red trenchcoat, a
fedoraA fedora is a felt hat that is creased lengthwise down the crown and pinched in the front on both sides. Similar hats with a C-crown are occasionally called fedoras. The brim goes all the way around, and often there will be a hat band as well...
, and a red
maskA mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, concealment, performance, or amusement. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
covering his face; except for the red coloring, he was visually similar to the
ShadowThe Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of fictional vigilante The Shadow. One of the most famous pulp heroes of the 20th century, The Shadow has been featured in comic books, comic strips, television,...
. He had an Asian
chauffeurA chauffeur is an individual who operates any self-propelled vehicle for a profession. While the term may refer to anybody who drives for a living, it usually implies a driver of an elegant passenger vehicle such as a horse-drawn carriage, luxury sedan, motor coach, or especially a limousine;...
/crime-fighting partner, and used a gas gun to subdue criminals, similar to the
Green HornetGreen Hornet may refer to:* The Green Hornet, a fictional character created by Fran Striker for the 1930s radio program and adapted into several media versions, including a 1960s television series...
. Later, when superheroes became more popular than costumed
vigilanteA vigilante is someone who unlawfully punishes a criminal, or participates in a mob or conspiracy to mete out unlawful punishment to a criminal or criminals....
s, his costume was changed to a more standard superhero outfit, consisting of red tights, yellow boots, trunks and crest, and a "sun" symbol which was recently stated to have been a stylized bullet hole.
It has been shown that he was trained in hand-to-hand combat in
Nanda ParbatNanda Parbat is a fictional city in the DC Comics universe. Nanda Parbat first appeared in Strange Adventures #205 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino, the creators of Deadman.-History:...
. While there he saw the future and witnessed an "unnamed" hero, being
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
, as well as the man's selflessness and death at the hands of a monster
Doomsday-Eschatology:* Armageddon, the final battle between God and Satan in the Christian New Testament* Doomsday event, an event with an exceptionally destructive effect on the human race...
. This inspired him to return to America and combat crime, first as a corruption-free newspaper owner and later as a masked crime fighter.
Years later, he died rescuing his city from a freighter about to detonate within its harbor.
The Justice League of America always has a version of his first costume present whenever they are inducting new members as a homage to the Crimson Avenger's status as the world's first costumed crime fighter.
Albert Elwood
Albert Elwood made a single appearance as the Crimson Avenger, in
World's Finest ComicsWorld's Finest Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name....
#131 (February 1963), in a story entitled "The Mystery of the Crimson Avenger". Eccentric inventor Albert Elwood adopted the guise and attempted to help Superman, Batman and Robin thwart the robberies of the Octopus Gang. After the requisite identity confusion when one of the gang members assumed the Crimson Avenger's identity, Elwood did help the heroes capture the gang, and retired right afterward. He had many sophisticated gadgets, but his efforts often proved counterproductive, more a hindrance than a help. He did mention that he had "taken the name of a former lawman," meaning the by-then long defunct original Crimson Avenger. The former Crimson Avenger was only recorded as having resided on Earth-Two, however the Earth Elwood resided on has never been identified.
Jill Carlyle
Since then, another Crimson Avenger has appeared. This character, like the original
El DiabloEl Diablo is a name shared by several fictional characters published by DC Comics. Lazarus Lane the first El Diablo debuted in All-Star Western #2 , and was created by Robert Kanigher and Gray Morrow.-Publication history:...
serves as a minor
Spirit of VengeanceThe Spectre is a fictional cosmic entity and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the next month, #52...
. She is an African-American woman who might be called Jill Carlyle, and possesses the powers of teleportation and intangibility. In a flashback sequence, we see that she studied law but apparently lost a case in which the defendant was clearly guilty. She obtains a pair of
ColtColt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer founded in 1847. It is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of dozens of different firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
pistols originally owned by the first Crimson Avenger and uses them to exact vengeance upon the unknown criminal. These guns are cursed such that, if the possessor uses them out of revenge, he or she will be cursed to track and kill those who have taken innocent life. As part of the curse, an ever-bleeding bullet hole appears on her chest.
Upon gaining a new "assignment," she mentally relives the death of the victim, and then is teleported to their place of burial. She then gains the memory and skills of those whose deaths she is avenging. Her guns never miss, never run out of ammunition, and have no triggers. The bullets are capable of penetrating any substance, and can wound invulnerable heroes such as
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
and
Power GirlPower Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
, as well as crack the armored shell of
Captain AtomCaptain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33...
. The guns seemingly have a mind of their own, as she speaks of having to restrain them from shooting those who come between her and her target. Her intangibility does not function against her own weapons or other magical forces. Unless/until the curse is lifted, she is seemingly immortal. She once attempts to kill herself with her own weapons, but this merely results in ending her current "assignment" and delivering her to the next one.
She is a member of the
JSAThe Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
during the "Stealing Thunder" storyline- the group at the time being short on heroes after the
Ultra-HumaniteThe Ultra-Humanite is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in stories published by DC Comics. The Ultra-Humanite first appeared in Action Comics #13 in 1939 and is one of the earliest comic-book supervillains.- Golden Age :...
has used the Thunderbolt to take over the world-, where her mission is to avenge the death of Lee Travis, revealing that the explosion that killed him was caused by the Ultra-Humanite. She returns later in
JSA #52-53, tracking down
WildcatWildcat is the name of several fictional characters, all DC Comics superheroes. The first and most famous of these is Ted Grant, a long-time member of the Justice Society of America...
for framing a man called Charles Durham for a crime he didn't commit, only to learn that Wildcat only framed Durham after he killed his brother, sister-in-law and nephew after his brother killed his fiancée. Since the D.A. didn't have anything on Durham, he was going to go free after killing an entire family, driving Wildcat to plant evidence implicating him in the death of his fiancée. While she performs her cursed duty, she attempts to learn how Lee Travis seemingly divested himself of the guns' curse, and begins to realize that she is not always contacted by the spirits of the innocent.
Though attacked by the
SpectreThe Spectre is a fictional cosmic entity and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the next month, #52...
in a 2005 issue of
JSAThe Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
, the Crimson Avenger is seen at Blackgate Prison, fighting escaping inmates during the worldwide supervillain breakout the Society engineered in
Villains UnitedVillains United is a six-issue comic book limited series, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Wade von Grawbadger, published by DC Comics in 2005...
: Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis is a seven-issue limited series of comic books written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway. The series was published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005...
Special #1. The Crimson Avenger later appears, alongside the current
VigilanteVigilante is the name used by several fictional characters appearing in DC Comics. The original character was one of the first DC Comics characters adapted for live-action film, beating Superman himself by one year.-Greg Saunders:...
and
Wild DogWild Dog is a fictional vigilante published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Wild Dog #1 , and was created by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty.-Publication History:...
, on a rooftop in the great Battle of Metropolis, raining bullets down on the
Trigger TwinsThe Trigger Twins are the names of two sets of fictional Western themed comic book characters published by DC Comics.-Heroes:The Trigger Twins first appear in All-Star Western #58 , the first issue of that title under its new name , and was one of the features that replaced the previous stars, the...
, the Madmen and
SpellbinderSpellbinder is a name of three DC Comics villains, and versions of the character have appeared on both Batman Beyond and The Batman animated series.-Delbert Billings:Spellbinder is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics...
. She appears as one of the dozens of heroes and villains kidnapped by aliens in
Action ComicsAction Comics is an American comic book series which introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#842 and 843. Other heroes free everyone trapped and Vigilante is seen fighting the security forces.
Other versions
In
Kingdom ComeKingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Alex Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
,
Alex RossNelson Alexander "Alex" Ross is an American comic book painter, illustrator, and plotter, acclaimed for the photorealism of his work. He is praised for his realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. Since the 1990s he has done work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics Nelson...
portrayed the character as a giant demon imprisoned in the Gulag. Naming him "King Crimson" in a nod to the band of the same name, his look owes more to his standard superhero look than his previous pulp fiction costume.
Also, in the pages of
L.E.G.I.O.N.L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
, Garv assumed a masked identity after quitting the team, calling himself the Crimson Avenger. He dropped the identity when he returned to the team near the end of the series.
In Blue Griffin Comics, a short lived comic endeavor, the forerunner super hero was to be named Crimson Avenger. His suit was more closely related to typical super hero style with bright red boots, gloves, trunks, and cape; while the rest of his outfit and mask were a darker shade of red. He sported a "C" crest on his chest and had energy manipulation powers similar to the Green Lantern, however he could not turn his energy projections into objects.
Appearances in other media
The Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis) is a member of the Justice League in
Justice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
and has several short, non-speaking appearances aside from a very minor one in the episode "
This Little Piggy"This Little Piggy" or "This little pig" is an English language nursery rhyme and fingerplay. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19297.-Lyrics:The most common modern version is:-Origins:...
". He also appeared in the episode "Patriot Act" as one of the reinforcements sent to help Green Arrow.
For specific information on Crimson's Avenger's appearances on Justice League Unlimited,
see Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis)#Other media.
In
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black DossierThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier is an original graphic novel in the comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill...
, the Crimson Avenger is briefly mentioned as having met with
Allan QuatermainAllan Quatermain is the protagonist of H. Rider Haggard's 1885 novel King Solomon's Mines and its various prequels and sequels. Allan Quatermain was also the title of a book in this sequence.- History :...
and
Mina MurrayWilhelmina "Mina" Harker is the main protagonist, and heroine in Bram Stoker's horror novel Dracula.- In the novel :She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young school mistress who is engaged to Jonathan Harker, and friends with Lucy Westenra...
during the later two's self-exile from Britain during the years of the
IngsocIn the dystopian science fiction novel Nineteen Eighty-Four , by George Orwell, the Newspeak acronym Ingsoc denotes the political ideology of the totalitarian government of Oceania.-Origin of Ingsoc:...
government.
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