Crimson Avenger
Encyclopedia
The Crimson Avenger is the name of three separate fictional character
s, superhero
es who exist in the DC Comics
universe
.
#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 fedora
, and a red mask
covering his face; except for the red coloring, he was visually similar to the Shadow
. He had an Asian chauffeur
/crime-fighting partner, and used a gas gun to subdue criminals, similar to the Green Hornet
. Later, when superheroes became more popular than costumed vigilante
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 Parbat
. While there he saw the future and witnessed an "unnamed" hero, being Superman
, as well as the man's selflessness and death at the hands of a monster Doomsday
. This inspired him to return to America and combat crime, first as a corruption-free newspaper owner and later as a masked crime fighter.
In his costumed identity, Travis was seen to carry both conventional handguns and a special pistol that dispensed a bright red smokescreen.
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.
#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.
, serves as a minor Spirit of Vengeance
. She is an African-American woman who 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 Colt
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 Superman
and Power Girl
, as well as crack the armored shell of Captain Atom
. 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 JSA
during the "Stealing Thunder" storyline- the group at the time being short on heroes after the Ultra-Humanite
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 Wildcat
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 Spectre
in a 2005 issue of JSA
, the Crimson Avenger is seen at Blackgate Prison, fighting escaping inmates during the worldwide supervillain breakout the Society engineered in Villains United
: Infinite Crisis
Special #1. The Crimson Avenger later appears, alongside the current Vigilante
and Wild Dog
, on a rooftop in the great Battle of Metropolis, raining bullets down on the Trigger Twins
, the Madmen and Spellbinder
. She appears as one of the dozens of heroes and villains kidnapped by aliens in Action Comics
#842 and 843. Other heroes free everyone trapped and Vigilante is seen fighting the security forces.
She is later seen gunning down the supervillain known as Catalyst after Prometheus
sends random super-criminals to attack the world's heroes in order to distract them from his master plan.
, Alex Ross
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.
, 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.
and has several short, non-speaking appearances aside from a very minor one in the episode "This Little Piggy
", where he is voiced by an uncredited Kevin Conroy
(the voice of Batman
). 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 Dossier
, the Crimson Avenger is briefly mentioned as having met with Allan Quatermain
and Mina Murray
during the latter two's self-exile from Britain during the years of the Ingsoc
government.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s, superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es who exist in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe
DC Universe
The 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
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#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 fedora
Fedora (hat)
A fedora is a men's felt hat. In reality, "fedora" describes most any men's hat that does not already have another name; quite a few fedoras have famous names of their own including the famous Trilby....
, and a red mask
Mask
A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. 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 Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
. He had an Asian chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
/crime-fighting partner, and used a gas gun to subdue criminals, similar to the Green Hornet
Green Hornet
Green 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...
. Later, when superheroes became more popular than costumed vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
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 Parbat
Nanda Parbat
Nanda 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 Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, as well as the man's selflessness and death at the hands of a monster Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
. This inspired him to return to America and combat crime, first as a corruption-free newspaper owner and later as a masked crime fighter.
In his costumed identity, Travis was seen to carry both conventional handguns and a special pistol that dispensed a bright red smokescreen.
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
World's Finest Comics was an American 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 (comics)
El 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 Vengeance
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character 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 following month, #52...
. She is an African-American woman who 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 Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of 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 Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
, as well as crack the armored shell of Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
. 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 JSA
Justice Society of America
The 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-Humanite
Ultra-Humanite
The Ultra-Humanite is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #13 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster...
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 Wildcat
Wildcat (comics)
Wildcat 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 Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character 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 following month, #52...
in a 2005 issue of JSA
Justice Society of America
The 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 United
Villains United
Villains 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 Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
Special #1. The Crimson Avenger later appears, alongside the current Vigilante
Vigilante (comics)
Vigilante 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 by one year.-Greg Saunders:...
and Wild Dog
Wild Dog (comics)
Wild Dog is a fictional vigilante based in the Quad Cities 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 Twins
Trigger Twins
The 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 Spellbinder
Spellbinder (DC Comics)
Spellbinder is the name of three fictional characters that appear as villains in comic books published by DC Comics. Versions of the character have appeared on the animated series Batman Beyond and The Batman.-Delbert Billings:...
. She appears as one of the dozens of heroes and villains kidnapped by aliens in Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that 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.
She is later seen gunning down the supervillain known as Catalyst after Prometheus
Prometheus (comics)
Prometheus is the name of three fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.The first Prometheus debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 2, #24 and was created by Marv Wolfman and Eduardo Barreto . The second version debuted in New Year's Evil: Prometheus Prometheus is the name...
sends random super-criminals to attack the world's heroes in order to distract them from his master plan.
Other versions
In Kingdom ComeKingdom Come (comic book)
Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
, Alex Ross
Alex Ross
Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross is an American comic book painter, illustrator, and plotter. 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 Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an...
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.
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.
In other media
The Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis) is a member of the Justice League in Justice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited
Justice 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
"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:...
", where he is voiced by an uncredited Kevin Conroy
Kevin Conroy
Kevin Conroy is an American stage, screen, and voice actor, best known for his acclaimed voice role as Batman in numerous animated television series, feature films, and video games that make up the DC Animated Universe.-Early life:...
(the voice of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
). 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 Dossier
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier
The 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. It was the last volume of the series to be published by DC Comics. Although the third book to be...
, the Crimson Avenger is briefly mentioned as having met with Allan Quatermain
Allan Quatermain
Allan 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 Murray
Mina Harker
Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 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 best friends with Lucy Westenra...
during the latter two's self-exile from Britain during the years of the Ingsoc
Ingsoc
Ingsoc is the political ideology of the totalitarian government of Oceania in George Orwell's dystopian science fiction novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.-Fictionalised origin of Ingsoc:...
government.