The Crimson Avenger (Lee Walter Travis) is a superhero published by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

. He first appeared in '' Detective Comics'' #20 (October 1938). He is the first superhero and costume hero published by ''Detective Comics''. He preceded Batman, and appeared in the same year after ''Action Comics'' #1 debuted characters like Superman, which led to the Golden Age of Comic Books. He is sometimes depicted as one of the first masked heroes within the fictional

DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...

. He is also known as a founding member of DC's second depicted superhero team,

Seven Soldiers of Victory The Seven Soldiers of Victory (also known as Law's Legionnaires) is a team of fictional comic book superheroes in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in ''Leading Comics'' #1 (Winter 1941), and were created by Mort Weisinger and Mort Mesk ...

. After his death, his legacy name lives on other characters.

Publication history

The Crimson Avenger (along with his sidekick

Wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...

) first appeared in the

anthology American comic book series '' Detective Comics'' in issue #20. The Crimson Avenger had many similarities to

The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of med ...

, including a sidekick named

who was an Asian

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "valet ...

, and a

gas Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma). A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g. oxygen), or ...

gun that he used to subdue opponents. In his early appearances he dressed in a red

trenchcoat A trench coat or trenchcoat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches. Originally made from gabardine, ...

, a fedora, with a red

mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...

covering his face; except for the red, he was visually similar to

The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator, and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by writer Walter ...

. Later, when superheroes became more popular than costumed vigilantes, 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 revealed in 2003 to be a stylized bullet hole. The character continued appearing in ''Detective Comics'' until issue #89 (July 1944). According to ''Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes'', "most of his opponents are ordinary, but there is the Boss and his zombies, the occasional mad scientist, and some name villains like Echo, Methuselah, and the crime genius the Brain". In 1941, the Crimson Avenger joined the

, a second superteam styled after the popular

Justice Society of America The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...

appearing in ''

All-Star Comics ''All Star Comics'' is an American comic book series from All-American Publications, one of three companies that merged with National Periodical Publications to form the modern-day DC Comics. While the series' cover-logo trademark reads ''All St ...

''. The Seven Soldiers debuted in ''

Leading Comics ''Leading Comics'' is a 1942–1955 comic book published by what is now DC Comics during the 1940s and early 1950s, a period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. At the title's inception, DC was actually two companies, Na ...

'' #1 (December 1941), and continued until #14 (March 1945).

Fictional character biography

Origin

Two separate accounts of the Crimson Avenger's origins have been printed which complement each other in some areas, but contradict in others. The first origin story appeared in '' Secret Origins'' #5 (August 1986), and was written by Roy Thomas, with art by

Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the

. Taking place in late October 1938, it depicts Lee Walter Travis, the young publisher of the ''Globe-Leader'', a paper devoted to progressive causes. At a costume ball on Halloween, Travis appears in a "highway robber" costume. This is the night of

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

' famous broadcast of ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

'' and — having gotten advance notice of the radio show — a group of criminals dressed in alien-like costumes take advantage of the ensuing panic in order to rob the party guests. The villains murder a young journalist and Travis is enraged, going after the costumed thieves and exchanging gunfire. Travis drives the thieves into a ditch and disappears before the police arrive, now inspired to become the Crimson Avenger. The use of Orson Welles' ''War of the Worlds'' in the story was inspired by the fact that the Crimson Avenger's first comic book appearance was dated Oct 1938, the same month as the radio broadcast. The second, extended origin appeared in ''Golden Age Secret Files & Origins'' #1 (2001). In this tale Lee Travis was a war-weary man of the world trying to forget the horrors of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and seek some inner peace of mind. To this end he briefly settled in the mystical far-East city of

Nanda Parbat Nanda Parbat ( hi, नन्दा पर्बत, nandā parbat, the mountain of delight) is a fictional city in the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in ''Strange Adventures'' #216 (February 1969), created by Neal Adams. History Nanda Pa ...

. There, he was shown the future career of Superman by the goddess Rama Kushna. Superman's deeds and selflessness inspired Lee to rededicate his own talents, and Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday galvanized Lee to spend his life honoring Superman's memory, years before he was even born. When Lee returned to civilization, he found that nearly ten years had gone by for the rest of the world, at which point he took to the streets as the Crimson, and later the Crimson Avenger. Superman's appearance as the first costumed hero in ''Action Comics'' #1 is credited as the beginning of the Golden Age of Comics, but this was removed from continuity during the ''Crisis on Infinite Earths''. The Crimson's second origin re-establishes Superman as the inspiration for all costumed crime-fighters.

1988 mini series

In 1988, the Crimson Avenger appeared in a 4-issue miniseries by

Roy Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin. In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise to ...

Dann Thomas Dann Thomas (born Danette Maxx Couto; January 30, 1952) is an American comic book writer and is married to comic book writer and editor Roy Thomas. She has at times collaborated with her husband on ''All-Star Squadron'', '' Arak, Son of Thunder'' ...

, Greg Brooks, and

Mike Gustovich Michael Gustovich (born November 15, 1953 in Warren, Ohio) is an American artist, known for his comic book art and inking in the 1980s and early 1990s for such publishers as Marvel Comics, DC Comics, First Comics, Comico, and Eclipse Comics. He i ...

. Set shortly after the Crimson's debut in the latter days of 1938, the story revolves around the growing global hostilities, as Japan advances through China, Germany moves into eastern Europe, and the soon-to-be-Allies hesitation to act. The Crimson finds himself in the middle of a plot he doesn't quite grasp, with enigmatic foreign women, strange objects, and shadowy conspirators weaving around him. This series was a 50th anniversary celebration of the character's debut and of all mystery-men in general.

Final days

In a one shot story named "Whatever Happened to the Crimson Avenger?" featured in ''

DC Comics Presents ''DC Comics Presents'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 which ran for 97 issues and four ''Annual''s. It featured team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters in the DC Universe. A recurring bac ...

'' #38 (October 1981), Lee Travis finds out that he is suffering from an incurable terminal disease. In his hospital room brooding on his situation, Travis spots a ship blinking SOS with its lights. Travis dons his suit one last time and heads out to investigate. He discovers the ship was taken over by criminals seeking to steal its cargo of explosively unstable chemical waste and the captain was trying to summon help. Travis engages the criminals but is unable to prevent a grenade from starting a fire that threatens to cause a massive explosion. Knowing he is dying anyway, the Avenger makes the crew abandon ship while he pilots the ship to a safe distance and is ''presumably'' killed, with the satisfaction he is going out heroically and spectacularly (it is later revealed that the explosion was orchestrated by the

Ultra Humanite Ultra-Humanite is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared as a recurring adversary of Superman. The Ultra-Humanite is the first supervillain faced by Superman (Earth-Two), Superman and he is among ...

). When the crew reach the shore and are asked by the police who saved them, the captain says he never saw the face of the man. It can be assumed that nobody actually knew where Lee Travis had disappeared to or that the Crimson Avenger was responsible for saving the city, although his name is remembered by a young Hispanic woman whose child he saved from a fall on his way to investigate the tanker.

Legacy

The legend of the Crimson Avenger does not die, however, due to an early good deed that night. On his way to the tanker, he saves a young boy who has fallen out of an apartment window and returns the child to his mother. The woman promises to tell her son of the man who saved him once he is old enough to remember.

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...

has established that in various

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

stories, the original mask, hat and cloak of the Crimson Avenger are used in a special ritual whenever a new member joins the JLA, in honor of him being, in the

Martian Manhunter The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and designed by artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" ...

's words, "the first of our kind".

Infinite Frontier

The New Golden Age

Powers and abilities

Though possessing no super-powers, the Crimson Avenger was an Olympic-level athlete and highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant able to hold his own against almost any foe. In the early days of his career, the Avenger used a gas gun of his own design, capable of rendering his opponents unconscious. The Crimson Avenger's calling card was a cloud of crimson smoke through which he made a most dramatic entrance.

Other versions

Justice League Unlimited tie-in

In issue #33 of the ''Justice League Unlimited'' comic book, the Avenger has a starring role, alongside Stargirl. This incarnation of the Avenger is much older than most of his Justice League teammates, but not so old that he could have operated in the 1930s (he looks to be in his 50s). He has no powers but is a skilled detective and an excellent shot with his twin pistols.

Elseworlds

In Michael Uslan's Elseworlds title ''Batman: Detective No. 27'', the Crimson Avenger appears as part of an order of detectives including

Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tire ...

and Sam Spade; Crimson attempts to recruit

Bruce Wayne Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

In '' The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier'', the Crimson Avenger is briefly mentioned as having met with

Allan Quatermain Allan Quatermain is the protagonist of H. Rider Haggard's 1885 novel ''King Solomon's Mines'', its one sequel '' Allan Quatermain'' (1887), twelve prequel novels and four prequel short stories, totalling eighteen works. An English professional ...

and

Mina Murray Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker ( née Murray) is a fictional character and the main female character in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. In the novel She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young schoolmistress who is engag ...

during the two's self-exile from Britain during the years of the

Ingsoc In George Orwell's 1949 dystopian novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', the world is divided into three superstates: Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia, who are all fighting each other in a perpetual war in a disputed area called the Equatorial Front. Al ...

government. A photo of Allan and Murray standing in front of the Crimson Avenger's second costume is shown.

Fishnet Femmes Fatales

The Crimson Avenger makes an appearance in the ''

Justice League of America The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceive ...

80-Page Giant'' #1 comic (November 2009) in a story titled ''

Zatanna Zatanna Zatara () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in ''Hawkman (comic book), Hawkman'' #4 (November 1964). Zatanna is a st ...

& Black Canary in Fishnet Femmes Fatales!'', when the two heroines are tossed back in time by the supervillain

Epoch In chronology and periodization, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured. The moment of epoch is usually decided by ...

Earth 2

In September 2011,

The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...

rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Lee Travis is now a female African American reporter, borrowing features from the original Crimson Avenger's successor, Jill Carlyle. She first appears in ''Earth 2'' #5, but is not named until two issues later.''Earth 2'' #7 (December 2012)

In other media

* The Crimson Avenger makes cameo appearances in ''

Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero 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 ...

'', voiced by an uncredited

Kevin Conroy Kevin Conroy (November 30, 1955 – November 10, 2022) was an American actor. He appeared in a variety of stage performances, television series, and television films, but earned worldwide fame for his voice portrayal of the DC Comics superhero ...

. This version is a member of the

. * The Crimson Avenger makes a cameo appearance in the '' Stargirl'' episode "Brainwave" as a member of the

References

External links

Beek's Books
Crimson Avenger mini-series review {{GoldenAge DC Comics superheroes Fictional characters from parallel universes Fictional detectives Comics characters introduced in 1938 Golden Age superheroes