Animated Character Database
Advertisement
230px-Crimson Avenger

The Crimson Avenger was a Justice League member after the Thanagarian invasion.

History []

The Crimson Avenger sports a red mask, a fedora, dons a scarlet trenchcoat, and carries a gas gun. He was called for to look for Wonder Woman, when she was transformed into a pig. He was also summoned to fight General Eiling, who had mutated into a powerhouse, but his gas gun rendered little effect on the behemoth.

The Crimson Avenger also answered the world-wide call to the entire Justice League during Darkseid's latest invasion of Earth.

Background information []

The Crimson Avenger was a creation of Jim Chambers and debuted in Detective Comics #20 (October, 1938), preceding DC's most notable superheroes, such as Batman and Superman. There are, however, two accounts of his origins. In a first version, Lee Walter Travis was a publisher of the newspaper, the Globe Leader in Earth-Two. On the night of Orson Welles's famous broadcast of The War of the Worlds, Lee attended a fund raising costume party with fellow journalist Claudia Barker. At some point, a group of criminals—taking advantage of the panic installed by the broadcast—crashed in the charity event. In the process, Claudia got shot for trying to retrieve her cherished gold lighter and died in Lee's arms. Lee went after the murderers in the costume that would become his alter ego's garment. Lee captured the culprits and recovered Claudia's gold lighter, and he saw it had her last words inscribed on it: "Qui Vindicet Ibit" ('The avenger will come'). Following this, Lee took on the identity of the 'Crimson Avenger' to become a 'mystery-man.' He donned a business suit under a scarlet trenchcoat, a fedora, and a red mask, and used a gas gun to cloud his movements or knock down his opponents. He also had an Asian chauffeur, Wing, who escorted him on his crime fighting escapades.

The second account depicted Lee Travis as a WWI combatant in search for purpose and inner peace. He stumbled upon Nanda Parbat, where he was told about the coming and death of Superman. Inspired by Superman's qualities, Lee took on the identity of the 'Crimson Avenger' to fight crime. He also acquired a more standard superhero skin-tight outfit, with red tights, yellow boots, and a crest. The Crimson Avenger was a charter member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory and the All-Star Squadron. When the Seven Soldiers defeated Nebula Man, the resulting explosion sent the Soldiers into the distant past. The Crimson Avenger found himself in the Aztec reign in Mexico, until he was rescued by the JLA and JSA. He later died saving a city from being blown up by terrorists.

Appearances []

Justice League Unlimited[]

  • "Initiation" (Cameo)
  • "This Little Piggy"
  • "The Greatest Story Never Told" (Cameo)
  • "Dark Heart" (Cameo)
  • "Divided We Fall" (Cameo)
  • "Patriot Act"
  • "Destroyer" (Cameo)
Advertisement