Lee Travis

Lee Walter Travis was a wealthy newspaper publisher who secretly operated as the Crimson Avenger, one of DC's earliest mystery men. Donning a hat, mask, and trench coat, he used his marksmanship and resourcefulness to fight crime on the streets, later joining wartime hero teams.

Few characters carry the weight of comics history quite like Lee Travis, who stepped onto the page in Detective Comics #20 back in 1938 — a genuine Platinum Age original from DC, born in the same storied title that would soon introduce the Dark Knight himself. Over a publishing span stretching nearly nine decades, Travis has proven remarkably enduring, racking up appearances across Detective Comics, All-Star Squadron, and a dedicated Crimson Avenger series, with nine of those appearances earning key-issue status among collectors. The company Travis keeps is extraordinary — Bruce Wayne, Batman, Robin, and Wing How all share these pages — placing this character squarely at the heart of DC's deepest legacy. If you care about where the DC Universe truly began, Lee Travis is a name you owe it to yourself to know.