For your consideration. Open to any and all suggestions.
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L
THE CRIMSON AVENGER
LEE TRAVIS ♦ PUBLISHER, PLAYBOY, MAN OF MYSTERY ♦ GOTHAM CITY, NJ ♦ UNAFFILIATED
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
"Qui vindecet ibit!"
Lee Walter Travis was born to privilege. His father built a fortune as the chair of the Travis Media Group, a company that owned multiple newspapers, magazines, websites, and radio stations. Travis wanted for nothing and would never have to work a day in his life unless he wanted to.
After completing an Ivy League education (from which he got the habit of peppering his speech with Latin) Travis settled into the life of a playboy. While he was genuinely interested in human rights and assisting the needy, due to his sheltered life his idea of involvement was to attend glitzy fundraising dinners and pen the occasional editorial for the Travis Group's flagship newspaper, the Globe-Leader. His detached methods of doing good were occasionally criticized by others, including a journalist named Claudia Barker who worked for the Globe-Leader. She felt that Lee's status and wealth could be put to better, more direct use.
It was Lee's relationship with Barker that eventually put him on the path to becoming a costumed adventurer. One night, as Lee drove himself to yet another fundraiser (this time a costume party benefiting pandemic victims), he received a frantic call from Claudia. The exposé she was writing had blown up in her face, the corrupt police sergeant she was investigating had gotten wind of her activity. Grumbling, Lee agreed to stop by, intending only to calm her down and carry on to the party. Feeling silly running such an errand in his highwayman costume, he drove to her apartment.
However, as Lee knocked on her door, he suddenly heard screams and shots from inside. Lee immediately broke down the door and burst in to find Claudia dead on the floor and the dirty cop fleeing out the back. Rage overtook Travis. Still wearing the mask and cloak intended for the party, Lee pursued the murderer on foot through the back alleyways of Gotham, dodging gunfire until he finally got close enough to tackle the killer cop to the ground and subdue him after a brief fistfight. Realizing he couldn't reveal his identity with a police report lest he be attacked by other dirty cops, Lee carried the unconscious man back to the scene of the crime and called the state police.
Now shocked out of his ivory tower and forced to confront the injustices of the world head-on, Lee Travis realized that while his money could help many people, perhaps there were some situations that required a more direct and anonymous touch. Maybe a man with a mask, a gun, and two flashing fists could accomplish more than a check. Just maybe, he can make a difference to those who cry out in fear, pain, or hunger.
An avenger will come.
C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:
Debuting in October of 1938, The Crimson Avenger was one of the earliest DC superheroes, predating Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and pretty much everyone else but Superman. For this reason, I feel he's a great fit for a RP with this particular “Year One” premise. I understand that despite his historical significance he's not very well-known outside of a few appearances on JLU and serious fan circles, which is why I'd like to rehabilitate him into being a larger force in the DC universe.
Additionally, I'm a big fan of nonpowered superheroes, who I feel have more storytelling opportunities. I've based the Crimson Avenger in Gotham rather than his traditional setting of New York for two reasons: I'd like him to have opportunities to meet up with other established characters, and I don't want to feel constrained by real-world geography, history, culture, etc. Personally I've always been a little annoyed by DC's practice of using both real-world and fictional cities.
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
SUPPORTING CAST
Wing Hao is Lee's personal trainer, confidant, adviser, and martial arts instructor. When he first conceived of the Crimson Avenger, Lee realized that while he was already in decent shape and had a good grasp of basic fighting skills, a war against injustice would require him to push his body even further. Lee is slowly making progress. The two had similar personalties and interests, and immediately hit it off on a personal level. To date, Wing is the only person to whom Lee has admitted being the Crimson Avenger.
Jill Carlyle is one of Lee's college friends, a brilliant lawyer. While she could find work at any white-shoe Gotham law firm, she has devoted herself to pro bono work at a non-profit legal clinic. She is doing her best to help the less fortunate and will frequently tip Lee off to specific cruelties being committed in Gotham.
Cyril “Speed” Saunders is a retired FBI agent who now works part-time as a “security consultant”, a fancy term for a private eye and informant. Lee can afford his fees and occasionally uses him as an operative, researcher, investigator, and sounding board.
Amos Vangilder is the CEO of the Travis Group and handles most of the day-to-day operations of the business.
S A M P L E P O S T:
“Dulce bellum inexpertis. You can take another swing at me if you want, but I think you get the idea, slumlord.”
Jubal Slade whimpered as he tried to staunch the flow of blood from his split lips. It rained down onto his chest nonetheless, staining his snow-white terrycloth bathrobe. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, I don't have a lot of cash here but I can write you a check or maybe if we go to an ATM-”
The Crimson Avenger sighed, lifted the Colt .45 slightly higher for emphasis. “This isn't a robbery, I thought I made that perfectly clear. Just be still and listen.” Still training the pistol on Slade, he stole a brief glance out the window, admiring the view from the massive condo on the 36th floor. “Look at that. A view overlooking Robinson Park and the river. 24 hour maintenance service. Fitness center, pool, paid phone and internet, doorman, full-time security. Now, Jubal, how many of your tenants in Burnley and the East End enjoy such amenities?”
“If they want better they should move to a better neighborhood,” Slade retorted, before falling silent at the masked man's glare.
“I would think with what they're paying you could at least afford a decent maintenance team. Do something about the rats and leaking roofs and crumbling pipes. After all, if you have a place like this you can't be hurting for money. Especially knowing that you've got four luxury cars down in the garage and a winter cottage in the Caribbean.”
“Okay, so I was smart and made a good living for myself, is that a crime?” Jubal Slade tried, before the Crimson Avenger sighed and glared at him again.
“Not according to the laws of the city, state, or nation, no. But taking advantage of people is wrong in the Crimson Avenger's law. There is no quid pro quo here, you're just taking their money and hardly giving them a roof in return. That leads to my demands. Listen carefully, Jubal: Stop tripling rents. Stop evicting Black, trans, and elderly tenants with nowhere to go. Oh, and I'm well aware that you burn down the odd property for insurance money. I'll give you credit, you've always timed that for when no one was present. But arson endangers your neighbors and it's only a matter of time until someone gets hurt.”
“Yeah, okay, sure,” Jubal Slade agreed- far too quickly, the Crimson Avenger would reflect later. “Hey, I'm gonna call my secretary right now so we can have a company wide meeting about that first thing in the morning, okay? Just gotta grab my phone from the bedroom.” The Crimson Avenger relaxed his guard as Slade opened a door.
“Sic!” The single syllable barely registered as the Doberman blasted from the bedroom, slavering mouth baying as it launched itself towards the Crimson Avenger. He barely had time to acknowledge Jubal Slade rushing into the bedroom and frantically rooting through a bedside table drawer as the heavy dog closed its teeth on his coat sleeve and slammed into him with his body. The weight and momentum bowled him over. The Crimson Avenger fell to the floor, wrestling with the huge snarling dog.
While he retained his grip on one gun and had a second .45 under his cloak, the Crimson Avenger didn't want to just shoot the dog. It was just doing its job as trained, it didn't know any better. And so he managed to grab the Dobermans collar, pushing it way just enough to loop an arm around its slender neck and squeeze, feeling it go limp as the flow of oxygen was cut off to its brain.
He heard a sudden click, and looked up to see Jubal Slade had finally found what he was after. A tiny nickel-plated .32 automatic, now raised at him. Without thinking, the Crimson Avenger hurled the unconscious 90 pound dog in his arms as hard as he could at the slumlord. Jubal Slade was caught in the chest, knocked to the floor by the Doberman's weight. The pistol went flying.
The Crimson Avenger quickly caught his breath and stalked over, gun leveled. “Remember what I said, Jubal. Or I'll have to return. Hannibal ad portas, Jubal.”
His point made, the Crimson Avenger holstered his pistol and let himself out of the condo. He would check back later to make sure the slumlord took his warning to heart. Otherwise, there would be trouble.
I added a new blurb to my Superman application, detailing a few tweaks, caveats, and clarifications about this version of Clark's powers. Obviously, it won't mean a whole lot if I don't win the contest for the cape, but assuming I do, it should be useful to anyone who might want to have a run-in or pick up a supporting \S/-character later on.
1x Laugh
