Real Name: Lee Taylor
Occupation: freelance writer, retired police officer
Known relatives: Howard Taylor (father, deceased), Nancy Taylor
(mother)
Base of Operations: Varied (has a home in Detroit and residence in
Albany as well)
Marital Status: Single
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 182 lbs
Eyes: Green
Hair: Black
ORIGIN
Son of a career police officer, Lee Taylor was probably destined to
follow a similar path. From his earliest years, Lee was intimately
familiar with the workings of the Detroit police force and the city's growing
crime problem. Like his father Lee believed that strong measures were
the only things that really deterred crime and his idea of justice was
harsh even then.
None the less, Taylor did not originally plan to join the police force.
His father for one was strongly against it, knowing the trials of his
work and wishing something better for Lee. So instead Taylor worked his
way through a college program, majoring in journalism and toying with
the idea of becoming a full time writer. It was then that tragedy
struck. His father, a respected officer of over thirty years service, was
killed in the line of duty under questionable circumstances. No one was
arrested or even suspected in the crime. Investigation by the
department seemed lax at best.
It was here that Taylor dropped his studies and applied for the Detroit
PD department. Accepted, he entered Police Academy shortly after, and
finished at the top of his class. Lee proved an exceptional officer if
not one particularly agreeable to his fellow officers. Personally he
was appalled by the levels of corruption that existed on the force and
the longer he looked into his fathers the case, the more he began to
feel it may have played a part.
Eventually he found the answer. His father had broken in upon a drug
ring that included not only prominent members of the force but the
acting police chief at the time, now retired. Determined to bring it to
light, Taylor found that the current chief viewed this less than
favorably. Many of the suspected culprits he was trying to indict were top
brass and prominent officials. It was best to let it go. Lee of course
did not agree. The further he pursued it though, the more hostile his
opposition became. Finally, two attempts on his life and a trumped up
charge of possession later, Lee realized he could not find the justice he
sought here. Disillusioned and under pressure from the charge he
resigned.
A few months later, the new Crimson Avenger made his first appearance.
Like the Avenger of old, this vigilante took justice into his own hands
and among his first targets were those Taylor believed responsible for
his father's death. In short time the old drug ring was put out of
business and, those who weren't indicted were dead. In response, the
Crimson Avenger was labeled a criminal himself, although this hasn't
stopped him from making appearances since, usually for the public good.
Although no deaths have been directly linked to the Avenger, many have been
considered possible considering his modus operandi.
Taylor himself went on to pursue his cause (and others) through the
realm of the written word. Although he never finished his studies in
journalism, he has none the less been able to fashion something of career
off his oft times radical articles. Usually dealing with the areas of
crime, justice, corruption, and modern superheroes (places where Taylor
can claim some expertise after all) he has managed to see print in not
just local papers but even some abroad, including a sporadic column in
the old New York Global-Leader.
RECENT HISTORY
Crimson Avenger (II) remained a fairly low level, unheralded hero
throughout the early half the 21st century. His very brief and uneventful
stint with a reformed All Star Squadron soured him on the idea of
permanently joining with such teams and subsequent disasters such as the
so-called Bad Friday tragedy in New York and the deaths involved with
Shadowmaster's Horde gave him further suspicion over the effectiveness of
popular costumed heroes.
The Bad Friday situation also had other effects on Taylor's life that
would keep him from taking up the Avenger's mantle full time. When the
NY offices of the Global-Leader were destroyed, the fifty some year old
publication was moved to Albany where a desperate search for a
competent staff and experienced writers/reporters began. Lee Taylor was among
those hired, going from occasional columnist to weekly feature. His
articles, controversially popular for a time, were often scathing
critiques against groups such as the JLA and the current political trend
towards the religious right.
As for crime fighting, the Crimson Avenger continued to wage his quiet
war against those who otherwise slipped through the cracks. On
occasion when the situation calls for he has worked with other members of the
hero community including even a short lived membership among the
Watchmen (in 2007) and invitation to join the reformed JSA which he did not
accept (in 2015). The bulk of his cases have dealt with organized crime
and corruption, only occasionally involving a costumed "super villain"
threat (of which he had/has little interest in).
In 2019, around the same time the League disbanded, a somewhat aging
Taylor retired from his career at the Leader and unofficially as the
Avenger as well. Increasing censorship, largely through the ever more
invasive LDS, made his contributions less desirable. He has since moved on
to writing books. While Taylor's interests continue to focus on crime
his scope has begun to increase, taking in a more global picture.
Luthor's presidency and the LDS' US regime (and the return of monarchy rule
in England) have eroded what faith Taylor had in government, who has
started to feel that they may very well be more the cause of, rather than
a shield against, injustice. Although inactive for the last few years,
the Crimson Avenger may very well be ready to return to
action...perhaps on a very different scale.
WEAPONS & POWERS
The Crimson Avenger has no super powers of any kind. He survives
merely on his wits and determination. He does carry a variety of equipment
with him, most of it common enough, including a brace of .45 pistols.
Although he attempts to find alternate means whenever possible, he is
not above using them. There is a very clear line to him between the
lives of innocents and the lives of criminals, and he knows which among
the two he values higher.
It should be noted that the Crimson Avenger is not a full time hero so
to speak. His cases are picked carefully and generally consist of
those not handled by the police or superhero community. Over the years the
Avengers talents have improved, especially his line of information and
detective skills in general. The Avenger has also adopted a few more
gadgets to augment his equipment (including a gas gun similar Sandman's)
and is quite talented at the art of disguise. He is proficient in
Italian, Russian, and Cantonese. Although approaching his fifties, he is
still in remarkable shape and has in fact tweaked his fighting style
some since his first appearances (supposedly training and working for a
short time with freelance detective/street brawler Slam Bradley).
