Scarlet Avenger
Real Name: Jim Kendall
Identity/Class: Normal human/technology user
Occupation: Inventor, full-time crimefighter
Affiliations: Employs a group of crimefighting agents including Operator #1 (Inez Courtney) and Operator #12
Enemies: Texa, Mr. Nimbus, Peanut-head
Known Relatives: unnamed wife (deceased), unnamed daughter (deceased)
Aliases: "The Man Who Never Smiles" (more of a description than an actual alias)
Base of Operations: Unspecified U.S. city
First Appearance: Zip Comics #1 (MLJ Comics, February 1940)
Powers/Abilities: Though the Scarlet Avenger had no innate superpowers, he was a scientific genius and utilized an array of super-scientific weapons he had created, including a bulletproof cloak, a hypnotic device used for extracting confessions, a magnetic ray and a paralysis ray. He was also an expert at the martial art of Ju Jitsu. He used both a rocket car and a high tech aircraft as transportation.
History: Jim Kendall and his family had the misfortune to be on plane which was hijacked for the millions in gold bullion it carried, and which subsequently crashed. Jim survived, but the muscles in his face were damaged, making him unable to smile; his wife and daughter lost their lives. Jim decided to dedicate the rest of his life to fighting crime as a way of honouring their memories, using his skill as an inventor to create ingenious weapons. He would leave a card emblazoned with a flaming arrow at the scene of his adventures. Among his foes were the warrior woman Texa and the hypnotic Mr.Nimbus.
Comments: Created by Harry Shorten and Irv Novick.
Microhero used on this page courtesy of Darrin Wiltshire's Micro Heroes site, used with permission.
Thanks to Kevin Noel Olson for much of the above information. Carycomic notes that much of his origin resembles that of the pulps Avenger.
CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with
The Avenger, bike-riding vigilante hero from the 1980's Eagle Comic
The Avenger, leader of Justice, Inc, one of the seminal pulp heroes
Avenger, avian sidekick of Birdman
anyone else who is either Scarlet or an Avenger
Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.
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