There's an interesting sub-genre of superheroes, known as the "inspired-bys".
These are characters who are inspired by other characters to take up the mask and seek justice.
Usually they're family members who take up the same identity as their predecessor (
The Phantom
,
Black Canary
,
Silk Spectre of
The Watchmen
, The Black Hood,
HourMan
, etc.)
Sometimes, as in this case, they're inspired by an unrelated hero who just happened to be published by the same company!
The best-known example is
WildCat, inspired by the
Golden Age Green Lantern
to become a crimefighter.
The Avenger had a similar origin.
When his brother is taken hostage by Communist spies who wanted his prototype StarJet aircraft, inventor Roger Wright is inspired by stories of the
Original Ghost Rider to take up a masked identity to rescue him!
Proclaiming himself "an Avenger against the evils of Communism", Roger dons a red costume in defiance (Communists were often described as "the Red Menace" because their
flags were predominiantly red) and uses his StarJet to attempt a rescue.
Unfortunately, his brother, who had attempted to escape, was already dead!
Roger captured the spies, and declaring "No man can be complacent while such as you are bent on enslaving all Mankind", began a one-man war against Communists everywhere!
The war lasted only four issues.
The Avenger, like
Nature Boy and several other mid-1950s heroes came along just before the audience was ready for the return of superheroes, who had all but disappeared from comics in 1949!
It wasn't until an updated version of
The Flash
appeared in
Showcase #4
(a year after the last issue of
The Avenger) that the Silver Age of Comics, and the resulting explosion of superhero books, got under way.
We at
Atomic Kommie Comics™ have digitally-restored and remastered what we believe to be his
first and
best cover appearance on an assortment of pop-culture collectibles, including t-shirts, messenger bags, mugs and other goodies, in the
Solo Heroes section of our
Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™ line!
Show you believe in capitalism and buy an
Classic Avenger goodie or two.
You don't want
him thinking you're a Communist, do you? ;-)
Note: this character is in no way related to the earlier pulp/comic character The Avenger
published by the same company as Doc Savage
and The Shadow
, and currently being revived by both DC Comics and Moonstone Publishing.
In our continuing quest for cool Christmas presents for the pop culture aficionado in your life, we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ wish to offer you yet another exciting possibility for gift-giving...
In the 1940s (and before), we dreamed of meeting (and battling) aliens...
...In the 1950s, we feared meeting (and battling) Commies...
...when we actually got to the Moon in 1969, thankfully, there was nothing to fear (or fight)!
One of the benefits of running Atomic Kommie Comics™ is being able to do customized presents for birthdays, holidays, and joyous events like bridal and baby showers (and, at cost, yet)...
