Description
UNIVERSE-20
Crimson Avenger and Judomaster are part of Universe-20, which has a connection to the Golden Age characters of DC Comics, expanding the concept of Multiversity’s version to more characters. Like in Multiversity, it is set in modern times, but it has a retro/ vintage style.
Crimson Avenger was partially based on the New 52 version of Earth-2 Lee Travis, who is similar to Jill Carlyle (the second Crimson Avenger in the pre-Flashpoint continuity), with the backstory of the male version of the Golden Age. She is also based on the character Green Hornet (which also happened to the original Crimson Avenger, in the comics), her costume being inspired on a female version, Mulan Kato, in the 2018’s Dynamite Entertainment comics by Amy Chu and German Erramouspe.
Judomaster is a mix of the Sonia Sato version and Wing, the sidekick of the original Crimson Avenger. Like Wing, she is also an analogue to Kato, the sidekick of Green Hornet, who already had some female versions in comics. Her costume is partially inspired by Deviant Art member lordmesa’s version of a female Kato.
I drew the car over a picture of a 1949 Cadillac Series 62 and recolored it (including the parts behind the characters; the car is whole on a separate layer in the .PSD file).
–Crimson Avenger
Ashley “Lee” Travis, publisher of The Globe Leader, a New York City’s newspaper that supported progressive causes, was interviewed on the matter by her fellow journalist Claudia Baker, who had a good impression about Travis. The two journalists started to meet each other frequently, and they developed a mutual romantic interest.
As a couple, they attended to a Halloween costume charity ball. Soon after they arrived, however, it was interrupted by a large scale event: an alien invasion being fought by Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Doc Fate and the Blackhawk Squadron. During the confusion, some criminals tried to rob the people in the ball. Claudia was shot when a burglar tried to steal her gold lighter. She died in Ashley’s arms, her last words being "Qui vindicet ibit" (“The avenger will come”, in Latin).
Assisted by her valet Hadley Jagger, she pursued and defeated the criminals, recovering the stolen money and items, including Claudia’s lighter. Inspired by her own costume (a crimson hat-cape-mask outfit) and her lover’s last words, she decided to call herself Crimson Avenger. Hadley adopted the codename Judomaster, a reference to his martial arts skills.
They customized one of Ashley cars, a 1949 Cadillac Series 62, to become their hero-car, named Night Belle.
In her missions, she uses a pair of ray guns developed by a fellow scientist, Lena Luthor (a member of the Blackhawk Squadron).
–Judomaster
Hadley died in his third mission, during a supervillains’ raid led by Vandal Savage (who was later defeated by the Flash). His Japanese half-sister, Sonia Sato, came to his funeral, which took place at New York. She and Ashley comforted each other, and Ashley invited her to be her new valet. Sonia accepted.
After learning that Sonia was as skilled in martial arts as her brother, she revealed her double identity as Crimson Avenger. Sonia joined her in crimefighting as the new Judomaster, to honor her brother. She added some new gadgets to Night Belle, like a camera-drone and a mini-lab.
After some months operating as a duo, they accepted an invitation from Wonder Woman to join the Society of Superheroes, founded by the heroes who fought the alien invasion.
Their bond grew closer and closer as time passed. They fell in love with each other and eventually got married. No longer a valet, Sonia opened a store to sell and repair tech-gadgets.