7. The first masked superhero in DC Comics history, beating Batman by five issues, the Crimson Avenger was a sufficiently iconic character that Christopher Nolan paid homage to his death in his Dark Knight trilogy
Referring to three separate iterations of the character, the Crimson Avenger was the first masked superhero in the DC Universe. Originally published in 1938 during the Golden Age, the first Crimson Avenger – Lee Walter Travis – was a wealthy newsman who donned a red trenchcoat, fedora, and mask to fight crime. Later retconned to be a World War I veteran, providing the otherwise untrained character a fighting backstory, the inspiration behind his sudden desire to stand up was a vision into the future in which Travis saw the selfless sacrifice of Superman to defeat the monster Doomsday.
Wielding smoke grenades and pistols, Travis’ death was unashamedly borrowed by Christopher Nolan in The Dark Knight Rises. Piloting an explosives-laden freighter to a safe distance, the then-terminally ill Travis sacrifices himself to save the city. Rebooted in two different forms over the years, neither achieving the iconic success of the original, to this day the Justice League includes the costume of the Crimson Avenger in the background during the induction of new members as a homage to the character. Given the pedigree of the character, it is high time for a return of the original everyday superhero.