56 – Vigilante Crimson

A panel from Detective Comics #22, November 1938 depicting the Crimson Avenger.
Detective Comics #22, November 1938

The Crimson Avenger was the first masked hero in the DC Universe to be a fugitive from the law, operating outside of it: A vigilante.

November 1938 was special for DC because for the first time it featured two of its costumed adventures on comic book covers (Superman on Action and Crimson Avenger on Adventure Detective Comics). Also that month, “New Adventure Comics” changed its name yet again to become “Adventure Comics”, and it held that name until it was cancelled decades later.