What’s up peoples! We’re back to close out the month of June with another edition of Nu-Perspective, the redesign column where we dust off various underdeveloped, underutilized and all-but-forgotten Nubian (black) characters to show how awesome they can be.
Now, speaking on behalf of the Nu-Perspective crew, I can’t tell you how GEEKED I am to finally get a chance to draw this week’s featured character: CRIMSON AVENGER! This character has long been a favorite of mine and is one who deserves to make a comeback NOW! (Get on that DC!) Truthfully, the character is damn near perfect and as a result, didn’t need too much of a revamp, so this is almost a cheat, but here we go.
Google her original look and story, and let us know if you like what we did with her, then see ya in 2 weeks with another Nu-Perspective.
All characters are copyrights and trademarks of the respective publishers and creators. This column is used solely for artistic enjoyment.
Art by Shawn Alleyne. Concept by Shawn Alleyne and Fabian Woods.
Real Name: Jill Carlyle
Current Alias: Crimson Avenger
Identity: Secret
Occupation: Spirit of Vengeance
Place of Birth: Unknown
Base of Operations: Worldwide
Affiliations: Formerly Justice Society of America
First Appearance: Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #9 April, 2000
Original Creators: Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins
Story: Jill Carlyle was a lawyer who lost a case in which the defendant was clearly guilty. Jill lost all hope in justice and the judicial system and decided to take matters into her own hands. She obtained a pair of Colt pistols from a pawn shop originally owned by the first Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis), and used them to exact vengeance upon the criminal. The guns were cursed such that, if the possessor used them out of revenge, he or she will be damned to track and kill those who have taken innocent life. As part of the curse, an ever-bleeding bullet hole appears on her chest. Jill became a member of the Justice Society of America and fought various criminals before disappearing suddenly. But now, the Crimson Avenger has returned, last seen on the streets of Gotham. What her agenda holds is still unknown.
Powers: This Crimson Avenger is a minor spirit of vengeance and as such is fated to be forced into exacting revenge on whoever is her next assignment. Part of her “curse” is gaining the memories, skills and abilities of the deceased she has to avenge. She can become intangible and can teleport. However, the teleportation is out of her command and occurs when she is forced to teleport to her next assignment. Her intangibility does not function against her own weapons or other magical forces. Unless the curse is lifted, she is seemingly immortal.
Paraphernalia/Weapons: Enchanted dual handguns that have infinite bullets, and thus never needs reloading. They can penetrate virtually anything to reach a target, no matter how impervious. The bullets are self directional, but while they behave like ordinary ballistics, they are harmless against innocent living beings. Only recently has Jill discovered she can add an auxiliary attribute like an elemental or explosive property to the bullets with concentration. The guns never miss and have no triggers and fire instinctively against threats to the wielder. Even if separated, Jill can summon the guns telepathically, and even if someone else holds them, the guns become inert (unusable), only functioning in Jill’s possession.
The guns seemingly have a mind of their own, as she speaks of having to restrain them from shooting those who come between her and her target.
Fabian Wood (Writer)
Hailing from the eastern-most Caribbean island of Barbados, Fabian Wood has long since been fascinated by the power of storytelling to inspire and invoke emotions – whether in film, comics or videogames. No longer content to be just an avid comic book reader and videogamer, he’s eager to exercise his literary acumen as an aspiring writer and reviewer.
Shawn Alleyne (Freelance Skillastrator/Instructor)
Born and raised on the island of Barbados, Shawn later relocated to Philadelphia in his teens, where he has lived every since. He is currently working in the demanding field of freelance art as a Writer, Illustrator and Instructor. Shawn constantly seeks to promote the arts, and so formed the comic book networking group Xion and the art group Artmada. Shawn’s personal work is produced under the Pyroglyphics Studios banner, a name roughly translated to “Hot Images”, meant to reflect his gritty self-taught style.
More of Shawn’s work can be seen here:
FB: www.facebook.com/PyroglyphicsStudio
IG: @Pyroglyphics1
T: @ShawnAlleyneArt
E-mail: pyroglyphics1@comcast.net
