Fawcett's Finest: Colorful Crusaders

After Batman debuted in 1940 as the definitive costumed crusaders without powers yet with skill and determination, other normal men adopted a similar style. Among these is Fawcett's Mister Scarlet. Originally Brian Butler, aspiring district attorney for Gotham, Butler felt helpless to stem the tide of crime in his town. Perhaps under inspiration of a certain World's Mightest Mortal... also known as the "Big Red Cheese"... gaining fame in his red and yellow uniform... Butler created his heroic alias.

Devising a gaudy crimson costume while using ropes and grapples to swing from rooftop to rooftop, Scarlet vigorously cleaned up the community of its wicked element. Aided by his legal assistant Miss Cherry Wade, who knew of his dual identity, Brian eventually learned of the consequences of his triumphants as a masked man as he was voted out of office as a business suit lawman. Alongside his adopted son Pinky, the pair scraped together a living in private practice while still protecting their hometown as its Dynamic Duo.

Parallels between Scarlet and Batman have several correlations such as:

• Dressed in capes and cowls, wearing utility belts which possessed several gadgets
• Said gadgets included guns which both used early in their careers, then disgarded
• Protecting their world's Gotham City (yes Earth-S had a Gotham before Earth-Two)
• Assisted by orphaned teenage sidekicks wearing bright red and yellow cosutmes
• Working in law enforcement, Bruce Wayne as Commissoner wile Butler was D.A.
• Aided by affectionate females i.e. Kathy (Batwoman) Kane and Miss Cherry Wade
• Perserved youthful for decades, Batman by Ian Karull, Scarlet by Sivana Suspendium
• Coming out of retirement on one occasion to team-up, with each other during a Crisis

Of course, this still leaves the tale of their young wards to consider...