Origin and First Appearance of Superheroes and Villains Beginning With C

Cable (Nathan Summers)

Nathan Summers had been known as a supporting character in the Uncanny X-Men since 1986, but became Cable in 1990.

Originally the son of Scott "Cyclops" Summers and Madeline "Jean Grey Clone" Pryor, after a trip to the future, Nathan became Cable.

An Alpha Mutant, Cable is a powerful telepath, telekinetic, and precognitive, as well as an expert combatant.

Some speculation over this character's roots mean that Uncanny X-Men #203 (first Baby Nathan) is now a minor Copper Age key.

Calendar Man

Julian Gregory Day is obsessed with numbers and dates, and plans his crimes (often petty and pointless) around holidays and days of the week.

Adopting the alias Calendar Man, Julian Day becomes a nuisance for Batman and Robin.

Never taken too seriously for his criminal work, Calendar Man does give Batman cryptic clues about who the Holiday killer is.

Canada Jack

Canada Jack was a non-super-powered, costumed hero who was created to fill the gap when American comics could not be imported into Canada.

He was in top physical condition, and skilled in combat and acrobatics. He was also an expert horseman.

He was not masked, and wore a circus-like outfit of A-shirt and tights, with a maple-leaf emblem on his chest. He lasted until the end of WWII.

One of the rare comics known as "Canadian whites".

Captain America

Captain America started out as Steve Rogers, 98lb weakling, who only wanted to serve his country.

A 4-F, Steve volunteers to have an experimental "Super Soldier Serum" injected into him, desperate to serve his country and stop the Axis powers even before America's entry into WWII.

The doctor giving him the injection was killed by a spy, but the experiment was completed, and Steve's physique grew into that of an Adonis, while his intellect also grew accordingly. He decided to use his new abilities to enlist as a 1-A, and to fight in costume as Captain America, complete with stars and stripes on his costume and shield.

Captain America found his sidekick, Bucky, shortly after joining the Army, and the two fought crime and Axis evil throughout WWII and until roughly 1950.

Captain America, of course, was brought back by Marvel in the Silver Age and the rest is, well, history.

Captain Atom

Captain Atom was rocket technician Allan Adam, who was accidentally launched into space about a rocket he was working on.

Atomized when the rocket explodes high in the atmosphere, he somehow gains nuclear super-powers (including the ability to reform his body) and decides to use his new powers for good.

Costumed in red and yellow, he had nuclear powers that included super-strength, flight, the ability to shoot nuclear energy blasts, and transmutation of matter.

Later, he was acquired by DC and rebooted with a different origin story and powers, eventually joining the Justice League of America.

Captain Boomerang

George Harkness was an average man but with one defining trait - he had the ability to create amazing and powerful boomerangs.

Harkness begins using his boomerangs for his criminal ideas, eventually popping up on the Flash's radar.

Despite having no super powers, Harkness is a formidable foe to the Flash, and uses his deadly boomerangs to nearly kill the Flash. 

Harkness later goes on to join the Rogues and also the Suicide Squad. When Harkness is killed, his son, Owen Mercer, becomes the new Captain Boomerang.

Captain Britain

Brian Braddock was a frail, bookish youth, without friends, the son of British aristocrats and academics who'd been compelled by hard times to living in "reduced circumstances."

After his parents are killed in a lab explosion, Brian immerses himself in his studies, eventually landing a fellowship in a nuclear facility. When the facility is attacked by a criminal named The Reaver, Brian leaves on his motorcycle to find help.

He crashes, and while laying on the side of the road near death, the spirit of Merlyn the Magician and his daughter, Roma, appear to Bryan. They give him the Amulet of Right, transforming him into Captain Britain.

As Captain Britain, he is capable of flight, and has super-strength, super-speed, invulnerability, is agile, has enhanced senses, and can create and project force fields. Wearing a Union-Jack-inspired costume in red and blue, he defends Britain.

He was a member of the Avengers for a time, and is still active. A Captain Britain movie is in the works.

Captain Canuck

Captain Canuck has been rebooted twice since, but the original was Tom Evans, a Canadian spy who acquired his powers of super-strength and super-speed from an encounter with aliens.

The series was set in what was then the future, 1993, a future where Canada has become the most important country in the world.

The original only lasted for 15 issues, while the reboots (in 1993 and 2004) only lasted four issues apiece.

A superhero movie with Captain Canuck is rumored...

Captain Cold

Captain Cold, formerly known as Leonard Snart, is the leader of the Rogues, a position he enjoys and does quite well at.

He is archenemy of the Flash and actually kills the fourth Flash, Bart Allen.

Captain Cold cares deeply for his fellow Rogues, and also operates under a code of "ethics," such as he doesn't allow killing of women or children, and he very rarely actually kills anyone.

Captain Cold doesn`t have any real super powers, but uses his ice guns to freeze his enemies and create objects to aid him in battle.

Check out our Showcase Comics price guide here.

Captain Comet

Captain Comet was a mutant named Adam Blake who discovered that he had superhuman abilities as a young man.

He was, as a scientist informed him, "the ultimate in human evolution", and has superhuman mental and physical abilities, including telekinesis, telepathy, advanced intellect, mind control, flight, super-strength, clairvoyance, super-strength, invulnerability, and too many more to list.

He began his superhero career as the costumed Captain Comet after earth was threatened by aliens.

He is still an active hero in the DC universe.

Captain Commando

Captain Commando was a short-lived, non-super-powered costumed wartime hero, who fought the Axis and the usual crew of Nazi saboteurs and communists alongside a group of Boy Soldiers led by his own son.

John Grayson was a normal soldier who became fed up with the pace of the war against the Axis, and decided to do something about it in costume.

He didn't last long, and was not ever revived in any meaningful way, although DC owns the rights to him.

Captain Flag

Captain Flag was Tom Townsend, playboy son of a millionaire inventor father.

He and his father were kidnapped by criminals who were hoping to gain the secret of his father's latest invention. His father dies at the hands of the evildoers, but Tom is rescued at the last minute by a giant eagle.

He trains with the eagle in its mountain eyrie, becoming a top physical specimen in the thin mountain air. When the eagle brings home an American Flag to the eyrie, Tom uses it to fashion a costume, becoming American Flag, makes the eagle into his sidekick (naming him Yank) and embarks on a crime fighting career.

Captain Flag's Golden Age appearances are few, but he was revived by Archie Comics in the 1960s.

Captain Kremmen

Created to dovetail with British DJ Kenny Everett's radio show, Captain Kremmen was a comedy science-fiction adventure hero who starred in a one-off paperback graphic novel.

Captain Elvis Brandenburg Kremmen worked for Star Corps, and was described as the world's most fabulous man. He had bionic veins and a bionic left big toe that converts into a space cannon.

He stands 6 feet 10 inches tall and has an IQ of 498.

He is described as having "muscles in places where most other people don't even have places." 

Captain Marvel

Known to his nemesis Dr. Sivana as "The Big Red Cheese," Captain Marvel was actually Billy Batson, a young newspaper boy who met an ancient wizard named Shazam in an abandoned subway tunnel, and gained the power to become Captain Marvel whenever he said the wizard's name.

Captain Marvel was easily as powerful as Superman, with flight, super-strength, and all the usual heavy-duty super-powers.

Captain Marvel also outsold the Man of Steel by a huge margin during WWII, and spawned a very profitable superhero franchise for Fawcett. It included a number of other Marvel-based heroes, and even some funny animal tie-ins.

Captain Marvel was acquired by DC after Fawcett went belly up, and is now part of the DC universe continuity.

Captain Marvel (Mar-vell)

Mar-Vell was a Kree, originally sent to earth as a spy.

He became sympathetic with humans, and turned against his Kree superiors, ultimately being sentenced to death.

Originally, his powers were simply super-strength and flight, but after his escape, he was given new powers by the Kree Supreme Intelligence, including the ability to absorb or project solar energy.

Trapped in the Negative Zone, and on Earth, Rick Jones finds a set of "Nega Bands" which once worn allow him to trade places with Mar-Vell in the Negative Zone, as only one can exist on earth at a time. They continue this dual existence for some time.

Later, Mar-Vell receives Cosmic Awareness from a being named Eon and is named "Protector of the Universe," which helps him to defeat Thanos' plot to kill every living thing in existence.

He later died of cancer from exposure to "Compound 13" nerve gas. He has not since been revived in any permanent way.

Captain Marvel Jr.

The Captain Marvel franchise needed a more serious hero. The Big Red Cheese was playful, and Fawcett needed something more like Batman, so Captain Marvel, Jr., was born.

Unlike Billy Batson, Freddy Freeman was a crippled newsboy who was mortally wounded as a spectator in a battle between Captain Marvel and his arch-enemy, Captain Nazi. Captain Marvel brings Freddy to the cave where he'd met Shazam the wizard years before.

Shazam can't help, being dead, but his ghost tells Captain Marvel that he can give some of his own powers to Freddy to save his life. When Freddy says "Captain Marvel," he becomes Captain Marvel, Jr.

Unlike Billy, who becomes an adult when he transforms, Freddy stays as a teenager.

Captain Marvel, Jr. remained popular until Fawcett folded, and is now owned by DC.

Captain Nazi

Captain Nazi is a genetically modified super soldier, fighting for the Germans in WWII.

His archenemies are Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr.

Later, Captain Nazi is revived in the modern age in attempt to revive the Third Reich.

During this time, he joins the Secret Society of Super Villains.

Carmine Falcone

Carmine Falcone, nicknamed "The Roman", is a crime lord in Gotham City.

He has two children – Sofia Falcone and Alberto Falcone (who becomes the Holiday Killer).

Because of Falcone's vast network of criminals and money, he is one of Batman's prime targets.

However, Harvey Dent, recently transformed into Two-Face, kills Falcone.

Falcone is based on Marlon Brando's portrayal of Don Vito Corleone from the film The Godfather.

See our article on Batman villains and their comic book values.

Carnage

Cletus Kasady is a sick and disturbed serial killer, who is imprisoned for committing 11 (known) murders.

During imprisonment, he shares a sell with Eddie Brock, who is actually Venom. 

When the alien symbiote returns to possess Brock again and transform him back into Venom, another symbiote also takes over Kasady, transforming him into Carnage.

Carnage goes on a rampage throughout the city, pitting him against Spider-Man and other superheroes.

Carnage is imprisoned many times but always manages to escape.

Carnage has enhanced physical strength, shape-shifting abilities, the ability to plant thoughts into a person's head, and the ability regenerate damaged body tissue.

Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel)

Carol Danvers was a USAF officer and security chief at the base where Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) was stationed as "Dr. Walter Lawson."

She is injured in an explosion that unbeknownst to her or anyone else, merges her genetic material with Mar-Vell's.

Ten years later, she would emerge as Ms. Marvel (click for full price guide article), with the same powers as Mar-Vell, minus the Cosmic Awareness.

Later, she is transformed into a character called "Binary," with an entirely new set of powers, eventually reverting to the Ms. Marvel identity again, with which she is still identified.

Catman

Thomas Blake was bored of his life as a hunter and trapping and turned to a life of crime.

Creating a suit similar to Catwoman's, Blake begins stealing cat related items.

Blake once saved Catwoman's life, and the two have a temporary partnership.

For most of Blake's life, he isn't taken seriously as a criminal.

Later, he takes on an antihero stance and begins training, defeating both Mallah and Captain Nazi.

See also the Golden Age Cat-Man (first appearance Crash Comics #4).

Catwoman

Catwoman is Selina Kyle, the femme fatale, on-again, off-again love interest of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman.

She first appears as a cat burglar without costume, but eventually gains a costume and an origin story that allows her to transition from villain to hero.

She remained a constant in the world of Batman, as an occasional presence complicating Bruce's life.

The Earth-Two Batman married Selina Kyle and had a daughter with her, who grew up to be the Huntress.

Catwoman is still around in various and sundry incarnations. She has no superpowers except great athletic ability, exceptional intellect, and disarming beauty and charm.

See our Catwoman comic books price guide for more.

Cavalier

Mortimer Drake led a lifestyle of extravagance and wants, but he soon ran out of money to fund it.

Creating a musketeers costume and donning the name Cavalier, Drake turns to thievery.

Drake is eventually apprehended by Batman and Robin.

After getting released from jail, Cavalier is shown to be mentally unstable and he is eventually incarcerated in Arkham Asylum.

See our article on Detective Comics values here.

Challengers of the Unknown

Jack Kirby's last creative act before leaving to return to Marvel was the Challengers of the Unknown, a group of interesting but non-super-powered people who are all on a plane, en route to be interviewed on a radio show, when the plane crashes.

Miraculously, all four survive, despite the deaths of everyone else on board. They decide that they were spared for a reason, and are "living on borrowed time," so they band together to explore and challenge the unknown.

"Ace" Morgan, "Red" Ryan, "Rocky" Davis and "Prof" Haley have no super-powers, but accept challenges from all over the world, embarking from Challengers Mountain to solve mysteries.

Chameleon

Dmitri Smerdyakov emigrated to America when he was very young, and began a life of crime.

Using elaborate makeup and costumes, Dmitri could impersonate nearly anyone, even Spider-Man.

While he doesn't possess any superpowers at first, Dmitri later acquires the ability to actually turn into anyone he wants.

Chameleon is one of Spider-Man's oldest enemies, and throughout the years, he has battled Ant-Man, Daredevil, and Iron Man.

As his life of crime becomes more sinister and elaborate, Dmitri begins losing all mental stability.

See our series of articles on Amazing Spider-Man comic book values, starting with Amazing Fantasy #15.

Champions

The Champions was a super-team that consisted of former X-Men Iceman and Angel, Black Widow, Ghost Rider, and Hercules.

Brought together by a bizarre set of coincidental circumstances to jointly combat evil, they decided to stick together and keep doing it.

A group of misfits, the Champions run was short, lasting only seventeen issues. The team disbanded in 1978.

Cheetah

Priscilla Rich is an aristocrat socialite with a dark secret: she has a repressed evil personality and a consuming hatred of Wonder Woman.

One night, Priscilla's inner demon comes to her in the form of a cheetah, instructing her to stopping hiding behind her wealth and name and become her true self.

Creating a cheetah costume and embodying the spirit of evil, Priscilla pulls out every stop in an attempt to kill Wonder Woman and ruin her superhero legacy.

Chessure

Chessure is a shadowy creature and body guard of Malice Vundabar.

It is unknown what exactly Chessure is, as its origins have never been explained. 

Chessure is shown as just a face with teeth, hidden in the shadows and darkness.

Malice lures people close enough to Chessure in which it then devours the victim.

Chronos

David Clinton was just another unsuccessful petty thief, until he discovered that timing was everything.

Taking on the persona Chronos, Clinton invents many revolutionary devices that have the ability to manipulate time.

Through his inventions, Clinton is able to freeze others in time, speed up time, and even travel through time.

Chthon

Chthon is an Elder God who is billions of years old.

Chthon lusts for power and will kill his fellow brethren gods to quench his thirst. 

After his defeat at the hands of Atum (a 'good' god), Chthon fled into his own dimension.

Since then, he has attempted to be reborn on Earth by sending his essence into other people, and even unborn children.

Cicada

One night after killing his wife, David Hersch is about to kill himself, too, when he is struck by lightning.

The jolt of electricity grants Hersch is the ability to absorb a person's life force, and also with visions of the future.

In a quest to resurrect his wife (whom he regrets murdering), Hersch and his followers begin murdering people, absorbing their life force through special daggers. 

Clayface

Basil Karlo was a famous actor, driven insane when one of his greatest films, The Terror, is remade without him.

Donning the mask and persona of the villain in the movie, Clayface, Karlo begins killing everyone in the movie, until he is stopped by Batman and Robin.

Through the years, several other Clayfaces come into existence, but Karlo finally gets them all to band together to defeat Batman.

During this time, Karlo gains the ability to turn into "mud" and shape-shift.

Cloak and Dagger

Cloak and Dagger are Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen, respectively.

The pair are runaways who gained super-powers (or had latent mutant superpowers awakened, depending on whom you ask) after being forcibly injected with a new synthetic drug by an underworld kingpin.

Ty gained powers of darkness, while Tandy gained the ability to shoot daggers of light.

The Clock

The Clock was the first hero in American comic books to wear a mask.

The Clock was Brian O'Brien, a wealthy socialite who had previously been a star athlete and a district attorney. He wore a three-piece suit, fedora, and a curtain-like mask that concealed his identity.

He was good with his fists, and was an able hypnotist, and came equipped with a wide variety of gadgets that helped him dispatch criminals, like a missile-shooting cane and a tear gas-emitting tiepin.

The Clock would appear until 1944, going through several changes, and has never been properly rebooted or revived. The Clock is now in the public domain.

Clock King

William Tockman was the caretaker of his sick sister when he turned to crime to help raise money for them to live on.

Following his defeat by Green Arrow, Tockman is incarcerated and his sister dies alone. 

Enraged, Tockman swears vengeance, and joins several super villain societies, including the Injustice League, the Suicide Squad, and Terror Titans.

Originally, Clock King has no super powers, but later, he has the ability to see four seconds into the future.

Cluemaster

Arthur Brown was a TV show game host who decided his skills could be better put to use elsewhere.

Turning to a life of crime, Brown begins leaving clues at his crime scenes, adopting the alias Cluemaster.

Over the years, Cluemaster joins the Injustice Society and the Suicide Squad, but he is incarcerated several times.

Cluemaster has a daughter – Stephanie Brown, also known as The Spoiler. Later, she goes on to become Batgirl.

Cobalt Blue

Barry Allen and Malcome Thwane were born twin brothers, but separated at birth.

Allen went on to become the Flash, while Thwane became an evil villain bent on destroying the Flash.

Thwane learns the power of the blue flame from his adoptive grandmother, giving him the ability to steal anything his heart desires.

Using his new power, Thwane becomes Cobalt Blue, and steals the Flash's speed. 

Cobalt Man

Ralph Roberts was a brilliant scientist studying radiation and cobalt.

Using his research, he creates a suit like Iron Man's, powered by cobalt, becoming the super villain Cobalt Man.

Over the years, Cobalt Man battles the X-Men and the Avengers. However, his suit is slowly killing him due to the radiation.

In a final act of evil, Cobalt Man blew himself up in a nuclear explosion, killing hundreds.

Cold War

Cold War was an enemy of Captain America, who attempted to send the earth into an ice age where he would be ruler.

He has the ability to control ice and he himself is covered in ice, protecting him from damage.

Captain America uses his shield to knock Cold War out and imprisons the villain. He hasn't been seen since.

Colossus

Charles Xavier recruited a new team of X-Men after the original team splintered.

One of his new recruits was Colossus, otherwise known as the Russian mutant Peter Rasputin.

Colossus has the ability to transform his body into a metallic form, referred to as "organic steel," which is incredibly tough and dense, giving his super-strength and making him almost indestructible.

He has been a mainstay in the X-Men since his introduction, and had a brief love affair with Kitty Pryde.

More than once he has died and been resurrected, always remaining the same character.

Commando Yank

Commando Yank was Chase Yale, American war correspondent and secret operative for US Naval Intelligence.

He decided eventually that he needed to fight the Axis powers in costume as Commando Yank, wearing an odd hybrid of military fatigues and blue cowl.

He had no superpowers, instead using guns and other weapons of war to accomplish his ends.

Before the dawn of the 1950s, he faded into obscurity, and was never revived by DC after they acquired the Fawcett heroes.

Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb

When Batman first began his fight against crime, Gillian Loeb was the commissioner of the Gotham City police force.

However, Loeb was under the control of crime lord Carmine Falcone, but Batman is able to expose Loeb for the criminal he is.

Loeb is later killed by the Hangman Killer.

Composite Superman

Joseph Meach was a bitter custodian working at the Superman Museum, surrounded by artifacts of the man he hated. 

One night, a bolt of lightning strikes a Legion of Superheroes statue, causing an eruption of energy to strike Meach, imbuing him with hundreds of powers from the various Legion superheroes. 

With his new powers, Meach purposely taunts and humiliates the other superheroes, making himself appear to be the real hero during times of trouble.

Later, Meach is killed by Xan, sacrificing himself to save Superman and Batman.

Conan the Barbarian

Conan would be among the first Marvel characters to appear in a "comic" which did not follow the Comics Code Authority guidelines on what a child could 'safely' read.

But Conan #1 was not that comic. As you can see from the cover, it bears the dreaded Code stamp. So no beheadings, nudity or gore were present in Conan #1.

The series would later give rise to Red Sonja, but for now, Conan was a solo fighter with a large sword and a bad (but fair) attitude.

Click here to see our full Conan Barbarian comic price guide.

Conduit

Kenny Braverman was born in Smallville on the same night Superman's (Kal-el) ship landed in the town.

As a result, the baby suffered a high amount of radiation poisoning, which ultimately gives him super powers later in life.

Kenny and Clark Kent both went to the same school and were rivals in sports, with Kenny always coming in second place, further planting the seeds of hatred and jealousy.

Kenny later develops a suit which gives him superhuman strength, allows him to fly, and fire kryptonite blasts.

Constrictor

Once an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Frank Payne defected and joined the criminal organization the Corporation.

Becoming the Constrictor, Payne is sent on missions to assassinate various superheroes.

Constrictor's primary weapon is a pair of wrist-mounted metal coils that eject and retract and can be used as whips, gripping and constricting the target.

Copperhead

Copperhead is a Gotham super villain who uses his snake skin costume to constrict his victims to death. 

Beginning life as a petty criminal, Copperhead turns violent after he is incarcerated by Batman.

Later, Copperhead sells his soul to Neron in exchange for more power. 

Cornelius Stirk

Cornelius Stirk is a Gotham City serial killer who believes that he must eat the heart of his victims in order to live.

Like Scarecrow, Stirk uses fear and manipulation to lure his victims.

Stirk can telepathically appear as another person, usually someone the victim knows.

On one occasion, Stirk teams up with Joker, but the collaboration quickly ends when Stirk attempts to kill Commissioner Gordon. 

Count Nefaria

Count Luchino Nefaria was a wealthy aristocrat whose greed got the better of him, and he turned to a life of crime.

Joining the criminal organization Maggia, Nefaria becomes the sworn enemy of the Avengers. 

After Nefaria undergoes experiments by Baron Heinrich Zemo's scientists, Nefaria is granted superhuman strength, speed, and the ability to create energy beams, becoming one of the most formidable foes in the Marvel Universe.

Count Vertigo

Due to a birth defect, Count Vertigo had severe vertigo.

Using an inner ear implant, he was able to correct the problem, but also developed the ability to manipulate other people's balance and equilibrium.

Crazy Quilt

Crazy Quilt was a painter and criminal mastermind, who used his paintings to leaves clues about his crimes. 

Crazy Quilt is blinded when one of his henchmen shoots him.

Later, Crazy Quilt's vision is restored, but during a battle, he is blinded again when Robin shines an ultra-bright light in his eyes, permanently blinding him.

The Creeper

The Creeper was Jack Ryder, outspoken TV talk show host, investigating the disappearance of a scientist named Dr. Yatz.

Ryder cobbled together a silly costume to gain entrance to a crime boss' home where a costume party was taking place, and was then shot while rescuing Yatz. Yatz saved Ryder's life with a special serum and by implanting a device in the wound.

The serum gave Ryder the power to heal any wound almost instantly, along with enhanced strength and agility, and the device gave him the ability to make his costume appear or disappear at will, giving birth to the hero known as The Creeper.

The Creeper was a minor character for years, but eventually became more prominent.

Crime Doctor

Matthew Thorne was a physician illegally practicing in Gotham City, treating wounded criminals.

He is often captured by Batman and Robin, but his life of crime has continued on, spanning several decades.

Later, Thorne joins the Secret Society of Super Villains, but kills himself to save his daughter.

Crimesmith

Crimesmith was Rand Garrow, a criminal mastermind.

He learned how to build elaborate machines to help criminals commit crimes, after spending time in prison once Batman busted him.

He also formed detailed plans and schemes for criminals to perform on his behalf.

World's Finest #68 was his only major appearance, though he's later seen in a flashback in Batman #101.

A second Crimesmith character appears in Batman #443 and #444. This one is Dr. Jeffrey Fraser, but is fairly similar in that he masterminds plans for other criminals.

Crime Syndicate of America

The Crime Syndicate of America (CSA) is a team of super villains, and the evil equivalents of the Justice League of America.

The CSA was originally formed on Earth-Three, but the team soon moved on to Earth-One to begin a more intricate life of crime.

The original members consisted of Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick, and Power Ring.

Crimson Avenger

The Crimson Avenger was DC's answer to the Green Hornet, complete with an Asian chauffer/sidekick named Wing, and a gas gun that could put opponents to sleep.

Originally, he also looked like the Green Hornet, except that his fedora, cape, and mask were, obviously, crimson.

Later, he switched to Starman-style red tights with a domino mask, but his lack of super-powers made him something of an elbow in the world of men in tights, and he faded into obscurity as the Golden Age waned.

Crimson Dynamo (Anton Vanko)

Anton Vanko was a Russian scientist tasked with developing a suit that could defeat Iron Man.

Vanko built the Crimson Dynamo armor which came with the ability to generate and control electricity, allowing him to fire bolts of lightning and fly.

After losing to Iron Man, Vanko fled to the United States and began to work for Tony Stark. 

Later, Russia sent Black Widow and Boris Turgenev to kill Vanko. Vanko died saving Iron Man's life.

Crimson Dynamo (Boris Turgenev)

After Anton Vanko, the Russian inventor of the Crimson Dynamo suit, fled to the United States, Boris Turgenev stole the suit he created.

Sent to assassinate Vanko and Iron Man, Turgenev used the stolen suit, but was killed by Vanko when he sacrificed himself to save Iron Man.

Tales of Suspense #52 is better known as the first appearance of Black Widow.

Crossbones

Brock Rumlow began his life of crime at the early age of 15, and entered Taskmaster's school for criminals.

Later, he becomes a mercenary, mostly working for Red Skull.

While he possesses no super powers, Crossbones is an amazing fighter and has killed several superheroes and villains; Crossbones even manages to help kill Captain America.

Crossfire

William Cross was a brilliant, yet corrupt CIA agent who created amazing robotic and cybernetic inventions, to aid him in his fight against the Marvel Universe superheroes.

Following an explosion, Crossfire creates a device for his lost eye which gives him sight in total darkness, while his ear is replaced by an audio sensor that gives him incredible hearing.

Crossfire has also developed advanced weaponry and brainwashing technology.

Cutthroat

Cutthroat is a deadly and well-trained mercenary whose first mission was to kill Spider-Man.

Failing, Cutthroat later went on to become Red Skull's right-hand man, replacing Crossbones.

Ironically, Cutthroat's throat is cut by Crossbones, but he somehow survives. Later, Cutthroat joins the Hood's gang.

Cyclops

As a teenager, Scott's mutant optic blast shot out of his eyes, destroying a construction site.

Horrified by his power, Scott was recruited by Professor Xavier, becoming a founding member of the X-Men. 

The only way for Cyclops to stop his optic-blasts are by closing his eyes, or wearing ruby quartz glasses.

Cyclops and Jean Grey have a long running romance and eventually marry.

Cyclops also has a son, Nathan Summers, who is sent to the future and becomes Cable.