Travis Clevenger AKA Bloodhound

Travis Clevenger is a relatively new character in the DC universe. His book Bloodhound, which appeared in July of 2004, is described by creator Dan Jolley as "kind of like The X-Files if you replaced Mulder with Conan the Barbarian."

Clevenger, or "Clev" as he's known to others, is a former police officer with a knack for capturing metahuman criminals. He's not a metahuman himself, but rather relies on his talents and instincts. He is remarkably perceptive and can read people well. He has an incredibly high tolerance for pain. He's also very, very tough and not afraid to fight dirty should the need arise. In fact, brawling may be the only form of fighting he knows.

Clev is a large, imposing man who is said to lost a lot of weight recently. In terms of personality, he is abrasive with most people and enjoys yanking certain peoples' chains. He does have a softer side that he reserves for a select few.

About three years ago, Travis was partnered with Vince Crosby. The two of them were corrupt and worked with a local drug lord, Luis Salvador, helping him traffic drugs. At the same time, Clevenger was having an affair with Vince's wife, Trisha. He decided to back out of the drug business and rat both Vince and Luis out. Trish panicked and told Vince, who tried to kill Clevenger. Vince sliced Travis across the face with a crowbar, giving him the distinctive scars below his eyes. During the struggle, Clev killed Vince. As a result, Travis was serving a 15-to-25 jail sentence when his book began.

Clev was released from jail to help a former partner and now FBI agent, Jerry Bryce, stop a serial rapist and murderer. His release was considered risky in many ways, but the police were desperate to stop the killings. Clevenger, who had a personal stake in the next victim, was successful in stopping the killer but went a little further than the authorities wanted. They decided to shut down the experiment with Travis, so he was being returned to the penitentiary when an old enemy, Luis, sought him out.

Having just merged with Jason Rusch and taken control of Firestorm, Luis found Travis and tried to kill him. Travis managed to distract Luis enough that Jason was able to retake control of Firestorm and the two separated. The arrival of some of Luis's men caused Travis to flee, carrying Jason. When cornered in an industrial park, Jason attempted to merge with Travis but Travis resisted through sheer willpower. He saved Jason's life by beating down all Luis's men one by one. After it was over, Travis went peacefully back to prison, where his troubles continued in his own book.

Character Milestones
First Appearance: Bloodhound #1
Meets Jason Rusch: Firestorm #7