Shade
From the DCAU Wiki, working on 1,309 articles
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| The Shade | |
|---|---|
| |
| Information | |
| Species: | Human |
| Affiliations: | Injustice Gang, Secret Society, Legion of Doom |
| Rogue of: | Justice League |
| Abilities: | Darkness control |
| Weaponry: | Nightstick |
| Voiced by: | Stephen McHattie |
The Shade was a super villain who controlled shadows. He joined a record amount of four Anti-Justice League organizations.
Contents |
[edit] History
Shade was hired by Lex Luthor to support his Injustice Gang. Arguably, he was one of the most powerful members, as he could control and manipulate shadows with his nightstick. He constantly complained that he didn't earn enough money. The Gang was taken out by the Justice League.
Shade was later hired by Aresia and her Injustice Gang, helping her steal rare jewels. He was responsible for covering entries and escapes. Shade was among those infected and left to die by Aresia; however, like the others, he survived.
Following these failed exploits, Shade became a petty crook and was approached by Giganta and asked to join Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society. Shade was reluctant, as he only knew too well how both of the Injustice Gangs had failed, but Grodd convinced him to join. In the end, though, the Society was defeated, and Shade was taken into custody once more.
He resurfaced again, however, helping Grodd form the Legion of Doom. During the Legion Mutiny, he remained loyal to Gorilla Grodd. When Grodd was killed by Lex Luthor, ending the mutiny, Shade was among the villains frozen by Killer Frost and later blown up by Darkseid.
[edit] Powers & Abilities
Shade wielded a nightstick that allowed him to manipulate darkness and shadows. This ability extended to covering large areas in darkness, as well as offensive attacks.
Without his nightstick, he was powerless. However, in the Secret Society's final battle with the Justice League, Shade revealed that he had compensated for this disadvantage by studying martial arts. Nevertheless, Batman easily defeated his opponent.
[edit] Background Information
In the Pre-Zero Hour comics, The Shade was a generic villain who controlled shadows with the aid of a magical cane, upon which he was totally reliant to power his shadow abilities.
Post-Zero Hour, the Shade's lifestory and background were completely revamped, making him an English gentleman who had one ties with people of the magnitude of Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens. Richard Swift (the Shade's true name) was taken in by Piers Ludlow and his family in London, after witnessing a horrifying mystical accident. This accident left him in a state beyond life and death, and tied him to a dimension of shadows, upon which he could derive powers such as true umbrakinesis without the need for a magical cane. When the Ludlows tried to kill Swift so he would take the blame for a crime the family had committed, Shade retaliated, killing many of the family. Descendants of Piers Ludlow also attempted to kill him, but because of his powers, he was never defeated. He fell in love with the nascent Opal City, becoming a loving resident, while at the same time working as a paid assassin. This left him wit a considerable fortune. Later, he settled in Keystone City as a rogue of the first Flash, Jay Garrick. Here he is depicted as much more cultured and intellectual, often making deeply philosophical questions to himself, wondering about his position in life and eventually returning to the point he could become a superhero again. Of note is the fact this version of the Shade has powers far beyond his animated counterpart, easily able to create massive shadow constructs with a wave of his hand.
Although this ability was never shown in the animated series, if he does have the power to resurface from the dead, it is possible that Shade is not finished yet.
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Justice League
[edit] Justice League Unlimited
- "The Great Brain Robbery" (Cameo)
- "Alive!" (Cameo)
| Leaders |
|---|
| Grodd • Lex Luthor |
| First Group |
| Clayface • Giganta • Killer Frost • Parasite • Sinestro • Shade |
| Second Group |
| Angle Man • Atomic Skull • Bizarro • Black Mass • Blockbuster • Bloodsport • Blue Lama • Cheetah • Copperhead • Crowbar • Devil Ray • Doctor Cyber • Doctor Destiny • Doctor Polaris • Doctor Spectro • Dummy • Electrocutioner • Evil Star • Fastball • Giganta • Gentleman Ghost • Goldface • Heatwave • Hellgrammite • Hellhound • Javelin • Key • KGBeast • Killer Frost • Lady Lunar • Livewire • Major Disaster • Merlyn • Metallo • Mirror Master • Monocle • Neutron • Parasite • Psycho-Pirate • Puppeteer • Puzzler • Queen Bee • Rampage • Shade • Shark • Shatterfist • Silver Banshee • Sinestro • Sonar • Sportsmaster • Star Sapphire • Tala • Tattooed Man • Thinker • Top • Toyman • Tsukuri • Volcana • Weather Wizard |
[edit] External links
- Shade at the DC Database Project
