THE SHADE (Richard Swift)
Created By: E.E. Hibbard
First Appearance: Flash Comics #33 (Sept. 1942)
Role: Golden Age Villain, Upgraded Foe
PL 11 (248)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 4
Skills:
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Arcane Lore) 7 (+10)
Expertise (Criminal) 6 (+9)
Expertise (History) 9 (+12)
Insight 6 (+10)
Intimidation 5 (+9)
Investigation 6 (+10)
Perception 6 (+10)
Ranged Combat (Shadows) 2 (+10)
Stealth 7 (+12)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Benefit 2 (Wealth), Defensive Attack, Evasion, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Startle
Powers:
"Creature of the Night" Senses 2 (Darkvision) [2]
Immunity 1 (Aging) [1]
Regeneration 12 (Feats: Regrows Limbs) [13]
Immortality 5 [10]
"Access To The Darkfo-- I Mean, Shadowlands"
Force Field 3 (Extras: Affects Others 10) [13]
Snare 11 (Feats: Reversible) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Flaws: Touch Range) Linked to Damage 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable, Sustained +2) (62) -- [71]
- AE: Snare 12 (Feats: Reversible) Linked to Blast 6 (Extras: Sustained +2) (61)
- AE: "Dark Beams" Blast 12 (Extras: Multiattack) (36)
- AE: "Dark Wave" Damage 11 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (33)
- AE: "Darkness Falls" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 60ft. Cone) (8)
- AE: "Darkness Falls" Concealment (Visuals) 2 (Extras: Attack, Area- 60ft. Shapeable +2) (10)
- AE: "Shadow Hand" Move Object 11 (22)
- AE: "Shadowjump" Teleport 12 (Extras: Easy, Accurate) (Flaws: Medium- Shadows) (36)
- AE: "Living Shadow" Create 12 (Feats: Precise, Reversible) (26)
- AE: Movement 3 (Dimensional Travel- Shadowlands, Time Travel 2) (Extras: Attack 10) (16)
Unarmed +10 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Snare +11 Area (+11 Affliction & +7 Damage, DC 21 & 22)
Snare +10 (+11 Affliction & +7 Damage, DC 21 & 22)
Dark Beams +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Dark Wave +11 Area (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +5
Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +8 (+11 Force Field), Fortitude +10, Will +9
Complications:
Enemy (The Ludlow Family)- After killing members of their family's gang, the Shade has had to deal with the vengeful Ludlow family ever since- they constantly send assassins his way.
Enemy (Simon Culp)- The darkness-powered dwarf Culp occasionally was able to take control of the Shade's body, occasionally leading him into generic super-villainy.
Relationship (Matt O'Dare)- The Shade takes the O'Dare cop family's "black sheep" under his wing and mentors the boy.
Power Loss (Shadows)- Bright lights and energy can fend off the Shade's shadows for a time. A survivor of the same event that took his powers can also drain him.
Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 14 / Powers: 110 / Defenses: 14 (248)
-The Shade is originally a Golden Age villain of The Flash's, but decades later was completely revamped by James Robinson into a Starman character, now a morally-ambiguous Victorian-themed guy. This was a MAJOR hit with readers, especially the wannabe pseudo-intellectuals and pretentious types, and to be fair, completely renovated an unused character. The GOOD kind of Retcon, really.
-The Shade was initially a Flash baddie, using a magical cane to manipulate shadows. In this form, he joined the original Injustice Society, and was in the Flash of Two Worlds story as well. He also appeared in a crossover with Earth-S, but didn't get much play until a new Injustice Society formed in the Post-Crisis 1980s. It wasn't until the 1990s that The Shade became the "baby" of James Robinson, who was a pretentious twatwaffle to be sure, but at least had some creative energy to play with. He turned the Shade into an Englishman who gained his powers in a mysterious disaster, becoming immortal and meeting famous people all throughout history that Robinson probably wanted to meet (Charles Dickens! Oscar Wilde!), narrates a series of prose journals, then gets involved in the backstory of Opal City, the central town of Starman.
-Though a killer, the Shade is depicted as wise, friendly, cultured and mysterious, and rarely directly evil. His actions as a Golden Age Super-Villain are shown as manipulations from an enemy that'd become fused with his body- one who can still control him. Ultimately, the Shade rejects villainy as his rival, Simon Culp, dies in the culmination of the series.
-The Shade has since reappeared a handful of times, though typically only in small roles, as he was "Robinson's Baby". There's a great bit in JSA where he laughs at Stargirl ordering him to do something, delighted at the potential she shows (he figures Jack was right!). He aids the JLA in defeating Prometheus in Robinson's Cry For Justice arc, which humorously would devastate Robinson's reputation as a writer as badly as Starman had made it.
-The Shade's said to be very powerful and mostly unkillable, so the experienced, capable anti-hero costs a TON of points, as he can come back from everything, and has very powerful Snare/Damage abilities that can shred large groups of foes at once. He can Teleport, Blind, disappear, travel through dimensions and time, and do damage in a variety of ways, ultimately being only PL 11, but very tough to bring down all the same.