Tall and slim with an elegant 19th century way to his speech and manners, Richard is an English immortal who masks the horrors he’s experienced and people he’s lost in all his time alive with wry, witty retorts and a false sense that nothing really matters.
Richard Swift was born in London in 1808 to a unnamed father. He was also the brother of Emily Swift. In the mid-1800s, Richard was a thief and con man before receiving his powers. He was hired to procure the black diamond but instead, had a forgery made for a cabal called the Men of Tears. The Men of Tears heard a story about the lost Diablo Island and a black diamond that could summon a powerful god from a shadow world. The ritual called for a sacrifice, so instead of paying Richard was he was due, the cabal kidnapped him and used him for the ritual. The diamond Richard provided the cabal was fake, with Eclipso already trapped in the real one. The ritual was botched but it opened a doorway to the dark power of the The Shadowlands. The fake diamond couldn't contain the power, but the dark energy needed a vessel. The energy entered Richard and he became the new vessel.[2]
With his newfound powers, Richard was no longer just a con man or thief. When his father fell ill, Richard left him in the care of Emily, while Richard cheated his way through life. He had unspeakable power but he tried not to abuse it in the presence of his sister. But Richard's new unaging status limited the time he had with Emily, and she eventually died of illness. Because of his power over shadows, Richard earned the alias of "The Shade".[2]
The Shade existed for hundreds of years, with the earliest photographic evidence of him dating back to the 1800s. In the late 1990s or early 2000s, The Shade joined the Injustice Society of America as their interests temporarily aligned. He was a participant in the destruction of the Justice Society in 2010, with the Ultra-Humanite (disguised as Sylvester) claiming that Shade killed Jay Garrick and Wesley Dodds.[3] However, Shade later refutes this claim, though he was still an accomplice in their deaths.[4] During the fight, Shade saw Dr. Mid-Nite being defeated by the ISA and sought to save him. He used his abilities to consume Dr. Mid-Nite, unknowingly transporting him to The Shadowlands.[5] Sometime after the battle, Shade left the team, which Icicle viewed as a betrayal.[6]
On Christmas Eve 2010, The Shade partook in a battle against the Justice Society of America. He helped lure the JSA to an abandoned mansion where the ISA ambushed the team. Pat Dugan joined the fight late and witness Dr. Mid-Nite be consumed by a giant black hand in which Shade had produced.[5]
Ten years later, following the defeat of the ISA, The Shade returned to the ISA headquarters, reminiscing on how he told Icicle that Project New America was folly. Black smoke billowed from behind him and crept up the wall in which the ISA's portrait hung. The smoke covered the rest of the ISA members and formed a circle around The Shade's portrait, before it covered his face completely.[7]
Richard Swift makes his return to Blue Valley in an antique 1967 car. His first stop is The American Dream, where he unexpectedly visits Barbara Whitmore. Richard introduces himself as an antiques collector with an obsession for stage magic. He heard that The American Dream was holding the late William Zarick's collection of stage magic. Richard offers to pay a hefty fee for William's collection. Barbara has to run it by the board first, so he leaves his business card. She notes that it doesn't have any contact information on it, which is odd to her. He assures Barbara that he'll be in touch. He then asks where he can find a decent cup of tea in the town, so Barbara directs him to Richie's.
However, Richard is sorely disappointed in the options at Richie's and lets the waitress know of his displeasure. He settles for an iced fruity tea. Pat Dugan bumps into Richard's foot and apologizes, then introduces himself. Pat quickly takes a seat in the booth, much to Richard's disdain. Pat tries to strike up a conversation with the man by bringing up cars. Richard admits that the 1967 car outside is his, but doesn't elaborate further. Pat notices Richard's antique watch - a rare one of a kind item. Their conversation is cut short when Pat has to leave abruptly. That night, Pat returns to his house where he looks through The Shade's file. He recognizes the watch on The Shade's wrist as the same one that Richard Swift wore. He tells his stepdaughter Courtney that he fears The Shade, who is the only ISA member unaccounted for, has returned to Blue Valley.[8]
The following day, Richard appears to Barbara in The American Dream's clocktower where William Zarick's inventory is stored. He startles her as he seeming appears out of thin air, but quickly states that he hopes he didn't startle her. She states that he did so he asks for her forgiveness. She asks what he's doing here, and he was told by Charlotte where Barbara was and thought they could have a little treasure hunt together. Barbara firmly tells him that he's trespassing, which doesn't seem to bother him. She was looking into the inventory in case she heard from him, asking if he was looking for anything in particular. He mysteriously adds that he'll know when he sees it. She begins searching for her phone in her bag, which Richard extends as must have dropped it. The phone won't turn on and he coyly mentions the unreliable nature of technology. He continues to search until he finds the small box in which the black diamond was housed in. He opens the box but it's empty. He touches the velvet and is annoyed as he closes it firmly. He asks to keep the box but she can't let him as it's part of Zarick's inventory. Richard turns to her with a dark look, noting that they were getting along famously. The room suddenly goes black. When the lights come back on, Barbara is alone in the tower and her phone turns on.
That night, the Justice Society of America breaks into The Shade's hideout - the Zarick family's old house. Shade sits at the front of a long dining table sipping tea. The Shade merely invites them to sit for tea and biscuits. Pat coolly dismisses his proposal as they want to know what he's doing in Blue Valley. Shade places Pat's name as the superhero Star Spangled kid's sidekick, Stripesy, and learns that the new hero is Stargirl. He invites them to sit down again as they could do it the other way but he wants the more genteel approach. Dr. Mid-Nite lashes out at him as Shade murdered the Golden Age Dr. Mid-Nite so she doesn't deserve the genteel approach. Hourman pulls her back to stop her from attacking Shade. Shade calmly responds that she doesn't know what she's talking about. He implores them to take a seat and Pat allows it.
The team has a reluctant seat at the table but continues to question Shade's motives for being in Blue Valley. He wonders why he would hurt the town, but Wildcat answers that he's a member of the Injustice Society. Though his interests coincided with the ISA's at some point in the past, Shade assures them he did not agree with Jordan Mahkent's plans. He notes that the only thing more dangerous than a man who wants to destroy the world is one who wants it to save it. He muses that their generation might destroy the world themselves. Stargirl refuses to let people like him threaten their town. He assures her that he has no dark design for Blue Valley, and if they stay out of his way, he'll be gone before they know it. And with that, he invites his visitors to sample the tea. As things begin to calm down in the room, Mike Dugan bursts in and makes a wish for Thunderbolt to zap The Shade. Thunderbolt attacks but Shade easily renders the being useless. The rest of the JSA react to attack Shade, but he incapacitates them. He slams Wildcat into her chair once again, ultimately knocking it over. He then straightens it up but keeps her restrained in his shadows. He pins Pat to the ground, flings Hourman across the room, slam Dr. Mid-Nite into the table with her head on the table, and then pins Stargirl to a wall. He rotates her on the wall until she is upward. With the team unable to move, Shade tries to take the Cosmic Staff from Stargirl but fails as the light it emits evaporates his shadows. He then warns the team to stay out of his way before he disappears into the shadows.[9]
The next day, Richard approaches Courtney Whitmore in a used book store. He knows who she is while she knows what he's planning. When she rounds the corner he's disappeared to the other side. She confronts him for wanting the black diamond to team up with Eclipso, for reasons she hasn't figured out yet. She and her friends will stop him. He is bored by the scope of her imagination and chooses to ignore her comparison to the team-up of Icicle and Brainwave, calling them incompetent. He appears behind her and snarls that the greatest slight is thinking he wants to conspire with Eclipso. She accuses him of killing Dr. Mid-Nite which makes him just as bad as Eclipso. Richard finds what Pat chooses to tell Courtney very interesting, before calling her a poor and diluted child. He tells her there's a difference between bad and evil. He's been called wicked more than once, broken laws, bent a rule, and taken the lives of people who deserve it. He presses that Eclipso killed Dr. McNider's ten year old daughter, something that Courtney didn't know before. When he finds the black diamond he intends to throw it in the deepest and darkest part of the ocean so Eclipso can't hurt anyone ever again. She asks why he would do that and he claims that he's lived so long that he's bored. He tells her to leave this all to him and hovers over her in a domineering way. He then disappears into the shadows while she looks around for him, stunned by the revelations.[10]
Richard visits Barbara at her office at The American Dream, which startles her. He hopes the day finds her well but she quickly closes the door and confronts him for being Shade. He chuckles the he sees where Courtney gets her bravado, but that she has something extra. He remarks that she reminds him of someone from long ago. She steps forward that she had enough with his friend Jordan viewing her as a prize to be won. He clarifies that she mistook his intentions, as the person she reminds him of, was family. He continues to tell her that Courtney spent the night searching for him and Barbara has to ensure she stays out of his affairs. She admits they just want to know what he knows about the black diamond and the weird weather. He's mildly impressed that they figured that much out, but warns that the weather is the premiere and she won't like the finale. She shouldn't talk about the cursed gem again as Barbara's daughter and friends are far too young to face the horror within. She asks why he cares but he doesn't, but asks her to inform him if Courtney and her friends find the location of the black diamond. She's not sure if she believes him but also doesn't have a way to contact him. He smirks that she should check the card again, and when she does, his number is burned into the card. When she looks back up, Richard has disappeared.[11]
An unsure Barbara later calls the number Richard gave her, summoning Richard there at once; he muses over the injured and bedridden state of the man he once knew as Stripesy. Barbara is conflicted over what to call Richard, so he admits it's fine to address him either by his civilian identity or as the Shade. Barbara tells him about the recent developments, including Cindy Burman's abduction of Mike and Courtney taking her friends to rescue her step-brother, Richard maintained his apathetic demeanor asking how her troubles should concern him. Though unsure, Barbara got his attention by mentioning that the black diamond was currently in Cindy's possession, piquing the Shade's interest. He then arrives at Blue Valley High School donning his Shade suit and faces off with Cindy, protecting the JSA from the diamond's power. He warns Cindy that she has no idea of the power inside the diamond. She knows what she's doing but he scoffs that if she knew what it truly was she wouldn't be using it in a petty teenage rivalry. He instructs her to give him the diamond, triggering Eclipso to take control of Cindy's body. As Shade battles with Eclipso, Stargirl takes charge and attacks using the Cosmic Staff, against Shade's warnings. When the staff touches the diamond, it causes the diamond to shatter and Eclipso is set free. After Eclipso absorbs Isaac's soul and seals Cindy away, Shade is disgusted by Eclipso's actions. He calls Eclipso pathetic for feasting on the souls of children. As Shade tries to attack Eclipso, Eclipso effortlessly walks through Shade's shadow constructs due to Shade's powers coming from Eclipso's home. Eclipso then stabs Shade and tosses him away, with Shade disappearing and turning into shadows before hitting the ground. Later on, Swift is seen reappearing on the floor towards the top of the clock tower, still in tremendous pain from Eclipso's stab wounds. As he tries to get up, he falls, turning to shadows once again and disappearing.[12]
The days passed with no word from Shade, leaving the JSA to wonder what happened to him. As the storms outside caused by Eclipso worsened, Barbara saw Shade's shadows on the ceiling of The American Dream. A few seconds later, a drop of blood fell onto the floor.[13] It wasn't until later that Shade appeared as a wisp of shadows to Barbara while she was being tormented by Eclipso. She suffered a vision of Icicle paired with her car having stalled and frozen over. Shade insisted that nothing was wrong with Barbara car, that she had to fight through the illusion. He ordered her to start the car and drive home. He then murmured that he needed Emily before vanishing.[14]
That night, Richard appeared in the Whitmore-Dugan House, shattering a counter in the process. He sat down, and explained that even though he was immortal, there are still things that could hurt him or leave him close to death. Shade said that reforming the black diamond could be used to trap Eclipso. Pat openly voiced his distrust of the Shade. Shade insisted that he only told the truth regarding what the JSA needed to do to stop Eclipso (referring to the JSA killing Bruce Gordon) as he is now. While Pat and Courtney went off to find Jennie-Lynn Hayden who could restore the diamond, Shade rested on the couch. Barbara approached Shade to ask some questions, but Shade saw Barbara as Emily and apologized to her for abandoning her while their father was ill. Beth Chapel found out too late that Shade had lied so he could have his powers restored since the black diamond connected their world to rue shadowlands. Shade woke up since his powers were restored and he could heal himself. He apologized to Barbara for deceiving her before vanishing.[2]
Shade is located by Pat and Barbara in a movie theatre, watching an old movie. He couldn't restore his full power since Eclipso destroyed the diamond soon after it had been restored. Barbara demands the Shade help them get Courtney out of the Shadowlands. Shade warns Barbara that he still has enough power to kill both Barbara and Pat where they stand. Unfazed, Barbara stuns Shade by tell him to kill her if he won't help them because she doesn't want to live without her daughter. She tearfully begs Shade, who gives in, and noted that Barbara really does remind him of his sister. Pat also informs Shade that Dr. Mid-Nite is still alive, and Shade feels regret for leaving him in there and assuming he had died. Shade opens a portal for Courtney and Dr. Mid-Nite to leave, but they leave to go get Cindy as Shade struggles to keep the portal open. Pat tells Shade he better keep the portal open, and they return with Cindy and all escape just as Shade collapses. After apologizing to and greeting Dr. Mid-Nite. Shade weakly asks Barbara if she can say he died doing a good deed. Shade then dies and his body dissipates into darkness[15]
He reappeared saving Beth's parents from being absorbed by Eclipso surprising Chuck. He reminded his old friend that he's always had a flare for the dramatic. He helped the JSA, now joined by Jakeem, the Thunderbolt, Mike in S.T.R.I.P.E., and the Crocks, in defeated Eclipso once and for all. While Rick buried Grundy, he visited him pointing out how ironic it was that Rick was mourning for the thing that killed his parents. He then offered to help bring Grundy back by mentioning that there's a specific place and time to bury him that'll have him come back. He also decided to stick around Blue Valley, having begun to find its young denizens "intriguing".[16]
Richard enjoys his quiet life in Blue Valley, picking up the newspaper and waving to Jakeem as the boy whizzes by on his bike. He makes his way to Richie Rock's Diner in pursuit of a cup of tea. Maria anxiously waits as he tries her new brew. He barely contains his disdain, politely thanking her for the attempt, but suggesting that she's burnt it a bit. As she walks off, he tries to cleanse his palate. His attitude shifts when he senses Steven Sharpe, The Gambler's arrival. Steve wants to have a parlay of sorts, starting off by complimenting Richard's sense of style. Richard is unamused and pointedly ask what he wants. Steve wants to change for the daughter he's just learned he has.
Richard believes Steven has no daughter, just as he has no scruples. He's not fooling anyone and should leave Blue Valley before Courtney Whitmore and the others find out whatever it is he's really up to. Steve assures him that his daughter is very real, and he's simply come to extend an apology for their past disagreements. When Richard left the ISA, Steve drained all his bank accounts which was displeasing. Richard lowers his face and when he looks back, his eyes are pure black. He warns him to go. Steve quickly agrees to leave, hopes he finds a good cup of tea, and exits the diner. Richard rubs his eye in discomfort. When he removes his finger from the corner of his eye, the black smoke sparks with green energy.[17]
The next day, Maria shakily brings Richard another cup of tea. She nervously waits as he takes a trepidatious sip. He inhales deeply then tells his dear Maria that Earl Grey himself could not have brewed a finer cup. She grins and is so glad he's happy. He's absolutely delighted, and it only took 44 attempts to reach the utter pinnacle of perfection. She walks away happily, just as Pat and Sylvester enter the diner. They stand in front of Richard. Sylvester needs to ask him some questions, sitting on the edge of the booth. Pat tries to slide in next to him, but Sylvester doesn't budge. Pat tells him he needs more room and Sylvester slowly moves over a little, letting him on the booth. Sylvester asks where Richard was last night, and the man knows he's referring to Sharpe. He saw the man yesterday, though well before he died. Pat asks where he saw Sharpe, with Sylvester eerily adding that if he lies to them he'll regret it. Richard saw him in this very booth, where they had a rather unpleasant exchange. Later on, he thought better of it, so he went to see him. In a flashback, Richard stands in Sharpe's trailer. He's willing to let the past go. To someone like him, the past is everything. Sharpe would be eternally grateful if they could reset the backgammon board. Richard nods - this is a time of new beginnings for everyone.
Sylvester Pemberton interrogates Richard.
Sylvester doesn't believe that's how things went. In a flashback to his version of events, Richard plainly says he's going to kill him. Then, Sharpe cowers in fear as he holds his hands out in defense, quivering meekly. In the present, Richard looks at them in disgust, wanting to be credited with a little subtlety. Sylvester rolls his eyes, since Richard wears a top hat. If Richard was going to kill The Gambler, or Sylvester for that matter, he'd say something far more eloquent. Something like he's going to snuff out his little glow stick and him, the big, ineffectual, dolt. Sylvester lunges forward, grabbing Richard by the collar. The dishes clang on the table, the patrons gasping. Pat grabs Sylvester's hands, trying to pry him off. Sylvester warns that this isn't over, and Richard smirks that it never is. He releases Richard and tells Pat to move out of the booth, stalking out the door. Pat apologizes to Richard and the rest of the diner on his way out. Richard crosses his legs and asks Maria for a refill.
That afternoon, Sylvester, Courtney, and Cosmo visit The Shade's house. He screwed things up with him earlier, and if they're going to get answers, Sylvester has to apologize - even if he's a douchebag. Richard clears his throat from behind them. If they're selling life insurance, he's sorry, but has no intention of dying, ever. Sylvester forces a laugh at the joke. Shade asks how Courtney keeps getting rope into these witch hunts. Courtney quickly explains this isn't a witch hunt. Sylvester is here to apologize. She gestures to Sylvester, who steps forward. He's come to make peace. It doesn't clear him from being a suspect, but he was out line at the diner. Richard sighs, asking why he would waste his time on gaudy theatrics and rip his trailer to pieces. He would have simply dragged him off into The Shadowlands. He turns to walk away, until Sylvester asks if it was like Dr. McNider. Richard stops - he saved his life. Sylvester concedes that maybe he did. But what about the others - Jay Garrick, Wesley Dodds, they died heroes, fighting him.
The staff warbles in Courtney's hand. She looks at it worriedly. Richard turns and steps up to Sylvester, asking if Pat's told him about his funeral yet. They had a rather impressive ceremony for the rest of the Justice Society of America, but for plain old Sylvester Pemberton, Pat Dugan was the only one there. Nobody wants him back, or here. He should do them all a favor and give Courtney the staff, and go. He turns to leave and Sylvester opens his hand. The staff whooshes to his hand and he blasts Richard, sending him tumbling across the yard. He flips off the porch and points the staff at him, trembling with rage as he repeats that Shade killed the JSA.
Courtney rushes to the yard and yells out, "stop!", which makes the Staff fly to her hand. Sylvester turns in surprise. After a moment, Richard provides his alibi of being with Maria at Richie's, teaching her the art of tea brewing. She may be the finest tea maker in the world, thanks to him. Courtney asks if he's okay, apologizing to him, as he stands, trying to smooth his suit. He had hoped to spend time in Blue Valley, but Sylvester has made it intolerable. Courtney thinks that if he didn't do it they can help them find who did. Richard scoffs - he has problems of his own to attend to. He disappears in a cloud of black smoke.
That night, Shade appears to Rick and Beth in The Pit Stop. She crinkles her face as she doesn't look so good. He grumbles that he ran into something rather large, and rather stupid. Rick prickly asks what he wants. Shade is leaving Blue Valley, for now. There are things he needs to attend to elsewhere. Quite honestly, this town is too small for the vast egos of Sylvester Pemberton and himself. He just wanted to apologize that he wasn't able to help Rick with Grundy's return. He tells him not to give up. Rick nods and asks what he's supposed to do with him now. Shade simply smirks and puts his top hat on, disappearing in a cloud of black smoke with green sparks of light.[3]
Shade returns to Blue Valley in the coming days, appearing in the basement of the Whitmore-Dugan House, surprising Courtney and Pat. He removes his sunglasses and points to Miss. Whitmore, who is just who he needs. She questions why he's here and if he knew about the cameras. He waves her off - if there's some kind of nonsense going on in Blue Valley, he no longer cares. He requires her services for something far more urgent. Pat tells him that she's not available, but Shade assures Stripesy that she won't be long. He starts walking off but she refuses to go. Besides, Sylvester has the staff right now, not her. Frustrated, Shade stalks back to her. He doesn't need the staff, he needs Courtney Whitmore. He grabs her arm and drags her along as he quickens, disappearing into the shadows. Pat calls out for Courtney and runs after them, leaping into the shadows. The trio vanishes - leaving only two flashlights clanging on the floor.
Shade, Pat, and Courtney land in some kind of basement with a thud. Courtney and Pat stand up, having landed off their feet. Pat asks where Shade dragged them too. Shade rebutts the statement, as he didn't drag Stripesy anywhere, he invited himself and he'd send Pat right back, if he could. He starts walking off, so Pat and Courtney follow him. Pat asks what he means by "if he could". Shade admits that his abilities are, to be frank, coming apart like an old suit. Unfortunately, the one seamstress in all the world who could stitch them back together again is the most frustrating, immature, defiant, emotional, unreasonable, utterly vexing creature he's ever come across. But he doesn't need to tell them that, as they already have the misfortune of knowing her, too.
They round a corner and find Jennie sitting on some steps. Courtney is surprised to see her. Jennie told Shade to let her call Courtney first to explain everything, but he never listens to anything she says. Shade baulks at the statement, as he daresay he felt quite neglected when she almost burned down that tea house. She argues that he called her stubborn, and he admits to be guilty of that. She elaborates that he called her as stubborn as her father, who she told him to never talk about, since he helped murder him. Shade starts to retort but Pat intervenes, telling them to all take a breather here. Courtney asks her what's going on. Jennie admits she finally found her brother, and he needs their help.
Courtney and Pat question where Todd is. Jennie admits he's upstairs, revealing they're in the basement of the Helix Institute. Pat remembers it as a home for troubled youth, though the nurse said Todd left. Jennie reveals that she lied. Whatever this place really is, he's been their prisoner this entire time. She's going to get him out of here, even if she has to burn this place to the ground. Shade first wants to explain their problem as simply as he can, but she doesn't think he can simply explain how to make a cup of tea. Offended, he rears that brewing tea is more complicated than perhaps Jennie might imagine. She rolls her eyes at him so he continues to explain. For weeks, when he was accessing the shadows, he was drawing in some mysterious emerald light somehow - and it hurt, immensely. He traced the light to this delightful girl. After several days of attempting to separate their tangled power sources, he's afraid they remain at an impasse. She has no control over that ring. She snaps that it's because her ring was corrupted by The Shade's shadows, and now his darkness is leaking into it. He corrects that her light is leaking into his darkness. Pat intervenes again, as they have a real "peanut butter and chocolate type" situation. He asks how they got tied up together in the first place. Jennie explains it was right before they defeatedEclipso.
Jennie thought the ring destroyed the residue she and Beth found, but The Shade thinks it was pulled into the ring instead. She looks at the ring as she muses that it's connected to The Shadowlands now. Shade fears if they don't sever that connection, their conditions will worsen. Jennie needs to exorcise the darkness from her ring to shut off the link between the light and the dark. They think once she does, they won't be drawing on each other's respective powers anymore, and she'll have full control of the ring again. Then she can help Todd. Shade waves it off as he doesn't care about any of that. He just wants the girl cut off from The Shadowlands so he can get back to a pain-free life. Pat argues that these kids need help, causing Shade to wonder when they don't. Or why it's always his problem. No, it was amusing at first, but now it's just annoying.
Jennie turns to Courtney, hoping she can help her overcome the darkness within her. She did it when she beat Eclipso. Courtney doesn't remember much as it was all kind of a dream. She heard Starman and Pat, but she broke free from Eclipso because she knew if she didn't, her friends family would get hurt. Shade questions what she's saying, and she clarifies that saving Todd might be the thing that lets Jennie expel the darkness out of her ring - and get him back to normal. Pat thinks she's right, so Shade reluctantly says they should go upstairs and get her brother.
Courtney, Jennie, Pat, and Shade reach a split in the Helix Institute. They don't know which way to go. As they walk, Shade experiences ringing in his ears and discomfort. He tells them to wait, then points that her brother is down there. Pat asks how he knows but he's not sure.
The group reaches the double doors sealed with a key card swipe. Courtney tells Jennie to focus and breathe. Shade sarcastically tells Jennie not to burn the whole place down again. Pat snips for Shade to let Courtney do the coaching. Shade is gravitas as he gestures for the girls to continue. Jennie takes a deep breath and holds up the ring, letting it glow. She aims at the keypad and a beam of green light streams from the ring, hitting the keypad. As it sears the electronics, Shade groans in pain, clutching his head. Jennie is out of breath as she looks to Pat, who tries to help a snippity Shade. They rush through the doors and reach a sealed door. Shade announces Todd's through there. He grabs the doorknob only to be thrown backwards into a wall.
Jennie and Courtney hear Todd screaming and rush in, finding him convulsing in pain on the table. Jennie calls out to him, though he questions who's there and who she is. The girls slowly approach as Jennie explains it's his sister. He breathes out her name, and they lock eyes, flashing back to being torn apart as children. Courtney wants to get him out of here, but Todd protests, just as Pat and Shade enter. If they take him out of this room, he'll destroy the world. Jennie isn't about to leave him here. She grabs his arm and they experience flashes of their childhood. Their eyes glow emerald green. Shadows creep into Todd's eyes which turn pitch black. He lets out a shout and a blast of shadows explode out of him, swirling with green energy. The blast sends everyone in the room flying in opposite directions. Once the darkness clears, the electricity in the room crackles back to life. Todd is now a monster made of black shadows, his eyes white as he shrieks and moans. Jennie and Courtney look-on in horror. Shade and Pat stand as streams of shadows erupt from Todd's body. One of the shadow tentacles launches towards Courtney, and Pat calls for her to watch out. He jumps in front of her and takes the brunt of the attack. Courtney screams for Pat while Jennie calls for Todd, darkness consuming the room.
Pat and Shade sit up in the middle of Main Street in a black and white Blue Valley. They look around at the slow-motion movements of pedestrians and the ominous surroundings of The Shadowlands. A car horn blares and the men barely roll out of the way in time.[18]Pat and Shade walk down Main Street. Pat questions if they're in The Shadowlands. Shade states they are because Pat insisted on helping those irksome children. This is just more proof that no good deed goes unpunished. He thinks they got here because Alan Scott's daughter has the power of light, but his son, for reasons he doesn't understand, has the power of the shadows, like him. Them coming into direct contact with each other caused some kind of feedback, which seems to have banished them here. Pat's gotta find a way back, which is a brilliant strategy to Shade. He's truly watching a master at work. Pat snaps that he's doing the best can. Shade tells him to please don't apologize, as he can think enough for the two of them. Lucky for Pat, he's with the sole being in existence that knows how to escape this dreadful place. He approaches the Dallas Theater and is ready to get home. He pulls at the door but it doesn't budge. He shakes it off as he'll do it right here, and extends his hand. Black shadows swirl in front of them as a portal begins to manifest. A green light shines from the center, eventually knocking Shade off his feet. Pat drops to his aid, though the man is not okay. It seems that until Jennie's ring is free from its corruption, Shade is as useless as Pat.
Shade brushes off his cloak. Whatever's happening on the other side, Jennie's ring is still connected to The Shadowlands. A crack of thunder shakes the street and green lightning creases the sky. He remarks that isn't normal. Pat finds it hard to believe that anything is normal in this town. Believe it or not, The Shadowlands has rules, and Pat had better learn them. For one thing, this place preys on the subconscious; his fears and regrets. Shade, of course, doesn't harbor such worthless emotions, but he's quite sure Pat does. If Pat gives into them, it could jeopardize both of them. He pauses to ensure Pat's keeping up with all this, and the man's got it, he understands. They stop outside Richie Rock's Diner as Shade warns him that doorways here usually take people where they most desire to go, taking their cues from the subconscious. It rarely turns out for the best. If he can't get them home the way he did before, their only hope is to keep moving, avoiding the hungry wraiths Pat's insecurities will no doubt conjure up until Shade can get them out.
They walk through the door to Richie's and enter the diner, stopping Shade abruptly. The doorway should have taken them somewhere else, as the diner is insignificant to Shade. A table manifests in the center of the room as a man's deep southern accent drawls that the sentiments are not entirely true. He lays down some cards and turns to face the men, revealing himself as The Gambler. This is where Shade refused to forgive him. Pat's surprised to see Gambler, but Shade assures him it's not him, it's a construct. Gambler continues his mocking as it's awfully hypocritical of Shade not to forgive him. Pat tells Shade to ignore him, but Gambler isn't finished. He knows Shade caused his sister so much pain, yet she forgave him. Shade snaps that's enough, but the construct presses on about sweet, dear Emily. He asks if Shade remembers what he said to Emily on the day she died. Shade hurries them out of the diner, and they rush through the doorway, a white light enveloping them.
They run into The Pit Stop, which Shade likens is going from one grease pit to another. An army vehicle is parked in the center of the garage, a wrench clanking as a man works under the hood. He curses and Shade questions who the man is, causing Pat to shake his head. The man peeks around the hood and demands to know what Pat's standing around for, instructing him to grab a wrench. Pat's face contorts in confusion as he questions the man's identity - his dad.
Mr. Dugan mutters at the damn engine which keeps overheating. Sarge is gonna have his ass unless he can get her up and running. He asks if his son wants to help him. Pat admits he always tried to, and Mr. Dugan nods that he did try. He recalls the garage on the base and how Pat was always at his side. Shade tries to pull Pat away but he doesn't budge. Mr. Dugan's expression turns dark as he likens Pat to a tick on a dog. Every time he tried to fix something, he made it worse, like their family. He should have brought him and his mom closer together, but instead, she pushed Mr. Dugan away. He mocks how he was too hard on Pat, and how his wife worried about Pat's feelings. It made him weak. He scolds Pat to stand straight, and he instinctively does. He was never proud to call Pat his son. Shade tries to help his friend by reminding him this is the Shadowlands, a nightmare version of the people in their lives. It twists their words. Pat shakes his head no, not this time, as his real father spoke every word of this. On cue, Mr. Dugan continues his barrage of abusive language. He tells his son that he's always been worthless, playing second fiddle to everyone in his life. He's never been a standout, a leader. Shade ushers Pat along as they need to go. Pat grimaces at Mr. Dugan, remarking that he still misses his Pop. He turns away and the men run out of The Pit Stop, as Mr. Dugan shouts that he should have been harder on Pat.
They arrive in an early-century room where nurses and doctors surround a bed. A woman coughs from the bed. Shade's face falls as he remarks no. Pat asks what it is, but it's nothing Shade wishes to see. He grabs the doorknob and green energy sizzles his hand, burning him. He cries out in pain and moments later, the woman calls out, asking if that's Dickie. The nurses move to reveal a young Emily Swift, ill, asking if he's come to say goodbye. She doesn't want him to let her die alone, not like their father. Shade tries the doorknob again but it continues to burn him. He turns to Emily, who asks him not to ignore her, to please say something. Shade tries the door again but it won't budge. Pat knows it's difficult to lose people that they love. Shade asks him to please, spare him the bleeding-heart sentiments. Pat ignores him, bringing up how Courtney survived The Shadowlands. Shade remarks it's because of him, but Pat corrects that she got out because of him but survived because of herself. She had to face her own darkness to get past it. Shade can't believe Pat is telling him about darkness. Pat's just saying that maybe the key here is to face things and not run away. Shade pauses for a moment before painfully, yet blankly, admitting that he's incapable of feeling anything. Pat moves Shade back and then kicks open the doors, letting green energy flow into the room.
They land in the Whitmore-Dugan House with a thud. Shade groans in agony, as he can't travel through the fire like that again. While in pain, he tells Pat that Emily asked if he'd come to say goodbye. But the truth is, he didn't say anything to his sister the day she died because he wasn't there. He couldn't bear it, as he had to separate himself from her. Losing people is just too hard. Mr. Dugan suddenly snaps for Pat to forget that limey, as they're not done. Thunder rumbles in The Shadowlands and crosses into the real world.
Pat and Shade sit across from Mr. Dugan and Barbara, who stand over the men. Mr. Dugan mocks Pat for thinking he's a good father when Mike, who materializes in a doorway looking solemn, does everything he can to get Pat's attention. Just like Pat did with his father. But he doesn't see Mike at all, so like Pat, he feels worthless. Shade warns Pat not to listen to them. Barbara warns Mr. Swift that he's going to die alone, just like his sister. No one's going to say goodbye because he hasn't earned it. Mr. Dugan dismisses her as she shouldn't be here, making her fade out of the room. He looks to Pat, warning that she'll never really be Mike's mom. Mike's mom abandoned him when he was three or four years old. Pat winces for the first time, feeling the weight of that accusation. Pat got Mike and left and never spoke about mommy again. He wanted Mike to forget Maggie and move on as he did. But Mike, who looks down morosely, thinks about his mom every day. He doesn't say it, but he feels as unwanted as Courtney does. Mike glares at Pat warning that one day, he's gonna hate Pat as much he hates his dad. Pat's face scrunches in confusion as he shakes his head. He doesn't hate his father, he never did. The Shade praises him for not giving in, as they'll get out if he doesn't. They struggle to stand as the green fire consumes the house. They need to go, but Shade is too weak to move. He tells him to please go.
Pat urges Shade to come, but he already told Pat that he could die going back into that fire. Pat snaps that he can either die in here, or he can die trying, but he has to pick one. Shade scowls that's fair enough, Pat Dugan. They hurry to the front door and Pat yanks it open. The men run through the white light. A burst of green energy shines in Helix. Love and Courtney shield their eyes and when they do look, they see Todd and Jennie embracing. The siblings part and smile at the duo. Moments later, the wind gushes with the return of Pat and Shade. The Shade looks incredulously at Courtney, then gives her a proud nod when he sees Todd and Jennie together.
Courtney, Pat, Shade, Jennie, and Todd gather in the hallway of Helix, facing Nurse Love. Courtney gives her a satisfied smile and Love admits she was right. Courtney asks where the skeleton guy is. He's calming their other patients, as they don't usually have nights with this much excitement. She hopes this won't become a regular occurrence. Jennie thinks they have it under control now. Love reminds them they both still have a home at Helix. Courtney thinks what they're doing here is wrong. Love pensively states that all of their patients are free to go any time they wish. No one is being held against their will. Todd confirms that's actually true, though Courtney still isn't pleased with them spying on her or her friends. Love doesn't know what she's talking about. She's talking about the camera they put up all over Blue Valley, inside their homes. Love is disturbed by the accusation, as they did no such thing. They know so much about Courtney and her friends because they did their research. But spying on her with hidden cameras is ridiculous. Shade hopes they're all done here, as he knows he is. He leaves the hallway and the institute.
On the lawn of Helix, Shade expresses to Pat his disbelief that there's someone else out there with the same powers as his, potentially even greater. Pat confuses this with envy, but Shade is sympathetic. When he first experienced the powers, they were frightening. Pat suggests he help Todd, and think about how different his life might have been had somebody helped him. He's lived like this for over 100 years, if there's anything on the planet that can help Todd figure this out, it's not Helix, it's him. Shade is no teacher, which Pat gets, but if he's looking for redemption for the past it's not just about not doing bad things. It's about doing good. He helped to destroy the JSA, which angers Shade as he did not kill, but Pat interrupts him. He was an accessory, whether Shade wants to face that or not. Those kids over there are the orphans that were left behind. Shade's heard enough from Stripesy. He groans as it's his heart's dream to be saddled with reprobates.
Todd, Jennie, and Courtney walk over and Shade awkwardly greets them. Rather than make his exit, he'd liked to extend a hand - that is, if they're amenable to his help with the shadows. Todd would appreciate that, though Jennie's not sure. Shade tells her to please, turn him down, then. Jennie needs to get to New York, which is news to Courtney. Jennie elaborates that's where Sandy Hawkins lives who is Wesley Dodd's nephew. Pat is surprised at her mention of Wesley Dodds, the Sandman. Shade wrinkles his face in disgust, as he agreed to help two children, not three. Jennie ignores him. Sandy has nightmares of people in trouble like his uncle used to. That's how she knew Todd was here. Sandy dreamt about her and Todd and reached out to her. She promised she'd help him with his nightmares once she found Todd. Shade groans over New York, begrudgingly agreeing to go. But things are going to be different from now on, as he'll have none of her outlandish theatrics. He flicks his cane and a portal appears. He instructs them to follow him as she walks through the portal. Todd and Jennie follow him, and she calls back a goodbye to Courtney. The portal closes and Courtney looks to Pat, wondering how they're going to get home now.[19]
Ten years later, Richard Swift leads a group of eager patrons on a tour of a museum. He guides the ladies and gentlemen, telling them not to be shy. They arrive at the centerpiece of the entire museum. The meeting table of the Justice Society of America. He identifies who sits around the table, pointing at where the chairs would be. Starwoman, Wildcat, Jade and her brother Obsidian, Dragon Queen, S.T.R.I.P.E. 2.0, Jakeem Thunder, Icicle, Artemis, Sand, Damage, as well as Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite. The latter of whose impending nuptials are just around the corner. He proudly says they are officiated by "yours truly", smirking. With those two, come their loyal if somewhat foul-smelling and simple-minded friend, Solomon Grundy.
Banners for each member hang around them, along with exhibits dedicated to their specialties, and wings in honor of Wildcat, Dr. Mid-Nite, Jakeem Thunder, and Dragon Queen. Artifacts surround the museum, including Excalibur, Sandman's mask, a pink pen, and Shiv's scepter. Shade stops at the front of the table. United, they stopped the Injustice Society from brainwashing America, then prevented the demonic brute Eclipso from merging his nightmarish world with theirs. They shut down the Ultra-Humanite before he could tarnish Starman's legacy. They brought the true Sylvester Pemberton back to life. Then, they rescued the Seven Soldiers of Victory from a cosmic deity called The Nebula Man. He turns to look at the table. They're the greatest heroes the world has ever seen. But they won't be the last. Because there are other legacies of heroism waiting for a new generation to find, to take on, to rise up. For as much as evil has tried to destroy the Justice Society of America, it cannot. Nothing can. He smiles proudly.
A portal opens on the other side of the table and The Flash speeds through, slicing the JSA table in half. Shade shouts about not breaking the table. He turns to stare at the broken pieces, then turns in annoyance. He turns to see The Flash, who skids to a halt a few feet from the tourists. Shade recognizes him as Flash, and the hero greets his old friend. He tells Shade the Justice Society is needed. According to Courtney Whitmore, that includes Shade now, too. He tells Shade to gather the troops. Their adventures are not over. Shade sighs and asks if they ever are. Flash puts on his helmet as Shade looks to the side, wondering what adventure the JSA will take on next.[20]
Personality[]
Richard is an enigmatic, pragmatic, and morally ambiguous individual whose alliances shift depending on his current dilemma. He aligned himself with Jordan Mahkent temporarily, but did not agree with the man's worldly views or savior complex. He had no interest in taking part in killing the Justice Society, and even tried to help them on a few occasions when their interests aligned. While Richard has taken a human life in the past, and isn't above doing so again if it means his goal is achieved, he holds children at a higher regard and seeks to protect them. He was sickened when Rebecca McNider was murdered, even spending time with her father Charles McNider despite their differing alliances and world views. He also tried his best to keep the young JSA from crossing paths with Eclipso, though his aloof approach ultimately backfired. His ability to gloat over Project New America's failure, and feeling insulted when compared to those who attempted to usher it, shows an inflated sense of ego. If anything, he is a borderline nihilist, implying to the young JSA that the world and the people presently living therein, in their current and long-standing state, were worth neither saving nor taking over. Though, this might have stemmed from his deep boredom with humanity and human life. Richard also seems to believe that today's modern youth will doom the world either way; but despite that, he was disturbed with the prospect of a released Eclipso murdering them.
He was also cautious and patient, in a way that only someone who lived for hundreds of years could be. He is also an intelligent and strategic individual, as he only embarks on battles that he is sure he can win, and automatically retreats if he becomes overwhelmed. He is capable of forming friendships and bonds with others, though he avoids it due to his immortality forcing him to outlive everyone he's ever loved. He grew fond of Barbara and Charles McNider, and was horrified when he learned he sent Charles to the Shadowlands a decade ago. He sought to right his wrong and help Barbara save her daughter. He pushed through his weakened state to sacrifice what little power he had left to save Courtney, Charles, and Cindy Burman from the Shadowlands. His dying wish was that Barbara tell people he died doing something good.
Despite his dying wish to prove to people that he is capable of doing good, Richard couldn't resist pulling a prank on McNider, Barbara, Pat, and Courtney as shown when Eclipso tried to merge the Shadowlands with the Earth, Richard revealed to McNider that he was still alive, boasting that he played them because he had a "flair for the dramatic." After his "resurrection", Richard jokingly bantered with McNider, showing his playful and cheery side. Richard will go on to prove that he is capable of doing good and this desire to be good wasn't just a farce during his "death scene," by actively risking his life to help the JSA and their allies defeat a weakened Eclipso. And while Richard usually tries to outsmart his opponents to defeat them, he has been shown several times he is not afraid to get into a fight if he has to showing that he also had a bold side to him as well.
Richard Swift is also capable of putting aside old grudges and grievances for the sake of working together, if his interests are aligned with them, as shown when he buried any former grievances he had to the JSA, and even worked together with Larry Crock and Paula Brooks (Two members of the ISA that Swift particularly despised and them mutually in turn) in order to defeat Eclipso. Even after Eclipso's defeat, Richard showed that he had no more grievances against the JSA, even advising Rick Tyler on how to resurrect Grundy after Eclipso killed him.
Physical Appearance[]
Richard is a man of moderate stature who uses a cane to support his walking. Although there is a chance he doesn’t need the cane, and only uses it for convenience. He has black hair and appears to be middle-aged. He exclusively wears dapper suits of the highest quality, fitting his long frame perfectly, paired with shiny black dress shoes. Richard always has a perfect pocket handkerchief in his suit pocket, and dons an extremely expensive, antique, one-of-a-kind watch. As his alias The Shade, Richard's outfit doesn't change drastically. He swaps out a black tie for a black ascot, pops the collar of his white shirt, and buttons a black suit jacket to the top. He wears a black top hat paired with thin-rimmed, blacked-out sunglasses, black leather gloves, and his cane.
Powers[]
Richard received his powers in the 1800s when the Men of Tears tricked him into partaking in a ritual that involved The Black Diamond. Because the diamond Richard procured for the group was a fake, the energy they summoned from The Shadowlands found a vessel in Richard. The ritual granted him power over the shadows and The Shadowlands, turning him into The Shade.
Shadows trying to take the Cosmic Staff
Umbrakinesis: The Shade is a powerful being possessing unspeakable power. His most notable and dangerous power is the ability to manipulate, control, and harness shadows. He can command the shadows to take any form he desires, though he prefers hands or arms, as seen in both 2010 and the modern day. He can produce shadows on command, such as when he interrupted the JSA and Injustice Unlimited to create a barrier full of shadows that corrupted everyone's line of sight. Richard can also telekinetically move people and objects by making his shadows phase between corporeal and incorporeal forms. He tossed the new JSA around like rag dolls without lifting a finger, solely surrounding them in corporeal shadows. His powers are bonded to him at a cellular level, as his wounds leaked shadows when he was weakened from the Black Diamonds destruction. He retreated into the Shadowlands to recharge himself. When Eclipso started to merge Earth and the Shadowlands, Shade's powers were restored.
Darkness Force Field: Using his power over shadows, Shade can generate a circular-shaped force field capable of blocking attacks. He was able to defend himself and the JSA from Eclipso's powers by placing a force-field of shadows around the group. He recreated this shield when he prepared to fight Eclipso. However, the shields he produced were not immune to physical attacks, as Eclipso walked through the barrier due to their shared origins of The Shadowlands.
Electromagnetic Interference: Whenever Richard enters a lit area, his powers snuff out the lights. He uses this ability to conceal his entrances and exits, allowing him to slip in and out of an area undetected.
Eye Transformation: When the Black Diamond was put back together, Richard's eyes turned black as a sign that his powers returned. He turned his eyes black again to threaten The Gambler.
Flight: As Richard has the ability to turn into darkness, he can also use his shadow form to fly or "float" away.
Portal Creation: Richard can also open shadow portals that people can walk through to travel from one location to another.
Shadow Stealth: The ability to disguise or cloak oneself within shadows, becoming virtually invisible. Richard's powers don't just allow him to control darkness, but also turn into shadows, allowing him to move between shadows, turn invisible, and evade attacks. He used this power to navigate Blue Valley undetected, slipping in and out of rooms undetected with others only noticing his presence when he declares it.
Teleportation: Shade can use shadows to teleport himself from one location to another without leaving a trace of evidence behind. When using this power, he is surrounded in dark shadows that fade away after he leaves. He can also speak through shadows and communicate using them. If he is unable to teleport his entire body, he sends a ball of shadows in his place. When Richard seemingly died, his body faded into shadows before disappearing altogether. His teleportation is his most notable way of movement, preferring it over any other dramatic entrance or exit. He can also teleport other people alongside him. He took Courtney to Helix with him, while Pat jumped into the shadows and hitched a ride.
Tentacle Generation: Richard is able to generate shadow tentacles to attack and restrain his foes and lift himself into the air to give himself a height advantage. He can also create objects with shadows. During the battle against the Justice Society, The Shade conjured a massive shadow hand to drag away Dr. Mid-Nite. He also created an arsenal of shadow tentacles in the form of elongated arms to defend himself against the Thunderbolt.
Immortality: Because he serves as a vessel for the dark energy summoned from The Shadowlands, Richard is an immortal man, who has lived since at least the 1800s. He shows no signs of ever having aged since then.
Enhanced Durability: Richard has some degree of enhanced durability. He crashed down through the island in the middle of the Whitmore-Dugan kitchen, and was virtually unscathed. He was also able to take the full blast of the Cosmic Staff at point blank range and get up relatively easily despite still taking damage.
Dimensional Manipulation: Since Richard's umbrakinesis powers come from the Shadowlands, he has the ability to access the realm. He can open doorways that lead to and from the Shadowlands, which are accessible by any individual in the proximity of these "doorways". However, he is incapable of discerning if a target is stranded in the Shadowlands, as he had no idea Dr. McNider was trapped in The Shadowlands for ten years.
Pyrokinesis: Richard possesses some power over fire. He burned his phone number into a business card that he gave to Barbara. This fire left a "scent" of darkness that Jennie-Lynn Hayden was later able to track using her ring.
Regeneration: After the Black Diamond was put back together and Richard could access his powers again, he instantly healed from the wounds Eclipso inflicted upon him.
Shade senses Todd's location
Sensing: Richard attempted to track the Black Diamond by touching its empty box, following the residual power of the diamond left in the box. He also sensed when The Gambler stood behind him, and later, knew where Todd Rice was located in Helix. His connection to Todd was accompanied with physical pain and was only activated in close proximity.
Abilities[]
Genius-level Intellect: Due to being over two centuries old and having incredibly vast amounts of experience, the Shade is extremely intelligent. He is a great tactician and knows when it is the right time to make his entrance. An example of this is when he showed up at Blue Valley high school after the fight between the new JSA and the new ISA, so that he wouldn’t have to worry about fighting anyone due to everyone’s exhaustion. He is also brilliant in analyzing his opponent to figure out how to use his powers to give him the edge in every fight he gets into.
Weaknesses[]
Light: Because his powers are based in the darkness and shadows, his crippling enemy is anything light based. The bright ray of light that emitted from the Cosmic Staff seemed to physically annoy Shade. Furthermore, it disintegrated the shadow hands that were attempting to dislodge the staff from Stargirl's grasp. He also took a massive amount of damage when Starman blasted him with the staff, causing shadows and darkness to spray off of him.
Green Lantern's Ring: As a light-based entity, the ring can cause significant damage to Richard and vice versa.
Vulnerability: Despite his immortality Richard is a human and is still killable. Eclipso, an evil entity of vengeance, pierced Shade's skin using his claws and threw the man aside, an act that left Shade wounded and bleeding.
Overconfidence: Even though the Shade is brilliant, he’s also very egotistical and cocky. Due to this, he underestimated Eclipso and was stabbed by him.
Connection to the Shadowlands: As Shade is well over 200 years old, his powers are currently the only thing keeping him alive. If his connection to the Shadowlands becomes disrupted and broken, he will lose his powers, and die; such as when he almost died after using his power while injured to save Courtney, Cindy, and Doctor Mid-Nite from the Shadowlands.
Former Weaknesses[]
The Black Diamond: Because Shade's powers come from The Shadowlands and the Diamond, he is inexplicably linked to the well-being of the Diamond. If the Diamond is destroyed his powers become far weaker and seemingly inconsistent. Once the diamond was destroyed Richard’s powers stopped working properly and eventually ran out, which led to his death. However when Eclipso started to merge the Shadowlands with the earth, Richard’s powers seemed to recharge; thus eliminating his connection to the Black Diamond altogether.
Connection to Green Lantern's Ring: When Jennie's ring absorbed the dark energy residue left by Eclipso, it unknowingly connected the shadows and the light. Their respective powers of light and dark began to leak into one another, causing them both pain when they used their powers. When Jennie cleansed the ring of Shade's shadows, it severed the link between the two and granted Shade control over his powers again.
Richard (to Barbara): Well, as my card says, I deal in things both old and curious, as a collector. And one of my many passions is magic. Stage magic, that is.
Richard (To Courtney): You poor deluded child. Don't you know, there is a difference between bad and evil? I've been called wicked more than once. A rule bent there, a law broken, an odd life taken, but never to someone who didn't deserve it. Eclipso on the other hand, is pure evil. He killed McNider's daughter, she was only ten years old.
The Shade is the second oldest human character on the show, overtaking Dragon King and Charles McNider. He is preceded by Justin, who is over 1,000 years old.
The Shade is the only member of the ISA who hasn’t lost a fight to the JSA.
He is also one of two people to overpower the Thunderbolt. The other being Eclipso.
The Shade is a very wealthy individual. He drives a 1967 Jaguar, told Barbara he would pay a ridiculous amount for the items in The American Dream's archives, and The Gambler saw his bank accounts as worthy of draining after Shade left the ISA.
In mainstream DC Comics, The Shade was an enemy of the Flash and the Justice Society, and later Starman, though later in his career he became neutral and even heroic. He is connected to the Shadowlands, which gifted him with the power of manipulating darkness and having an abnormally long life.
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