With season 2 of Stargirl finally introducing Shade, many fans have been intrigued by what the mysterious new character will get up to next.
With the second season of the CW's Stargirl, fans have been introduced to a whole lot of new DC comic book characters on the screen. One of those is the villain Richard Swift, or the Shade. Considering his motivations begin as somewhat mysterious, he's left fans to speculate as to just what he's doing in the show, and question just what the future holds for him.
Before fans start watching Stargirl, some viewers may want to look at the comics to get a look at his history. With more than 70 years in comics, Shade has a lot of stories to pull from. He's also not always the bad guy in the comics, even if he begins his time as an antagonist for a very different hero than Stargirl.
10 When Did Shade First Appear In Comics?
Before the publisher became DC, they were National Comics. That's where Shade made his debut, though he was very different then. Created by Gardner Fox and Harold Wilson Sharp, he made his first appearance in Flash Comics #33 in 1942 - long before he would ever be associated with Stargirl in the comics.
Initially, the character was portrayed as someone who could manipulate shadows with the use of a magical walking stick, but he was primarily a thief. His first appearances made him a nemesis for the Silver Age Flash Jay Garrick, but he also went up against his successor Barry Allen.
9 How Many Characters Have Used The Codename?
The codename primarily belongs to Richard Swift in the comics, just as it does for the television series Stargirl. There has been the rare occasion that someone else has made use of the codename, usually in alternate timelines.
An alternate universe version of the heroine Nightshade actually uses Shade instead. In the normal continuity, she can manipulate darkness and turn herself into shadows. However, in the alternate universe, she uses a magical cane and wears a top hat, just like Richard Swift.
8 Has Shade Appeared In Live-Action Before?
This particular version of the character hasn't appeared in live-action, though a villain named Shade does exist in another corner of the Arrowverse.
In the third season of The Flash, a villain dubbed Shade actually made his live-action debut. The character never received a civilian name, however, so it's unlikely it was meant to be Richard Swift. That version of the character could make his body appear like a giant shadow. The Richard Swift version of the character made his live-action debut in the season 1 finale of Stargirl.
7 Is Shade Actually A Villain?
Shade definitely begins his comic book days as a villain and belongs to numerous villainous groups over his long history. As to whether or not Shade is definitely a bad guy is up for debate.
Shade is very much an opportunist and will align with both heroes and villains, depending on the situation. Sometimes, his interests align with a hero more than a villain. He might enjoy doing bad things, for example, but he doesn't want the world destroyed. When the world is in danger, he tends to favor giving heroes a hand to make sure he gets to live to see another day.
6 What Hero Did He Mentor?
Although Shade spent a lot of the Golden Age going up against the Flash and Starman, in the early '90s, he began mentoring one of their children. Jack Knight, the son of Ted Knight's Starman, became a hero as well, and his path frequently crossed with Richard Swift.
Shade ended up teaming up with him often starting with the 1994 Starman series. In fact, more than once, Shade was ready to sacrifice himself to make sure Jack survived a villainous encounter. He even offered up his own soul to free Jack from a demon in a magical poster, (though Jack did the same, so the demon didn't end up gaining either of their souls after all). After he took Jack under his wing, the new incarnation of the Justice Society was likely to come to him for help on difficult cases.
5 What Does Shade Have In Common With The Hero Obsidian?
In addition to Shade making waves in the second season of Stargirl, the show also introduced Jennie Hayden, the comic book Green Lantern known as Jade. Her twin brother is a hero who goes by the name Obsidian. While he's only been seen in a photograph on Stargirl as a toddler, he does have something in common with the antagonist Shade.
Both characters have complete control over their own shadow. While Shade more often manipulates shadows around him, Obsidian can also merge himself with his own shadow. When Obsidian has gone missing or been in trouble in the comics, other heroes often turn to Shade in order to get advice on how to find him.
4 Is Shade Immortal?
The "mystical event" that grants Richard Swift his power over shadow is never fully known - not even to himself. In his most recent origin story, he survives an event in London in 1838 that kills 104 other people. He quickly discovers his abilities with shadows.
For some reason, his ability to manipulate darkness makes him resistant to injuries. He also stops aging. That makes him functionally immortal, though there are enemies who have come close to destroying him.
3 Did He Survive The Comic Book Crisis on Infinite Earths?
The comic book event Crisis On Infinite Earths changed the landscape of DC comics in the 1980s. A lot of characters didn't survive the merging of the many universes, or if they did, it might have been years before they appeared in print again. The CW's Arrowverse created their own version of Crisis On Infinite Earths as well, though it appears their multiverse lives on in some ways.
Shade is one of the few villains who came out of the other side of the Crisis without too many changes. He was still one of the powerful members of the Injustice Society, and it didn't take him decades to pop up in comics after the event; he was revealed as a society member in 1986.
2 What Is His Connection To Stargirl's Eclipso?
Like Jennie Hayden and Richard Swift, another comic book character is poised to make a big splash in Stargirl. That's Eclipso. Shade comes to Blue Valley in Stargirl because he's seeking out the black diamond associated with Eclipso, though he hasn't associated with the inhabitants of Blue Valley or the Injustice Society members for years. Shade and Eclipso also have an interesting comic book connection.
In the comics, Eclipso is a demonic entity who possesses hosts in order to cause havoc and gain more power. Shade is actually captured and possessed by him at one point in the comics. The Justice League decides to send Atom and Starman (in shrunken forms) into Shade's body to help him battle Eclipso. When they're able to end Eclipso's influence on him, Shade teams up with the Justice League to defeat the villain.
1 What Is One Possible Future For Shade?
Amongst the DC comic book line up are "possible futures," stories that take comic book readers to potential distant futures. They give readers an idea of what could happen to their favorite characters if events take a specific turn.
One of Shade's possible futures might be surprising for fans who are used to seeing him in a villainous role. The Starman Annual depicted Shade's potential life thousands of years in the future - as the leader of a distant planet with a utopian society where the technology was all inspired by Starman's trusty staff. That should give fans hope that the sometimes-villain fully goes good.
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