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Nightshade (comics)
Encyclopedia
Nightshade is a fictional character
, a comic book
superheroine published by DC Comics
. Created by Joe Gill
and Steve Ditko
, the character first appeared in Captain Atom
v2 #82 (September 1966) originally published by Charlton Comics
.
#82, as a partner for Captain Atom. Her real name is Eve Eden and her father is a U.S. senator
. She is blonde and wears a black wig as Nightshade. She was romantically involved with Captain Atom for a brief time.
She appeared several times in Captain Atom stories, before getting her own backup series in the last three published issues (#87-89). She also appeared in the last unpublished Captain Atom story that appeared in the fanzine
Charlton Bullseye
. In this backup series (with art by Jim Aparo
), Tiger (Judomaster
's now-grown-up sidekick) is her martial-arts instructor. The source of her powers is also finally described. Her mother, Magda, was actually a visitor from another dimension whose denizens have the ability to transform into living two-dimensional shadows; she passed these powers on to her son and daughter. On a visit to this dimension, Magda and her children are attacked. Mortally wounded, Magda is able to transport herself and Eve back to Earth. Eve promised to return and find her brother. This never occurs during the Charlton years.
In 1981, Nightshade would appear in issue #7 of the new Charlton Bullseye comic. Her last "Charlton" appearance would be in a story that teamed up all the Charlton "Action Heroes", and be published in a one-shot by AC Comics
.
in Crisis on Infinite Earths
, Nightshade was revamped as a government super-spy who worked for Task Force X aka Suicide Squad. While the core group was busy dealing with the events of the crossover Legends
, Nightshade, along with fellow spy Nemesis, was sent overseas to infiltrate the mercenary death squad known as "Jihad". Taking the name Chimera, Nightshade was forced to participate in the massacre of innocent civilians at an airport as Jihad sought to demonstrate their effectiveness to a potential client. This event deeply affected Nightshade, causing tension between her and Suicide Squad leader Amanda Waller
. As a result of the mission with Jihad, Nightshade was removed from her position as a spy and given the job of being the handler for the mentally unstable sorceress/Suicide Squad member known as the Enchantress
as well as Amanda's go-between for interaction between Task Force X and rival government program known as Project ATOM (which brought Nightshade into contact with the superhero Captain Atom).
As the series progressed, Nightshade revealed her past to her team: her post-Crisis origin was that she was the princess of the Land of Nightshades. Eve Eden's mother Maureen was the queen of the Land of the Nightshades, and fled to Earth with her infant children to escape the demonic power of an entity known as the Incubus. Eve believed she was a normal child until her mother took her and her brother Larry into the Land of Nightshades, to show them their true heritage. The return was a costly mistake. The Incubus found them, kidnapped Larry and mortally wounded Queen Maureen. Eve's mother used her last breath to reveal to Eve her hereditary powers over darkness. Eve promised her dying mother that she would one day return to save her younger brother. The Incubus possessed Larry's body, killing him in the process, and hid within the Land of Nightshades slaughtering all remaining human inhabitants. Furthermore it was revealed that when Nightshade (who post-Crisis now possessed the additional ability of teleportation) used her powers to teleport that the process required her to pass through the now barren and haunted Land of Nightshades.
Wanting to help their teammate, the Suicide Squad members (save Captain Boomerang
, who had to be drugged unconscious and taken against his will) agreed to go behind Waller's back and enter the Land of the Nightshades to help Eve rescue her brother. However, to her horror the team discovered that Larry was dead and his body controlled by the Incubus. Furthermore, it was revealed that the mysterious and evil "Enchantress" persona of the sorceress was in truth the entity known as the "Succubus". The two entities sought to possess Larry and Eve in order to force the siblings to have sex and conceive a child who would be their demonic master, reborn in human flesh. As a result of this revelation, Enchantress was stripped of her powers (and evil witch alter ego) as the Succubus possessed Nightshade. The evil entity failed to realize that Nightshade's will was stronger than her brother's and not only destroyed the Succubus entity but absorbed its powers into her own. With the Succubus defeated, Nightshade passively watched as her teammate Deadshot
finished the mission, killing the Incubus by shooting the entity in the head.
Nightshade was a permanent fixture in the Suicide Squad series, appearing throughout the series run.
at the CBI. She made several appearances in the Superboy and the Ravers comic and would also be part of the L.A.W.
miniseries, which would reunite all the Charlton Action Heroes owned by DC. During the Superman/Batman
story arc "Public Enemies", she was for a brief time under the control of Gorilla Grodd
, trying to capture Superman
for a billion-dollar reward. This was part of a grouping of super-powered individuals, most villains, also brainwashed by Gorilla Grodd. The reward was set out by then-President Lex Luthor
. The confrontations take place in Washington, D.C.
Nightshade and the villains are defeated.
in the Day of Vengeance
miniseries. She has been paired with Detective Chimp
, resulting in some good-natured bickering. During the Infinite Crisis
crossover she joined a legion of DC's magic-based characters battling the Seven Deadly Sins. However, she was captured by Felix Faust
and eventually used by Alexander Luthor
to bring back Earth-4.
were attacked by the Congregation. As a result she was unable to conjure her more elaborate darkness creatures until Blue Devil
managed to get the Congregation away from her. Despite this Nightshade and her teammates found themselves blinded by the Congregation's light power and for the first time in her life she experienced darkness. With the assistance of Madame Xanadu
the Shadowpact set about restoring Nightshade's sight, although fully restoring it took several days.
As seen in Shadowpact #11, she is now capable of manifesting up to three giant humanoids at once.
in order to kidnap former Suicide Squad member Deadshot
. Nightshade attacks several of Deadshot's teammates on the Secret Six
, but is defeated by Black Alice after she steals Nightshade's powers and uses them to render her unconscious. After a group of Black Lanterns composed of former Suicide Squad members arrives at Belle Reve to feast on the assembled metahumans, Amanda Waller
knocks Black Alice out cold in order to give Nightshade back her abilities (something which Nightshade believes is too far, as Alice is just a kid). Her powers restored, Nightshade joins the combined Suicide Squad and Secret Six members infighting off the Black Lanterns.
are attacked by Eclipso
and his brainwashed servant, Shade
. After defeating both heroes, Eclipso brings Nightshade under his mental control.
She can teleport
herself and others by passing them through the Land of Nightshades. She can magnify and shape shadows into solid or semi-solid forms. She is learning to create shadow homunculi and has created two ravens out of shadow-matter to serve as scouts for her; she has named them Hugin and Munin after the legendary ravens belonging to the Norse deity Odin
.
Nightshade absorbed the Succubus into her body after the Suicide Squad mission on which Larry died, and doing so made her appear less human: her skin turned white and her hair became living shadows. She is now the only person capable of accessing the haunted dimension known as the Land of Nightshades. At this writing, it is unknown whether or not the Land of Nightshades is in any way related to the Shadowlands accessed by The Shade, Obsidian
, and Ian Karkull
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superheroine published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. Created by Joe Gill
Joe Gill
Joseph Gill was an American magazine writer and highly prolific comic book scripter. Most of his work was for Charlton Comics, where he co-created the superheroes Captain Atom, Peacemaker, and Judomaster, among others. Comics historians consider Gill a top contender as the comic-book field's most...
and Steve Ditko
Steve Ditko
Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....
, the character first appeared in Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
v2 #82 (September 1966) originally published by Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
.
Charlton Comics
Nightshade was first introduced in Captain AtomCaptain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
#82, as a partner for Captain Atom. Her real name is Eve Eden and her father is a U.S. senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. She is blonde and wears a black wig as Nightshade. She was romantically involved with Captain Atom for a brief time.
She appeared several times in Captain Atom stories, before getting her own backup series in the last three published issues (#87-89). She also appeared in the last unpublished Captain Atom story that appeared in the fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
Charlton Bullseye
Charlton Bullseye (fanzine)
Charton Bullseye was a fanzine published from 1975-76 by the CPL Gang highlighting Charlton Comics. It was a large format publication, with color covers on card stock and black & white interiors...
. In this backup series (with art by Jim Aparo
Jim Aparo
James N. "Jim" Aparo was an American comic book artist best known for his 1960s and 1970s DC Comics work, including on the characters Batman, Aquaman and the Spectre....
), Tiger (Judomaster
Judomaster
Judomaster is the name given to three fictional superheroes published by DC Comics. The first Judomaster debuted in Special War Series #4 published by Charlton Comics, and was created by Joe Gill and Frank McLaughlin.-Hadley Jagger:...
's now-grown-up sidekick) is her martial-arts instructor. The source of her powers is also finally described. Her mother, Magda, was actually a visitor from another dimension whose denizens have the ability to transform into living two-dimensional shadows; she passed these powers on to her son and daughter. On a visit to this dimension, Magda and her children are attacked. Mortally wounded, Magda is able to transport herself and Eve back to Earth. Eve promised to return and find her brother. This never occurs during the Charlton years.
In 1981, Nightshade would appear in issue #7 of the new Charlton Bullseye comic. Her last "Charlton" appearance would be in a story that teamed up all the Charlton "Action Heroes", and be published in a one-shot by AC Comics
AC Comics
AC Comics is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black.AC Comics specializes in reprints of Golden Age comics from now-defunct companies whose properties lapsed into public domain and were not reprinted elsewhere...
.
DC Comics
Suicide Squad
Once integrated into the DC UniverseDC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
in Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, Nightshade was revamped as a government super-spy who worked for Task Force X aka Suicide Squad. While the core group was busy dealing with the events of the crossover Legends
Legends (comics)
"Legends" was a comic book crossover story line that ran through a six-issue, self titled limited series and various other titles published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987...
, Nightshade, along with fellow spy Nemesis, was sent overseas to infiltrate the mercenary death squad known as "Jihad". Taking the name Chimera, Nightshade was forced to participate in the massacre of innocent civilians at an airport as Jihad sought to demonstrate their effectiveness to a potential client. This event deeply affected Nightshade, causing tension between her and Suicide Squad leader Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
. As a result of the mission with Jihad, Nightshade was removed from her position as a spy and given the job of being the handler for the mentally unstable sorceress/Suicide Squad member known as the Enchantress
Enchantress (DC Comics)
The Enchantress is a DC Comics character who has been both a superheroine and supervillainess. She first appeared in National Comics flagship science fiction anthology title Strange Adventures #187 , and was created by writer Bob Haney and artist Howard Purcell.More recently she is usually called...
as well as Amanda's go-between for interaction between Task Force X and rival government program known as Project ATOM (which brought Nightshade into contact with the superhero Captain Atom).
As the series progressed, Nightshade revealed her past to her team: her post-Crisis origin was that she was the princess of the Land of Nightshades. Eve Eden's mother Maureen was the queen of the Land of the Nightshades, and fled to Earth with her infant children to escape the demonic power of an entity known as the Incubus. Eve believed she was a normal child until her mother took her and her brother Larry into the Land of Nightshades, to show them their true heritage. The return was a costly mistake. The Incubus found them, kidnapped Larry and mortally wounded Queen Maureen. Eve's mother used her last breath to reveal to Eve her hereditary powers over darkness. Eve promised her dying mother that she would one day return to save her younger brother. The Incubus possessed Larry's body, killing him in the process, and hid within the Land of Nightshades slaughtering all remaining human inhabitants. Furthermore it was revealed that when Nightshade (who post-Crisis now possessed the additional ability of teleportation) used her powers to teleport that the process required her to pass through the now barren and haunted Land of Nightshades.
Wanting to help their teammate, the Suicide Squad members (save Captain Boomerang
Captain Boomerang
Captain Boomerang is a fictional character in the . A supervillain traditionally portrayed as an enemy of the Flash...
, who had to be drugged unconscious and taken against his will) agreed to go behind Waller's back and enter the Land of the Nightshades to help Eve rescue her brother. However, to her horror the team discovered that Larry was dead and his body controlled by the Incubus. Furthermore, it was revealed that the mysterious and evil "Enchantress" persona of the sorceress was in truth the entity known as the "Succubus". The two entities sought to possess Larry and Eve in order to force the siblings to have sex and conceive a child who would be their demonic master, reborn in human flesh. As a result of this revelation, Enchantress was stripped of her powers (and evil witch alter ego) as the Succubus possessed Nightshade. The evil entity failed to realize that Nightshade's will was stronger than her brother's and not only destroyed the Succubus entity but absorbed its powers into her own. With the Succubus defeated, Nightshade passively watched as her teammate Deadshot
Deadshot
Deadshot is a fictional character, a supervillain/assassin in the DC Universe and an enemy of Batman. He first appears in Batman #59 and was created by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz....
finished the mission, killing the Incubus by shooting the entity in the head.
Nightshade was a permanent fixture in the Suicide Squad series, appearing throughout the series run.
After the Suicide Squad
When the Suicide Squad series came to an end, Nightshade was shown working for Sarge SteelSarge Steel
Sarge Steel is a detective/spy character published by Charlton Comics during the 1960s. As he was published during the time of Charlton's Action Heroes line of superheroes, and had loose ties to some, he is sometimes included with that group...
at the CBI. She made several appearances in the Superboy and the Ravers comic and would also be part of the L.A.W.
L.A.W. (comics)
The L.A.W. was a six-issue American comic book limited series, published by DC Comics.The starring team "The L.A.W." consisted of Charlton Comics characters Blue Beetle, The Question, Judomaster, Captain Atom, The Peacemaker, Nightshade, and Sarge Steel...
miniseries, which would reunite all the Charlton Action Heroes owned by DC. During the Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
story arc "Public Enemies", she was for a brief time under the control of Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. He debuted in Flash v.1 #106 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino....
, trying to capture Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
for a billion-dollar reward. This was part of a grouping of super-powered individuals, most villains, also brainwashed by Gorilla Grodd. The reward was set out by then-President Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
. The confrontations take place in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Nightshade and the villains are defeated.
Day of Vengeance
Nightshade has since then resurfaced as a member of the ShadowpactShadowpact
The Shadowpact is a group of magic-based heroes who fought against the Spectre in the 2005 limited series Day of Vengeance, published by DC Comics. They are a sort of Justice League for the supernatural elements of the DC Universe...
in the Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance is a six-issue comic book limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong, published in 2005 by DC Comics.-Publication history:...
miniseries. She has been paired with Detective Chimp
Detective Chimp
In the fictional DC Universe, Detective Chimp is a deerstalker-wearing chimpanzee with human-level intelligence who solves crimes, often with the help of the Bureau of Amplified Animals, a group of intelligent animals that also includes Rex the Wonder Dog...
, resulting in some good-natured bickering. During the Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
crossover she joined a legion of DC's magic-based characters battling the Seven Deadly Sins. However, she was captured by Felix Faust
Felix Faust
Felix Faust is a fictional character and supervillain who appears in stories published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in 1962 as an adversary of the Justice League of America...
and eventually used by Alexander Luthor
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
to bring back Earth-4.
Shadowpact
In Shadowpact #1, Nightshade and the other Shadowpact members entered the town of Riverrock, Wyoming, which was shielded from the outside world. She met a villainous counterpart named Sister Shadow. Since then she has served with the Shadowpact battling a host of magical villains. In Shadowpact #7 it was revealed that she requires some measure of concentration to form elaborate darkness constructs, when she and her partner RagmanRagman
Ragman is a fictional mystic vigilante and superhero who first appeared in the short-lived comic-book series named after him. He is one of a limited number of Jewish superheroes, and his continuity is tied to that of DC Comics' Golem, derived from the Golem of Prague of Jewish folklore.Ragman is...
were attacked by the Congregation. As a result she was unable to conjure her more elaborate darkness creatures until Blue Devil
Blue Devil
Blue Devil is a superhero featured in material published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert published in Fury of Firestorm #24 . That story led directly into Blue Devil #1, also cover dated June 1984...
managed to get the Congregation away from her. Despite this Nightshade and her teammates found themselves blinded by the Congregation's light power and for the first time in her life she experienced darkness. With the assistance of Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu is a fictional character, a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.-Publication history:...
the Shadowpact set about restoring Nightshade's sight, although fully restoring it took several days.
As seen in Shadowpact #11, she is now capable of manifesting up to three giant humanoids at once.
Blackest Night
During the events of Blackest Night, Nightshade has apparently rejoined the Suicide Squad. The team is sent to Belle ReveBelle Reve
Belle Reve Penitentiary is a fictional prison and sanitorium in the DC Universe, first appearing in Suicide Squad #1 by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell.-Fictional background:...
in order to kidnap former Suicide Squad member Deadshot
Deadshot
Deadshot is a fictional character, a supervillain/assassin in the DC Universe and an enemy of Batman. He first appears in Batman #59 and was created by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz....
. Nightshade attacks several of Deadshot's teammates on the Secret Six
Secret Six (comics)
The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six...
, but is defeated by Black Alice after she steals Nightshade's powers and uses them to render her unconscious. After a group of Black Lanterns composed of former Suicide Squad members arrives at Belle Reve to feast on the assembled metahumans, Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
knocks Black Alice out cold in order to give Nightshade back her abilities (something which Nightshade believes is too far, as Alice is just a kid). Her powers restored, Nightshade joins the combined Suicide Squad and Secret Six members infighting off the Black Lanterns.
Rise of Eclipso
Some time after the events of Blackest Night, Nightshade is once again shown to be working with Shadowpact. While in another dimension, she and NightmasterNightmaster
The Nightmaster is a fictional character, a sword and sorcery hero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Showcase #82 , and was created by Denny O'Neil and Jerry Grandenetti.-Publication history:...
are attacked by Eclipso
Eclipso
Eclipso is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
and his brainwashed servant, Shade
Shade (comics)
The Shade is a comic book character developed in the 1940's for National Comics. Debuting as a villain, the Shade was best known for fighting against two generations of superheroes, most notably the Golden Age and Silver Age versions of the Flash...
. After defeating both heroes, Eclipso brings Nightshade under his mental control.
Powers and abilities
Nightshade's powers are hereditary due to her being the only surviving member of the royal family of the Land of Nightshades.She can teleport
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
herself and others by passing them through the Land of Nightshades. She can magnify and shape shadows into solid or semi-solid forms. She is learning to create shadow homunculi and has created two ravens out of shadow-matter to serve as scouts for her; she has named them Hugin and Munin after the legendary ravens belonging to the Norse deity Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
.
Nightshade absorbed the Succubus into her body after the Suicide Squad mission on which Larry died, and doing so made her appear less human: her skin turned white and her hair became living shadows. She is now the only person capable of accessing the haunted dimension known as the Land of Nightshades. At this writing, it is unknown whether or not the Land of Nightshades is in any way related to the Shadowlands accessed by The Shade, Obsidian
Obsidian (comics)
Obsidian is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway. According to an Infinity, Inc...
, and Ian Karkull
Ian Karkull
Ian Karkull is a fictional supervillain in some comic-book titles published by DC Comics. He first appeared in More Fun Comics #69 as a foe of the sorcerer Doctor Fate...
.
Other versions
- Earth-TwoEarth-TwoEarth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
: An enemy of the Golden AgeGolden Age of Comic BooksThe Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
Sandman (Wesley Dodds)Sandman (Wesley Dodds)Sandman , is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first of several DC characters to bear the name, he was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Bert Christman....
, this Nightshade had the ability to control plants. Upon his revival in the 1980s series All-Star SquadronAll-Star SquadronThe All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
, he was renamed "Ramulus" to avoid confusion with the Eve Eden character and became a member of the Monster Society of EvilMister Mind and the Monster Society of EvilMister Mind is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain created for Fawcett Comics, and now owned and published by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and C. C...
. - Earth-4: In the final issue of 5252 (comics)52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
, a new Multiverse is revealed, originally consisting of 52 realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated "Earth-4". As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-4, including Nightshade and the other Charlton characters. The names of the characters are not mentioned in the panel in which they appear. Based on comments by Grant MorrisonGrant MorrisonGrant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-4. - Earth-13: Shown in Countdown: ArenaCountdown: ArenaCountdown: Arena is a four-issue American comic book mini-series published by DC Comics. Written by Keith Champagne with art by Scott McDaniel, that ran for four weeks in December 2007....
, Eve of the Shadows. Dressed a gypsy attire, she is married to the Captain AtomCaptain AtomCaptain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
of her world, the Brigadier Atom. Upon avenging her namesake, and slaying The Shade, she travels the Shadowlands dimension to get back home, finding MonarchMonarch (comics)Monarch is the name of three fictional DC Comics supervillains. The first Monarch is Hank Hall, formerly Hawk, who later renames himself Extant for the Zero Hour crossover. The second Monarch is Nathaniel Adam, a U.S. Army Captain. The third Monarch is Captain Atom, a former superhero...
waiting for her, holding her husband by the throat. He nukes her world's version of the United States and Canada, and brings Eve back badly traumatized. - Countdown: Arena: A female version of The Shade. This version of Nightshade, a sadistic psychopath, creates horrible creatures with her powers that dismember one of the other two Nightshades, until she is taken to the Shadowlands by Eve of Shadows and has her head ripped off.
- The FlashThe Flash (TV series)The Flash is a 1990 American television series that starred John Wesley Shipp as the superhero, the Flash , and co-starred Amanda Pays. The series was developed from the DC Comics characters by the writing team of Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, and produced by their company, Pet Fly Productions, in...
: Two male characters were named Nightshade in The Flash television series. The first, Dr. Desmond Powell (played by Jason BernardJason BernardJason Bernard was an American actor who starred in movies and on television.-Career:Bernard was born in Chicago, Illinois...
) was a hero from the 1950s, while the second was a violent anti-hero/villain who believed he was emulating the first (the second is also known as the Deadly Nightshade), Curtis Bohannan (played by Richard BurgiRichard BurgiRichard William Burgi is an American film and television actor. He's best known for the roles of Det. Jim Ellinson on The Sentinel and as Karl Mayer on Desperate Housewives.-Personal life:...
). - JLA: DestinyJLA: DestinyJLA: Destiny is a comic book mini-series that was published by DC Comics in 2002. Its writer was John Arcudi and its artist was Tom Mandrake. The series ran for four issues.The series was created as part of DC's Elseworlds line...
: Nightshade appeared as a prominent character and later changed her name to Destiny after she received the ability to see in the future. - Kingdom ComeKingdom Come (comics)Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
(Earth-22): Nightshade was briefly shown in flashbacks as a member of MagogMagog (comics)Magog is a fictional character in the comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Kingdom Come #1 , and was created by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. In 2009, Magog was ranked as IGN's 75th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time....
's Justice Battalion, along with the rest of the Charlton 'Action Heroes'. She was apparently killed with the other members when Captain Atom was killed. - WatchmenWatchmenWatchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
: The character of Silk Spectre II, Laurie JuspeczykCharacters of WatchmenWatchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins, published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987. Watchmen focuses on six main characters: the Comedian, Doctor Manhattan, the Nite Owl, Ozymandias, Rorschach, and the Silk Spectre...
, is partially based on Nightshade, though it could also be argued that the character of Silhouette had more of her visual style.
Television
- Nightshade was included in a roster of prospective Justice League members by producer Bruce TimmBruce TimmBruce Walter Timm is an American character designer, animator and producer. He is also a writer and artist working in comics, and is known for his contributions building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, the DC animated universe.-Animation:Timm's early career in animation was varied; he...
, but she did not make into the series once it entered production.
Film
- Nightshade briefly appears in Superman/Batman: Public EnemiesSuperman/Batman: Public Enemies# "Markets Crash"# "Main Titles"# "Freeway Chase"# "Admit Something"# "Meteor"# "Metallo"# "High Voltage"# "Framed"# "Luthor talks to Power Girl"# "S.T.A.R...
voiced by Rachael MacFarlaneRachael MacFarlaneRachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
. After she first attacks SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
notices her speech pattern and deduces she's being controlled by Gorilla GroddGorilla GroddGorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. He debuted in Flash v.1 #106 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino....
so he knocks her unconscious with a batarang filled with knockout gas.