SHADOWOMAN

 

SHADOWOMAN

Real Name: Jillian Marie Woods

First Appearance: Quasar (Vol. 1) #45, February 1993

Powers: Jillian Marie Woods has a baseline human who gained superhuman powers at the moment of her death. The lover of Doctor Druid, a small fragment of her ebbing soul was sustained through magic and used to animate her own living shadow via energies from the Darkforce Dimension. She could now appear as flesh and blood, and manifest any set of civilian or costumed garb for herself. Jillian could transform herself into a shade of darkness, immune to physical harm, capable of flight and of passing through solid objects. She could also manifest her shadow-form externally, expelling streams of tangible darkness as blasts from her hands, creating a giant shadow that could cast darkness over wide areas, elongating and enlarging her limbs or transforming them into claws, blades, or tendrils of dark matter. As Sepulcre, she was also capable of creating intangible "zones of null perception" which engulfed her opponents and blocked out all their senses in an area of total blackness and silence. Even the Silver Surfer's cosmic senses muffled by this, and it was suggested that this zone was actually a separate pocket space of reality, meaning an opponent could wander about endlessly within it.

S.H.O.C.

 

S.H.O.C. 

 

Real Name: Todd Fields 

First Appearance: Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #76, November 1996 

 

Powers: Todd Fields is the son of a scientist who worked for HYDRA in developing Project S.H.O.C. (Sub-dimensional Human-based Occultechnic Conduit) over two decades ago as a means of accessing the extradimensional energy of the Darkforce dimension via bonding to a special armor, a procedure which eventually kills the user.

The scientist wore the armor as the superhuman operative S.H.O.C. alongside a man that would come to be known as Crown, but absconded with the armor after learning of HYDRA's true purpose, building a new life for himself as Empire State University professor "Dr. William Fields", getting married and fathering a son, Todd. However, Crown tracked down and killed Dr. Fields along with many other Hydra agents and was planning to use the S.H.O.C.s technology to conquer the world. Todd was a young boy when he witnessed the death of his father, witch traumatized him greatly. His father however left Todd with key components for Todd to track and use another S.H.O.C. armor and bond with it. Todd then became S.H.O.C. and swore revenge on Crown for murdering his father.

S.H.O.C. was bonded with a bio-mechanical armor charged by a mysterious power source. By combining his father's research work with the S.H.O.C. armor, Todd physically bonded with the armor and could use it to channel Darkforce energy for various purposes. His arch-nemesis Crown was apparently empowered by an earlier version of S.H.O.C.'s technology. He was covered by a tangible black energy suit at all times, apparently could not revert to human, and claimed to be dying as a result of the experiment. Whether S.H.O.C. was also dying because of his powers, or if his father's notes improved enough upon the earlier tech to preserve his life, is unknown.

As S.H.O.C., Todd could mentally generate black energy in order to summon the armor at will, changing identities with a thought. Once the armor was active and helping him channel Darkforce energy, S.H.O.C. possessed superhuman strength, stamina, and resistance to physical injury, as well as flight. The S.H.O.C. armor was mildly customizable -- it showcased heavy armor plating on the outer surface during combat situations, but on the rare occasions S.H.O.C. appeared in a relaxed setting, those armor plates smoothed out to resemble a flat design pattern on the suit. S.H.O.C. could produce Darkforce energy for transmogrifying blasts. The most basic form of blast would deconstruct matter, causing concussive or disintegrating effects where it struck. However, the black energy could also cause more elaborate effects like reshaping the floor into defensive barrier or charging Spider-Man's webbing with energy so that it could absorb additional force as a web net. S.H.O.C. could also transmogrify himself while inside the armor. He could increase his overall mass, growing to at least twice his normal size. He could also stretch his arms or fingers like Mister Fantastic, and expand his fists into massive pile-drivers. He could shape and disconnect portions of his armored mass from the whole, and remain in mental contact with these pieces even after they separated from him. S.H.O.C. was sensitive to other sources of Darkforce energy in use in his vicinity, and could absorb and redirect those energies when exposed to them. Whether he could sense and manipulate other forms of energy is unknown.

MISTER NEGATIVE

 

MISTER NEGATIVE

Real Name: Unrevealed

First Appearance: Free Comic Book Day: The Amazing Spider-Man, May 2007 (cameo); The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #546, January 2008 (full)

Powers: Mister Negative received superhuman abilities from the same experimental drug that gave Cloak and Dagger their powers. While the teen runaways gained individual powers over light and darkness, this former smuggler and human trafficker became an embodiment of both concepts. He is capable of assuming a Darkforce-based form, charging his body with energy so that he appears like a photographic negative. His normal and charged appearances each represent a different side of his character. As Mr. Negative, he continues on his former path as a crimelord and force of darkness, but he also operates as "Martin Li", a humanitarian whose personality is based on the history of one of his former "passengers" from smuggling illegal immigrants in from China. While Mr. Negative is fully aware of his history and status, Martin Li is not. Li ignores or blocks out knowledge of his activities as Mr. Negative most of the time. The crimelord has occasionally demonstrated the ability to influence Li's actions or even dominate his form, exerting his powers through Li. There is still a balance being served, however, as Negative has occasionally involuntarily reverted to Li before he's ready.

As Mr. Negative, he channels a power related to the Darkforce, but it operates very differently than any previous use of that extra-dimensional force. Presumably he, like the Spot, draws his abilities not from the Darkforce Dimension itself, but from a similar neighboring dimension. His negative charge provides Mr. Negative with superhuman strength, reaction time, and resistance to all forms of physical injury. In addition to pure strength, he can also charge his blows or weapons with an energy field of reversing polarities. This "negative charge" has an electro-repulsive effect that makes objects more resilient as they strike while generating a disruptive energy pulse and repeling on impact, which all combines to make the weapon substantially more effective. Mr. Negative also has his corrupting touch, using a "negative charge" to manipulate the personalities of other people. The more inherently good a person is, the greater the reversal of their true nature. That true nature cannot be completely overcome, however, as individuals like Spider-Man, Shang-Chi, and even Aunt May have shaken off the corruption when their capacity for good vs. evil is tested. The effect of the corruption varies: May suffered no obvious physical changes, but merely a negative reflection of her character for several weeks. Other characters are overtly covered with a "negative charge" and become violent servants in the name of Mr. Negative. Shang-Chi uniquely became "evil", but had a strong enough will or sense of balance to reject Mr. Negative's control and nearly overthrow the crimelord. Mr. Negative can also use his corruption to create his Inner Demons, henchmen whom he has enhanced with his powers to be virtually unkillable. The Inner Demons can survive multiple forms of lethal injury, including bullet wounds, dismemberment or disemboweling. Their power and will are bound to Mr. Negative (or at least to HIS power, as they remained frozen and unable to choose between Negative and Shang-Chi when the latter nearly usurpted his power). The corrupted White Dragon was shot and killed by the Hood, though, so all of Mr. Negative's corrupted victims do not gain the same regenerative powers as the Inner Demons.

Finally, Martin Li seems to have powers of his own. He possesses a healing touch that has miraculously cured broken bones, permanent paralysis, even purging Eddie Brock of cancer. In fact, his healing effect merged with the traces of the Venom symbiote in Brock to create the Anti-Venom pseudo-symbiote. Martin seems unaware of his healing powers for the most part, and its possible this side of Mr. Negative has other abilities he is unaware of as well.

DARKLING

 

DARKLING

Real Name: Henrique Manuel Gallante

First Appearance: The New Warriors (Vol. 1) #32, February 1993

Powers: Henrique Manuel Gallante is a mutant born with both Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and one of the most powerful access taps to the Darkforce Dimension ever registered. He is able to funnel Darkforce through his body, and trans-substantiate his entire physical form into Darkforce as well. This Darkforce can be shaped according to his will, creating columns and spires to carry him into the air, protective barriers to deflect physical harm, animated strands to lift, manipulate, and constrict around solid objects. He has also demonstrated the power to increase his size and strength by wrapping multiple layers of Darkforce over his body, expanding his height and mass through a Darkforce "exo-body". By casting a layer of Darkforce over a living being, He can manipulate them like a puppet and control their every physical action. This is accomplished most easily if the victim has some "darkness" in them already (meaning they’re either a pre-existing Darkforce manipulator or a person experiencing a certain level of emotional torment on their own).

By transporting himself or others into the Darkforce Dimension, He is able to teleport across miles of distance at a time. Anyone he pulls into the Darkforce can also be subjected to a drain on their inherent life-energy or "light", stimulating intense fear and panic for as long as they are enveloped in his darkness. He can also create Darkforce rifts in detached locations, causing Darkforce to enter into our dimension through any existing patch of shadow or darkness. He once created a rift across the entire island of Manhattan, allowing Darkforce exude out through every shadow across the entire city.

After joining Psionex under the alias of Asylum II, Gallante began using his powers like the first Asylum, wrapping others into the Darkforce in order to summon up their fears and nightmares.

SHROUD

 

SHROUD

Real Name: Maximilian Quincy Coleridge

First Appearance: Super-Villain Team-Up (Vol. 1) #5, April 1976

Powers: Maximilian Coleridge witnessed the murder of his parents at the age of 10 and later trained himself to the pinnacle of physical and educational feats. He then journeyed to the Far East and learned martial arts and mental discipline with the Cult of Kali. Eventually, the Cult branded their symbol over his eyes, robbing him of his sight. Thanks to their training, though, he had developed extra-sensory vision to compensate, a power which feels out his surroundings like a psionic radar, allowing him to detect objects and movement in 360° degrees for about 100 feet, regardless of the level of illumination or barriers in that area. Thus he can navigate perfectly through total darkness or blinding light, and sense going's-on outside of normal visual range, through walls or solid blockages. He can even read a written page from across a room.

A later exposure to radioactive energy catalyzed a second power, to control Darkforce. Shroud can summon Darkforce energy as an intangible mist-like darkness. He can cause it to immediately plunge his surroundings into pitch blackness, or slowly fill the area with Darkforce mist. Interestingly enough, Shroud's darkness is also virtually soundproof. He has considerable control over his Darkforce, allowing him to create and maintain masses small enough to cover his opponents pupils, covertly blinding them. Thanks to his sensory powers, Shroud can navigate through his own darkness effortlessly. He has demonstrated few feats with his Darkforce other than darkness: Unlike other wielders, he cannot teleport or create solid constructs with the Darkforce. He has learned how to create a rough approximation of his own shadow, which he can use in low-light environments to fool others as to his exact location.

 

Maximilian Coleridge is an adept acrobat with bachelor of science degree in law and criminology.