- Shadow Thief
Superherobox
caption = Shadow Thief from Hawkman vol. 2 #2,
artist Richard Howell
character_name = Shadow Thief
publisher =DC Comics
debut = (1) "The Brave and the Bold " #36, (July 1961)
(2) "Vigilante" #14
(February 1985)
creators =(1)Gardner Fox (writer)
Joe Kubert (artist)
(2)Marv Wolfman (writer)
Trevor Von Eeden (artist)
real_name =(1) Carl Sands
(2) Carl Hammer
species =
homeworld =
alliances = (1) The SocietyInjustice League
aliases =
supports=
powers = Shift his body into a two-dimensional, intangible, shadow state via special device.Shadow Thief is the name of two fictional
supervillain s published byDC Comics . The first is a recurring foe ofHawkman named Carl Sands. He was created byGardner Fox andJoe Kubert , and first appeared in "The Brave and the Bold " # 36 (July 1961). The second, a man named Hammer first appeared in "Vigilante" #14 (February 1985), and was created byMarv Wolfman andTrevor Von Eeden .Fictional character biography
Carl Sands
Pre-Crisis
Carl Sands was a career criminal who was conducting experiments on
shadow projection while in jail, which allows him to make contact with an alien explorer named Thar Dan from the Xarapion dimension. In return for saving the creature's life, Sands was given a device known as a Dimensiometer and a pair of ebony gloves that allows him to hold objects while in shadow form.In "Justice League of America" #139, the
Phantom Stranger had permanently stripped him of the Dimensiometer.Post-Crisis/Post-"Hawkworld"
While growing up in
Japan , American Carl Sands learnedninjutsu techniques and became a rather undistinguished industrial saboteur, accepting unremarkable sums to hinder and eliminate his clients' rivals. The Thanagarian criminalByth then hired Sands to steal Hawkman andHawkwoman 's ship. To help Sands with this job, Byth gave him a Dimensiometer - a Thanagarian belt device/"shadow vest", which gave Sands the ability to shift his body into a shadow form (his pre-Crisis history is still canon, including his brief membership in theInjustice Gang , and fought the Golden Age Hawks instead).Hawkman eventually defeated him, but Shadow-Thief would come into conflict with him many times after that. He would later become a member of the
Injustice Gang which came into conflict with Hawkman and his allies, the Justice League of America. He lost the belt to thePhantom Stranger , but he gained a shadow suit. He eventually sold his soul toNeron for more power. Neron gave him a more powerful shadow suit with the ability to turn other people and objects into shadows.Recently, the Shadow Thief has entered into the employ of St. Roch art trader Kristopher Roderic. Sands has been sent to the ends of the Earth in service of Roderic's dark aims, and is hopeful that the unscrupulous collector will help him with a problem of his own.
During the events of "Identity Crisis," Shadow Thief became deranged and began having delusional conversations with the Dimensiometer. He ended up killing Firestorm with
Shining Knight 's mystically enhanced sword. For killing Firestorm, he was prosecuted by Kate Spencer (a.k.a. Manhunter IX).Shadow Thief later popped up as a member of the
Injustice League , and is one of the villains featured inSalvation Run .In DC Universe #0 he can seen as the member of Libra's Secret Society of Super Villains.
Carl Hammer
The second Shadow Thief is an African American man known as "Carl Hammer". Hammer states that he paid more than one million dollars to have the suit made. His one and only appearance was in "Vigilante" #14.
Powers and abilities
* Carl Sands uses a Dimensiometer which enables its wearer to shift his body into a two-dimensional, intangible "shadow" state. While the vest is activated, Sands can move quickly and silently across and through most surfaces and materials, all the while remaining impervious to physical contact and attack. Long-term side effects from prolonged use of the vest are unknown. Although, prior to "
Crisis on Infinite Earths ," it was stated that overuse of the suit would accelerate Earth's climate into its nextIce age .
* The shadow suit Hammer had constructed, only allowed him to become invisible in shadows; it did not render him intangible.Other media
* Shadow Thief (voiced by
James Remar ) was an important character in the "Justice League Unlimited " season two story arc on the relationship between Green Lantern and Shayera Hol. Debuting in "Shadow of the Hawk", he stalked both a man calling himself Carter Hall (and claiming to be the reincarnatedHawkman ) and Shayera (the former Hawkgirl) toEgypt . There, Hall had uncovered a tomb which was revealed to hold the corpses of Thanagarians, as well as their artifacts and technology. Shadow Thief attempted to steal the treasures but was defeated by Shayera, Hawkman, andBatman . However, he escaped when the tomb collapsed. Returning in "Ancient History", he informs Shayera that Carter Hall is actually the reincarnation of one Katar Hol, who lived during the dynasty of ancient Egypt when Thanagarians ruled the populace; the late Katar's mistress, Chay-Ara, had been carrying on an affair with Vashari and the lovers were consequently poisoned by a vengeful priest,Hath-Set . After learning what happened, a distraught Katar committed suicide. Katar, Chay-Ara, Vashari, and Hath-Set are implied to be the former lives of Carter Hall, Shayera Hol, John Stewart, and Shadow Thief, respectively. Shadow Thief then snapped John Stewart's wrist and nearly murdered Vixen, before Shayera and Carter hesitantly teamed up to stop him. After informing Shayera of his revelation, Shadow Thief was unveiled to be a physical manifestation of the dark side of Carter's mind. Carter attempts to strangle the Shadow Thief, eventually absorbing him back into himself, banishing and destroying Shadow-Thief.* The Carl Sands version of Shadow Thief appears in "The Batman" episode "What Goes Up" voiced by
Diedrich Bader . Shadow Thief first appears to break Black Mask fromArkham Asylum . Shadow Thief then tries to steal a meteor from the Thanagar Star System. WhenBatman and Robin attack, Black Mask's men attacked. Shadow Thief easily takes down Batman and Robin, and Black Mask prepares to kill them. Hawkman arrives just then to fight Shadow Thief. Batman, Robin, and Hawkman then pursue the van that Black Mask and Shadow Thief escaped in, when Shadow Thief covers the entireBatmobile in shadow and sends it veering off a cliff. Hawkman, using his strength and amazing wings, saves the vehicle in midair. Black Mask and Shadow Thief later siphon some of the Nth element in a plot to rob the gem depository. Shadow Thief is visibly upset that he was not selected as Black Mask's new No. 1, though he remains loyal. Using a sample of the Nth element powder as part of a diversion, he sprayed it on the subway train tracks so that the train would fly up and away. That was eventually thwarted by Batman and Hawkman, who realized only the wheels were coated with Nth dust and shattered them with his mace. This disabled theanti-gravity effect and brought the train back to Earth. When Batman and Robin knocked out Black Mask, Shadow Thief exposed Robin to the Nth Element, but was saved by Hawkman. Batman and Shadow Thief fought them until Black Mask got free. The helicopter crash caused Black Mask's taser to hit Shadow Thief, rendering him solid, and enabling Batman and Robin to knock him out. Shadow Thief then fell right toward Black Mask as the Gem Depository was crashed into the ocean. Hawkman later took Shadow Thief into custody and carried him back toMidway City .External links
* [http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=shadowthief DCU Guide: Shadow Thief (Carl Sands)]
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