Night Shift (comics)

Night Shift
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Captain America #330 (June 1987)
In-story information
Member(s)	Shroud Brothers Grimm Dansen Macabre Digger Needle Gypsy Moth Tatterdemalion Tick-Tock Werewolf by Night Misfit Hangman

The Night Shift is a fictional group of criminals in the Marvel Comics universe that first appeared in Captain America #330 (June 1987).

Publication history

The team reappear as part of the Dark Reign storyline ^[1] getting involved in Marvel Zombies 4, where the Midnight Sons clash with the plans of Hood. Fred Van Lente explains that "the Hood doesn't just bring any group of villains with him on this jaunt. He brings a very horror-oriented group of villains with him. People know I love to dip as far back as I can into obscure Marvel-ania and a team I always enjoyed and never felt got their time was the Night Shift. So they're working for the Hood now."^[2]

Fictional team biography

Based in California, the group was gathered and initially controlled by Shroud, who, assisted by Werewolf by Night, manipulated them into serving the cause of justice by misleading them. The members of the Shift benefited by sharing in the wealth they stole from these criminals, that the latter themselves had accumulated through illegal means. One of the first such endeavors was against the criminal known as the Power Broker. In taking him down, the Night Shift aided the hero Captain America. When Shroud was absent, the Night Shift battled the West Coast Avengers in an attempt to obtain the release of their captured member, Digger. Initially the Night Shift gained the upper hand in the battle due in large thanks to the element of surprise and having taken a member of the Avenger's house staff hostage. With only Hawkeye Scarlet Witch and Vision available at the onset of the battle the Night Shift was able to claim early victory in the battle. However, upon Wonder Man's entry the Avengers quickly trounced the Night Shift, who escaped only with the help of the Shroud, straining his relationship with the Avengers.

Shortly afterwards, in part because of the friction in the team over the way the Shroud handled the Avengers, the Night Shift mutinied against his leadership, forcing him out. Presumably, the Night Shift continued its criminal activities, this time under the leadership of Dansen Macabre and devoted to more general crime, not merely against other criminals and criminal organizations.

The Night Shift, consisting of Dansen Macabre, Tatterdemalion, Digger, and Needle, appear as part of the Hood's gang. The four battle the Midnight Sons, but are killed when the zombie virus mutates and becomes airborne.^[3] The virus cloud begins to rain blood, and reanimates the Night Shift as zombies.^[4] When the zombie plague cloud is stopped and entrenched into Zombie's body, the Night Shift members, albeit still in a zombiefied condition, cease their rampage. Hood teleports away with them.^[5]

A not so dead team, including Tick-Tock, Dansen Macabre, Tatterdemalion, and others, was hired by Snapdragon to deal with Moon Knight and Echo.^[6]

Notes

1. ^ "Dark Reign Files" one-shot (April 2009)
2. ^ Richards, Dave (March 20, 2009). "Fred Van Lente Talks Marvel Zombies 4". Comic Book Resources. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=20497. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 
3. ^ Marvel Zombies 4 #2
4. ^ Marvel Zombies 4 #3
5. ^ Marvel Zombies 4 #4
6. ^ Moon Knight 4 (2011)

References

• The Night Shift at the Unofficial Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• The Night Shift at the Comic Book DB

External links

• Night Shift at the Marvel Universe