Shade and Brick were to be transferred to Belle Reve Penitentiary. The League oversaw the transport discreetly, with Flash and Shazam posing as drivers while Rocket and Aquaman were on standby. The transport was waylaid by Sportsmaster and Abra Kadabra, who had to kidnap meta-humans for the Branchwater ring. In the ensuing fight, Sportsmaster took advantage of the ruckus to escape with Shade.[2]
Shade was taken to Gotham, where another Branchwater operative, Mad Hatter, ensured his cooperation with mind control nanotech. He now had to follow every command spoken into a hand held device. The location was compromised and attacked by Robin and his squad, but Hatter and Shade got away.[2]
The now controlled Shade was a major part of a planned break-in into STAR Labs to steal a Reach machine stored there. With his shadow powers, he bypassed security with Mist and Livewire in tow. Stealing the device was difficult, as no one had told him the size of it, and it took some effort getting it into his shadow portal. Their leader, Cheshire, watched their backs, but was shot by a security guard. Shade recovered in time, and the group escaped through his portal.[2]
With Cheshire being looked after by Doctor Moon, their departure from a local airport was delayed. Nightwing's team made their move and Geo-Force quickly grounded their plane, forcing the three mind controlled meta-humans on the defensive.
Shade was attacked by Halo, Geo-Force, and Forager, but was able to redirect their attacks to each other with his shadow portals. He trapped Geo-Force inside a portal, which caused Halo to blast him with white light. He was weakened and his portals were undone. He grabbed Cheshire from the plane and they escaped, leaving their young accomplices behind.
Later, Cheshire gave the mind control device to Shade so that no one at Branchwater could control him.[2]
The failed heist brought the heat to Branchwater and its mother company, Stagg Industries. CEO Simon Stagg was arrested. The first thing Shade did after being freed was to teleport to Stagg's cell and exact his revenge.[2]
Shade was part of a League of Shadows squad tasked with kidnapping Cassandra Wu-San. Shade used his powers to transport first Black Spider and Rictus, and later Lady Shiva, into the Vault. After Shiva captured Cassandra, she began delivering an ultimatum, demanding Tigress bring Cassandra Savage to Santa Prisca in exchange for Orphan's life. Meanwhile, Shade shared an awkward glance with Cheshire. Once Shiva was finished, Shade teleported the Shadows and Orphan away.[4]
After receiving intel Tigress had arrived on the island, Shiva summoned Shade to Orphan's cell with the receiver for Savage's infiltrators.[5]
Santa Prisca April 21, post-19:03EDT
After Tigress's squad infiltrated Shadows HQ and Savage revealed her true allegiance, Shade teleported to her with Spider and Rictus to offer support. Cheshire soon arrived and set off smoke bombs, allowing Tigress's squad to escape, but Shade and the others soon caught up with them at Orphan's cell, joined by Shiva and a number of Shadows. Shiva demanded Tigress's surrender.[5]
Tigress stalled for time until Orphan was able to free herself and cut the lights. As the two sides battled in the darkness, Shade did not get involved. When the lights were restored and Shiva once again demanded Tigress's surrender, Shade suddenly teleported Tigress's group out. Shiva quickly followed through the portal.
They emerged on the beach, where Shiva raged at Shade for betraying her. He explained that what he did was not so much a betrayal as it was repaying a favor he owed Cheshire, which she agreed was now paid. However, she made things perfectly clear that his interference would not stand by her. Shade understood perfectly and used it as his citation for announcing his resignation from the League of Shadows, declaring that as of this moment on, he is strictly freelance hire and quickly teleported out as Shiva threw a barrage of shuriken at him.[6]
Powers and abilities[]
Darkness manipulation: Shade can create shadow portals, allowing him and others to teleport. He can also use this power in combat, absorbing and redirecting attacks and any portal he opens that doesn’t have another end lead to his (what can be only be described as a) shadow void.
Weaknesses[]
Bright light: As demonstrated with Halo’s blinding light aura, Shade’s shadow portals are only as solid as they can stand against unobstructed light. If the light is bright enough, his portals can be compromised (especially in the case of them being used as shields).
Portal Capacity: As indicated by the Reach device, Shade's portals are not unlike the gaping maw of a snake. While he can make them large enough to teleport at least 3 people, there are limits to how big he can make them and how much he can "swallow". Teleporting something as big as the reach device takes a lot of energy and he can't let go of his grip until the object is fully submerged in the portal, which can be painfully slow. When he succeeds, it leaves him momentarily vulnerable from exhaustion.
Richard "Dickie" Swift is an enemy of the Flash and the Justice Society, and later Starman, though later in his career he became neutral and even heroic. He is connected to the Shadowlands, which gift him the power of darkness and an abnormally long life.
This is his second animated appearance; he first appeared in Justice League.
