Character Name: Nightshade
Identity: Dr. Desmond Powell, M.D. Ph.D.
Alignment: Good
Occupation: Doctor, Chief of staff at Central City Hospital
Base of Operations: Central City
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 210 lbs
Age: 78 [Physically about 25]
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Powers: Darkforce Manipulation, Shadowcasting, Gateway, Phasing, Energy Solidification, and Serial Immortality
Talents: Military, Boxing, Karate, Tae Quon Do, Marksman, Medicine, Chemistry, Computers, Electronics, Psychology, Forensic Science, Detective, Repair/Tinkering.
Equipment:
• Induced Sleep Gun – A Mauser C-96 machine pistol with converted ammo [Rubber bullets with tranquilizer needle [30] or gas pellets [5, 45 foot gas spread]
• Goggles (built in face mask) – Provides different views to switch between: radar sense, telescopic, thermal, and UV. Only one can be active at a time.
• Gas Mask – Provides full protection from all harmful gases
• “Remote Control” -- Electronic device that can be used to affect any electrical system. Basic devices such as car alarms, gate openers can be effected at will. More complex electronics like high level security systems, robots, etc. require special programming on the control to defeat such systems.
• Hand-held surveillance equipment such as wire bugs, mini-cameras, and remote microphones.
Quote:
Barry Allen: “What made you put on the mask – to become Nightshade?”
Dr. Powell: “Somebody had to.”
History:
In the 1950s, Desmond Powell came back from the Korean War, a recipient of the Bronze Star. The veteran grew frustrated with the organized crime and corrupt administration of Central City. He donned a black trench coat, hat, mask and goggles to hide his identity and skin color, and fought crime as the Nightshade. Armed with a tranquilizer gun and an armored car, the Nightshade battled mobsters like Derek Bohannan, run-of-the mill criminals, hit men like the Aviator and high-tech criminals like the Ghost.
One night in 1955, the Ghost was seemingly killed when the villain’s headquarters burned down. Powell began to understand the toll his secret life was taking. His health was failing, his fiancee had left him, and his family life was falling apart. He finally gave it all up. The Nightshade’s costume, weapons, and trophies collected dust in his warehouse headquarters for 35 years, and Powell pursued a career in medicine.
In 1990, the Ghost resurfaced. As the fire consumed his headquarters, he had hidden in a cryogenic chamber, frozen for 35 years. When he again threatened the city, the Nightshade came out of retirement to stop him, this time with an ally: Central City’s new hero, the Flash.
A few months after the Ghost’s return, a new vigilante appeared, calling himself the Deadly Nightshade. He patterned his costume and armaments after the original Nightshade, but with two key differences: glowing red goggles... and real bullets. The Deadly Nightshade embarked on a campaign murdering criminals.
Powell came out of retirement again to clear his name, and the Flash joined him once again. Together, they learned that the new Nightshade was philanthropist Curtis Bohannan. Bohannan had spent his life making up for the actions of his father, a mob boss whom the original Nightshade had put away. “Inspired” by the Nightshade’s brief reappearance, he decided atonement wasn’t enough. He would wipe out the criminal stain from Central City, starting with his father’s surviving associates. Bohannan used his fortune to build a high-tech lair and to acquire weapons he might need in case the Flash did not join him in his crusade.
Powell’s secret identity came to light during the investigation, and he was briefly jailed as a suspect. He and the Flash fought the Deadly Nightshade, and in the end, the original Nightshade shot the impostor with a tranquilizer dart.
The affair left Powell with publicity, a book deal, and movie offers... and a chance to finally put the past behind him, as he considered cleaning out his old trophy room.
After Dr. Powell' s retirement, he started to have aches in his back. The doctor put his affairs in order, when found out he had an unknown form of a terminal cancer. Three weeks after Dr. Powell's "death," he woke up inside his casket. After a moment of panic and desparately trying to get out, Dr. Powell suddenly found himself above ground looking at his own grave!
Once assurtaining that he didn't lose his sanity, he realized that his age regressed back into his prime. Also, he suddenly found himself with darkforce powers. Desmond, at first, took some time to figure out what happened. Dr. Powell noticed that he had developed cancer when both the Marvel and the DC world merged.
Now, the rejuvenated Dr. Powell went to the "new" areas of the world to learn if the world shift might be the cause of his "rebirth," while at the same time the doctor is testing out his new found abilities. During this seclusion and travel, Dr. Powell observes the increased crime rate.
Once again, Powell felt he was needed, and once again he dons his guise as the Nightshade.
