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Josef Saint (Earth-616)

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Josef Saint, known as the Needle, was a former tailor turned vigilante with a paralyzing hypnotic power activated through his right eye. After being brutally attacked by a group of young hoodlums, Saint awoke in the hospital filled with rage and a newfound extraordinary ability. This power, combined with his desire for revenge, led him to target young criminals, sewing their mouths shut as a form of retribution. His vigilante activities quickly caught the attention of law enforcement and superheroes alike, including Spider-Woman, who stopped him.

The Needle was then captured by the Locksmith, a demented escape artist, and later recruited into the Night Shift, a group of California-based supernaturally oriented villains led by the Shroud. Brutal and insane, the Needle demonstrated loyalty and teamwork within the Night Shift, participating in numerous operations against both heroes and other criminals, as the Shroud was secretly a vigilante leading his team to oppose dangerous criminals. When the second Hangman revealed that Shroud was really a superhero collaborating with authorities, the Shroud was kicked out of the Night Shift and the Hangman replaced him as their leader. The Hangman manipulated the Night Shift so that they'd sell their souls to the demon Satannish, receiving in exchange extraordinary powers that they used to pursue the Hangman's goals; but, when Doctor Strange revealed them the truth, the Night Shift changed sides and, along with the West Coast Avengers, confronted and defeated the Hangman and Satannish.

Leaderless since and having failed to obtain notoriety or respect, the Needle gravitated in several conflicts with Blazing Skull and Armory. Along with other members of Night Shift, he was recruited by the Hood but, after an operation where Needle and his Night Shift partners not only failed to be useful but also became temporarily Zombies attacking the Hood, the Hood discontinued their contract. The Night Shift eventually accepted a job for the aspiring kingpin of Los Angeles (secretly Count Nefaria) to recover an Ultron robot head stolen by Moon Knight. Even with superior number and powers, Night Shift was defeated by Moon Knight and his ally Echo. Count Nefaria incinerated the Needle and his other companions as a punishment.

History

Josef Saint[3] was an elderly tailor living in Los Angeles. One day he stayed late working in his shop and was on his way home when he was attacked by a group of young hoodlums[12] who beat him up. Saint woke up in the hospital, heavily injured and his entire face, minus his right eye, bandaged[12]. Wallowing in futile rage, his latent ability manifested, and he found he could fire a paralyzing blast from his right eye[12]. For months, he planned to start a vigilante activity against young criminals, or young people in general, in revenge for the attack, and also to sew his victims' lips together,[12] apparently out of an exhibitionist tendency on his part.[13] When Saint was released from the hospital six months later, he found that his tailoring business had closed, but he no longer cared; he only needed to keep the premises locked as a secret base of operations.[12] He sewed together a costume[12] and attacked young men on the city streets using his paralyzing powers and a large needle as his personal weapon, sewing their mouths shut with smaller needles afterwards.[12]. The newspaper reported the attacks, dubbing the attacker the Needle. This career began only a week after his release from the hospital, during which time he attracted the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jerry Hunt, who was out on the street at the time and heard the screams of a long-haired boy being attacked. Hunt drew his weapon to confront the attacker, but the Needle paralyzed him with her hypnotic powers and decided that although Hunt was not one of "them" (the Needle's intended targets), Hunt had to pay for interfering: the Needle sewed up Hunt's mouth and fled. Hunt was sent to the hospital, and his girlfriend Jessica Drew (the up-and-coming superheroine Spider-Woman)[12] decided to investigate and track down the Needle, against Hunt's advice, who found him too dangerous for her. The following night, the Needle attacked young Chuck, allowing his girlfriend Paula to flee; Spider-Woman found Paula and then a mouth-sewn Chuck, but the Needle had already fled, satisfied after a night in which he had attacked at least four men. When Hunt was discharged from the hospital later that day, Hunt and Spider-Woman collaborated on patrol together in search of the Needle, and Hunt found the Needle; Hunt fired at the vigilante, missed, allowing the Needle to paralyze him.[12] Spider-Woman came to his rescue, firing a venom blast at Needle,[12] which he dodged with extraordinary agility. A second blast hit and knocked Needle down; Spider-Woman went to disarm the Needle, but Needle was only pretending to be unconscious: His own power was so similar to Spider-Woman's venom blast that he was nearly immune to it, and so he had waited until she was within reach to grab her with his extraordinary strength, and used his hypnotic power on Spider-Woman. The Needle prepared to sew Spider-Woman's mouth shut, but was shocked to find that, just as he was nearly immune to her power, she was nearly immune to his for the same reason. Spider-Woman fired another venom blast at him, this time at point-blank range, which stunned the Needle long enough to be captured. The police arrested the Needle as Spider-Woman left.[12] However, this encounter damaged Spider-Woman's romantic relationship with Hunt,[2] as he was disappointed that he had been unable to help, when a few months earlier he had been useful against Pyrotechnics.[12] In later encounters where Hunt was similarly more of a hindrance than a help, he reminisced about his failed confrontation with the Needle.[14]

The Needle was later captured[15][8] by the Locksmith, a demented escape artist[15][8][3][16][17] who intended to capture all superhumans in the[10] San Francisco[15] area[10] with the help of Ticktock,[15][3] his strange sidekick[15][16][17] who had precognitive powers.[15][10][3][16][17] For three years, he often followed Spider-Woman's trail as it led him to one target after another. As a master illusionist, the Locksmith captured his victims using his tricks,[15] and locked them in cells the Locksmith had specifically designed to hide the power of the specific prisoner.[3] As the Needle's power depended on its gaze, the Locksmith blindfolded the Needle; and Ticktock's powers warned of any escape attempts. The Locksmith captured at least thirteen other superhumans or costumed adventurers,[15] before ensnaring Spider-Woman herself, but Spider-Woman collaborated with other inmates[15][3][16][17] such as Gypsy Moth, Shroud, Tigra, and Poltergeist,[15] until she managed to break free and lead a mass escape.[15][16][17] The Locksmith was defeated[15] and Spider-Woman had him imprisoned by the authorities,[15][3][16][17] along with Ticktock[15] and several of the more dangerous inmates such as the Needle;[3] though she did let go of those she believed she could trust.[15][18][16][17]

One of the Locksmith's former prisoners, the Shroud,[15][3] was a crime fighter posing as a criminal gang leader[19][20][3][16][17][10] The Shroud saw an opportunity in what happened[3] and decided to recruit[16][17][21][22] several of the Locksmith's other ex-prisoners into his Night Shift[16][17][3][10] criminal gang,[7] based in Los Angeles[16][17][10] and operating primarily at night, hence the name.[7] His real purpose was to take on genuine criminals[3][16][17][21][5][22][10] and prevent them from harming innocent people,[3][16][17][10] though he did not tell this to Needle or most of the others,[5][3][23][21][22][16][17][10] who believed them to be involved in a gang war[3] and seeking personal gain.[16][17][21][22][5][10] Money seized from other criminals funded their own operations.[3][10] Initial recruits included Gypsy Moth, Needle, Tatterdemalion and the Werewolf, as well as Dansen Macabre[3] as their deputy leader.[7][10] Shroud later recruited the Brothers Grimm and then the Digger, whose home,[3] the mystical Tower of Shadows[3][23][10] in the Santa Monica Mountains,[7][10] became the mobile,[21][22] booby-trapped[7][10][19] headquarters of the group.[3][23][21] The Night Shift failed to build an enviable reputation.[5][24]

The Night Shift used the sewers of Los Angeles as their transportation route, and using this they discovered a large number of mutated and disfigured people, failed subjects of the Power Broker's strength-enhancing procedure; when someone ended up like this, the Broker and his people would simply dump them into the sewers.[5][3][7] The Night Shift rounded up these beings and locked 29 of them[5] in the Tower of Shadows while they decided what to do; but the Shroud understood that they were a danger to their people and possibly others and themselves, so they decided to investigate their source.[5][3] The Night Shift spread out through the sewers, with Needle accompanying the Brothers Grimm, Gypsy Moth, and Tatterdemalion; the Brothers each flew in a small cloud, with one of them carrying Needle as a passenger, their mission to subdue the monsters. This group found several brutes engaged in combat against Captain America, and quickly engaged in combat, with the Needle following directions and subduing one of the enemies. Captain America took the opportunity to escape, and ran into the rest of Night Shift, who had captured Dr. Karl Malus, an agent of the Power Broker.[5] The Shroud discreetly explained his plan to the Captain, and the Captain agreed to collaborate, pretending that Dansen had hypnotized him.[5][3] Allied with the Captain against the Power Broker,[5][8][3][21][22][7][10][16][17] they obtained from Malus[5] the location of the Power Broker[5][25] private estate on Tupelo Drive,[25] in the San Fernando Valley, and prepared[5] for an assault on the facility.[5][3] As Ticktock predicted when the guards would raise the alarm, the Shroud sent the Needle into the guardhouse on a Brothers Grimm flying trapeze, whereupon Needle paralyzed the guard with his "evil eye" before the guard could act. Night Shift stormed the estate, with the Needle bringing up the rear of the attack group.[5] The Shroud, Ticktock, Captain America, and Malus[5][3] went upstairs to the estate in search of the Power Broker, while Needle and the rest of Night Shift kept the Power Broker's superhuman guards busy. During the fight, one guard believed the Werewolf was wearing a disguise and attempted to unmask him; the Needle stabbed this guard from behind with his giant needle.[5] The Needle and the rest of Night Shift secured the estate, while Captain America and the Shroud managed to apprehend the Broker, calling the police to arrest him. The Shroud decided to retreat with Night Shift, as the police were looking for several of his men (possibly the Needle among them). The Broker was arrested, but released on bail;[25] and Night Shift took their prisoners to the Broker estate,[25][3] where they caused damage to the property.[25] One of the failed augments ended up joining Night Shift under the alias Misfit.[21][22][3] After this event, Night Shift's reputation grew and the LAPD became aware of them clearly.[26]

The Shroud, seeking a successor as leader of the group[19][3] if necessary,[21][22] tested Moon Knight,[19][3][21][22] his former ally, by having him face traps in the Tower of Shadow[19][3] while believing he was following a lead on another case.[19] The Needle and the rest of the Shift observed the Knight's proficiency in the test,[19][8] but the Knight refused the offer.[19][3]

Later, the Shroud left Dansen in charge of Night Shift temporarily while he attended to personal matters[26][3] in San Francisco.[26] Meanwhile, Digger attacked two criminals on public roads,[26][3] but was captured by the superheroine Mockingbird,[26][3][10][7][21][22] who had just left the Avengers West Coast.[26][3] At the Tower of Shadows, Moth arrived and reported to the group that Mockingbird had apprehended Digger. Misfit and one of the Brothers Grimm considered attacking the precinct, against the Shroud's orders to not confront the police directly; but Tatterdemalion convinced them to instead[26] attack the Avengers West Coast's compound[26][8][7][21][22] for trespassing on their turf,[26] because they believed Mockingbird was still with the group,[26][3][16][17] and to demand the Digger's release.[26][10] They left a note for Shroud and set out in their hearses, consulting with Ticktock on ways to bypass security. Misfit ripped off the front door and entered, followed by the Needle. They broke into the service's bungalow, where they found a male employee in bed, and Misfit had Needle paralyze him with her evil eye. The intruder alert sounded, and the Needle captured Avengers' non-superpowered housekeeper Yolanda Russo, threatening her with his needle to the head; he held her captive[26] during the standoff,[26][8] and in a crucial moment when Avenger Hawkeye considered aiding fellow Avenger Scarlet Witch, the Needle used Russo as a hostage to get the Avengers to surrender. However, when Dansen told them about the Digger's capture, the Avengers were unaware of it. While they were in this impasse, Avenger Wonder Man, who had not been on the premises at the time, returned and flew into Night Shift, knocking the Needle down and taking his weapon and hostage. With the Avengers regaining the initiative,[26] Night Shift's fighters were quickly defeated;[26][3][7] the Avengers sat them down to keep watch, and the Needle was badly battered enough to need to rub his right shoulder (though he suffered no permanent damage).[26] However, the Shroud came to free them:[26][3][21][27][7] he plunged the area into darkness and ordered an evacuation pattern the group had rehearsed, and the Shift managed to flee. Shroud then explained to Hawkeye that the Shift had acted without his authorization and apologized; Hawkeye told him that if he couldn't control his team, he would be in trouble with Avengers.[26]

Although the Shroud changed the location of the group's base,[26] soon lost control over Night Shift:[21][22] The previously-unknown Hangman II (Jason Roland)[3] revealed to Night Shift that the Shroud was actually a crimefighter posing as a crime boss.[3][21][22] The Shroud was forced to leave the group,[21][22][23][20] as was the Werewolf,[23][3] and the Hangman replaced him[8] as leader,[13][23][3] causing the group to abandon vigilante activity[3] and become a traditional criminal group.[13] Secretly,[4][3] the Hangman was a servant of the demon Satannish,[4][3][16][17] to whom he had optioned his soul[28][29] to obtain powers in an attempt to become a movie star.[4][29] Satannish sought out people who, like the Hangman, were willing to give their souls for a chance to gain fame.[28] The Hangman knew of Night Shift's interests,[13][3] possibly through his pact with Satannish,[3] and used them to manipulate them[13] while keeping his relationship with Satannish[28] and even his true identity from them for the time being.[13] The Hangman learned that[3] Mammoth Studios[13][4] had decided to resume filming the movie The Demon That Devoured Hollywood, which he himself (as Roland) was intended to star in originally, but had to leave the project[13][3] when Satannish turned him into a monster (Satannish later restored him to human form in exchange for his service).[28][3] Seeking revenge against the studio, the Hangman encouraged the Needle and the others of Night Shift to begin a campaign of terror against Hollywood, claiming that it would make Night Shift famous. Just days after showing up, the Hangman attacked the set with Gypsy Moth and the Brothers Grimm, but encountered unexpected opposition from several Avengers, so they convinced the Hangman to stand down. Due to the attack, superhuman stuntman and Avenger Wonder Man joined the cast of the film.[13][3] Back at the Tower of Shadows, the Hangman berated Night Shift for not being more helpful, and even humiliated the Misfit when he attacked him, defeating and choking him until the Needle attempted to help the Misfit.[13] The Hangman then took advantage of each of their artistic ambitions to convince them to[13] sell their souls to Satannish in exchange for power,[4][3] though the Night Shift did not take these words seriously.[13][4][3] The Needle and his allies quickly noticed that their powers had been enhanced and increased,[28][8][3] though they did not fully control them;[28] they failed to realize they had lost a portion of their souls.[4] The Hangman led the Needle and the rest of the group to attack Roland's ex-girlfriend Stella Houston, and in the process,[13] they fought and captured Avengers[13][8] Hawkeye, Spider-Woman II, and U.S.Agent; Dansen tasked the Needle with preventing the U.S.Agent from escaping, but before the Needle could intervene, the Misfit knocked out the U.S.Agent. Night Shift took their prisoners to the Tower of Shadows to be sacrificed to Satannish in a ritual.[13] Meanwhile, however, other Avengers (Iron Man and Living Lightning) arranged for the Digger to break out of prison in order to follow him to Night Shift's lair, arriving in time to smash the altar and ruin the ritual. With Satannish enraged, the Hangman tasked the enhanced Night Shift with confronting those Avengers. The Needle attacked Iron Man with his needle, slicing through his armor (Iron Man Armor Model 9), and then attempted to attack U.S.Agent by jumping on him, but U.S.Agent stopped him in mid-air with his shield. Dansen Macabre, seeing that they were at a disadvantage, teleported the Shift to his lair, leaving the Avengers behind, who had seen how Night Shift became much more powerful. The Hangman then sent Dansen, Misfit, Tatterdemalion and Ticktock to the set to capture Wonder Man, and they succeeded. At the Tower of Shadows,[28] Night Shift forced Wonder Man to help them film their own version of the movie The Demon That Devoured Hollywood,[28][3] directed by the Hangman,[28] using a kidnapped crew[28][30] and starring the Night Shift. The Hangman revealed to Shift and Wonder Man his secret identity and even his ties to Satannish,[28] though not that he had actually sold Night Shift's souls to Satannish.[4] The Hangman made public Night Shift's plan to film a new movie, The Night Shift Takes Hollywood, with Wonder Man's help[28] (under duress). In an early take, the Needle and many of the other members of Night Shift choked Wonder Man and beat him up. When Mammoth Studios resumed filming The Demon That Devoured Hollywood, the Hangman was outraged, but Wonder Man convinced him to go ahead with his film, hoping to secure a hit and a presidential pardon for the kidnappings; and the Needle supported him, along with Dansen Macabre and the Digger. However, the Hangman insisted on kidnapping the Demon director and forcing him to co-direct his film: In a new attack on a set using teleportation, Night Shift also captured the U.S.Agent, who was the film's new protagonist. The Hangman challenged the five remaining West Coast Avengers to battle the Night Shift at dawn the next day, so they could film the fight for their movie, and would allow the press to attend and broadcast it live; if the Avengers didn't come, they would kill U.S.Agent and Wonder Man.[30] This was part of a plan to get maximum ratings so that Satannish could have his hands on the viewers' souls as well.[4] Simultaneously, the Avengers' mystic ally Doctor Strange found some of Night Shift's souls, which he did not identify except as an astral anomaly that needed to be resolved.[30] The next day, Dansen conjured the Tower of Shadows, featuring the Night Shift, next to the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles. The kidnapped crew briefly attempted a rebellion against the Night Shift before the Avengers arrived: the Needle used his needle to threaten to pierce one of the rebels in the back, but then the Avengers arrived, and Avenger Living Lightning electrocuted and insulted the Needle, freeing the hostage as the Needle was left stunned and smoking. Hawkeye then fired a smoke arrow that hit Needle and the Digger, and then Spider-Woman II confronted the Needle, dodging attempts to jab her and kicking her in the lower back; the Needle however took the hit and managed to slash Spider-Woman.[4] The Hangman conjured Satannish to appear physically there,[4][3] which was met with satisfaction by the Needle. Satannish powered up Night Shift to continue the battle, and the Needle went on to try and jab Mockingbird. But then[4] Doctor Strange joined the fight[4][3] and revealed to Night Shift that the Hangman had delivered Night Shift's souls to Satannish,[4][3][16][17] and, with the Scarlet Witch's help, convinced Night Shift by showing them their true souls and allowing them to touch them for recognition. The Hangman admitted to the accusation.[4] Realizing that they had been tricked[4][3] into putting their souls in danger, Needle and the rest of Night Shift switched sides and decided to aid the Avengers against the Hangman and Satannish.[4][3][16][17] With the blessing of the Night Shift, Doctor Strange extracted the power boost granted to Night Shift by Satannish,[4][16][17] and redirected it towards the Avengers, and even then the Misfit led Night Shift[4] against Satannish and the Hangman;[4][3][16][17] the Needle leapt to physically attack Satannish with his needle.[4] Though Satannish blamed the Hangman, the Hangman rebuked him for saying that Satannish had promised that no one could find him the souls stolen from Night Shift. Satannish retreated, taking the Hangman's soul with him (and thus leaving him lifeless),[4] and the Avengers arrested Night Shift.[4][16][17]

Night Shift eventually broke out of prison somehow,[6] though without strong leadership, their activities slowed down.[3] Living Lightning cited Night Shift, at least the group led by Roland, on an idle list of villains who were primarily the problem for that group of Avengers.[31] During that time, the Needle also took to utilizing a wrist-mounted weapon that allowed him to fire bursts of needles; He also modified his giant needle to give it a hilt.[6]

Later, on the streets of Los Angeles, the Digger was attacked by the Blazing Skull, an occult investigator who appeared to be a skeleton with a strange green glow.[6][32][1] Captain America intervened, and then the Needle, along with the Brothers Grimm and the Misfit, appeared to aid the Digger,[6] leading to a united front of Blazing Skull and Captain America.[6][3][32][1] The Needle fired his new weapon at his enemies, but the Captain's shield stopped the attack. Changing strategy, the Brothers Grimm went after Blazing Skull, and the Misfit attacked the Captain. The Needle attempted to help the Misfit, but the Captain disarmed him with his shield, then kicked him in the face and struck him with his shield, stunning him while also attacking the Misfit. By the time the Needle recovered, he discovered that Blazing Skull and Captain America had defeated his four friends, and surrendered. The police later arrived, possibly arresting Night Shift,[6] though they managed to escape later.[33]

During the Civil War, the Needle attempted to attack a couple in San Francisco, but was defeated[33] by novice hero Armory and handed over to the authorities. After the Civil War,[33][3] crime boss the Hood recruited the Brothers Grimm into his massive super-villain army, and they later convinced the Hood to recruit the rest of Night Shift[3] (at least Dansen Macabre, Digger, Needle, and Tatterdemalion).[34][35][36]

The Hood then summoned Needle and the rest of Night Shift to escort him on a visit to his agent Black Talon on Taino Island, to negotiate the purchase of the zombified head of Earth-2149's Deadpool, which contained an other-worldly virus that could spread zombification;[34][3] the Hood was secretly controlled by the extra-dimensional Dormammu, who intended to trigger an outbreak and wipe out the world in preparation for his own invasion, though the Hood pretended that his plan was to prevent the virus from falling into the hands of another crime boss, and use it himself to blackmail the authorities. The Hood wanted the Night Shift to protect the money he was carrying for Talon. They all teleported to Taino, where Dormammu warned the Hood of enemies nearby:[34] ARMOR (Alternate Reality Monitoring and Operational Rescue)'s Midnight Sons, a superhero group intent on eradicating the virus.[37] The Hood sent Night Shift to stop ARMOR before they could spoil the deal,[34][3] boosting Night Shift's powers with Dormammu's help. The Needle attacked ARMOR's Hellstrom, piercing him with his needle and causing him to scream in pain, much to the surprise of Hellstrom who had expected to be immune. However, Hellstrom used a spell to melt Needle's needle and recover; and then ARMOR's Jennifer Kale launched a fireball at Needle, pushing him back.[34] Battered, Night Shift got their second wind, but the strain, mutated and airborne virus,[34][3] came up behind them, and they ignored their enemies' warning believing it to be a trick,[34] so Needle and the rest of Night Shift were torn apart by the virus;[34][3] the Hood, seeing what was happening, attempted to teleport away to safety, but was unable to as Dormammu had abandoned him, preferring to ally himself with Kale.[35] Dormammu resurrected Night Shift as zombies, putting them under his control, and sent them against the Midnight Sons, in order to obtain the zombie virus. The Needle and the rest of Night Shift attacked the Sons and their ally the Hood[36][3] at Talon's plantation,[36] but were unsuccessful.[36][3] Hellstrom stabbed the Needle with his trident, incinerating him,[36] and Dormammu was eventually driven out, the virus contained within a single zombie (Simon Garth), and the Needle and his companions returned to their normal forms, albeit battered after the ordeal. The Hood decided to teleport back to his base with Night Shift,[36][3] but became dissatisfied with his team's work,[36] who apparently returned to freelance mercenary work in Los Angeles in a group consisting of Dansen Macabre, Digger, Misfit, Needle, Tatterdemalion, and Ticktock, without the rest of their companions.[24]

The assassin and hitwoman Snapdragon was working for the secret would-be kingpin of Los Angeles crime[38] (secretly Count Nefaria)[39] and, after an encounter with Moon Knight in which he stole an Ultron robot head, she decided to send a team of mercenaries after him (Possibly the exotic dancers working for Snapdragon who were instructed to be attentive to details figured out how to contact Night Shift).[38] After a brief interview, Night Shift were hired, with the promise of a generous payment and a boost to their reputation,[24] then lame,[11] to capture Moon Knight.[24] The Night Shift, apparently enhanced with Mutant Growth Hormone,[11] found Moon Knight outside a hot dog place on Sunset Boulevard,[9] where he had met, in his civilian identity, with the deaf vigilante Echo to share information;[24][11] it is likely that they tracked Echo using technology she did not know she was carrying.[9] Ticktock approached them, coaxed the rest of the group into view, and explained the immediate future, recommending Moon Knight accompany them and return the stolen technology. Moon Knight refused and, motivated by a Wolverine-based split personality, attacked Digger; Echo then punched Ticktock. The fight continued, with Moon Knight kicking Needle in the face and temporarily stunning him; Needle recovered and rejoined the fight, only to be punched in the face by Moon Knight, causing him to cough up blood. Needle then attempted to jab Echo, trying another enemy, but also missed; engaging Moon Knight again, he leapt at him with the needle, but Moon Knight dodged, and the needle stuck in Misfit. This unnerved Needle enough for Echo to deliver a hook to the chin, taking him out for the rest of the fight. The police arrived[11] and all the Night Shift members were arrested, along with Echo (Moon Knight escaped).[9] A lawyer, possibly sent by Nefaria or Snapdragon, had the police release Night Shift, with the help of[9] secretly corrupt[40] Police Captain Williams.[9] However, Snapdragon demanded that Night Shift go to an alley, where Digger and Tatterdemalion anticipated being attacked by their boss, possibly beaten. Ticktock apologized and attempted to negotiate a chance at redemption; but Count Nefaria himself revealed himself, and insulted them for their incompetence. Tatterdemalion became hostile, and so Count Nefaria incinerated the Needle and the rest of Night Shift with an ionic energy blast, then asked Snapdragon to hire better agents.[41]

Personality

Clinically insane[8] and full of rage,[12][10] the Needle was a brutal and cruel enemy[12][5][7] who didn't mind endangering even innocents to achieve his goals,[7][26] as demonstrated when he took housekeeper Yolanda Russo hostage.[26] In combat, he attacked brutally, sometimes even from behind, and with clearly murderous intent,[5] and was brave enough to attack enemies more powerful than himself like Hellstrom.[34]

Early in his career, the Needle had been a vigilante who targeted young males like the ones who had attacked him, capping their age at thirty; but he was willing to attack women or older men if they threatened his crusade. He used his "evil eye" to paralyze his victims, and then sewed their mouths shut,[12] in a manner that seemed related to his own muteness.[10][8][3] The Needle had a set of small needles and thread for this task, separate from his personal giant needle-shaped weapon.[3] The Hangman theorized that the Needle's motivation for sewing criminals' mouths shut was due to the Needle's exhibitionist tendencies.[4]

Since joining Night Shift, the Needle proved to be good at working in a group: He obeyed orders in combat,[13] learned to harness the powers of his fellow members,[5] and even developed friendships with them: When the Hangman attempted to choke the Misfit, the Needle went to the Misfit's aid (though the Hangman withdrew his noose before it was needed).[13] The Needle didn't seem to care about the jokes and puns his allies made at his expense,[5][30][4] and they knew of the Needle's past with sewing mouths shut.[4] Even in relaxed situations, the Needle rarely let go of his needle,[13][28][4][26] and sometimes even raised it in victory.[4]

It is unclear what the Needle's dementia is.[8] The Needle appears to be mute,[10][8][3] and his Night Shift allies identify him as such,[30][4] but he has spoken occasionally[13] and complained loudly when struck in combat.[11] It is possible that the muteness is psychological.[13][11] It also seems clear that the Needle does not miss his former life as a tailor: From the moment he was struck, he was struck by a scythe. when she adopted her identity as the Needle, she made it clear that she didn't care about losing her business.[12]

Attributes

Powers

  • Evil Eye: The Needle's gaze could paralyze a victim[12][7][10][8][3] for a short time,[7] yet long enough for the Needle to sew the victim's mouth shut if that's the plan.[12] This power was focused through the Needle's right eye, the only part exposed by his asymmetrical mask,[12] and occasionally caused the eye to glow with an unearthly glow.[34] The Needle used this power both in personal combat against enemies,[5][13] and also to disable security guards so he could outwit them,[5] or take hostages.[26] Spider-Woman I discovered that her own venom-blast power[12] (which she eventually lost)[42] was so similar to the Needle's "Evil Eye" that each of the two was nearly immune to the other's power.[12] When Satannish increased Night Shift's powers, the Needle's Evil Eye became instantly functional,[8] until he fell out of Satannish's favor and lost this extra advantage.[4]
Former Powers
  • Physical Enhancement: When Satannish increased the Needle's powers, he became twice as strong and also saw improvements in his agility, durability, speed and stamina, up to the level of a professional athlete when the Needle generally had lower levels of these characteristics.[8] In his last appearance against Moon Knight, the Needle could have used Mutant Growth Hormone, but no clear effect has been seen.[11]
  • Zombie: For a brief time, the Needle was affected by the Hunger Virus, which gave him the usual powers of a Zombie. It is unclear if he could use the Evil Eye in this state.[34][35][36]

Abilities

The Needle had respectable combat skills,[8][5][4] moved with extraordinary agility and flexibility, both in dodging attacks[12] and in fighting others,[4] and had very high stamina, allowing him to recover from damage sooner than one would expect.[12][4][6][11] Although his physical strength was apparently only human,[10] he knew how to use it very efficiently, being able to lift very massive and heavy superhumans off the ground,[5] Spider-Woman I found his grip to be extraordinarily strong for such a thin man.[12] In combat, he has several times jumped on enemies to try to jab them with the needle, although rarely successfully.[28][4][11] In addition to being very good at using his giant needle in combat,[5][26][28] he also learned to shoot with his needle launcher small.[6]

Working in tandem with Night Shift, the Needle learned to obey orders,[5] became familiar with team codes and protocols,[26] and learned to harness the superpowers of his teammates, such as flying alongside the Brothers Grimm on the many flight systems they offered.[5] This made the Needle a valuable member of the Night Shift.[25]

The Needle was also an expert tailor.[12][8]

Weaknesses

The Needle was unbalanced[8] and appeared to be mute,[10][8][3][30][4] though he has spoken[13] and moaned loudly.[11] It is possible that the muteness was psychological.[13][11]

The Needle's Evil Eye power had to be projected through his eye, therefore he could not use that power if his eyes were blindfolded[15] or if he could not see - for example if he was attacked with a smoke bomb.[4]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Early in his vigilante career and before joining Night Shift, the Needle carried with him seemingly normal sewing needles and thread,[3] which he used to sew up the mouths of his victims.[12] While the Needle was already in Night Shift, the Misfit once asked the Needle to deal with a person by killing them rather than sewing their mouths shut, implying that the Needle still carried these needles with him, though he was never seen sewing mouths up again.[4]

Needle's costume, designed and sewn by himself,[8] had undergone minor changes throughout his career, though mostly keeping the general design. In his first appearance, it was a white full-body jumpsuit with purple sleeves and armpits, with a long peak protruding on the top of his hood. He also used white gloves and purple boots with raised toes that resembled Arab slippers. The mask had a single opening to show his right eye and was so tight that the creases of his lips could be seen behind it.[12] When he joined the Night Shift, the costume was modified so that only the arms and shoulders were purple, and he switched to slippers with a curved tip.[5][26][10][8][3] After receiving Satannish's power (but not immediately)[28][30] his clothing was modified to include taller purple boots, a purple stripe down the center of his chest, more purple on the sides of his torso, and a collar.[4] In his next appearance, he returned to the usual design from when he joined the Night Shift, with the only modifications being the wrist guards,[6] which were later abandoned.[34]

Weapons

  • Giant Needle: The Needle carried a needle-like weapon[12][7][10][3] that stood just over 3 feet tall.[8] It was a bladed weapon[12][7] to pierce his enemies, but had also been used as a blunt weapon,[5] and to threaten people.[4][26] The Needle designed and crafted this weapon himself,[8] and has been able to restore it[13] after Vision broke it in combat[26] and later when Hellstrom melted down a later instance of it;[34] he would sometimes add modifications to the needle, such as a hilt.[6] When Satannish increased the Needle's power,[4][8] the needle became sharp enough to render cinder block,[8] as well as being able to be used as a slashing weapon to shatter Iron Man Armor Model 9 in combat.[28] With Dormammu's power augmenting it, the Needle could severely injure Hellstrom, whose powers would normally protect him from such an attack.[34]
  • Needle Launcher: For a brief time, the Needle used two wrist-mounted needle launchers. The Needle could fire bursts of small, sharp, needle-like projectiles at a target out of range of his personal weapon. Captain America's shield proved to be robust enough to withstand this attack.[6]

Transportation

With Night Shift, he traveled in one of the hearses his group used for road transportation.[5][26] Night Shift also used the sewers to move around Los Angeles[5] and teleported using the power of Dansen Macabre.[28] Working for the Hood, Night Shift harnessed the Hood's teleportation powers to reach other places.[34]

Notes

Trivia

  • It is unknown how the Needle gained his powers originally;[8] his power augmentation by Satannish is documented[8] as is his zombification,[34] but not the origin of his "evil eye".

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #10 ; James Scully's profile
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #11 ; Spider-Woman (Drew)'s profile
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.43 3.44 3.45 3.46 3.47 3.48 3.49 3.50 3.51 3.52 3.53 3.54 3.55 3.56 3.57 3.58 3.59 3.60 3.61 3.62 3.63 3.64 3.65 3.66 3.67 3.68 3.69 3.70 3.71 3.72 3.73 3.74 3.75 3.76 3.77 3.78 3.79 3.80 3.81 3.82 3.83 3.84 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #2 ; Night Shift's profile
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 4.30 4.31 4.32 4.33 4.34 4.35 4.36 4.37 4.38 4.39 4.40 4.41 Avengers West Coast #79
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 5.25 5.26 5.27 5.28 5.29 5.30 5.31 5.32 5.33 5.34 Captain America #330
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 Captain America #420
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #5 ; Night Shift's profile
  8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 8.24 8.25 8.26 8.27 8.28 8.29 8.30 8.31 8.32 8.33 8.34 8.35 8.36 8.37 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #27 ; Needle's profile
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Moon Knight (Vol. 6) #5
  10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 10.17 10.18 10.19 10.20 10.21 10.22 10.23 10.24 10.25 10.26 10.27 10.28 10.29 10.30 10.31 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #5 ; Night Shift's profile
  11. ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 Moon Knight (Vol. 6) #4
  12. ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 12.16 12.17 12.18 12.19 12.20 12.21 12.22 12.23 12.24 12.25 12.26 12.27 12.28 12.29 12.30 12.31 Spider-Woman #9
  13. ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 13.15 13.16 13.17 13.18 13.19 13.20 13.21 13.22 13.23 13.24 Avengers West Coast #76
  14. ↑ Spider-Woman #11
  15. ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 15.12 15.13 15.14 15.15 15.16 Spider-Woman #50
  16. ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 16.15 16.16 16.17 16.18 16.19 16.20 16.21 16.22 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #10 ; Skein's profile
  17. ↑ 17.00 17.01 17.02 17.03 17.04 17.05 17.06 17.07 17.08 17.09 17.10 17.11 17.12 17.13 17.14 17.15 17.16 17.17 17.18 17.19 17.20 17.21 17.22 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #10 ; Skein's profile
  18. ↑ Avengers #240
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 Solo Avengers #3
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Avengers Log #1 ; Shroud's profile
  21. ↑ 21.00 21.01 21.02 21.03 21.04 21.05 21.06 21.07 21.08 21.09 21.10 21.11 21.12 21.13 21.14 21.15 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update #4 ; Shroud
  22. ↑ 22.00 22.01 22.02 22.03 22.04 22.05 22.06 22.07 22.08 22.09 22.10 22.11 22.12 22.13 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #10 ; Shroud's profile
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 Avengers Log #1 ; Night Shift's profile
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 Moon Knight (Vol. 6) #3
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 Captain America #331
  26. ↑ 26.00 26.01 26.02 26.03 26.04 26.05 26.06 26.07 26.08 26.09 26.10 26.11 26.12 26.13 26.14 26.15 26.16 26.17 26.18 26.19 26.20 26.21 26.22 26.23 26.24 26.25 26.26 26.27 26.28 26.29 West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #40
  27. ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #10 ; Shroud
  28. ↑ 28.00 28.01 28.02 28.03 28.04 28.05 28.06 28.07 28.08 28.09 28.10 28.11 28.12 28.13 28.14 28.15 28.16 28.17 Avengers West Coast #77
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Avengers Log #1 ; Hangman II's profile
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 30.5 30.6 30.7 Avengers West Coast #78
  31. ↑ West Coast Avengers Annual #7 ; Ten Little Villains
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #9 ; James Scully
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 Avengers: The Initiative Annual #1 ; Reason for Being
  34. ↑ 34.00 34.01 34.02 34.03 34.04 34.05 34.06 34.07 34.08 34.09 34.10 34.11 34.12 34.13 34.14 34.15 Marvel Zombies 4 #2
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Marvel Zombies 4 #3
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 36.5 36.6 36.7 Marvel Zombies 4 #4
  37. ↑ Marvel Zombies 4 #1
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Moon Knight (Vol. 6) #2
  39. ↑ Moon Knight (Vol. 6) #7
  40. ↑ Moon Knight (Vol. 6) #8
  41. ↑ Moon Knight (Vol. 6) #6
  42. ↑ Avengers #241
  43. ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #5
    Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #27
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