Josef Saint (Earth-616)

Needle
Name	Josef Saint
Current Alias	Needle
Affiliation and Relationships
Affiliation	Night Shift
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Male
Height	6′ (1.83 m)
Weight	140 lbs (63.5 kg)
Eyes	Irises: Blue
Hair	Grey-haired, Balding
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Human Mutate
Living Status	Deceased
Reality	Earth-616
Personal Information
Identity	Secret
Citizenship	American
Occupation	Vigilante, criminal; former tailor
Base of Operations	Los Angeles, California
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Mark Gruenwald, Carmine Infantino
First	Spider-Woman #9 (September, 1978)
First	Spider-Woman #9 (September, 1978)
Death	Moon Knight (Vol. 6) #6 (October, 2011)
Death	Moon Knight (Vol. 6) #6 (October, 2011)

History

After being mugged one night while leaving work, an elderly tailor loses an eye and his ability to speak. However, he also discovers that he has the power to paralyze with his gaze. Seeking revenge, the unnamed tailor assumes the guise of the professional criminal the Needle. Armed with a yard-long needle, the mute villain attacks young men on the streets at night, sewing their mouths shut. After victimizing S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jerry Hunt, the Needle incurs the wrath of Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), the agent's girlfriend. Somewhat resistant to the Needle's paralyzing gaze, Spider-Woman takes him out with a close-range venom blast. He is subsequently arrested.

With other superhuman adventurers and criminals, the Needle was imprisoned by the Locksmith, but then rescued by Spider-Woman, who turned him over to the police.

The Needle joined the Night Shift, and teamed up with Captain America against the Power Broker and his augmented mutates. Alongside the Night Shift, he tested whether Moon Knight could take over as leader of the Night Shift. Later, alongside the Night Shift, he battled the West Coast Avengers, and did so again with his abilities enhanced by Satannish's black magic.

The Needle was later defeated by Armory.

Attributes

Powers

Needle has the ability to hypnotically paralyze a victim with his gaze.

For a time, the Needle's powers were enhanced by Satannish, increasing his physical attributes to that of an athletic man, allowing his hypnotic gaze to work instantaneously, and rendering his weapon sharp enough to rend cinder block.

Abilities

The Needle is a fair hand-to-hand combatant, and he is an expert tailor.

Weaknesses

The Needle is mute, elderly, mentally disturbed and missing an eye (and thus missing binocular vision).

Paraphernalia

Equipment

The Needle carries a needle-like weapon over three feet in length.

Notes

Real name revealed in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Hardcover Vol. 10

See Also

• 19 appearance(s) of Josef Saint (Earth-616)
• 3 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Josef Saint (Earth-616)
• 1 minor appearance(s) of Josef Saint (Earth-616)
• 1 mention(s) of Josef Saint (Earth-616)
• 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Josef Saint (Earth-616)
• 5 image(s) of Josef Saint (Earth-616)