SHADOW MAN

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Extradimensional being (see comments) (Pre-Modern era)

Occupation: Spy, scout

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Legions of the "Shadow World" (see comments)

Enemies: Mankind in general, Casey

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile throughout Earth;
   originally from the Shadow Realm (see comments)

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#7/1 (January, 1960)

Powers/Abilities: The Shadow Man was an intangible being who could alter the size and shape of his dark two-dimensional form. He could briefly become three-dimensional and solidify his body for a few seconds--during this time, he displayed enough strength to crush a rifle. While on Earth, he stealthily moved about by concealing himself within the shadows of humans.

Although his intangibility allowed him to survive being struck by a speeding jeep, gunfire, and an attack from a flamethrower without any harm, the Shadow Man was vulnerable to bright lights--he seemingly met his end after he was tricked into entering a room of lights, which caused his body to lose its substance and fade away.

Height: Variable
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Not applicable

History:
(Strange Tales I#7/1) - The past of the Shadow Man is largely unrevealed, but he came to Earth from the "Shadow World" to spy on mankind's defenses for his comrades' impending invasion. At a U.S. Army atomic research center, the sinister silhouette hid within the shadow of one of the personnel to gain access to the facility. After battling the center's guards, the Shadow Man proved himself to be an unstoppable menace; he planned to soon return to the "Shadow World" and signal for the invasion to begin, for he was convinced that he and his people had nothing to fear from Earthlings.

   But as news of the Shadow Man spread throughout the world, it caught the attention of Casey, an ordinary electrician; Casey formulated a plan to stop the Shadow Man.

   The Shadow Man was about to return to his home dimension when he saw a newspaper headline claiming that the military had created a weapon to stop him. Wanting to learn all he could about the new weapon before his people's invasion, the Shadow Man went to the military base where the weapon was supposedly kept. Using his shape-shifting abilities, it was easy enough for the Shadow Man to elongate himself through the keyhole of the locked room where the weapon was stored.

   Within the center of the room, the Shadow Man saw the weapon sitting atop a pedestal, but upon examining it, he found that the "weapon" was just an ordinary glass tube. The glass tube was only a decoy--as per Casey's plan, high-intensity electric light-bulbs installed within the room were suddenly switched on. With his body rapidly losing its substance because of the blinding, dazzling lights (for a shadow cannot live with light all around it), the Shadow Man seemingly perished (see comments).

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Steve Ditko (artist).






This 5-page story--I Come from the Shadow World!--was reprinted in Strange Tales Annual I#1 (1962) and Chamber of Chills#14 (January, 1975).

Because the Shadow Man said he came from "...the Shadow World, in the next dimension...", I think we can safely say that he was actually from the Shadow Realm; in fact, I'd be willing to go so far as to say that he was probably working as an advance scout for Warlord Kaa, whose forces invaded Earth a few months later in Strange Tales I#79 (December, 1960).

Since this profile was originally posted, Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone (and the Monster Hunters) included a profile on Warlord Kaa (from the notes of Doctor Druid), wherein the Shadow Man was confirmed as originating from the Shadow Realm, however there was no mention of any affiliation between him and Warlord Kaa.
--Ron Fredricks

In regards to the Shadow Man's apparent end: Warlord Kaa met a similar "death" in Incredible Hulk II#184 (February, 1975), but he got better and returned in Champions I#11 (February, 1977), so it is possible that the Shadow Man could always re-substantiate himself and return someday.

One of the people who observed the Shadow Man resembled May Parker.
--John McDonagh

Thanks to Ron Fredricks for adding improved images.






Original profile by John Kaminski. Expanded by Ron Fredricks

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Shadow Man has no known connections to:

Casey has no known connection to:

Casey

Casey (unrevealed if it was his first name or surname) was an ordinary electrician.

When the extradimensional Shadow Man came to Earth to spy for a threatened invasion by his people, Casey came up with a plan to defeat the seemingly unstoppable menace.

At a military base, Casey rigged a room filled with high-intensity electric light-bulbs; the Shadow Man was tricked into entering the room and the lights were activated, which apparently destroyed the Shadow Man.

--Tales of Suspense I#7/1

room of lights

A locked chamber located on a U.S. military base, electrician Casey rigged it with dozens of high-intensity electric light-bulbs mounted on the walls and ceiling. In the center of the room was a pedestal which supposedly held a secret weapon that was to be used against the extradimensional Shadow Man--the "secret weapon" was merely an ordinary glass tube, and used as a decoy to lure the Shadow Man into the room.

When the Shadow Man entered the room through the locked door's keyhole; he quickly ascertained that the "weapon" was no threat to him; but before he could exit, the lights were activated, and the shady invader was seemingly destroyed by the bright luminescence.

--Tales of Suspense I#7/1

images: (without ads)
Tales of Suspense I#7/1, p1, pan1 (Main Image - Shadow Man)
Tales of Suspense I#7/1, p5, pan3 (Headshot - Shadow Man)
Tales of Suspense I#7/1, p3, pan2 (Shadow Man battles MPs at atomic research center)
Tales of Suspense I#7/1, p5, pan5 (Shadow Man begins to fade after being exposed to bright lights)
Tales of Suspense I#7/1, p3, pan8 (May Parker-lookalike observing Shadow Man)
Tales of Suspense I#7/1, p4, pan1 (Casey's wife (presumably); Casey)
Tales of Suspense I#7/1, p5, pan1 (Casey and military officials about to activate lights against Shadow Man)
Tales of Suspense I#7/1, p4, pan9 (Shadow Man enters room of deactivated lights via keyhole in door)
Tales of Suspense I#7/1, p5, pan4 (Shadow Man begins to fade as lights are activated)

Appearances:
Tales of Suspense I#7/1 (January, 1960) - unidentified writer, Steve Ditko (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 08/04/2006
Last updated: 12/12/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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