NIGHT SHIFT

Membership: Brothers Grimm (Percy and Barton Grimes), Dansen Macabre, Digger (Roderick Krupp), Gypsy Moth, Hangman (Jason Rolands), Misfit, Needle, Shroud, Tatterdemalion, Tick-Tock, Werewolf (Jack Russell)

Purpose: To take out other criminals in their area

Affiliations: Captain America (Steve Rogers), Moon Knight
     formerly Satannish

Enemies: Avengers (Hawkeye, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Living Lightning, Mockingbird, Moon Knight, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter), Tigra, USAgent, Vision, Wonder Man), Blazing Skull (Jim Scully),  Dr. Karl Malus, Dr. Strange, Power Broker (Curtiss Jackson), Satannish

Base of Operations: Tower of Shadows, Los Angeles, California

First Appearance: Captain America I#330 (June, 1987)

(Captain America I#330 (fb)-BTS) - After almost dying, Shroud decided to take a new approach to fighting crime, this time from within. Once recovered, he put together a team of criminals and dubbed them the Night Shift. Their goal was to take out opposing criminals, which the team members believed to be to their gain, never knowing Shroud's true intentions.

At some point, the failed power-augmented mutations of the Power Broker (Curtiss Jackson) began to be abandoned in the Los Angeles sewers, which the Night Shift had been using as their underground transportation way. Shroud became concerned that these beings would endanger his team. As they captured the mutates, they returned them to their headquarters in the Tower of Shadows until something could be done with them.

(Captain America I#330) - As Captain America found himself surrounded by several of the Power Broker's failed mutations in the Los Angeles sewers, several members of the Night Shift arrived and fought off the mutates. Cap made his way through the sewerway, and was attacked by Werewolf, but easily threw him off. Shroud and the rest of the Night Shift made their presence known, having caught Dr. Karl Malus, and Shroud commanded his team to stand back as he took care of Captain America. Once encased within Shroud's Darkforce, he and Cap discussed the situation, and Cap, needing to discover who the Power Broker was, agreed to go along with Shroud in letting the Night Shift believe he defeated the Avenger. To insure that Cap was under their control, Dansen Macabre performed a hypnotic dance, but Shroud secretly covered Cap's eyes with Darkforce so that Macabre's powers wouldn't affect him. She then performed the dance on Malus, who led them to the Power Broker's lair. Cap and the Night Shift launched an attack on Power Broker, revealed to be Curtiss Jackson, and his hired goons.

(Captain America I#331) - Shroud met up with Captain America to get an update on the situation (Cap had found Jackson as well as Jackson's prisoner Demolition Man (Dennis Dunphy), who had gone into cardiac arrest during the events). With Jackson captured, Shroud warned him that he would be returning the mutates to Jackson to cure. Afterwards, Shroud and the Night Shift left, but returned that night with the mutates to be cured.

(Solo Avengers#3/2) - Jack Russell, the Werewold, suggested Moon Knight (an old ally of his) to Shroud as a potential member of the Night Shift. To test Moon Knight's abilities, Shroud had Russell give Moon Knight false information on Cornelius Van Lunt to draw him to the Tower of Shadows. Once there, Moon Knight faced several traps before confronting Shroud and engaged him in battle. Shroud believed Moon Knight proved himself and called out the Night Shift. Shroud offered Moon Knight not only a place on the team, but as his successor in the leadership role. Moon Knight declined and departed.

(West Coast Avengers II#40 (fb)-BTS) - At some point, one of the Power Broker's failed mutations joined the team, taking the name Misfit.

(West Coast Avengers II#40) - Mockingbird came across Digger burying two thugs in a street, and attacked him. She quickly defeated him and turned him over to the local authorities.  When the rest of  the Shift (minus Shroud, who was out of town on business) learned of his arrest, they decided to attack the Avengers' west coast compound in retaliation, believing Mockingbird to still be a member. As the Shift fought the West Coast Avengers, Mockingbird reported her defeat of Digger to two fellow ex-Avengers, Tigra and Moon Knight. Moon Knight immediately took the two to the Tower of Shadows to find out what was going on. They waited in the Tower until the Shroud arrived, who learned what had happened and left to rescue his team, who had been defeated by the Avengers. As the Shift waited in captivity, Shroud arrived and led them in escape. Later, Hawkeye met up with Shroud to confront him about the situation, and parted ways.

(Avengers West Coast#76 (fb)-BTS) - The Hangman arrived at the Tower of Shadows, revealed the true nature of Shroud to the Night Shift and took over the team as its leader. He also got rid of Werewolf.

(Avengers West Coast#76) - Upset that the film he would have starred in, The Demon That Devoured Hollywood, was being reshot, the Hangman led the Night Shift to attack the set. Several of the Avengers were on the set, as one of their members, Wonder Man, had been a stuntman on the first footage shot. Wonder Man, Living Lightning and Spider-Woman managed to drive the Shift members (Hangman, Brothers Grimm and Gypsy Moth) off, and the Shift returned to the Tower of Shadows. There, he played upon all of their wishes to be movie stars to convince them to continue under his leadership. He led them through a portal, wich they did not know was powered by Satannish, and they were granted stronger powers. As the Avengers investigated not only the Night Shift but missing actor Jason Rolands (secretly the new Hangman), the Night Shift attacked again, defeating Hawkeye, Spider-Woman and USAgent. The captured Avengers were then placed on a sacrificial disc, as the Night Shift chanted to Satannish. A portal opened and Satannish's hand reached out towards the Avengers.

(Avengers West Coast#77) - To track the Night Shift, Iron Man allowed Digger to escape from prison, hoping he would lead the Avengers to their captured teammates. He did just that, just as Satannish hovered over the captured heroes. Iron Man and Living Lightning freed their comrades and attacked the demon, but he departed, as did the Night Shift using Dansen Macabre's new teleportation powers. Hangman sent Ticktock, Tatterdemalion, Macabre and Misfit to the Devoured set, where they kidnapped Wonder Man, who had resumed acting duties on the film. Hangman revealed himself to Wonder Man as Rolands, and Wonder Man opted to play along, offering to star in Rolands' version of the movie.

(Avengers West Coast#78) - Night Shift and Wonder Man began shooting their "opus" with a kidnapped film crew, as the hero waited for the right time to stop them. To lure Hangman and his team out of hiding, the Avengers convinced the real crew of Devoured to replace the missing Wonder Man with USAgent. In the meantime, Iron Man visited Dr. Strange for help regarding Satannish. The Night Shift attacked the Devoured set again, and captured USAgent.

(Avengers West Coast#79) - The hostage crew members attempted to fight back against the Night Shift, and were almost killed before the Avengers arrived and rescued them, releasing their comrades Wonder Man and USAgent in the process. Hangman conjured Satannish again, but Dr. Strange arrived and when the Night Shift learned that Satannish had stolen their souls, they turned on him and the Hangman. With the Avengers' help, they drove the demon away.  Afterwards, the Avengers apprehended the Night Shift members.

(Captain America I#420) - Blazing Skull encountered Digger and was fighting him when Captain America showed up seeking to question the Skull regarding his possible connection to the Red Skull. Blazing Skull and Cap fought for a while until several other Night Shift members (Brothers Grimm, Misfit, Needle) arrived and attacked both of them. The four were defeated, and when Digger recovered, he surrendered.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Tom Morgan and Sal DeLaRosa.

Profile by Madison Carter.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Group name has no known connections to

• Nightshirt Guerilla (Paul Same), Howard the Duck character, doesn't sleep a lot @ Howard the Duck I#4
• Nightstick, Thought Police, Sleepwalker foe @ Sleepwalker#14
• or any other "night" characters or groups
  

images: (without ads)
Solo Avengers#3/2, page 22, panel 1

Other Appearances:
Captain America I#330 (June, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Tom Morgan (penciler), Sam DeLaRosa (inker), Don Daley (editor)
Captain America I#331 (July, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (penciler), Vincent Colletta (inker), Don Daley (editor)
Solo Avengers#3 (February, 1988) - Roger Stern (writer), Bob Hall (penciler), Stan Drake (inker), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
West Coast Avengers II#40 (January, 1989) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Al Milgrom (penciler), Gustovich (inker), Howard Mackie???(editor)
Avengers West Coast#76-79 (November, 1991-February, 1992) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writers), David Ross (penciler), Tim Dzon (inker), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Captain America I#420 (October, 1993) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Rik Levins (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Mike Rockwitz (editor)

Last updated: 11/11/07.

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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