Simon Culp was an old enemy of the Shade.
History
Like the Shade, Simon Culp gained power over Shadows by an unknown accident in London in 1838 (though the Shade notes he can't confirm it was the same event that gifted them both their powers). They had some dealings before this time, and after they both gained powers they began a feud that lasted until the early 2000s in Opal City. Culp wished to kill the Shade himself, to the point of killing one of the murderous Ludlow clan to prevent him from killing him first in the early 1880s in Opal City. The pair next meet in London, 1941. While working with an American hero named Captain X to capture a German monster, Culp attacks Shade. An accidental bombing fused Culp into the Shade's body, and allowed him to take control of his body when he was weak. Many of the Shade's criminal exploits versus heroes like the first Starman and the original Flash were explained by that.
Jack Knight met with Culp unknowingly once, where he made a minor slip with the name of an Oscar Wilde work. While Jack was in space searching for his girlfriend's brother, Culp asserted full control over Shade, and developed a plot, using the ghost of the Black Pirate's curse to form a shadow dome over Opal. He recruited most of the villains from Jack Knight's past, and used the Shade's body as cover. When he returned, Jack found the heroes of Opal incapacitated and the city ablaze. After capturing Jack, he revealed himself having stolen the Shade's powers, and attempted to kill Jack only to be disrupted. When detective Hamilton Drew solves the case of Jon Valor, the Black Pirate is freed and the linchpin of Culp's plans falls. He is then killed by the original Mist, having his shadow powers sucked away by the Shade.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Related
- 10 Appearances of Simon Culp (New Earth)
- 2 Images featuring Simon Culp (New Earth)
- Quotations by or about Simon Culp (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Simon Culp (New Earth)
Footnotes