Nightshade (Marvel)

Nightshade is a female comic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Origin

Nightshade in Captain America v1 #164.

Tilda Johnson

At an early age, she discovered that the fastest and most lucrative way out of her upcoming dead end was learning and crime, prompting her to master both. In secrecy, she explored her natural aptitude for science, hiding a brilliant mind behind a façade of childish behavior. By the time she was sixteen, Johnson had accumulated an extensive knowledge of genetics, cybernetics, and physics worth of three PhDs. Beginning a career of crime, the young Johnson revamped herself as the Deadly Nightshade. (Power Man and Iron Fist v1 #53)

The budding young criminal mastermind was brought to the attention of the crime lord Yellow Claw, who financed her research to debut in a first large-scale criminal venture. Nightshade utilized prisons as a source of manpower for the Yellow Claw, transforming convicts into obedient werewolf-like creatures through the use of a chemical component she had developed. In the Grimrock Prison, Maryland, she was unsuccessful in convincing convict Mel Lansing of joining her operation. Fearful for his fate, Lansing contacted his friend Sam Wilson, the super-hero known as Falcon and partner to Captain America. Nightshade tested her control over the ferocious werewolves with Lansing in retaliation. He was murdered while wearing a replica of Captain America's Uniform for she had anticipated Captain America's involvement. Captain America and Falcon invaded Nightshade's prison. She captured Falcon and transformed him into a werewolf in order to finish Captain America. Unexpectedly, she was greeted with disappointment by her funder Yellow Claw, who withdrew his support. Additionally, her plan was foiled by Nick Fury of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D.. Failure caused Nightshade to mentally collapse. Believing to be a victim of an unjust world, she threw herself from a cliff and demanded her brainwashed minions to follow as a way to achieve a glorious death. Falcon was restrained by Captain America before he could fall for his death and, as sunlight reverted Nightshade's procedure, he was cured by dawn. (Captain America v1 #164)

In fact, Deadly Nightshade managed to activate a device inside her headband that saved her life. Despite S.H.I.E.L.D. having declared her dead, she had escaped. (Captain America v1 #190) In anger, she planned to avenge herself on Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. Using special pheromones to enhance her natural allure, she took control of a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility by seducing several male agents to her will. Led by Eric Koenig, these agents subdued Captain America and the Falcon. Nightshade used her chemicals to create illusions to Captain America, being seen by him as the Enchantress. (Captain America v1 #189) Revealing her true self, Nightshade declared she wished to use S.H.I.E.L.D. to conquer America for her. Resistant to Nightshade's hypnosis, Agent Valentina de Fontaine researched ways to combat her, realizing sunlight would fade her influence. In the base's solarium, Nightshade was overpowered by Captain America and the Falcon after having lost her brainwashed minions. When her plan ultimately failed, Nightshade was arrested. (Captain America v1 #190)

Overview

Powers and abilities

Tilda Johnson was an extraordinary genius, and extensively self-taught in genetics, biochemistry, cybernetics, robotics and physics. She also obtained a doctoral degree from an undisclosed university while in prison.

Nightshade sometimes wears protective battle armor, including silver spikes for protection from attack by werewolves. She has created an array of advanced weaponry, and has built numbers of humanoid robots. She created a chemical serum to transform normal humans into werewolves under her control and has used concentrated pheromones to control men through her allure.

Nightshade apparently secretes chemical pheromones from her body that affect the will of certain animals, including werewolves, making them obedient to her commands.

Notes

• Nightshade was created by Steve Englehart and Alan Lee Weiss where she made her first appearance in Captain America v1 #164 (August, 1973).

In other media

Television

• In Luke Cage, a character named Matilda Maybelline Dillard was based on Nightshade who appeared in the live-action Netflix television series where she was portrayed by actress Gabrielle Dennis. This version was the estranged daughter of Mariah Dillard, who was raped by her uncle "Pistol Pete" Stokes and denied an abortion by her mother "Mama" Mabel Stokes. While growing up in the care of Mariah's cousins, the Johnsons, Tilda initially believed her father was Mariah's late husband Dr. Jackson Dillard, became close to her cousin Cottonmouth, and became a holistic doctor

Appearances

• Captain America v1: (1973)
• Black Panther v3:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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