Mark Shaw (DC)
Mark Shaw is a male comic character who features in DC Comics.
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Biography
Origin
Mark Shaw was a male human who was born in the modern age on Earth. (1st Issue Special v1 #5)
He came to be a public defender where he was assigned to be assigned to clients who could not afford a lawyer. In one case, he was assigned to Joe Burk in a criminal matter but the client refused to cooperate on the matter. Shaw determined that this was because Burk was being forced to take the fall for someone else and was frustrated that he could not help the man. It was then that his uncle revealed to him the existence of the 'Shan' Manhunters who were a secret order of vigilantes that fought against injustice for many years in secret. He then encouraged his nephew to use a Lion Medallion of the sect and become one of their number in the fight against crime. (1st Issue Special v1 #5)
After learning the truth, Shaw turned against the Grandmaster who triggered a self-destruct system on himself after being damaged thus revealing his android nature. This showed that his pursuit of justice whilst in service to the Manhunter cause was simply a lie. Despite that, Mark Shaw had no intention of retiring and instead looked to continue the mantle of the Manhunter by making sure true justice was served on criminals. (Justice League of America v1 #141)
Manhunter
Afterwards, he resumed being a hunter of criminals and worked to bring villains to justice. (Manhunter v1 #1)
He came to hear about the theft of a set of jewels called the Roc's Eggs where he learnt from his informants that the perpetrator was the Penguin who intended to give them to his fiancée. Ambushing the criminal, he succeeded in arresting him and turning him over to the authorities whereupon he claimed his reward on the bounty. (Manhunter v1 #1)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
He came to join the Manhunter cult on Earth where he continued their goal of trying to liberate the planet from chaos though this was never achieved. Afterwards, Shaw worked with the Suicide Squad, Checkmate and was even partners with Sam Lane. In time, Mark came to believe he needed to save the Earth from the chaos that infested it and saw the plans made by General Lane that looked towards reworking all the intelligence agencies into one unified group. Shaw then under an assumed identity was recruited by Talia al Ghul and joined her Leviathan organisation where he came to usurp control of it from her. As Leviathan, he had the group target the various intelligence organisations around the world where he absorbed their assets and sought to change the world by creating an Earth with no secrets or lies. (Event Leviathan v1 #6)
Shaw then forged an alliance with Lex Luthor and his Legion of Doom as they decided to unite against Superman with them joined by the Red Cloud. The Legion of Doom joined by Red Cloud then launched their attack on the Man of Steel at Metropolis. It was then that Red Cloud turned against Luthor with Leviathan similarly joining her as he used his teleportation technology to send the Legion of Doom away. Leviathan used this as an example to show how his methods were less destructive and could bring about a more peaceful world. (Action Comics v1 #2021)
Overview
Personality and attributes
He came to take the identity of Leviathan when he headed the Leviathan organisation. (Event Leviathan v1 #6)
Shaw had dedicated himself to the tenets of justice for every man and woman. (1st Issue Special v1 #5)
Mark had said that he enjoyed catching his quarries unaware as it avoided any further scenes from them. (Manhunter v1 #1)
His biological mother was Rose Shaw who raised her son by herself until she re-married and became the wife of Eliot Shaw. From that marriage, Mark came to gain half-siblings in the form of a brother named James Shaw and a half-sister named Eleanor Shaw. (Manhunter v1 #1)
He had an uncle who had claimed to had spent years as an archaeologist and had a collection of artifacts. It was said that his uncle had jealously guarded his finds and hid them even from his nephew. (1st Issue Special v1 #5)
Powers and abilities
Despite his training, he was not prepared for fighting an entire team of superheroes by himself. (Justice League of America v1 #140)
He was armed with a baton that could fire chemical bullets at his targets with these paralysis shells able to knock out his quarry. (1st Issue Special v1 #5)
Shaw came to make some modifications to it according to his own specifications when he began to operate on his own. He could activate a magnetic pulse from it that would assisted jumps and then reverse the polarity to get reverse momentum. (Manhunter v1 #1)
Notes
- Mark Shaw was created by Jack Kirby where he made his first appearance in 1st Issue Special v1 #5 (August, 1975).
In other media
Television
- In Arrow, the character made his first appearance in the live action television series set in the Arrowverse in the episode "Corto Maltese" where he was portrayed by actor David Cubitt. He was said to be an old friend of Lyla Michaels and an agent of A.R.G.U.S. who was dispatched to Corta Maltese on a mission but failed to report back. Lyla would ask John Diggle to join Oliver Queen to Corto Maltese to help Shaw who was on a mission to recover lost A.R.G.U.S. data files that were taken by a criminal cartel. In reality, he was attempting to sell data to secure his freedom from Amanda Waller who he claimed drove him to insubordination.
Appearances
- 1st Issue Special v1: (1975)
- Manhunter v1:
- Manhunter v3:
- Wonder Woman:
- Event Leviathan v1:
- Action Comics:
External Links
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