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Steve Englehart stated that the character Maximillian Coleridge was conceived as a "mashup" of DC Comics' Batman and The Shadow. He explained, "As a Marvel writer, I thought I'd never get to write the Batman, so I took some Bat-traits and mixed them with some Shadow-traits so as not to get sued and made my own homage to those dark night characters."[3]
Publication history
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Maximillian Coleridge debuted in Super-Villain Team-Up #5 (April 1976), created by Steve Englehart and Herb Trimpe.[4] He subsequently appeared in several Marvel series, including Shroud (1994),[5]Phases of the Moon Knight (2024),[6] and Vengeance of the Moon Knight (2024).[7]
Fictional character biography
At the age of 10, Maximillian Coleridge saw his parents gunned down right before his eyes. He decided to dedicate his life to fighting crime. Upon graduation from college, he joined the mysterious temple called the "Cult of Kali", where he studied various styles of martial arts. After seven years of intense training, he graduated from that temple. During the celebration ceremony, he was branded with the "Kiss of Kali", a red-hot iron. He had the image of the goddess Kali imprinted in livid scar tissue on his face from nose to hairline and from cheek to cheek. Following a period of intense pain and hospitalization, he realized that his eyesight had been replaced by a mystic extrasensory perception. Traveling back to the United States, he adopted the masked identity of the "Shroud".[a] In his first appearance as a hero, he encountered the Human Torch.[8] He later invaded Latveria, intending to kill Doctor Doom for his crimes against humanity. The Shroud recounted his origin to Namor, and the two secretly entered Latveria disguised as members of the Circus of Crime. Shroud joined Prince Rudolfo's revolution against Doom, and came close to his revenge.[9] However, the Shroud shifted gears to help Doom and Captain America oppose someone else with a longer track record of crimes against humanity: the Red Skull. In outer space, the Shroud was shot by a ray built by the Red Skull while Doom battled the Red Skull on the moon. The Shroud was rescued by Captain America, while the Red Skull was left defeated on the Moon (but was later rescued by the Hate-Monger). Captain America brought the Shroud back to Earth, but because of his time in space, the Shroud became insane and it took him quite a while to recover.[10] After this recovery, the Shroud discovered that he was able to tap into the Darkforce dimension.[volume&issueneeded]
The Shroud later recruits Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) to infiltrate a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility so that they can access the files. Alongside Spider-Woman, the Shroud battled the Cult of Kali.[11] The Shroud then took on Cat and Mouse as his aides.[12] He then teamed with Spider-Man against Dansen Macabre.[13] The Shroud aided the Avengers and Doctor Strange against Morgan le Fay. He helped restore the former Spider-Woman's astral self to her body.[14] He later refused Hawkeye's offer to join the West Coast Avengers.[15] The Shroud assisted the depowered Jessica Drew against some crooks.[16] He assisted the West Coast Avengers against Graviton and the Blank.[17]
The Shroud went undercover in Los Angeles and by operating as a crime-fighter masquerading as a criminal, he built a reputation as a criminal so he could destroy their world from within. This led him to create the group known as the Night Shift.[18] With the Night Shift, he teamed with Captain America against the Power Broker and his augmented mutates.[19] He tested Moon Knight to see if he could take over as leader of the Night Shift.[20] He refused Taurus's offer to join the new Zodiac.[21] He teamed with Hawkeye against the gang leader Speedo.[22] Behind the scenes, the Shroud made a deal with the West Coast Avengers not to interfere with his activities underground, but during a battle, the Shroud went missing and the Night Shift battled the Avengers, causing a strain between the groups when the Shroud stopped the battle.[23] When the Shroud returned to action, it was revealed that he had spent some time with his family, though no actual names of that family have ever been revealed.[volume&issueneeded] The Shroud made few appearances in the years following.
When the Superhero Registration Act was proposed by the United States during the Civil War storyline, the Shroud refused to accept the proposal to give up his secret identity, and sided against heroes such as Ms. Marvel and Iron Man. He is also in a romantic relationship with Julia Carpenter (aka Arachne). With Julia's help, the Shroud managed to escape from Ryker's Island, injuring a number of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the process. The two of them planned to flee to Canada with Rachel Carpenter (Julia's daughter), but Wonder Man and Ms. Marvel captured the Shroud,[24] and Julia the following issue. He is then broken out,[25] in order to join Captain America's anti-registration army and takes part in the final battle.[26]
Following the death of Marc Spector, Coleridge takes on the Moon Knight moniker before coming into conflict with his predecessor's allies and having his identity exposed.[28]
In the "Blood Hunt" storyline, the Shroud and other Darkforce users lose control of their abilities and release a large amount of Darkforce energy, blocking out the Sun and facilitating a vampire invasion.[29]
Powers and abilities
Maximilian Coleridge was struck blind but granted heightened mystic senses, giving him a radar-like perception that allows him to perceive his surroundings and detect movement through walls. He later developed the ability to manipulate darkness and shadows, drawing power from the Darkforce Dimension. He can generate and shape darkness into gaseous, solid, or shadowy forms, including humanoid constructs. Coleridge has mastered multiple combat disciplines and employs an array of specialized weapons, such as an asbestos-lined cape, magnesium bombs, paralyzing mists, bomb-a-rangs, titanium nets, and a collapsible glider built into his cape that enables short-distance flight. His costume is bullet-resistant, further enhancing his combat effectiveness. Furthermore, Coleridge commands extensive resources through his family company and his criminal network, most notably as the leader of the Night Shift. He has operated from several bases, including a jazz club, a fortified estate, and the Tower of Shadows, an ancient castle equipped with traps such as dart launchers, wall spikes, and pits of fire.[30]
Other versions
An alternate version of Maximilian Coleridge appears in the Ultimate Marvel universe. The Shroud is an alter ego of Kitty Pryde.[31]
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