Night Shift

Origin

Night Shift is a group of supernaturally oriented villains originally organized by the Shroud. The Shroud's true purpose for the group is to combat evil that occurs during the night hours, sleazy underworld crime figures in particular. The Shroud was an actual crime-fighter who wanted the public and the criminal underworld to think he was a crime-lord. This was an elaborated charade so he could attack the underworld from within. The Shroud organized the Night Shift as his allies in pursuit of this strategy.

The original group consisted of the Shroud, Dansen Macabre, Tatterdemalion, Tick-Tock, Gypsy Moth, Digger, Needle, Brothers Grimm and the Werewolf, Jack Russel. The Misfit would later join the group. None of the members knew that the Shroud was an actual crimefighter except Jack Russel. Two of the more important actions came when they assisted Captain America against Dr. Malus and the Power Broker, whose experiments flooded the sewers in Los Angeles with rejected mutations from the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation.

Creation

The Night Shift was created by Mark Gruenwald and Tom Morgan in 1987 and first appeared in Captain America # 330.

Story Arcs

Moon Knight was advised to come to the Tower of Shadows in Santa Monica by Jack Russel to get information he wanted on the Zodiac member, Van Lunt. Moon Knight encountered various booby traps before he engaged the Shroud in battle. This was a test, an initiation rite for Moon Knight and the Shroud wanted him to join the Night Shift. The Shroud wanted Moon Knight to take his place as leader but he declined because he recently joined the Avengers.

The second occurred when the Shroud was absent, and Dansen Macabre ordered an attack against the West Coast Avengers in retaliation for the arrest of Digger, a Night Shift member. The attack was unsuccessful but Night Shift escaped with the Shroud's assistance. Their headquarters is a haunted estate in the Santa Monica Mountains called the Tower of Shadows.

The Night Shift members discovered that the Shroud was an actual crimefighter and dumped him from the group. A new Hangman would take over as leader of the Night Shift and all the current members were supernaturally augmented by the powerful demon, Satannish in exchange for their souls. Satannish was conjured up during a national televised fight between the West Coast Avengers and the Night Shift. All the Night Shift members were getting stronger after Satannish appeared. The Scarlet Witch and Dr. Strange told the Night Shift that the Hangman offered their souls to the demon so he can become a movie star. The Night Shift members agreed to give up their demon-given energies to power up the West Coast Avengers. The Night Shift decided to help the Avengers and they attacked Satannish together. Satannish was forced to leave the earthly plane and all members of the Night Shift lost their augmented abilities.

The Blazing Skull confronts a Night Shift member named Digger and wanted him to answer some questions. A fight ensues and the Blazing Skull knocks out Digger. Captain America intervenes and wants to talk to the Blazing Skull because he thinks he is connected to the Red Skull. Some Night Shift members arrived which included Needle, Misfit and the Brothers Grimm. They interrupt their fight and take on both men for messing with Digger. However, the Shifties are taken down by Captain America and the Blazing Skull. Blazing Skull revealed to Captain America that he was an occult investigator and was working for Dr. Druid. He was sent to check out the Night Shift

characters after Druid heard they had some recent supernatural dealings.

Marvel Zombies

The Night shift reappeared again but working under the rule of the Hood. They join the Hood in getting the zombie virus from Black Talon. This time the group consist of the Needle, Digger, Tatterdemalion, Dansen Macabre. They end up attacking the Midnight Sons in a ferocious battle. They at one point have the upper hand but they later get defeated by the Midnight Sons but also get violently infected by the zombie virus. They attack the Midnight Sons and the Hood but they are later freed of the virus and are teleported back to the Hood's hide out.

Snapdragon would hire the NIght Shift to eliminate Moon Knight and Echo in Los Angeles but they fail their assignment which would lead to their ultimate demise. Tick-Tock, Tatterdemalion, Digger, Misfit, Needle and Dansen Macabre are taken to a warehouse where they are confronted by Count Nefaria, the new West Coast kingpin. Count Nefaria proceeds to incinerate the Night Shift until nothing but a pile of ashes is left for being moronically stupid and incompetent.