Shadow Lass (Tasmia Mallor) is a superheroine appearing in books published by DC Comics. She first appeared as a statue in Adventure Comics #354 (March 1967), and was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan.[1] She was called Shadow Woman, was depicted as Caucasian, and as having been killed in action defending the science asteroid, in an Adult Legion story. Her official first appearance is Adventure Comics #365 (February 1968).
| Shadow Lass | |
|---|---|
 Shadow Lass as depicted in Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #19 (August 2006). Art by Barry Kitson. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Adventure Comics #365 (February 1968) |
| Created by | Jim Shooter (writer) Curt Swan (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Tasmia Mallor |
| Species | Talokian |
| Place of origin | Talok VIII |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Super-Heroes |
| Notable aliases | Umbra |
| Abilities | Powers:
Abilities:
Equipment:
|
Fictional character biography
editTasmia Mallor originates from the planet Talok VIII, and possesses darkness-manipulating abilities, which she and her cousin Grev (Shadow Kid) receive from their ancestors' spirits. As her ancestors before her from the past thousand years, Tasmia is the hereditary shadow champion of Talok VIII. Her 20th-century ancestors, Lydea and Lyrissa Mallor, are also shadow champions and members of the interstellar police force L.E.G.I.O.N.
Her cousin Grev, who also wields the shadow power thanks to his bloodline, joins the Legion Academy as Shadow Kid, but knows that he cannot join the Legion due to a rule preventing members from having the same powers.
Shadow Lass joins the Legion after her homeworld is invaded by the Fatal Five. She helps the Legion to defeat them.[2] After joining, she became romantically involved with Lar Gand and eventually marries him. Their marriage is rocky for years despite their strong feelings for each other, and Tasmia goes into mourning when Gand dies. He is possessed by the Time Trapper's essence and temporarily resurrected before a cataclysmic battle erases the Trapper from existence.[3]
1994 reboot
editIn post-Zero Hour continuity, Shadow Lass is raised by priests and separated from her mother to ensure their safety. After her mother is killed in battle, Tasmia gains her ancestors' shadow powers and joins the Legion as Umbra following a battle with United Planets diplomats.
Umbra is later among the Legionnaires who are lost in a space rift and transported to another galaxy. Saturn Girl attempts to telepathically calm her, but a planetary telepathic matrix interferes with her powers, creating a shadow creature fueled by their pain before Brainiac 5 heals them both.
Umbra later returns to Talok VIII and discovers that her cousin Grev has cloaked the planet in darkness and had it withdraw from the United Planets. However, he is killed by the Shadow's power, and Umbra removes the cloak before leaving.
Post-Infinite Crisis: Retroboot Legion
editThe events of Infinite Crisis restore a close analogue of the Pre-Crisis Legion to continuity. Shadow Lass is included in their number, and is among the group of Legionnaires who help Superman defeat the villainous Justice League of Earth in the "Action Comics" storyline.
During the Justice League of Earth's xenophobic reign, Shadow Lass works with Night Girl, Timber Wolf, and Lightning Lass to help thousands of aliens escape Earth.
Shadow Lass is shown prominently in the teaser image for the Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds mini-series, using her powers to keep Mordru and Saturn Queen in the dark.[4] In the story itself, she, Phantom Girl, and Lightning Lass rescue Mon-El from the Phantom Zone, where Earth-Man had imprisoned him. Upon leaving the Zone, Mon-El once again suffers the effects of lead poisoning, but is cured with an antidote created by Brainiac 5.
In Doomsday Clock, Shadow Lass is among the Legion of Super-Heroes members who appear in the present after Doctor Manhattan undoes his alternations to the timeline, restoring the Legion and the Justice Society of America.[5]
Powers and abilities
editShadow Lass in all her incarnations can cast dark fields that block all light. These can either be complete, effectively rendering useless all light sources within the area, or hollow to allow the interior to be lit. She can also solidify these fields, to use as a more direct weapon.
She is also an expert hand-to-hand combatant, and can see in complete darkness (both her own and otherwise). As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Shadow Lass is provided a Legion Flight Ring, which allows her to fly and protects her from the vacuum of space and other dangerous environments.
In other media
editTelevision
editShadow Lass makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home".
Film
edit- Shadow Lass makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Justice League vs. the Fatal Five.
- Shadow Lass appears in Legion of Super-Heroes, voiced by Victoria Grace.[6][7] This version is a council member of the Legion Academy.
Video games
editShadow Lass appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[8]
Miscellaneous
edit- Shadow Lass appears in Adventures in the DC Universe #10.[9]
- Shadow Lass appears in the one-shot comic Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.[10]
References
edit- ^ Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 206. ISBN 978-1605490557.
- ^ Adventure Comics #365-366
- ^ http://www.mykey3000.com/cosmicteams/legion/legion1/whoswho4.htm[permanent dead link]
- ^ GEOFF JOHNS: LEGION OF 3 WORLDS, I - NEWSARAMA Archived 2008-12-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Doomsday Clock #12 (December 2019). DC Comics.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (October 13, 2022). "DC's Legion of Super-Heroes Sets Voice Cast With Meg Donnelly and Harry Shum Jr. to Star (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ "Shadow Lass Voice - Legion of Super-Heroes (Movie)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved April 23, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
- ^ Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ "Adventures in the DC Universe #10 - The Blobs (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ "Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 - Atomic Batteries To Power, Flight Rings To Speed (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved August 18, 2023.