Mysterious crimefighter who possesses the
power to cloud men's minds so they cannot see him, and dispenses
justice with the aid of a pair of .45 automatic pistols. Originally conceived as the host of a
1930s radio mystery series, the Shadow character became so popular that he got his own program. This led to his own
pulp magazine with stories written by the late
Walter Gibson under the pen name "
Maxwell Grant". Gibson is responsible for the majority of the Shadow
mythos we know today. Several movies have been made of the Shadow's adventures - a few movie serials and, most recently, a
1994 production starring
Alec Baldwin in the title role.
The Shadow wears a black suit, a black cloak with red lining, and a black slouch hat; the lower part of his face is masked with a red scarf, above which his hooked nose and glaring black eyes are visible. On his finger he wears the hypnotic Girasol ring. His unseen presence is made known by his chilling, maniacal laugh.
He is aided in his efforts by an unswervingly loyal network of followers, foremost of which is Margo Lane, "friend and companion" and the only person who knows that The Shadow is in reality millionaire playboy Lamont Cranston. (It was later revealed that the Cranston identity is another blind, and that the Shadow is really aviator Kent Allard.) The Shadow's archenemy is the Oriental mastermind Shiwan Khan.
Quotes:
"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay."
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows."