Needle (comics)
The Needle is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Mark Gruenwald, Carmine Infantino, and Al Gordon, the character first appeared in Spider-Woman #9.
Publication history
Nedle's origin was recounted in his debut appearance in Spider-Woman #9.Creator Mark Gruenwald brought the character back during his run on the West Coast Avengers as a member of the villain team Night Shift, which included other former Spider-Woman foes.
Fictional character biography
Josef Saint is an elderly tailor who was mugged one night while leaving work, losing an eye and his capability of speech. While recuperating, he discovers that he has the ability to paralyze others with his gaze. Seeking revenge, Saint assumes the guise of the vigilante Needle. Armed with a yard-long needle, Needle attacks young men on the streets at night, sewing their mouths shut. After victimizing S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jerry Hunt, Needle is attacked by Hunt's girlfriend Spider-Woman, who takes him out with a close-range venom blast. Needle is subsequently arrested.The Needle joins the Night Shift and works with Captain America to battle the Power Broker and his augmented mutates. Alongside the Night Shift, he tests Moon Knight to take over as the group's leader. Needle later battles the West Coast Avengers alongside Satannish, who enhances his abilities using black magic.
Needle appears with the Night Shift, as part of the Hood's gang. They battle the Midnight Sons, and Needle impales Daimon Hellstrom with his needle before Jennifer Kale knocks him off with a spell. Needle and the Night Shift are killed and subsequently resurrected as zombies after being exposed to an airborne virus. When Jennifer Kale and the Black Talon contain the virus within Zombie, the Night Shift members are restored to normal.
Powers and abilities
Needle has the ability to hypnotically paralyze a victim with his gaze, and is also gifted with enhanced agility and strength. The Needle is mute and mentally disturbed. He is an expert tailor.The Needle is a fair hand-to-hand combatant, and carries a needle-like weapon over long.
For a time, the Needle's powers were enhanced by Satannish, increasing his physical attributes to that of an athletic man, allowing his hypnotic gaze to work instantaneously, and rendering his weapon sharp enough to rend cinderblock.