- Not to be confused with the character Shadowgeist and Kage.
Shadow (シャドウ Shadō?) is a video game character originating from the Marvel vs. Capcom series, first appearing in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter as a secret fighter. This is the form Charlie Nash has taken after being infused with Psycho Power and machine technology by Shadaloo.
Biography
Appearance
As a palette swap of Charlie, Shadow looks exactly like his original counterpart, but his entire body has nearly been blacked out, and a white eye is shining behind his glasses.
Story
Shadow is a warrior remodeled by Shadaloo. He brings down his opponents using M. Bison's Psycho Power mixed with the latest technology. By continuing to fight, memories of his past start to resurface little by little before ultimately defecting Shadaloo. He's burdened with a Psycho Battery that gives him only 48 hours of autonomy.[1]
The Marvel vs. Capcom series provided a twist on Charlie's fate. In his ending for X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Charlie is captured by M. Bison, who performs terrible experiments on him. Charlie's fate would be left up in the air until Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, where a secret character by the name of Shadow appeared.
Gameplay
Moveset
Shadow is a palette swap of Charlie so his moveset is mostly unchanged, but his attacks would set his opponent alight with blue Psycho Power flames. His Hyper Combos also had a brief pause where his eye would gleam before the move was pulled off; this made him somewhat unpopular, as the gleam could give an opponent enough time to block or avoid the attack. He also gained a new Hyper Combo, the Final Mission.
Shadow would later appear in Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes as a secret helper character. However, the normal Charlie would appear in Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes.
Although not used by Shadow in any game, he also has a move called Shadow Assault that appears to be derived from Tragedy Assault.[1]
Comics
UDON comics
In the UDON comic Street Fighter - Round One: Fight!, Charlie has been captured by Shadaloo and brainwashed into Agent Shadow, whom M. Bison sends to observe Vega's investigation, and then other missions, including killing former allies, as shown in Street Fighter V: The Life and Death(s) of Charlie Nash. At one point he is ordered to eliminate Guile and Chun-Li. Bison's plan backfires, however, when Charlie eventually breaks free of the brainwashing and instead sacrifices himself to protect Guile and Chun-Li by collapsing a cliff upon which both he and Bison are standing.
Trivia
- Charlie's appearance and role in Street Fighter V is similar to him having suffered a similar fate to what led him to become Shadow in the crossovers' parallel canon, as seen by his darker behavior, techniques and even powers.
- Some fans of the series usually call it Black Nash.
Gallery
Sprites
