History
Lamont Cranston is an internationally known wealthy socialite and businessman. He is also a member of New York's exclusive Cobalt Club and personal friend of Police Commissioner Weston.
He is a familiar figure to people on many levels, but few realize that he is also one of the many alter-egos of the mysterious crime fighter, The Shadow.
Long ago in the Orient, The Shadow learned the power of how to cloud men's minds from the great master, Chen T'a Tze. He was taught that only one man can have such powers, and before he died, Chen T'a Tze chose The Shadow, instructing him that "the mind can do anything to the body, if the mind believes."
After many years of mystic training, The Shadow came to New York and organized a small but powerful army of dedicated crime fighters. They all knew that their Chief and Lamont Cranston were the same man, but nobody knows who The Shadow truly is. Only The Shadow's master, Chen T'a Tze, knew who he was before he became the cloaked Avenger, but T'a Tze has been dead for many years now. It no longer matters who The Shadow is, or was beforehand. That man is gone, and only The Shadow exists -- a cloaked instrument dedicated to perpetual vigilance in an evil world, a man of many faces and mysterious powers that are used only for good and justice.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Hypnotic Powers: He can brainwash his foes into following his will. He also has the ability of "be-clouding" their memories.
- Night Vision: While in the Orient, he had learned the power of seeing in the darkness.
- A Trance-like State of Suspension: With the power of his mind, he can allow his body to go limp and give it an apparent state of death.[1]
Abilities
- Disguises: The Shadow is a master of disguises and portrays himself as several other personalities besides Lamont Cranston. He also disguise himself as businessman, "Henry Arnaud,"[2] and as the famous explorer, Kent Allard.[3]
- Walter Pettibone, a criminal who had lived half his life in prison, not only taught Cranston how to be an excellent safe-cracker, but also how to carefully unlock and relocked doors with a small blade or clasp knife.
- Languages: He has the ability to read lips and has an amazing mastery of a variety of languages. He is also able to disorient is location by throwing his voice.
- His costume, a black cloak, slouched hat and the fire-opal girasol ring enhances his power to cloud men's minds. The power does not reside in these things, as the power comes from the mind, and from the whole person of The Shadow. These powers can only be used by The Shadow when he's entirety The Shadow.
Strength level
Weaknesses
- When Cranston is not wearing the black cloak, and slouch hat, the power of The Shadow is gone. Without his secret clothes, he has no power over the minds of men.
Paraphernalia
Equipment:
- Girasol Ring: The Shadow wears a unique fire-opal ring which was passed down from his master, Chen T'a Tze. With the wave of his hand, the ring's small red glow can activate The Shadow's communications console, thus allowing him to listen to reports from his agent, Burbank. The blaze of the blood-red opal can also cast a light, giving the illusion that The Shadow can grow larger, spread, expand, until his black-garbed shape fills the whole room.
- Secret ointments from the Orient help him heal from serious wounds quite quickly.
Transportation:
- Rolls Royce: driven by Shrevvy, one of his agents. He also has another chauffeur, who doubles as a bodyguard, named Stanley.
Weapons: None known.
Notes
- The comic book version of this character is much too simplified, thus elements from the Belmont series should be used as source material first. Belmont Books was an Archie Comics Publications company.
Trivia
- No trivia.
See Also
- Appearances of Lamont Cranston (Archie Series)
- Character Gallery: Lamont Cranston (Archie Series)
- Quotations by Lamont Cranston (Archie Series)
- Images that include Lamont Cranston (Archie Series)