List of government agencies in comics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
All comic book fictional universes depict their own versions of our reality except with the added complication of men and women who exhibit superhuman abilities. And each of those universe has evolved very different versions of government agencies and bureaucracies to deal with, and around posthumans.
(Russian Checkmate Knight)
[edit] Dark Horse Comics
[edit] B.P.R.D.
The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is a fictional organization in the Dark Horse Comics universe charged with protecting America and the world from the occult, paranormal and supernatural. It maintains and utilises the services of several supernatural persons. It was originally featured in the Hellboy comics and has been expanded in a series of comic miniseries and one-shots.
[edit] Cabinet Intelligence Agency
The Cabinet Intelligence Agency (CIA), is a fictional intelligence department from Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell manga series. The agency is based on Naicho, the real Japanese Cabinet Intelligence Office. An alternate translation is Cabinet Intelligence Service (CIS).
[edit] Public Security Section 9
Public Security Section 9 also referred to as Public Safety Section 9 in some translations, is a fictional intelligence department from Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell manga series. Section 9 is located in the Japanese city of Niihama-shi (also known as New Port City). The exact location of Section 9's headquarters is held as top-secret and is only known by the Japanese government and Section 9 employees.
[edit] DC Comics
[edit] The Agency
The Agency was formed by Amanda Waller to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task Force X. It performed global operations which were vital to the security of American interests. Valentina Vostok brought former New York Police Lieutenant Harry Stein into The Agency to oversee their activities. Adrian Chase the Vigilante and Christopher Smith Peacemaker were contract operatives for the Agency. First appears in Vigilante #36.
[edit] A.P.E.S.
A.P.E.S. (All-Purpose Enforcement Squad) is a semi-indepepndent US governmental division within the DEO. Donald Fite father of Empress and Ishito Maad are their mmost well known operatives. A.P.E.S. first appears in Young Justice #1 (September 1998).[1]
[edit] Argent
Argent was the domestic branch of Task Force X, it was a sister organization to the Suicide Squad. Argent was led by Control and consisted mainly of former O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Services) agents. Argent was a powerful agency during most of the Cold War. After confronting and killing a government official responsible for the assassination of President Kennedy, Control ordered all records of Argent destroyed and pulled the organisation undercover. For years, the Argent continued their work in secret, but shrunk considerably in size. Eventually, Control died, but his granddaughter, Anne-Marie Vere, maintained the pretence that he was still alive to keep the group operating. In recent times, a confrontation with the Suicide Squad exposed the deception and Argent disbanded. Known agents of the Argent included: Control, Falcon, Fleur, Iron Munro, Phantom Lady I, and Anne-Marie Vere. The agency first appears in Secret Origins Vol. 2 #14, 1987.[2]
[edit] A.S.A.
The American Security Agency was a U.S. Government organization that supervised the creation of the national team of super-agents called the Force of July. The chairman of the A.S.A. was B. Eric Blairman. Blairman was later replaced as head of the A.S.A. by the even more corrupt Abraham Lincoln Carlyle, who made an attempt to use the Psycho Pirate's Medusa Mask to get himself elected president. During an internecine war within the US Government called the Janus Directive, Carlyle and most of the Force of July were killed in battle. The American Security Agency was defunct shortly afterwards.[3]
[edit] B.A.A.
The Bureau of Amplified Animals is a US Government agency that monitors and deploys superhuman animal operatives. Currently known operatives of the Bureau are Rex the Wonder Dog and Detective Chimp.
[edit] C.B.I.
The CBI (Central Bureau of Intelligence), was formerly led by Sarge Steel and also included King Faraday, Richard Dragon and Ben Turner in its stable of agents. Steel was eventually depicted as a Federal Cabinet Secretary of Metahuman Affairs (giving him control of agencies such as the Suicide Squad), until the election of Lex Luthor as President. Luthor then appointed Amanda Waller as his replacement until he was exposed as a criminal in the events of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.[4]
[edit] C.E.M.A.
The United States government's Cosmic Emergency Management Agency, first appears in Green Lantern Vol. 3 #166 (August 2003).[5]
[edit] ШaХ И МаТ! (Checkmate!)
- See also: Russian Checkmate
The Russian version of Checkmate was introduced in the last issues of the original series run. They were admittedly underfunded but wore armor similar to their US counterparts (see above).
[edit] Checkmate (UN)
Checkmate is a covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. Created from the ashes of its predecessor group, The Agency, it was originally set up by Amanda Waller to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task Force X under the command of Colonel Valentina Vostok (formerly Negative Woman of the Doom Patrol) to perform operations worldwide considered vital to the security of American interests. In the wake of events depicted in the mini-series The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis, Checkmate has been re-chartered as a United Nations Security Council-affiliated agency.
Checkmate's original hierarchy was modelled after the peices of a chess game- One King, one Queen and several Bishops. The Bishops oversaw the Rooks behind the scenes while the Rooks planned missions and supervised the field agents, or Knights, and the Knight's support, Pawns.
Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1696, Checkmate was reorganized as the UN’s Chartered Metahuman Monitoring Force. The organization was restructured utilizing the “Rule of Two”. Each super-powered or otherwise enhanced member in the “Royal Family” must have an un-powered counterpart in a corresponding position of power. In addition, there are an indeterminate number of “pawns”. In the original incarnation of Checkmate, they were low-level field agents that provided intelligence-gathering, logistical and operational support; it appears that pawns in the current incarnation serve similar roles.
[edit] D.E.O.
The Department of Extranormal Operations is a branch of the United States government, concerned with the magical, the alien and the superhuman and having connections with such organisations as the Suicide Squad and Knightwatch. Other divisions include an agency for training 'gifted' youngsters whose powers manifest at a difficult age, and numerous surveillance and data-collection operations.
The current Regional Director for the Eastern Seaboard is a former costumed villain named Mister Bones. And one of its highest-profile agents is Cameron Chase.
[edit] D.M.A.
The Department of Metahuman Affairs is first introduced in Wonder Woman #2 (2006), it is a division within the DEO. Known operatives are Sarge Steel, Tom Tresser (Nemesis), and Diana Prince (Wonder Woman).
[edit] Finger, Eye, & Ear
The Finger (secret police), the Eye (CCTV monitoring), and the Ear (phone surveillance). These were the three branches of overt government surveillance depicted in the dystopian Britain of V for Vendetta.
[edit] G.O.O.D.
The Global Organization of Organized Defense, or G.O.O.D. first appeared in the pages of Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter. The only known operatives of this international organization are: Barney Ling the organization's director, Ben Turner and Richard Dragon, field operatives.
[edit] Knightwatch
The military arm of the D.E.O., Knightwatch operatives wore armor that resembled the suits worn by Checkmate agents. First appearance in Superman/Batman #5.[6]
[edit] Project Atom
A United States government initiative masterminded by General Wade Eiling and lead scientist Heinrich Megala, with the aim of creating a super-hero answerable only to the military. The project used a combination of nuclear physics and a unique alloy called Dilustel with quantum properties that was cut from the skin of a captured alien known as the Silver Shield using X-Ionizer technology. The project only had two recorded successes, Captain Atom and Major Force. The origin of the woman calling herself Bombshell is still unknown. Heinrich Megala was also responsible for creating the X-Ionizer technology capable of cutting Captain Atom's skin and the skin of most invulnerable Metahumans. First Appearance: Captain Atom Vol. 3 #1, 1983.[7]
[edit] Project Cadmus
A high tech genetic research facility, responsible for the successful cloning of Jim Harper the Guardian, and Connor Kent the second Superboy as well as a number of other heroes and villains. First Appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #135, 1971.
[edit] Project M
Project M was a secret government organization which operated during World War II and specialized in experimental biotechnology and necromancy. Known creations of the Project include the Creature Commandos, Miss America and the G.I. Robot. The Project's main scientist is one Professor Mazursky. He was aided by Robotman. As told in Young All-Stars #12, they operated from a secret underground complex on mythical Ferris Island in New York.
[edit] Project Peacemaker
The US government division that was tasked with handling Peacemaker's interraction with other government agencies. After the so-called "Janus Directive", the Project became part of Checkmate, and placed under the supervision of the CBI and Sarge Steel.[8]
[edit] Red Shadows
The Russian version of Task Force X, just as they copied Checkmate, they also mirrored the Suicide Squad under the old Soviet Government. Organization originally consisted of ex-members of the People's Heroes and Blue Trinity. Later on other original Russian characters were introduced such as Stalnoivolk, Russia's World War II Superman. The Red Shadows were all organized under Amanda Waller's opposite number, a man known only as Major Zastrow. Other Red Shadow operatives were: Pozhar (Mikhail Arkadin), Bolshoi (martial artist), Molotov (explosives expert), Mrs. Gradenko (a were-bear), Yerosha (Could alter a person's senses), Lamia (Pheromone manipulation), Blue Trinity (speedsters), and Schreck a metahuman vampire.[9][10][11]
[edit] S.H.A.D.E.
The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive, which first appears in Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein! #3 (2006), is a United States military organization that investigates, assesses, and contains paranormal and superhuman activity. Father Time and his S.H.A.D.E. agency exercise martial law over the devastated city of Blüdhaven. Father Time used this posting to carry out S.H.A.D.E.'s other mandate, the harvesting and creation of new metahuman talent. S.H.A.D.E. uses its specially trained metahuman talent to carry out black ops assassinations of threats to the United States and its policies. Several S.H.A.D.E. operatives defect from the organization in to form a new version of the Freedom Fighters under the guidance of Uncle Sam, resulting in Sam and his team being declared enemies of S.H.A.D.E. and Father Time ordering their death (see Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters).
[edit] Suicide Squad
The original Task Force X consisted of two branches the domestic and the international. The domestic branch was called Argent, and the international branch called the Suicide Squad, was originally put under the command of General Jeb Stuart.
The first Suicide Squad was a minor backup series about a quartet of adventurers. That Squad consisted of Rick Flag, his girlfriend Karin Grace, Dr. Hugh Evans, and Jess Bright.
The second and better-known Suicide Squad was a covert black ops government strike team. The team was partially made up of imprisoned supervillains who had agreed to perform extremely dangerous missions, which were officially denied by the US Government using the prisoners' participation as rationale to claim that the incidents are merely attacks by criminals, in return for a full pardon for their actions. In addition, there were other non-prisoner members such as Nemesis and Nightshade who participated in the team as part of individual arrangements. The Suicide Squad operated out of Belle Reve prison in Louisiana.
[edit] Task Force Delta
The more evolved form of Task Force X, formerly attached to the DEO.[12]
[edit] Task Force X
Following the dissolution of the O.S.S. in October of 1945, President Truman replaced it with the C.I.A. in 1946. In 1951, seeking to fill the void left by the retired JSA, Truman created Task Force X and its domestic branch, Argent. The international branch, the Suicide Squad, was put under the command of General Jeb Stuart. Jeb Stuart was later succeeded by Rick Flag.[13]
[edit] Malibu (Ultraverse)
[edit] Aladdin
Aladdin was a U.S. government agency apparently founded sometime in the 1960's to deal with the growing number of Ultras (super-powered beings) in their world. 1n 1970, their scientific division, using a synthesis of organic brain tissue and computer systems called GENIE (Genetically Engineered Neural Intelligence Experiment) were examining alien technology and corpses discovered by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam war, when some unknown event caused the corpses to release a cloud of material which caused GENIE to develop sentience and grow into a true fusion of organic and mechanical technology.
The newly upgraded GENIE also contained information from the alien lifeforms/technology it had assimilated. It told the Aladdin scientists of a cosmic force called Shu-Ji, a nearly Godlike power to alter reality; but attempts to access this force by human beings proved dangerously unsuccessful. GENIE decided to genetically engineer the proper recepticals for the Shu-Ji: two human males, each holding a fraction of the power. However, the power could not be fully controlled until they matured, and so it was decided to raise the boys separately, and keep them unaware of their true natures. Aladdin and GENIE were a part of Marvel's Ultraverse imprint.
[edit] Marvel Comics
[edit] Black Air
Black Air is a former Governmental Intelligence department founded and operating primarily within the United Kingdom in the fictional Marvel Universe, initially as an adjunct to the Ministry of Defence. It was introduced along with Pete Wisdom in the Excalibur series when it was written by Warren Ellis.
Black Air, as a covert, secretive Intelligence department, was mandated with the investigation into and research of supernatural and paranormal phenomena, at first alongside, and then replacing another British Intelligence department, the Weird Happenings Organisation (W.H.O).
[edit] Commission on Superhuman Activities
The organization was created by the President of the United States of America. It's a very special appointed task force, which has been requested to supervise the American citizens possessing superhuman powers. They have an office set in Washington, DC. The organization is best known for putting events into motion that led to Steve Rogers temporarily resigning as Captain America and John Walker's recruitment and training to take over the role. It was later revealed that one of the members was an agent of the Red Skull.
[edit] Department H
A fictitious branch of Canada’s Department of National Defence that deals with super-powered persons. Depatment H was responsible for bringing together and manging the Marvel Comics team known as Alpha Flight.
[edit] Department K
The Canadian Government group which secretly operated the Weapon X Project.
[edit] Euromind
Another European subdivision of SHIELD, called Euromind, was introduced in the unfortunate Marvel Italia series Europa.
[edit] F.I.6
British Intelligence agency, former employers of Micromax. Disbanded after most agents were killed by Necrom. Introduced in Excalibur and created by Alan Davis.
[edit] M.I.13
Also known as "the Department", British intelligence agency created to replace the disbanded W.H.O., F.I.6, R.C.X. and outlawed Black Air. Its director is Alistaire Stuart and Pete Wisdom is one of its agents.
[edit] O*N*E*
In the aftermath of the House of M, resulting in the depowering of 90% of the world's mutant population, the Office of National Emergency (aka O*N*E*), a splinter from the Department of Homeland Security, had Sentinels instituted at the X-Mansion to protect the mutants in case any enemies used this low point as an opportunity to attack them at their weakest, and also to stop the mutants in the event of a revolution.
The X-Men are supposed to contact O*N*E* before going on any mission, and allow a Sentinel go along with them on said mission.
[edit] R.C.X.
The Resources Control Executive is a British Intelligence Agency, introduced in Captain Britain as a replacement to S.T.R.I.K.E. Created by Jamie Delano and Alan Davis. The British intelligence agency for the investigation of paranormal and superhuman activity, known as S.T.R.I.K.E., is infiltrated by a criminal organisation and nearly all of its members are killed. A weakened S.T.R.I.K.E. is unable to deal with the consequences of the Jaspers' Warp and is disbanded. The Resources Control Executive (R.C.X.) is created to take its place. The members of the R.C.X. use codenames based on biblical figures to hide their true identity.
[edit] S.A.F.E.
Introduced in Marvel's line of novels in the mid 1990s, S.A.F.E. (Strategic Action For Emergencies) is the United State's answer to S.H.I.E.L.D. They first appeared in Spider-Man & the Incredible Hulk: Rampage (Doom's Day Book 1), and may not be part of comics canon. Whereas S.H.I.E.L.D. is a UN funded and run organization dealing with international incidents, S.A.F.E. is tasked with similar duties inside of America's borders. It is run by Colonel Sean Morgan and a prominently featured agent is Joshua Ballard, who, among other things, survived an encounter with Doctor Doom and later Baron Zemo.
[edit] S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. (originally an acronym for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division, subsequently changed to Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency in the Marvel Universe that often deals with superhuman threats.
Usually led by Nick Fury as Executive Director, this organization often operates as much as a covert agency as a quasi-military one, initially depicted as affiliated with the United States government, and in later years under the jurisdiction of the United Nations, with vast technological resources at their disposal and U.N. General Assembly Resolutions backed by legislation passed in signatory nations aiding many of their operations, as cited in Amazing Fantasy v.2 #7.
In the wake of a recent unauthorized mission in Latveria that had disastrous consequences for New York's superhero community, Fury has effectively resigned as Executive Director with international warrants out for his arrest. His successor is therefore not one of his closer associates as might otherwise have been the case, but a relatively unknown newcomer to the S.H.I.E.L.D. hierarchy, Maria Hill. Little is known of Hill's history within and prior to joining S.H.I.E.L.D..
Although the various Helicarriers built over the years have long been considered S.H.I.E.L.D.'s primary "home base", the Directorate as presently constituted maintains a number of land bases throughout the world, most notably "SHIELD Central" in New York City. While some of these bases are publicly accessible on a limited basis, most are not publicly disclosed for reasons of planetary security.
[edit] S.T.A.R.S.
The Commission on Superhuman Activities, created a special division of the federal government's U.S. Marshals called S.T.A.R.S., the Superhuman Tactical Response Squad. A federal organization authorized to monitor and manage all activities regarding the supervision, apprehension and detention of superhuman criminals in the United States. The group's leader was John Walker the U.S. Agent. S.T.A.R.S. uncovered a Ruul plot to use Earth as a penal colony for alien criminals. U.S. Agent and S.T.A.R.S. were ultimately responsible for exposing and defeating the Ruul.[14]
[edit] S.T.R.I.K.E.
Known as Special Tactical Response for International Key Emergencies. S.T.R.I.K.E. is a subdivision of, or perhaps a sister agency to, S.H.I.E.L.D. based in the United Kingdom. Now disbanded, two of its members were the X-Man and Psylocke.
[edit] Superhuman Restraint Unit
The Superhuman Restraint Unit, sometimes abbreviated into "SRU", was created by the American government and S.H.I.E.L.D. to hunt down rogue super-villains, mostly escapees from the Raft event from the New Avengers storyline.
[edit] S.W.O.R.D.
In Astonishing X-Men v3 #6 (December 2004) by Joss Whedon introduced an organization named S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department). S.W.O.R.D. is a governmental organization that works with S.H.I.E.L.D. In contrast to S.H.I.E.L.D., which deals with terrestrial threats, S.W.O.R.D. now deals with extraterrestrial threats. It is as yet unclear whether S.W.O.R.D. is a branch of S.H.I.E.L.D. or a true sister agency, as dialogue in the stories depicting both organizations has been ambiguous on the subject.
[edit] Ultimate S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Ultimate Universe was first led by "Thunderbolt" Ross. During the Gulf War, the Weapon X Project was sanctioned by S.H.I.E.L.D. and resulted in the creation of Wolverine. The project was headed by Colonel John Wraith. After Ross' apparent death, Ultimate Nick Fury was then selected as the organization's Executive Director. His first plan was to resurrect the Super Soldier program. At first, he commissioned Dr. Bruce Banner to try to recreate the super soldier formula that made Ultimate Captain America, but this failed and resulted in the creation of the Hulk when Banner injected the mediocre serum into himself.
[edit] Weapon X Project
The Weapon X Project was a fictional clandestine government project in the Marvel Universe conducted by the Canadian Government's Department K (and secretly funded by the US government) which turned willing and unwilling beings into living weapons. Weapon X was originally the tenth installation of the Weapon Plus program, which was behind the creation of Captain America and many other living weapons. The two latest installations of Weapon X were completely independent from Weapon Plus.
Weapon X often captures mutants and experiments on them to enhance their superpowers. Other test subjects have included normal human beings, as well as aliens. The Weapon X Project produced the anti-hero of the X-Men team, Wolverine, and other characters such as Deadpool and Sabretooth.
[edit] W.H.O.
The Weird Happenings Organization was mandated by the UK government with the investigation into and research of supernatural and paranormal phenomena until it was replaced by Black Air. It was featured in Excalibur (comics)
[edit] Tower Comics
[edit] T.H.U.N.D.E.R.
The name is an acronym for The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves.UN soldiers retake the mountain laboratory of a UN scientist named Professor Emil Jennings, from the forces of a villain known as the Warlord. The dead scientist left behind several super weapons, invented to combat the Warlord's worldwide attacks. These inventions are given to T.H.U.N.D.E.R. operatives. Joining these super agents is the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Squad, a special team of agents who fight the worldwide threat of the Warlord. Originally published by Tower Comics.[15]
[edit] U.N.D.E.R.S.E.A.
The United Nations Department of Experiment and Research Systems Established at Atlantis was an undersea research facility located at an Atlantean archaeological site holding ruins that presumably had been a part of that sunken land. Professor Weston, was the founder of U.N.D.E.R.S.E.A. The operation was constantly menaced by a would-be world conqueror, the insidious Doctor Fang, who ruled an undersea kingdom of Homo mermanii named Lemuria.[16]
[edit] Wildstorm
[edit] Civil Defense Administration
American intelligence agency created as replacement for International Operations and lead by Ivana Baiul, seen in the pages of Stormwatch: Team Achilles.
[edit] Department PSI
Department for Paranormal Science Investigations, a rival to International Operations and employer of the superhero team Wildcore. Its director is Antonio Giovanni. When International Operation was dissolved, Department PSI absorbed most of its assets, equipment and personal.
[edit] FDAA
Introduced in issue #1 of the The American Way. The FDAA (Federal Disaster Assistance Administration), handles a US government superhero team called the Civil Defense Corps. The FDAA is responsible for using gene therapy to create many of America's heroes. As well as "villains" who they have fight the heroes in publicly staged battles. The FDAA periodically unleashes Hellbent, a homicidal and sociopathic supervillain, to assassinate enemies of the United States.
[edit] International Operations
Internal Operations (I.O., IO or I/O) is a fictional American Intelligence Agency in Wildstorm comics. It was originally called International Operations. I.O. International Operations was founded in 1964 as a branch of the Central Intelligence Agency with the mission to safeguard the United States' interests and safety abroad. It quickly became an independent agency under the leadership of Director Miles Craven. Following the Divine Right incident, the agency was severely weakened. It was shut down by US government within a year. However, in 2004, it was reestablished under the leadership of John Lynch. IO first appeared in WildC.A.T.S. vol.1 #1 (August, 1992) and was created by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee.
[edit] S.T.O.R.M.
The agency employing John Stone. It is a tribute to S.H.I.E.L.D. and a pre-cursor to Stormwatch. From the pages of Planetary.
[edit] Stormwatch
A United Nations Crisis Intervention Team, founded by United Nations during the late 70s as part of an effort to police the growing population of post-humans created in the wake of the Comet Effect. The agency has generated significant controversy over the years. It was shut down in 1998 do to budgetary and political concerns. The agency was re-established sometime after Authority's takeover of United States under severely limited budget.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=apes
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=argent
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=americansecurityagency
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=cbi
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=cema
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/Sm/SmBm_005.php
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=CAPTAINATOMPROJECT
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=projectpeacemaker
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=redshadows
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/SS/SS_037.php
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=ZASTROW
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=taskforcedelta
- ^ http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=argent
- ^ http://www.angelfire.com/dc2/superherorpg0/pages/AV_USAgent_Bio.html
- ^ http://www.toonopedia.com/thunder.htm
- ^ http://www.toonopedia.com/undersea.htm
[edit] External links
- DCU Guide to the A.S.A.
- DCU Guide to the C.B.I.
- DCU Guide: CEMA
- DCU Guide to the D.E.O.
- DCU Guide to the Task Force Delta
- DCU Guide to Superman/Batman #5
- DCU Guide: Project Peacemaker
- DCU Guide: Project Atom
- DCU Guide: Project Cadmus
- DCU Guide: Task Force Delta
- DCU Guide: Project M
- DCU Guide: Argent
- DCU Guide: Red Shadows
- DCU Guide: Suicide Squad #37
- DCU Guide:Major Zastrow
- Cosmic Teams: Red Shadows
