Roy Damon

**Roy Damon**, also known by his superhero alias **Nightshade**, is a former member of the Justice Queens and the current leader of the Young Bloods. An orphan adopted by the supervillain Floyd Martin, Roy was rescued from his clutches in a Justice Queens operation and currently studies in Thomsen High, while also working as the leader of the Young Bloods.

## Biography

### Pre-Young Bloods

The circumstances of Roy's birth and his family history are both a mystery. All that is known is that over 15 years ago he was abandoned at the door of an orphanage in the dead of night in a small village in South America. The orphanage soon found out why because the next night shadows had began to surround the new born born baby. They thought the boy was possessed so he was handed over to the local church where he was cared for by the local priests. They raised him the best he could but it was quite a rough life for the boy. He was brutalized by the local children and often had to fight to survive. However things changed when he was 5 years old and the mercenary Floyd Martin came into town.

When Martin arrived he heard whispers about the local demon boy , or "demonio" as he was referred to by the locals. Martin was walking through town when he was a boy being brutally beaten by others. Martin scattered the other boys and discovered that the boy who he had saved was in fact the demon. Roy would not talk to Martin for a very long time but after Martin fed him and fixed his wounds Roy spoke up. When Martin heard of the boy's powers he was quite interested, thinking about his potential. Martin offered to adopt the boy who readily agreed to escape the hell that he currently lived in.

Martin brought Roy to his mansion in the Andes where he trained the boy to be a fierce warrior and future mercenary. He was harsh with Roy, but kept him safe and well fed. They actually began to bond after a while. Roy was given an excellent education both academically and militarily. He proved to have quite the scientific mind and was building computers by the time he was 10.

There was one problem for Martin, Roy showed a strong aversion to killing. His weapon of choice was a non lethal staff and he refused to kill. Martin thought he could eventually dissuade Roy of this naive principle. However their relationship came to an unpleasant end when one night Martin told Roy that the next morning he would have to kill in order to prove his dedication to him and the mercenary life. That night, Roy gathered his staff, armor, and as much money and equipment and ran away in the shadows.

For 6 months the 15 year old boy was on the run from his vengeful mercenary father, dealing with the internal struggle between his principles and his training. It was then out of desperation that he attempted to rob Justice Tower. Little did he know it was the home of the Justice Queens and he didn't make it very far. Luckily for him they were not angry nor did they call the police. Instead they welcomed him with open arms, cleaned him up and gave him a place to stay. Valancy in particular took the boy in, and they developed a very close relationship.

Soon however Floyd came after Roy, kidnapping him and beating him severely as bait for Valancy and the Justice Queens. In a great battle the JQ managed to rescue him and send Floyd to jail where he belonged. Now finally free of his past, Roy began to establish himself as a hero as well, though he was inexperienced still. He fought along side the Justice Queens for two years, and made a reputation for himself in New York, though he often felt he was under the Queens' shadow. As the team slowly fell apart because of infighting, fatigue, and struggles over leadership, Roy became disenchanted with the idea of being on a team. He moved out west to make a name for himself as a hero, leaving New York behind for now. Despite offers from numerous talented and famous teams such as the Los Angeles Stars, the San Francisco Rising Stars, and the San Diego Dolphins, he turned them all down in favor of being a solo hero living in San Diego.

## Powers and abilities

Like most other members of the Young Bloods, Roy has access to superhuman powers thanks to the Dragon Crystals.

* **Shadow Absorption**: Roy can take in any darkness around it, and use it to greatly increase his strength and speed, as well as project it as an energy weapon. Roy can only absorb so much dark energy and if he absorbs too much darkness it will cause him pain and deteriorate his body.

* **Shadow Blending**: Roy can use shadows to blend in and make himself invisible to others, he can also travel short distances at great speeds when they are covered in darkness.