Shade was born on the planet Meta, and since his parents failed the parenting exam he was given a new set of parents that raised him. As a child he was considered too sensitive and as a youth his pursuit of Radhu (a girl he loved) caused him to become a worrisome case. Thus, in an attempt to drive out his impulsiveness and other "demons", at the age of 13 the Holy Surgeon drilled the Sacred Laser into his head and made him a rational adult. On Meta, Shade would go on to become engaged to Mellu but they were never to wed as the Changemaster Wizor would approach Shade and send him through the Area of Madness as an agent on Earth to cure the Madness, initially in the form of the American Scream but later in other forms as well. Creation Shade, the Changing Man

When Gola Zae teleports Mellu into the Zone of Madness, Shade must rescue her and then fight a desperate battle with the help of Dr. Sagan to preserve her sanity and her life. Mellu learns that Shade risked his life to save her, and joins Shade's secret allies in an attempt to break him out of government custody, while one of the Supreme Decider's rivals, Khaos, breaks away from the Crime Council to attempt to conquer Meta on his own. Shade became increasingly doubtful of the wisdom of staying with the Squad. So when Lashina (in the disguise of Duchess) came to him with an offer to return him to his home dimension via a detour to Apokolips, Shade agrees, not knowing what was in store for him. He ends up being forced to kidnap Vixen as well as Captain Boomerang (although he had little regret over kidnapping the latter). Shade knew that his actions were wrong, but felt he had little choice. [4]

Notes

Nithercott wasn't only tainted by something 'other'. Its teachers all seemed horrible to their students along with the nasty students themselves. One in particular is spreading gossip via an app just like in Karen McManus 'One of Us is Lying' and others portrayed the elitist attitudes of the very wealthy. A toxic environment for any student, let alone what is going on behind the scenes. With that being said, the storyline is a good premise. I like the idea of a teen-detective discovering the disappearance of a fellow student; it’s giving me A Good Girls Guide to Murder vibes and I love it. I thought this would be a creepy thriller/mystery book and I was so excited to read it, but after 4 chapters it just wasn’t gripping me and I’m sad to say I did DNF it. Who is the figure she's started seeing in the shadowy halls, who looks mysteriously like herself? And is there any truth in to the strange urban legend that travels the school like mist . . . the legend of the Changing Man?

Gender Bender: Shade's consciousness leaps into the body of a recently murdered woman. Unfortunately, he was unable to alter her body to resemble his old one until he solved her murder and put her soul at rest. This led to various comical scenes with Shade experiencing the Male Gaze, his first period and sex as a woman. In 2016, DC announced Shade, The Changing Girl, by writer Cecil Castellucci and artist Marley Zarcone, as one of the titles under Gerard Way's Young Animal imprint, featuring a female alien, Loma Shade, with the Madness Vest and hiding out in the body of a 16-year-old girl. After the "Milk Wars" crossover, it was relaunched as Shade, The Changing Woman. Minton, Turner (February 6, 2017). "Justice League Dark: The 15 Most Powerful Members, Ranked". Screen Rant . Retrieved April 4, 2018.While the plot of The Changing Man is solid, Oyemakinde’s true strength here lies in its trio of central heroes – helplessly angry Ben, chronic people pleaser Bee, and the detached, pained Ife – each of whom has a solidly-crafted arc across the duration of the novel, whether that’s overcoming anger to channel it into action, learning to stand up for one’s beliefs, or, most pleasingly in Ife’s case, finding the strength to stand and fight in the face of immeasurable odds and ancient evil. Beat Still, My Heart: Shade's heart is stolen by a squatter in his home after a battle. He embarks on a half-hearted rescue of it, and when he finally catches up to it, has a heart-to-heart talk with it. And then steps on it when he decides he's better off heartless. It appears from time to time, still beating, moving under its own power, and even has internal monologues. Too Kinky to Torture: In Peter Milligan's reboot of Shade, the Changing Man, version 3 of Shade is driven mad by his previous death and afterlife. When he finds out he's about to be tortured, he expresses enthusiasm for the idea, as long as it's being done by an expert. Me's a Crowd: As fractured as Shade is on the inside, it was probably badly advised for him to split up physically. After generating an Evil Clone who escaped and attempted to supplant the original, Shade stopped deliberately duplicating himself.