Name

Current Alias

Aliases

We're gonna be ateam now...? So what do wecall ourselves?

Early Life[]

Tandy Bowen was born in Shaker Heights,Ohio, an affluent suburb ofCleveland. Bowen's mother,Melissa, was a celebrated and self-centered model who had become rich not only from her own career but also from receiving her previous husband's estate. Tandy's father had left forIndia seeking "spiritual rebirth." Subsequently, Melissa marriedPhillip Carlisle. Although kind, Tandy was still hurt by her father's leaving and did not accept Phillip. Her mother also neglected her.^[7]

Feeling unloved, Tandy turned for affection to an older teenager namedRob Daltry. But when he left for college shortly thereafter, the despondent Tandy left home on a bus forNew York City. While there, a man tried to rob her but was stopped by the homelessTyrone Johnson. She bought him food and the two became friends.^[7]

Kidnapping and Experiment[]

Dr. Simon Marshall and his men rounded up runaways, offering them food and shelter. Naive, Tandy agreed, and Tyrone went with her, suspecting things were not right. There, they were knocked unconscious and injected with adesigner drug theMaggia wished to use as a replacement for heroin. Because of latent mutant genetic factors and some magical interference byD'Spayre, Tyrone and Tandy survived while the others died due to the drugs' effects.^[8] They escaped, along with another prisoner, the Chinese human-carrier who would becomeMister Negative,^[9] jumping into the river, and both began manifesting superhuman powers. They discovered Tandy could keep Tyrone in check. Marshall's men attacked, but were consumed by Cloak's hunger then hit with Dagger's light daggers.^[10][7]

Cloak & Dagger[]

The two became Cloak and Dagger, pledging to protect other young people from the dangers they had encountered. Tandy is fiercely loyal to Cloak. Even when offered to be reunited with her stepfather, she remained with Cloak.^[11]

Cloak & Dagger also teamed withSpider-Man and others to halt a murderous supervillain rampage led by superhuman serial killerCarnage; later, Dagger helped rescue theNew Warriors from the supremely powerfulSphinx. She accepted an offer of New Warriors membership, though Cloak declined to join. Serving as a Warriors reservist, Dagger also undertook a single mission with the informalSecret Defenders group.

Cloak was manipulated byNightmare into wanting to consume all lawbreakers. Dagger sought the assistance ofDaredevil,Black Widow,Moon Knight,Shang Chi,Doctor Strange, and thePunisher. Eventually, Dagger was forced to use her full power on Cloak, which seemed to transfer his darkness to her, reverting him to normal. Cloak eventually regained his powers from Dagger and the two continued to adventure.^[12]

More recently, the secret criminal group known as thePride tricked Cloak & Dagger into trying to retrieve their superpowered children. An encounter with these youngRunaways soon convinced Cloak & Dagger of the Pride's true nature, but before they could act on this knowledge, the villains erased the duo's memories of the Pride. Cloak & Dagger continued to roam the mean streets, bringing the light of hope to the innocent and dark justice to the guilty.

OrderlyReginald Mantz managed to replicate Cloak's powers withMutant Growth Hormone. He then beat Dagger and left her hospitalized. The Runaways and theNew Avengers found evidence of "Cloak" acting this way and confronted the real Cloak and Dagger; however, they eventually discovered the truth. She and Cloak were able to regain their memories of the Runaways.^[13]

Civil War[]

During the conflict around theSuperhuman Registration Act, she joined theSecret Avengers. She and Cloak were captured in a stratagem ofCaptain America to makeS.H.I.E.L.D. trust his circumstantial allyWilson Fisk. They escaped, were recaptured, and freed for the final battle. As theNegative Zone Portal was closed, Tandy convinced Tyrone to open a portal toManhattan where the battle continued.^[14]

X-Men[]

At some point, Cloak and Dagger were active inColombia, destroying drug plantations. The drug lord hiredIron Patriot via theH.A.M.M.E.R. to take them down. Instead, he recruited them into his ownX-Men,^[15] and used them againstSan Francisco rioters andStephen Lang'sBio-sentinels.^[15]

WhenEmma Frost andNamor eventually revealed their true allegiance, they asked Cloak and Dagger to stay back and, following the traitors to the newly built mutant nation ofUtopia, were presented byCyclops as being part of his plan from the beginning so they would be accepted in the community.^[16]

Later, she was one of those who convinced Cyclops that his attitude towardDeadpool (rejecting him from joining Utopia's X-Men) was kind of hypocritical.^[17]

Spider-Island[]

Cloak and Dagger's powers were switched thanks to Mr. Negative during the events of Spider-Island: Cloak now provided the light, while Dagger provided the dark, and had to feed from Cloak's light energy to temporarily satisfy her cravings. It was also foretold that Dagger would be the one to eventually kill Mr. Negative.^[18][19]

All-New, All-Different[]

Although Martin Li was arrested at some point, Cloak and Dagger had been using Shade patches, which dosed them with a drug that stimulated the effects of Negative's touch, ensuring that their criminal personas would 'remain' loyal to him. Breaking him out of the prison ship where Li was being kept they restored him to Mister Negative to lead an assault onParker Industries inJapan. Although Peter was able to escape being corrupted by Negative thanks to Negative's prior corruption of Spider-Man, Cloak and Dagger managed to help Negative escape when Peter tracked them to hisHong Kong headquarters by secretly placing aSpider-Tracer on Cloak. Using this tracer, Peter was able to inject Cloak with a cure for Shade that he later used to cure Dagger, apparently restoring their original powers. Although Mister Negative had escaped, Cloak and Dagger decided to remain in Hong Kong to guard it from any future attacks.^[20]

Absolute Carnage[]

During Carnage's rampage with hisCult of Knull, Tandy and Tyrone were recruited byIron Fist along with some other heroes in order to rescueMisty Knight who was being chased byDemagoblin andCarnage's Hive in the sewers.^[21] The heroes entered the sewers and looked for Misty Knight, with Dagger fighting off many of Carnage's symbiote minions. After a long time fighting the waves of symbiotes, the team found Misty as she was about to be killed by Demagoblin and theMan-Wolf. The heroes managed to defeat Demagoblin and made Man-Wolf to free himself from Carnage's control.^[22] Dagger and the other heroes were later brought by Cloak to the final battle against Carnage's horde.^[23]

Savage Avengers[]

When a new iteration of the Savage Avengers was united to confront the threat of a Madbomb set off by the Cult of Set, Dagger discovered a range of new uses for her powers, including more extensive range of constructs, physical healing abilities (even of the recently deceased), invisibility, and light manipulation.^{[citation needed]}

Fall of X[]

• Lightforce Generation: As a result of her exposure to experimental drugs, Dagger generates a form of 'living light' which is actuallyLightforce. She produces much more than normal humans do, but is usually conservative in the use of her powers. Overuse of her powers could be fatal. Dagger generates and stores this lifeforce energy automatically. If she goes for more than a week or so without using her powers she will become fevered and delirious, and eventually discharge her energy involuntarily. When inverted byMister Negative, Dagger draws her powers from the Darkforce, but they are otherwise identical, save for her daggers causing additional pain.^[24][25]
  • Lightforce Constructs: Tandy can form constructs made of Lightforce. Primarily, these have been 6-inch 'light daggers' which she can throw from her fingertips. Her daggers may automatically form under certain conditions, such as another person in danger. The maximum effective range is unknown, but the daggers seem to weaken with further distance. Tandy has a limited ability to control their flight and reinforce them by compelling them to seek targets. They can track a being, but it is most effective when searching forCloak. Those hit by these knives have their own lifeforce disrupted. Dagger can then drain a portion of their lifeforce; enough to kill if she wishes. Normally she chooses to leave them in a state of shock where they will see a vision of how their life might be different. The experience is powerful enough to make most individuals rethink their choices, although a hardened criminal or evil being is unlikely to change their ways.^[25] During her membership of the Savage Avengers, however, she discovered that she could create more complex constructs, including chains, swords, armour, a swing, a bow and arrows, and a scale model of a temple the team was about to assault. Tandy now believes that her only limitation is her imagination.
  • Lightforce Healing: Tandy's energy can also 'purge' a person, removing toxins, drugs, and other malignant substances from their system. It also has the capacity to cure certain persons of drug addictions.^[25] During her time as one of the Savage Avengers, she discovered that she could use this power to heal physical wounds, including restoring Flash Thompson's wounded symbiote, and healing a recently killed Conan, and in combination with Cloak, amplify Elektra's necromancy.
  • Lightforce Manipulation: Sometimes Tandy can redirect the daggers after they ricochet, other times the daggers are dispersed if they hit a non-living thing. She can project her lifeforce energy in a diffuse manner, allowing her toilluminate dark areas as if by natural light. Tandy can also projects her 'light' into Cloak's dimension to feed his 'hunger.'^[25] She is unharmed when traveling through his dimension and can pass this protection to others.
  • Light Manipulation: During her membership of the Savage Avengers, after instruction from Dane Whitman, Tandy discovered that she could also manipulate natural light, meaning that she could make herself invisible and redirect lasers.

• Dancing: Dagger is an experienced dancer.^[25]
• Skilled Combatant: Her athleticism, dance and gymnastic skills make her a good hand-to-hand combatant able to dodge gunfire. She was also blind for a time^[26], so she knows how to move unhindered without being able to see.^[25]

• Themutant status ofCloak and Dagger is controversial, and has moved over the years:
  • Cloak speculated thatLeech having no effect on his powers was because he and Dagger weren't mutants.^[27]
  • Cloak and Dagger Vol 3 stated them to be mutants, and was full-titled"The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger".^[8]
  • TheCivil War: Battle Damage Report stated that the drug giving them powers in fact triggered latent mutant powers, but that they were science- and magic-based mutates.^[14]
  • WhenNorman Osborn came to recruit them for hisX-Men, they stated they weren't mutants (to which Osborn replied they may as well be).^[15]
  • Dagger was 'confirmed' byDoctor Nemesis as NOT being amutant, with noX-Gene and no readings onCerebro, but also no altered DNA helix or hereditary markers, her powers being solely based on the drug she and Cloak had been injected with.^[28]
    • Dagger mentioned that there was other more extensive tests that could be done on their bone marrow to indicate if they possess anX-Gene, which was suggested byBeast, but Nemesis insisted in the fact she wasn't a mutant no matter what.^[28]
  • Cloak and Dagger were stated to be mutants inMarvel Fact Files #19.
  • It was stated bySteve Rogers that it was now confirmed that both of them weren't mutants but altered humans.^[29]
• The white circle around Dagger's right eye is a manifestation of her abilities. It will spontaneously manifest when she uses her abilities at times, then vanish when she stops.^[30] Professor Xavier and Wolfsbane also manifested the circle when they temporarily hosted Dagger's displaced power.^[31]

• Dagger is in a romantic relationship withCloak.^[32]
  • Cloak and Dagger (Vol. 5) previously depicted them as exes who had entered and ended a relationship off-panel, andCloak and Dagger: Negative Exposure - Marvel Digital Original #2–3 had them get back together and break up with their respective partners. This was apparently retconned inSavage Avengers (Vol. 2) #1, where they were shown as not having been together before and having broken up with their respective partners for different reasons.

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