Shade, the Changing Man (1990) Comic
Summary
Shade must convince someone of his true identity before people from his home dimension can unleash madness across America. But the only one he's convinced so far is the daughter of a serial killer's victim--the same condemned killer he now inhabits. In this premiere issue of Peter Milligan's revamping of Steve Ditko's Shade the Changing Man begins with an introduction to various members of the main cast and the stage is set for the rest of the series. First we meet Kathy George, and learn that she sees hallucinations and spent sometime in an asylum after an event three years past. Her life went downhill after going home (to the South) with her African American boyfriend, Roger, only to walk in on Troy Grenzer mutilating her parent's murdered bodies. This was a shock all its own but it didn't help matters that when Roger and Grenzer were fighting on the front yard the cops shot Roger. So for three years, every night since, Kathy has been haunted by Grenzer in her dreams and when it finally came time for his execution, she decided the best day to get closure would be to travel to the penitentiary where he was imprisoned and stand outside it while he got the electric chair treatment, so that's what she did. Only things went horribly wrong, Shade crossed over from Meta through the Madness, taking over Troy's body since he was already going to die anyways. So Kathy finds herself in a crazy situation when the man responsible for the deaths of all her loved ones gets in her car and tells her to drive. She drives, he claims to be Shade and tries to explain what happened and she's so shocked she simply doesn't argue. They pull into a hotel and there Shade rests and tries to become accustomed to his new powers that stem from the M-Vest while Kathy prepares herself to silence this bogeyman once and for all. The story is interrupted at this point when we go to the Farmhouse Mental Hospital and find a student recording a tape that he hopes is found before its too late. He speaks of a scream that started in the hospital, getting louder and louder, and now reaching critical mass. It's America's scream, the American Scream, it comes from the Madness and is now out to see free the madness inside everyone. While he says this, his legs have become worms, his torso flowers and then his head that of a bird until finally the entire mental hospital explodes in a nuclear blast. Meanwhile, back at the penitentiary, Mr. Stringer and Mr. Conner go through the unbelievable events that were have said to have happened at Troy Grenzer's execution and try to figure things out. They also come across the dead body of an individual hit by a car who dissolves at being touched (Shade explained earlier to Kathy when she hit him that he was simply an unintentional rearranging of atoms by the M-Vest). Finally, at the hotel, Kathy prepares to kill Troy (Shade) with a knife but he remains adamant that he is not Troy. Suddenly hallucinations come to Kathy and she sees her parents, and Roger, and then Troy, he kills them again and he comes for her. It's the Madness. Using the knife she kills the Shade that came alive from her thoughts and Shade begins to levitate with his surge of power. After that turmoil is over and things get settled down, he and Kathy agree to stick together when cops come on the scene, but Shade easily dispatches them with their fears come to life. So, he and Kathy make their escape, him sleeping in the back of the car with her driving into a horizon that looks all wrong. The madhouse.
Related Series
Shade, the Changing Girl
Shade, The Changing Woman
Shade, The Changing Girl (2016)
Shade, the Changing Girl/Wonder Woman Special
Shade, the Changing Man (1990)
Shade, the Changing Man (1977)
The Punisher Invades the 'Nam
Shadowland: After the Fall
Punisher Invades the 'Nam: Final Invasion
Shi/Daredevil: Honor Thy Mother
Shadowland: Daughters of the Shadow
What If General Ross Had Become the Hulk?
Star Wars - Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin
I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets!
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows
Ex-Mutants: The Shattered Earth Chronicles
Aliens/Predator: The Deadliest of the Species
Shanna the She-Devil: Survival of the Fittest
Marvel Super Hero Adventures: The Spider-Doctor
Superman vs. The Terminator: Death to the Future
Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Death of Superman
Street Fighter V - The Life and Death(s) of Charlie Nash
Urza-Mishra War on the World of Magic: The Gathering
Guardians of the Galaxy and X-Men: The Black Vortex
New Humans Annual - The Shattered Earth Chronicles
Strontium Dog Search and Destroy: The Starlord Years
Street Fighter V: The Life and Death(s) of Charlie Nash
Flashpoint: Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager
Shadowland: Street Heroes
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Defenders of the Lost Temple
Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith - The Essential Guide To The Force
Guardians of the Galaxy and X-Men: The Black Vortex Omega
Guardians of the Galaxy and X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha
Sparring With Gil Kane: Colloquies On Comic Art and Aesthetics
Strontium Dog: The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha: The Project
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Legend of the Fire Princess
Tales From the Dark Multiverse: Wonder Woman: War of the Gods
Marvel Super Hero Adventures: Captain Marvel - Mealtime Mayhem
Marvel Super Hero Adventures: Ms. Marvel and the Teleporting Dog
Marvel Super Hero Adventures: Spider-Man – Across the Spider-Verse
He-Man and She-Ra: A Complete Guide to the Classic Animated Adventures
Star Wars: Darth Maul - Death Sentence
Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia: The Official Guide to the First 30 Years
Marvel Super Hero Adventures: Captain Marvel - Halloween Spooktacular
Newstime
Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone (and the Monster Hunters)
Turn Loose Our Death Rays and Kill Them All!: The Complete Works of Fletcher Hanks
The Grievous Journey of Ichabod Azrael (and the DEAD LEFT in His WAKE)
Shi/Cyblade: The Battle for Independents
Age Of TV Heroes: The Live-Action Adventures Of Your Favorite Comic Book Characters
Frank Frazetta's The Adventures of the Snow Man
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command (2011)
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Volume Three
Shadowhawk/Vampirella: Creatures of the Night
How To Train Your Dragon: The Serpent's Heir
Arcana Studio Presents Howard Lovecraft & the Frozen Kingdom
The Magdalena: Seventh Sacrament
The Witcher: Of Flesh and Flame
Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Land That Time Forgot: See-Ta the Savage
Astro City: Dark Age/Book Three
Ray and Joe: The Story of a Man and His Dead Friend
Arcana Studio Presents Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom
Arcana Studio Presents: Howard Lovecraft & The Kingdom of Madness
Resident Alien: The Man With No Name
The Ten-Seconders
New Crusaders: Rise Of The Heroes
Before Watchmen: Comedian/Rorschach
Chronicles Of The Dragon Knights Vol. 7: To See the Sun Again
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 4: The Tempest
Superman-Shazam - First Thunder
Chronicles of The Dragon Knights Vol. 6: Beyond the Mountains
Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons
The Secret History of Marvel Comics
Doctor Strange - The Punisher - Magic Bullets Infinite