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Character Template HelpHelp
Real Name
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Cliff (real last name unknown)
Current Alias
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Identity
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Alignment
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Affiliation
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Agent of The Shadow

Relatives
Arline Griscom (wife; deceased)

Base Of Operations
New York City (Hotel Spartan)

Characteristics
Gender
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Eyes
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Hair
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Status
Citizenship
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Marital Status
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Occupation
Spy

Origin
Origin
Marsland is one of the toughest, both physically and emotionally, of the Shadow's agents and has a reputation of being a cold-blooded mob leader in the criminal world.

Creators
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First appearance
Last appearance

History

Cliff Marsland is one of The Shadow's most trusted agents. The two men first met during World War I, however, the details of this adventure are now lost.

In 1932 Marsland was released from Sing Sing, after serving time for a murder charge he did not commit. The real culprit was his fiancee's brother, the young Mr. Griscom. Marsland took the blame to ensure his fiancee's family would not endure any unnecessary strife.

Once out of prison, Marsland was sought out by The Shadow who quickly recruited him as an agent.

Due to his big size, rugged looks and a reputation of serving time, Marsland is able to infiltrate the underworld on The Shadow's behalf. He pretends to be a ruthless thug, a free-lance fighter and a gunman of high repute. To the criminal world, he owes allegiance to no gang. There is even a spreading rumor that he is gunning for The Shadow. The fact that Marsland is still alive seems to impress fellow mobsters, as mugs who usually talk about getting the crime-fighter often disappear mysteriously from the bad lands. Apparently, Marsland is too tough for The Shadow to get, a strategy The Shadow helped build up.

During his first case, Marsland and his fiancee, Arline Griscom, were reunited when he rescued her from kidnappers.[1] They later married, and the two settled down together. Sadly, Arline passed away a few years later.

After his wife's death, Marsland continued to serve for The Shadow as a watchdog in the underworld, often visiting the dives and hangouts frequented by various mobsters. Red Mike, the brawny, red-haired proprietor of The Black Ship and later his own notorious bar, is friendly to Marsland, due to him uncovering the stool pigeons who are unwelcome in his establishment.

Marsland is often assisted by a little hunched man who is also a Shadow agent, Hawkeye. Gang leaders believe it's probably Hawkeye who spots any trouble for him. No wonder Marsland has been able to play his hand without interference from the fighter in black. Unknown to the underworld is how these two unlikely companions actually work together as combatants of crime, by maintaining a contact between notorious racketeers and the king of crime avengers -- The Shadow.


Powers and Abilities

Powers


Abilities


Strength level


Weaknesses



Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons:

  • He is exceptionally good in hand-to-hand combat and carries a .45. Most of his victims are unnamed crooks, however, once he shot and killed a knife-jabbing thug, Moy Ming.[2]


Notes

  • Like The Shadow, Marsland was also a spy during WWI. The two met in the French village of Esternay in 1918.
  • Marsland and Hawkeye met in prison prior to being recruited as agents for The Shadow.[3]
  • It is believed that only The Shadow knows Marsland's true last name.
  • While The Shadow was in Pomelo City, Florida, it was reported that back in New York, Marsland played a ruse on some racketeers by dressing in a black cloak and hat.[4]


Trivia

  • No trivia.


See Also


Links and References

Shadow Agents (Default)
Shadow Agent
This character is or was an agent of The Shadow. Together, as a team of underworld spies, they fought crime under the leadership of The Shadow. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Shadow Agent" category.
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