Black History Month – Silhouette

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Real Name: Janelle Chord (legally changed from Silhouette Chord)
Aliases: None
Identity: Secret
Occupation: Wanderer, Instructor at Danny Rand’s Martial Arts School (Sensei)
Citizenship: United States Citizen with no criminal record.
Place of Birth: Unknown
Known Relatives: Andrew Chord (father), Miyami (Mother, deceased), Aaron Chord/Midnight’s Fire (Twin Brother), Julia Chord (Niece)
Group Affiliation: Formerly Concrete Dragons, New Warriors, Folding Circle
First Appearance: New Warriors #2 (Volume One)
History: In 1966 during the Vietnam War, an American recon patrol in Cambodia stumbled upon an ancient, hidden temple of a cult known as the Dragon’s Breadth, which had remained hidden for centuries. It had been built upon a well-spring of raw, primal energy called the “Well of All Things”. The inhabitants decided to breed a superior race that would one day unite with the ways of the west. They believed that this union would produce children capable of harnessing the power of the Well. The members of the recon patrol were to be the fathers of these children, one of these men was Andrew Chord the man who would become Silhouette’s father. Seeking a better life for her children, Silhouette and Midnight’s Fire, were brought to a woman to take care of them, away from Tai.

Silhouette and her brother Midnight’s Fire are the only children of Andrew Chord, the former guardian of Dwayne Taylor (Night Thrasher). Silhouette and Midnight’s Fire were operating as independent vigilantes in the streets of New York City, when they met Dwayne (before he had become Night Thrasher), and the three began an organized effort to take down various New York City street gangs.

This partnership ended when Silhouette was shot and paralyzed from the legs down in a sting gone bad. Midnight’s Fire blamed Dwayne, becoming a cop killer and druglord in order to lure Dwayne into a physical confrontation he could not possibly win. Later the partially paralyzed Silhouette reunited with Dwayne, distancing herself from her brother’s evil actions.

Diego Cassias, one of the other members of the recon patrol, now calling himself The Left Hand, stole the power of the Well from his own child, then gathered the other children of the pact into a group called the Folding Circle. The Circle attempted to take control of the Well away from Tai. Members of the Circle, together with the New Warriors, managed to defeat Tai, but the Well was sealed, Cassias and Tai were apparently killed, and the surviving members of the Circle escaped in a stolen Avengers’ Quinjet.

The remaining members of the Folding Circle later crashed in Madripoor and attempted to usurp the role of local druglord (Aardwolf, a Mutant crimelord). They succeeded, but were later taken down by Night Thrasher and Silhouette.

For a time, Silhouette and Night Thrasher were lovers; in fact, Dwayne had been in love with her for a very long time, but his anger and single-minded obsession with his “mission” eventually pushed her away. Silhouette later hooked up with Dwayne’s half-brother Bandit, and they both left the team.

Silhouette and Bandit moved to Chicago together, and for a long time, nothing was heard from either of them until Bandit showed up in New Orleans, attempting to con Belladonna into helping him destroy the Thieves Guild. It is during this story that Gambit reveals the fact that Bandit and Silhouette are still together, and that he was only manipulating Belladonna. The Guild was destroyed and Bandit left New Orleans and presumably returned to Chicago.

Silhouette and Bandit parted ways for reasons unknown. Silhouette would turn up again as a part of the 50 State Initiative. She would also later meet the man calling himself Night Thrasher (despite having seen Dwayne, the original Night Thrasher, apparently perish in Stamford). She quickly discovered that it was actually Donyell. She tried to convince him to register and become a part of the Initiative and quit this business with the New Warriors before someone else got hurt – but he would have none of it.

Silhouette would eventually help The New Warriors that was led by Justice and Speedball against the Inhumans.

After the battle with the Inhumans, Silhouette became a Sensei / Instructor at the Martial Arts School run by Danny Rand (Iron Fist) and Misty Knight.

Silhouette’s life would go on to become complicated, when her brother Midnight’s Fire joined an organization called The Ten Rings and went on to try and recruit Riri Williams, better known as Ironheart. Ironheart would go on to fight a mystical villain named Eclipse who was also tied to the terrorist organization The Ten Rings. Ironheart turned to Doctor Strange who provided information about the mystical Wellspring of Power her mentor, Tony Stark (Iron Man) and provided her a contact in Wakanda. This eventually draws the attention of Silhouette who arrives in Wakanda and teams up with Ironheart and Shuri.

Together they piece together that Midnight’s Fire and the Ten Rings are trying to figure out how to make a sacrifice to the Wellspring without using their own lives (Eclipse was seeing raising zombies and creating “shadow beings” that drain life force), and that if they succeed they will have untapped and endless power. The trio arrive and engage in a fight with the Ten Rings, including Midnight’s Fire, and Riri’s biological father, going by the name Dune (who can manipulate the Earth). Okoye, from Wakanda arrives to give some assistance, but it’s not enough and Ironheart grabs the Stone of Hala and plunges into the Wellspring where she unleashes her potential and rises from the Wellspring, forcing the members of the Ten Rings, including Midnight’s Fire, to flee.

Silhouette would eventually try to seek some semblance of a normal life for herself, and looked to begin with trying to date a normal person. After several dates, where she thought it better to use a fake name, rather than “Silhouette” – she realized that she should probably begin with changing her name legally, which she does to Janelle Chord. One of those dates she’d previously gone on, and ironically had used the name “Janelle” before she’d legally changed it – runs into her again, with his daughter, Kendra. Patrick, the man who’d been on the date apologizes for having been so invested in his phone; but explains that he and the ex-wife share custody of Kendra, and something had come up. He asks Janelle for a do-over, and offers to take her on a date as his plus one to court side seats at a Knicks game, which Janelle agrees to go on.

Height: 5’6
Weight: 106 lbs.
Eyes: Black (No Visible Pupils)
Hair: Black

Powers: Silhouette is able to manipulate the Darkforce energies. Silhouette originally had the power to shadowmelt, thereby becoming nearly invisible while under the cover of darkness, as well as the ability to teleport via dimension hop, using any available shadow as a portal. She could also open small portals anywhere shadows exist and use them to attack distant enemies. After a disturbance in the Darkforce that affected everyone who used it, she found that her powers had increased to the point where she could now teleport others. She has demonstrated this ability by teleporting small groups of people along with herself, although it is painful and leaves her exhausted. She can also now become ‘living darkness’, and can cause extreme pain by phasing through the bodies of her enemies. She also displayed the ability to manipulate the Darkforce energies to be able to lash out and grab and lift objects (as done to Night Thrasher and Bandit in New Warriors Volume 4 #8). Like her brother Midnight’s Fire, Silhouette also has enhanced speed, strength, agility, and sensory perception.

Accessories: Crutches made by Dwayne Taylor that allow her to distribute an electrical shock to anyone she attacks.

Note: While still paralyzed, she is a capable martial artist but is not on par with her brother.