Welcome back nerd squad, my name is Roya Destroy and this is Top 10 Nerd.
We have just gotten a taste of the new Cloak and Dagger TV show, and they may be unfamiliar
faces to some of you; who exactly is this duo?
Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen are a duo that has been around since 1982 and have a long
history, and now are being thrust back into the spotlight all these years later.
So letÕs take a look at the top 10 CLOAK AND DAGGER SHOCKING FACTS.
In the number 10 spot IS HOW THEY WERE CREATED.
Writer Bill Mantlo came up with the idea for the superhero duo in a bit of a strange way.
He was on a trip to Ellis Island, which is where the statue of liberty resides and the
first point of contact for immigrants entering the US.
At night he was influenced by the feelings of misery, hunger, and wanting that he said
haunted him at the islandÑand out of the blue the images and stories of cloak and dagger
materialized.
So wanna write a couple awesome characters?
Get traveling.
Next, at number 9, WE GOT HOW THEY MET.
Tyrone was unable to save his friend from being shot by a cop because he has a major
stutterÑthis event caused him to run away.
On the other hand, Tandy was raised in a rich household but was neglected and ran off as
well.
Out on the streets, somebody nabbed TandyÕs purse and Tyrone rescued it for her; soon
they became fast friends.
Little did Tandy know Ty was also thinking about stealing her purse at the same time.
HeÕs probably glad he hesitated now.
Coming in at number 8, THEY ARE NOT MUTANTS most times.
BUT THEY WERE.
SOMETIMES.
Yeah I know, I hate me too.
In their earliest appearances, the duo was considered mutants just like the rest of the
associated Xmen.
Their powers were latent, activated by an injection of the illegal drug.
However, they were later claimed to mutate, whose powers were triggered by external mutagens.
So the status went back and forth until I think everyone settled on them not being mutants,
but humans who were changed with a mutagenic alteration.
Or were they?
In the number 7 spot, WE HAVE THEIR POWERS.
So what did all this DNA alteration end up doing to them?
CloakÕs power lies within his body is attuned to the darkforce, with which he can manipulate
to steal peopleÕs life force or shroud them in misery and nightmare.
So metal.
Dagger, on the other hand, can create daggers of psionic light that wound or heal.
The two work so well together because Cloak needs to feed off the life force of light,
and Dagger is always at risk of overcharge.
Symbiosis at its finest.
Up at number 6 IS THEIR VILLAINS.
A unique feature about Cloak and Dagger when they were starring in their own series is
that they often did not deal with costumed supervillains.
Rather they tackled street crime.
Looking at the powers they wield, if you ask me, it seems a little unfair to the street
criminals.
To reflect on this sentiment, the books did tackle the issue of whether Cloak and Dagger
were part of the solution, or if they were actually exacerbating the problem.
A question that grew increasingly frequent in comic books.
Coming in at number 5, WE HAVE THE ANTI DRUG CRUSADES.
So what is a very common street crime that vigilantes may want to tackle?
Drug trafficking of course.
And Cloak and DaggerÕs series was a vessel to get across a very strong anti-drug message
to the impressionable youth.
This is especially important in terms of runaway youth and street drugs because many disenfranchised
kids turn to drugs when they have nowhere else to turn.
So we expect to see a similar motif in the TV show if it decides to stick true to the
origins of the characters of course.
IÕm watching you.
Next up, at number 4 IS DAGGERÕS FACIAL MARKING.
The mark that encircleÕs daggerÕs eye isnÕt just there for fun, nor is it makeup or her
trying out the latest in cupping therapy.
The white marking is a manifestation of her power; it appears off and on, usually when
she is using her abilities.
The mark was also present on Wolfsbane and Professor X when they were in control of her
powers for a while.
So donÕt mess with anyone with a white mark near their eyeÑyou could find yourself getting
daggered.
Up next at number 3, WE GOT CHADWICK BOSEMAN AS A MENTOR.
Playing a superhero on screen is tougher than it seems; not every actor is a natural at
it.
To alleviate some of the stress of their roles, cloak and Dagger actors Aubrey Joseph and
Olivia Holt sought out a mentor to teach them the ropes.
This was Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther.
The number one piece of advice he gave them?
Never lose touch with the human side of their hero; itÕs the side the audience will connect
with.
Not the side trying to absorb their life force.
In the number 2 spot, THEY WERE MEMBERS OF THE DARK XMEN.
The Dark Xmen were a team put together by the villainous Norman Osborne, just leeching
off the good reputation of the actual X-Men team.
While Cloak and Dagger were hesitant to join, they are swayed by NormanÕs promise to help
them take the war on drugs further.
However, the team fell apart due to Emma Frost and NamorÕs betrayal, and they were offered
a chance to join the actual Xmen team insteadÑone that might actually have a real interest in
a good deed.
And finally, in the number 1 spot, WE HAVE CROAK AND BADGER.
Ending off on a fun note here, Cloak and Dagger have counterparts in the Spider-Ham universe.
I know, who even thinks of these things.
Their names are Croak and Badger, and IÕll gives you two guesses what animals they may
be.
ItÕs good fun and all but that Dagger suit really ainÕt working for a badger.
And speaking of badger, are we sure the artists here even know what a badger looks like?
Hmmm IÕm gonna say probably not.
So those were the top 10 CLOAK AND DAGGER FACTS.
Let me know in the comment section down below WHO YOU WANT FACTS ON next.
My name is Roya Destroyaa, thanks for watching, and donÕt forget to subscribe so you never
miss another nerdy list!