History

  Carl Sands, an American-born man raised in Japan, made himself a career as the notorious industrial ninja spy and assassin called the Shadow-Thief. When he was hired by the alien villain Byth to steal the spacecraft of Hawkman and Hawkwoman, he was provided with a Thanagarian shadow field generator, which could transform him into a shadow-like, intangible, two-dimensional wraith. Since then, Sands has used the device - later enhanced by Neron - in encounters with Captain Marvel, the Flash, Batgirl, Black Canary, and most recently, the current Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Much implies that the Shadow-Thief had possessed a similar device even before his meeting with Byth. Apparently, an other-dimensional scientist from Xarapion named Thar Dan had provided him with a "Dimensiometer Belt", which he used in battle with the original Hawkman and the JLA, both on his own and as a member of the Injustice Gang (I) and the Secret Society of Super-Villains.