| THE SHARK | BIOGRAPHY |
| Created by John Broome, Gil Kane & Joe Giella |
Art by Ethan Van Sciver
PERSONAL DATA
Aliases: T.S. Smith, Karshon
Occupation: would-be ruler (at times)
Homeworld: Earth
Space Sector: 2814
Base of Operation: Pacific Ocean, off California coast
Group Affiliation(s): Injustice Gang of the World
Gender: Male
Height: 6’ 2” (variable depending on mutation)
Weight: 243 lbs. (variable depending on mutation)
Eyes: red (variable depending on mutation)
Hair: none (depending on mutation)
First Appearance: Green Lantern Vol. 2 #24 (October 1963): "The Shark That Hunted Human Prey!"
Creators: John Broome, Gil Kane & Joe Giella
HISTORY
A fearsome predator and frequent enemy of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, the creature known simply as the Shark was originally believed to have been created by chance, but recent revelations call that into question.
Over ten years ago, the explosion of an experimental atomic pile bombarded a prowling tiger shark with radiation. Millions of years of evolution occurred in a matter of minutes. The Shark now possessed incredible mental powers, including matter manipulation and powerful energy bolts. With his mind reading ability he absorbed vast knowledge from the people around him. He found he could project fear in anyone he chose. The Shark was still motivated by one driving force, to seek prey. He used his powers to make himself appear more human, and adopted the name "T.S. Smith" to stand for "Tiger Shark."
In a Coast City restaurant, the Shark devoured dozens of bloody steaks to feed his hunger. He started a fight with a local boxing champ, only to have the champ pass out from fear. Ordinary men would be too easy for the advanced predator, his mind sought out Hal Jordan. Also known as Green Lantern, Jordan was completely without fear. Before destroying his foe, the Shark would inject fear into the test pilot. Jordan was contacted by the Shark and learned everything about his newest foe. He was challenged to a fight to the death.
At Ferris Aircraft, Jordan recharged his power ring to discover the interior of the aircraft hanger had been turned yellow. The Shark had learned the ring's weakness from Jordan's mind. The Shark would not allow Green Lantern to hunt him. The Shark revealed his plan to enclose Coast City in a forcefield, creating his private hunting preserve. He would go after Carol Ferris, Tom “Pieface” Kalmaku and other friends of Jordan. This did not have the desired effect of instilling fear in Green Lantern. Rather, the emerald warrior doubled his will power to overcome the Shark. It was then a simple matter of regressing the Shark to his original tiger shark form. The Shark lost his mental powers, and was apparently helpless. The sea creature was brought to the Coast City aquarium and placed under guard. -Green Lantern Vol. 2 #24
Green Lantern did not realize the Shark had outwitted him. The tiger shark that Green Lantern brought to the aquarium was actually the Shark's costume. With his mental powers, the Shark had become his costume and his costume became him.
The Shark later kidnapped Carol, Tom and Tom's wife, Terga. While Jordan did not fear the Shark, he did fear for the safety of his friends. After this battle, Green Lantern made sure the real Shark was devolved. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #28
The Shark returned on two occasions to fight the Justice League and even attempted to wrest control of Atlantis' throne from Aquaman. He appeared as an Atlantean called Karshon and used his mental powers to briefly depose the undersea hero. - Action Comics #456, Adventure Comics #443-444, 446-448, 459, Justice League of America #40, 162
The Shark hunted Green Lantern, but this time at someone else's bidding. The Weaponers of Qward used the aquatic villain to kill the Green Lantern of Earth. He believed he was successful; the ring wielder was trapped in a gold coffin in the ocean's depths. Seeking his reward, the Shark entered the antimatter universe of Qward. The Weaponers were finished with him, they booby-trapped the Shark's weaponry to revert him back to his tiger shark form. The Shark was fortunate that Green Lantern had escaped the death trap. The ring wielder brought the tiger shark back to the ocean. -Green Lantern Vol. 2 #126
The illegal dumping of toxic waste by S.T.A.R. Labs employees caused the Shark to evolve from tiger shark into a "half breed" mutation of his advanced form. -Green Lantern Vol. 2 #174
The mutated sea creature fed on the minds of innocent victims, constantly searching for more food. With one touch, his prey was left drained of all thought. Ferris Aircraft Psionics Lab researcher Clay Kendall briefly touched the mind of the Shark as he prowled in Coast City.
The Shark attacked S.T.A.R. Labs, holding them responsible for his "half-breed" form. Green Lantern arrived to fight his aquatic enemy but a windblown newspaper blocked his vision for crucial seconds, giving the Shark the chance to feed on his mind. -Green Lantern Vol. 2 #175
The sea creature's victims were imprisoned inside his mind. Their thoughts projected bodies for themselves, but they were too fearful to confront their tormentor. Green Lantern went against the Shark, but without the help of the fear-struck victims.
In the physical world, Tom Kalmaku and Carol Ferris brought Green Lantern his power battery to recharge the ring. Carol correctly surmised that the charging ritual would strengthen the green gladiator. The Shark expelled the captive minds and moved on to the S.T.A.R. Labs vessel that dumped the radioactive waste. He wanted to expose himself to the same toxic waste and further his evolution.
The chemicals ignited, threatening the tanker. Green Lantern sought to rescue the ship's crew and the Shark from the imminent explosion, but his enemy refused the offer. The Shark was caught in the terrible blast. Green Lantern searched, but could find no trace of the Shark. The creature had been blasted to atoms. -Green Lantern Vol. 2 #176 - 177
Given a power ring by "the one true Guardian," Guy Gardner sought to form his personal army to destroy the Dark Moon of Qward. Keying in on precise emanations while warping time back over itself, Guy Gardner was able to revive the Shark but found himself quickly defeated. The Shark left Gardner, searching for the mind of Hal Jordan.
Earth's Green Lantern John Stewart had just learned of Jordan's double life as the former Green Lantern when they were attacked by the Shark. John defeated the Shark, imprisoning him in an emerald bubble. Guy soon arrived to free the captive Shark. For his protection, Stewart sent Jordan into space in a power ring created bubble. In the ensuing fight with Guy, John paused to aid the Shark in his airless bubble. The Shark and Gardner double teamed Stewart and made their escape. Guy convinced the Shark to join his strike force.
Gardner and the Shark made fast work freeing Hector Hammond from confinement. Sonar, Throttle and Blindside were freed by Guy with the offer to join or die. Hector Hammond had plotted to take over Guy's group before he was shut down by the Green Lantern. Gardner went off to free Goldface from prison. -Green Lantern Vol. 2 #196
The growing strike force was apprehended by two Green Lanterns. Katma Tui and John Stewart planned to return the criminals to prison. Surprisingly, they were ordered to stop by Hal Jordan. Although he was wearing regular street clothes, he was backed by the power of the verdant ring. Jordan sided with Gardner in his assault on Qward's moon. No sooner had Gardner and company departed when Sinestro arrived telling Stewart and Katma of the error of Gardner's mission. -Green Lantern Vol. 2 #197
Guy warned his group not to attack Jordan under the penalty of death. In Qwardian space, the group engaged the Weaponers. On the Dark Moon of Qward, Guy prepared to destroy the birthplace of the Anti-Monitor but was stopped by John Stewart. Somewhere far beyond Qward, the Anti-Monitor fell. The Crisis was finally over. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #198
Soon after, the criminals turned on Gardner. They realized if they had followed his lead they would have destroyed the very universe. Though they were in no shape to face Gardner in Qward, they vowed revenge on the Green Lantern. -Green Lantern Vol. 2 #199
Months later, the Shark resurfaced in Philadelphia to find the Black Condor. The Shark had plans to work with the reluctant superhero, to rule the air and the seas of Earth. The Black Condor refused the offer, enraging the Shark. Green Lantern's old foe thought the Black Condor could answer the questions that plagued him. He wanted to know why he was apart from man and shark, and why he was given intellect and power. The answers would not be learned from the Black Condor, the Shark returned to the ocean depths. -BLACK CONDOR #4
The Shark had a brief battle with Green Lantern shortly after Jordan reclaimed Sector 2814 from Guy Gardner. Television crews filmed the emerald crusader defeating his aquatic nemesis, but the details of that battle have not been revealed. -- Green Lantern Vol. 3 #29
Returning to the sea, the Shark tried to gain the allegiance of many species of sharks, planning his return to power. One shark, called known as "the Old One" was dying and wanted to warn Aquaman of the impending attack. Though the Old One was near death, fearful residents from the town of Crescent Shore hunted it. The Old One was protected by a shark known as Cron One-Eye. When the Old One died, Cron One-Eye would eat him and move on, as is the way of sharks. The media attention stemming from the sharks' presence brought Kyle Rayner, the new Green Lantern, to the waters off the coast of Crescent Shore. Aquaman convinced Rayner to allow Cron One-Eye to finish his death watch. The Old One tried to warn Aquaman of the coming attack but he forgot what he was going to say. - Aquaman #10
Sometime later, the Shark evolved others of his kind to humanoid form. They were strong, but did not possess the mental powers of their new master. The Shark did not stop with creating alliances among the denizens of the deep, he arranged meetings with members of the Japanese government. Weeks before, Aquaman had attacked Tokyo with the sentient city of Poseidonis. Seeking to eliminate the Sea King as a threat, the Japanese offered to stop the hunting of sharks, whales and dolphins in exchange for the undersea city and Aquaman.
The Japanese government located Poseidonis for the Shark. He reached out with his mind and spoke to the alien essence controlling the meteor/spaceship the city rested on. In the cyberworld of the city, the Shark convinced the alien essence to allow him to take control. Aquaman discovered the city had returned the ocean and went to investigate. He was surrounded by the mutated sharks and surprised to find they did not obey him. Aquaman went to see their master. Old Cron One-Eye was by the Shark's side. He knew of the Shark's plans some time before but Aquaman had never asked him about it.
The Shark blasted Aquaman with pure mental force and set his troops upon the Sea King. Aquaman slashed one of the attackers, Griffid, and watched as the others went into a feeding frenzy from the whale shark's blood. The Shark faced off against Aquaman once more, hitting him with waves of fear. The Sea King tried to resist the Shark's power without using his own telepathic abilities. Aquaman was slowly turning into something else, the curse of Kordax was changing his body with every use of his powers.
The Shark forced the King of the Seas to kill himself out of blind fear, but Aquaman retaliated, entering the Shark's mind. He tore away the Shark's power and intelligence. The Shark devolved once more, changing back into a tiger shark. Aquaman ordered the now forgetful shark out of his sight. - Aquaman Vol. 1 #31
Years later, the Shark returned to the waters around the restored Coast City. At some point the Shark had evolved into a new humanoid form. This form was more imposing physically, but the Shark acted in a more primal nature. Gone were all pretenses of humanity, such as his identities as T.S. Smith or Karshon. After feeding on two victims, the Shark caught the attention of his enemy Green Lantern Hal Jordan. - Green Lantern Vol. 4 1
CHRONOLOGY
For a definitive list of appearances of The Shark in chronological order click here
PROFILE REFERENCES
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #20 (October 1986)
Who's Who in the DC Universe #10 (June 1991)