Last month Marvel confirmed CLOAK AND DAGGER would make their first live action appearance in their own TV show on Freeform, formally known as ABC Family, as a young adult television series.
Here's Marvel's tease for the CLOAK AND DAGGER series:
Tyrone “Ty” Johnson, otherwise known as Cloak, is an African American who was raised in a poor Boston neighborhood. He got good grades but struggled with a bad stuttering problem. Growing up, Tyrone managed his stutter and being in a rough neighborhood with the help of his best friend Billy. While Tyrone was 17, he and Billy witnessed the murder of a store clerk. When the police arrived Billy ran fearing the police would blame him and Tyrone for the murder. The police yelled at Billy to stop and Tyrone tried to explain everything but couldn’t due to his stutter. When Billy didn’t stop running, the officer shot him. Tyrone felt responsible for Billy’s death and began to fear the Boston police. As a result, he ran away and ended up in New York City.
Tandy Bowen, known as Dagger, is a 16-year-old girl from a wealthy neighborhood in Ohio. Her mother was a successful model and her father sold houses. After Tandy’s father left her and her mother to seek a spiritual rebirth in India, Tandy’s mother remarried Phillip Carlisle. Tandy, then, ran away to New York City due to being neglected by her mother and disliking her new stepfather.
Tyrone and Tandy’s paths first crossed in a Manhattan bus terminal. Tyrone tackled a thief trying to steal Tandy’s purse even though Tyrone was going to steal the purse moments earlier. They soon became friends and lived on the streets helping each other survive. The duo fell victim to Dr. Simon Marshall, a man who collected runaways by baiting them with food, water and shelter. As soon as they were lured into Dr. Simmons hands he took them prisoner and injected them with D-Lite, an experimental drug with the purpose to replace heroin. The drug killed other kids who were injected with it, but Tyrone and Tandy managed to survive and realized they were beginning to develop superhuman powers.
The D-Lite drug affected the two teens in very different ways. Tandy developed abilities that allowed her to control and project a form of light called Life Force. She can use this light energy to create her signature daggers that she throws from her fingertips. She can control these daggers (and other forms of light) to hit objects and use them as a weapon. She can also detoxify people. This allows her to remove drugs and other substances from a person’s body. This power even allows her to stop a drug addiction.
The D-Lite drug caused Tyrone to be surrounded by darkness and crave the Life Force of others. Tyrone uses a cloak to hide his shadowy appearance and can also use his cloak to drain the Life Force out of others. Dagger’s powers help to keep Cloak in check. She projects her light into Cloak to feed his craving for life force. Without Dagger, Cloak would be constantly hungry for others' Life Force no matter the cost. Tyrone and Tandy’s powers and personal situation caused them to develop a romantic relationship as they fought crime together.
Cloak and Dagger could be introduced in many different ways. It is not uncommon for enhanced individuals to get their abilities through experiments. In the MCU, we have seen this with Jessica Jones, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and others. Another way they could be introduced is by using Terrigen Crystals; seen in AGENTS OF SHIELD to give Inhumans their powers. Since Cloak and Dagger are technically mutants in the comic book universe, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to have them experimented on and develop their powers this way.
Cloak and Dagger may also connect to the MCU in a much bigger way, specifically with Dark Force, or Zero Matter as explored in AGENT CARTER Season 2 (R.I.P.) and possibly in the upcoming film DOCTOR STRANGE. No matter how Cloak and Dagger are introduced they will be a great addition as they fight crime and explore social issues like class, race, drug addiction as well as the war on drugs.
"'Marvel's Cloak & Dagger' follows Tandy Bowen and Tyronne Johnson, two teenagers from very different backgrounds, who find themselves burdened by and awakened to newly acquired super powers while falling in love. Tandy can emit light daggers and Tyrone has the ability to engulf others in darkness. They quickly learn that they are better together than apart — but their feelings for each other make their already complicated world even more challenging."
Written by James Philbrick, Character Profiles -- Click here to read James' posts
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