Needle (comics)

The Needle is a fictional

After being mugged one night while leaving work, Josef Saint, an elderly tailor, lost an eye and his ability to speak. While recuperating, he discovered that he has the power to paralyze with his gaze. Seeking revenge, Saint assumed the guise of the vigilante the Needle. Armed with a yard-long needle, the mute villain attacked young men on the streets at night, sewing their mouths shut. After victimizing S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jerry Hunt, the Needle incurred the wrath of Spider-Woman, the agent's girlfriend, and she took him out with a close-range venom blast. He was subsequently arrested.^[3]

With other superhuman adventurers and criminals, the Needle was imprisoned by the Locksmith, but then freed by Spider-Woman.^[4]

The Needle joined the Night Shift, and teamed with Captain America against the Power Broker and his augmented mutates.^[5] Alongside the Night Shift, he tested Moon Knight to take over as the leader of the Night Shift.^[6] Later, alongside the Night Shift, he battled the West Coast Avengers.^[7] Alongside the Night Shift, the second Hangman, and Satannish, he battled the Avengers West Coast; his abilities had been enhanced by Satannish's black magic.^[8]

The Needle was later defeated by

Needle has the ability to hypnotically paralyze a victim with his gaze, and is also gifted with enhanced agility and strength.^[volume & issue needed] The Needle is mute and mentally disturbed.^{[volume & issue needed]} He is an expert tailor.^{[volume & issue needed]}

The Needle is a fair hand-to-hand combatant, and carries a needle-like weapon over 3 feet (0.91 m) long.^{[volume & issue needed]}

For a time, the Needle's powers were enhanced by Satannish, increasing his physical attributes to that of an athletic man, allowing his hypnotic gaze to work instantaneously, and rendering his weapon sharp enough to rend cinder block.^{[volume & issue needed]}