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| Real Name: Herman Alvarez |
| Also Known As: Specs |
| Place Of Birth: Harlem, New York City |
| First Appearance: Hero for Hire Vol.1 #1 (1972) Bronze Age Villain |
| Known Associates: Comanche, Bushmaster |
| Group Affiliation: The Rivals |
| Base Of Operations: Hell's Kitchen, New York City |
| Grudges: Power Man and Iron Fist |
| Creators: Archie Goodwin and George Tuska |
| Gallery: Click |
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| Herman Alvarez was born and raised in Harlem, New York. He always liked to wear a pair of designer sunglasses, earning him the nickname "Shades". During his youth, Shades became involved with a fellow New Yorker named Reina. They were together for years and had a son, Victor. |
| At some point Shades was recruited into The Rivals. The gang consisted mostly of Carl Lucas, Willis Stryker and his best friend Comanche. They engaged in many gang fights with The Diablos, a rival gang. He also committed petty crimes and worked for a crime lord named Sonny Caputo. He was later arrested along with Comanche and sentenced to Seagate Prison. He and the other inmates were tortured by the ruthless Prison Guard Billy Bob Rackham. |
| Shades and Comanche broke out of Seagate Prison. They did so after years of abuse by guard Billy Bob Rackham, this led to Rackham's dismissal from Seagate prison, and the two set out to track him down and seek revenge. However, Shades and Comanche also wanted to set up a protection racket in Harlem and become the "kings" of the city. Shades and Comanche tried to convince Luke Cage to join them. However, the new "Hero for Hire" assured them that he had gone straight. |
