The Needle is a mutant supervillain created by Mark Gruenwald, Carmine Infantino, and Al Gordon. He first appeared in Spider-Woman #9 (December 1978) and was brought back during his run on the West Coast Avengers as a member of the villain team Night Shift. He was imprisoned by the Locksmith and freed by Spider-Woman. He joined the Night Shift and teamed with Captain America against the Power Broker and his augmented mutates. He also battled the West Coast Avengers, the second Hangman, and Satannish.

He was later defeated by Armory. Needle appears with the Night Shift, as part of the Hood's gang, and they battle the Midnight Sons. They are killed when the zombie virus mutates and becomes airborne. Dormammu assumes control of the Night Shift and uses them to fight the Midnight Sons. When Jennifer Kale and the Black Talon contain the virus within the Zombie, the Night Shift members are restored to normal and the Hood teleports away with them.