On a whim, my girlfriend and I decided to watch the Cloak and Dagger show that originally debuted on Freeform. We never had Freeform or Hulu, because we live in the Philippines, but our luck changed when Disney+ arrived. That gave us a chance to enjoy this surprisingly dark and hopeful show, filled with adult elements I never expected from a Marvel product.
So, naturally, I decided to main this duo in Marvel Rivals shortly after.
Like most nerds, this writer is easily influenced by the media they digest, especially if it’s in the company of a loved one. Even with all that, I was surprised at how enjoyable the Cloak and Dagger show was. The writing was pretty great, handling topics like racism, sex trafficking, and drug abuse in a Marvel project. Naturally, it was the bond between Tyrone (Cloak) and Tandy (Dagger) that kept us watching.
After talking with my girlfriend about the mature themes and somewhat anti-climactic ending, I decided to try out this duo in Marvel Rivals. I understand how these characters never became playable in other games, as they’ve always been considered C-list heroes in Marvel. Still, I thought it was cool when they were announced for the game, and enjoyed the move more after watching the show.
Healers have always been my jam in Rivals, with Invisible Woman and Luna Snow being my mains. Some would argue that their best assets are behind them (wink wink), but they are legitimately pretty good in this game. Knowing that you can switch between Cloak and Dagger in the game piqued my interest since it meant switching between a healer and someone with magic attacks.
Thankfully, my experience with Marvel Rivals paid off, as this duo has since become some of my favorite heroes in the game. Dagger might be better as a healer, but I love how her daggers have some slight homing capabilities. It made killing flying characters a bit easier. Meanwhile, Cloak’s basic long-range attack is unlimited, like Scarlet Witch, so if an enemy is close enough, you can drain them of life pretty quickly.
What made me happy with these characters was their stellar designs in Rivals. Dagger became pretty popular for cake-related reasons, but it was just nice seeing this duo in proper superhero gear. The show never really gives them their proper costumes, so this felt like a nice epilogue after watching their two-season adventure.
Even though Cloak and Dagger are more based on their comic counterparts in Marvel Rivals, there were slight references to the show. Hearing Dagger talk about how they were “hope” and “fear” made me remember the show, as these characters could see other people’s hopes and fears. I’m not going to claim to be an expert on these heroes, but I don’t remember the comics bringing up their hope and fear powers, so that feels like a show reference to me.
Hearing these two characters go “us against the world!” anytime I use their finisher fills me with joy, because that was how their relationship formed. It seemed like everything was against them in the show – cops, school bullies, abusers, and more – so having them show their stuff against the Marvel universe’s biggest threats felt cathartic.
Cloak and Dagger are great. I love their show and enjoy using them in Marvel Rivals. Admittedly, their weak defense can be frustrating, but I just have to “get good” as the youth say.