Arnold Paffenroth began dancing at a very young age and started acting in some films as a young adult. He went by the stage name of Michael Wyatt in Hollywood and formed a relationship with another actress named Julia Walker. The two of them were doing fine in little movies but Arnold wanted more and wasn't interested in just little success. He wanted it all and fast but he kept getting turned down for the top roles. It did not take long to sour him on Hollywood so he went to Vegas where friends were going to set him up with a casino. He left Hollywood to attend his casino business so the Wyatt-Walker team disbanded and he would not see Julia until a few years later. Paffenroth eventually lost everything when a Vegas mob swindled him. Paffenroth fled to Los Angeles where he would become a mentally deranged derelict.
He would be recruited into an army of derelicts as Tatterdemalion by a former sound engineer turned criminal named Sidney Sarnak. Sarnak had been hired by the Committee which was a secret cabal of businessmen attempting to stimulate the economy by fostering a climate of fear. The Committee created the control flute which was given to Sarnak and it used ultrasonics that tuned into the frequency of any man or animal's brain, thus controlling them. Sarnak ordered Tatterdemalion to track down the Werewolf, Jack Russell in order to take control of him. Tatterdemalion and a small army of derelicts attacked Jack Russell at his home and he was placed under their control by the control flute. The derelicts took the Werewolf into the sewers where he met the hooded Sarnak and the Committee. However the Committee, Sarnak, and Tatterdemalion were defeated by the Werewolf, Jack Russell once he was no longer under their control. Tatterdemalion would escape and start his own campaign of terror. He would target the wealthy and sought to destroy money and material possessions.
Paffenroth would later emerge as Tatterdemalion and be recruited into the Night Shift by the Shroud. The Night Shift would fight alongside Captain America in Los Angeles and help take down the Power Broker who was dumping his failed augments into the sewer system. He also battled members of the West Coast Avengers on a few occasions. The Night Shift would attack the West Coast Avenger's headquarters when they learned that one of their members named Digger was taken down by Mockingbird and placed into police custody. The Shroud was absent at the time so their deputy leader, Dansen Macabre decided to take on the Avengers and to let everyone know that you don't mess with the Night Shift. However, Tatterdemalion and the rest of the Night Shift were defeated but escaped their custody when the Shroud bailed them out with his darkforce abilities.
A new Hangman would take over as leader of the Night Shift and all the current members were supernaturally augmented by the powerful demon, Satannish in exchange for their souls. Satannish was conjured up during a nationally televised fight between the West Coast Avengers and the Night Shift. Tatterdemalion and the rest of his teammates were getting stronger after Satannish appeared. The Scarlet Witch and Dr. Strange told the Night Shift members that the Hangman offered their souls to the demon so he can become a movie star. The Night Shift members agreed to give up their demon-given energies to power up the West Coast Avengers. Tatterdemalion and the rest of the Night Shift decided to help the Avengers and they attacked Satannish together. Satannish was forced to leave the earthly plane and all members of the Night Shift lost their augmented abilities.
Tatterdemalion would stray from the Night Shift for an adventure involving an old school gangster named Slick Jimmy. Slick Jimmy surrounded himself with some unsavory bad guys in their civilian guises which included the Wild Boys, Stilt-Man, Taskmaster, Meatball, Hacker, Pete London, and Tatterdemalion during a walk in Central Park. Slick Jimmy was dying when he was kicked in the head by a startled horse. Daredevil was able to calm the carriage horse down but Slick Jimmy was on his last breath. Jimmy told everyone that he had a hidden stash of restaurant grease in New York that was worth over five hundred grand because it could be used as farm animal feed and pet food. Each criminal had their own agenda because they wanted the money and Daredevil was caught in the middle. Tatterdemalion believed that money would make them less human and that everyone needed a dose of poverty to get them straight. A free for all melee takes place in a warehouse and Tatterdemalion burns the clothing of Jet and Spit while he speaks of divine poverty. Tatterdemalion is knocked out by Daredevil and taken into police custody. Paffernoth is released by the Civil Liberties Union when they are outraged by the police state's persecution of a homeless person. Paffernoth is given back his costume and thanks to the lawyer for burning off his expensive clothes. The rest of the criminals find Jimmy's stash of grease but Tatterdemalion appears and tells them to refuse the temptation of wealth or have insolvency forced upon them. Daredevil appears and all hell breaks loose. Tatterdemalion and the rest of the guys are left with nothing when all the grease is released from their barrels during the fight.
Tatterdemalion would reunite with the Night Shift when they are hired by Snapdragon to eliminate Moon Knight and Echo in Los Angeles. Tatterdemalion and the Night Shift fail to kill Moon Knight which would lead to their ultimate demise. Tatterdemalion and the Night Shift would be confronted by the new West Coast Kingpin, Count Nefaria where he incinerates them for being so incompetent and moronically stupid.
-ComicVine
Key Issues & Appearances
2
Significant comic book appearances featuring Tatterdemalion
