Black Mariah (comics)

Black Mariah (Mariah Dillard) is a fictional villain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of Luke Cage. She was created by Billy Graham, George Tuska, and Steve Englehart, and first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire Vol. 1, #5 (January 1973).

Alfre Woodard plays Mariah Dillard in the Netflix series Luke Cage, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.^[1]

Publication history

Black Mariah first appeared in Luke Cage: Hero for Hire #5 (January 1973) and was created by George Tuska and Steve Englehart.

Fictional character biography

Mariah Dillard was the leader of a gang of New York criminals called the Rat Pack. Their primary source of criminal activity was using a stolen ambulance to pick up the bodies of the recently deceased, and then stealing whatever valuables they had on their person.^[2] During one of these thefts, a widow of one of the victims hired Power Man (who was at the scene of the murder) to find her husband's body. Power Man finds the hideout of Black Mariah.^[3] This led to a clash between Mariah and her men against Power Man. Power Man defeated Mariah and her cohorts and turned them over to the police.^[4]

After some time in prison, Black Mariah started a drug-dealing enterprise. She is the primary distributor of a drug called Acid Z, a potent drug that would eventually make its users become crazy and often suicidal. When some of the drug got into the hands of Luke Cage's friend D.W. Griffith, Power Man went looking for his old friend while his partner Iron Fist tracked down the primary distributor and shut them down. Iron Fist found Black Mariah's hideout; however, he also found out that she had hired a special enforcer as protection: Iron Fist's old foe Scimitar. Power Man joined Iron Fist in battle after learning of his old foe's involvement in the drug distribution. The Heroes for Hire made short work of Mariah and Scimitar, crushing their drug operation and turning both crooks over to the police.^[5]

Black Mariah is featured in the 2016 relaunch of Power Man and Iron Fist.^[6] Here, she teams up with former Heroes for Hire secretary Jennifer "White Jennie" Royce, into taking down Tombstone's empire.^[7]

In other media

Mariah Dillard is an antagonist in Luke Cage, played by Alfre Woodard.^[8] She is a New York City councilwoman and the cousin of gun runner Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes, who funds her political campaigns.^[9] The two are also the grandchildren of Harlem crime lord "Mama" Mabel Stokes. Though Mariah attempts to avoid involvement in Cottonmouth's affairs, his obsession with Luke Cage ultimately ruins her political campaign. Cottonmouth condescendingly calls Mariah "Black Mariah" in one of their many on-screen arguments, which provokes her into throwing a martini glass at him. Later during a confrontation at Harlem's Paradise, she beats him to death with a microphone stand when he accuses her of seducing her uncle Pete. Ultimately, with help from Shades, Mariah pins Stoke's death on Willis Stryker while name-dropping Luke's real name on television to send him back to Seagate Prison. By the end of the season, Mariah runs Harlem's criminal underworld out of Harlem's Paradise, while entering into a relationship with Shades.

References

External links

• Black Mariah at Comicvine
• Black Mariah at Marvel Wikia
• Black Mariah at the Comic Book DB
• Black Mariah at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe