Black Mariah (comics)

Black Mariah
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Luke Cage, Hero for Hire Vol. 1, #5 (January 1973)
Created by	Billy Graham George Tuska Steve Englehart
In-story information
Full name	Mariah Dillard
Species	Human
Place of origin	Earth
Team affiliations	Rat Pack
Partnerships	White Jennie

Black Mariah 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).

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. During one of these thefts, a widow of one of the victim hired Luke Cage (who was at the scene of the murder) to find her husband's body. Luke Cage finds the hideout of Black Mariah. This led to a clash between Mariah and her men against Cage. Luke defeated Mariah and her cohorts and turned them over to the police. 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, Cage 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. Iron Fist was joined in battle with his partner Power Man, after Luke learned of his old foe's involvement in the drug distribution, and the Heroes for Hire made short work of Mariah and Scimitar, crushing their drug operation and turning both crooks over to the police.

Black Mariah is featured in the 2016 relaunch of Power Man and Iron Fist.

In other media

Television

Alfre Woodard is set to play Mariah Dillard in the upcoming Netflix series Luke Cage, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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