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'Black Widow' ('Claire Voyant') is the name of a supernaturally powered fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, known as one of the first costumed, superpowered female protagonists. An antihero who killed evildoers in order to deliver their souls to Satan, her master, she first appeared in ''Mystic Comics'' #4 (August 1940), published by Marvel predecessor Timely Comics. Created by writer George Kapitan and artist Harry Sahle, she is unrelated to Marvel's later superspy characters called Black Widow.

Contents

Publication history

Fictional character biography

Footnotes

References

Publication history

The Black Widow made five appearances during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books: in ''Mystic Comics'' #4-5 (Aug. 1940, March 1941) by the originating team of Kapitan and Sahle, and #7 (Dec. 1941), with Stan Drake on art; ''USA Comics'' #5 (Summer 1942), penciled by Mike Sekowsky and inked by George Klein; and ''All-Select Comics'' #1 (Fall 1943), with art tentatively attributed to Drake. The latter story was reprinted in 1974, along with the rest of the issue, by publisher Alan L. Light's company Flashback as ''Special Edition Reprints'' #14.^[1]
She appears in a flashback cameo in issue #1 (Jan,. 1994) of the miniseries ''Marvels''.
The Black Widow will return as one of The Twelve.

Fictional character biography

'Madame Claire Voyant' is a spirit medium who communicates with the dead through supernatural means. She has blonde hair and an eerily flowing green dress. While serving a family named the Waglers, she is possessed by Satan to put a curse on them. James, a member of that family, survives a subsequent car crash provoked by the spell, and returns to Claire's quarters and guns her down.
Voyant's soul goes to Hell, where Satan dresses her in her Black Widow costume, which has a spider-like design on the front, a green cape similar to her dress, and boots with fire designs on the trim. He gives her the power to kill with a single touch of her fingers to the head (which leaves a branded "Black Widow mark"); to summon flames; and to use other mystical tricks. Satan — who, daringly for the time, was discreetly depicted as a nude man — sends her back to Earth to avenge her death. After killing her murderer, she returns to Satan, who, no longer content to wait for evil souls to die a natural death and perhaps repent their sins in the interim, charges her with bringing those souls to him. "On the upper world are mortal creatures whose hearts are blackened with wickedness and corruption. You, the Black Widow, will bring their souls to me!"
She later kills corrupt arms manufacturers, crime boss Garvey Lang, members of a syndicated called Murder, Unlimited, and the villain Ogor, while also healing Ogor's victim. In a 1990s retcon, she aids the Invaders against the Nazis.
Her introduction in ''Mystic Comics'' #4:

Footnotes

1. Michigan State University Libraries: Reading Room Index to the Comic Art Collection

References

★ Jess Nevins' A Guide To Marvel's Golden Age Characters: The Black Widow

★ International Hero: The Black Widow

★ Don Markstein's Toonopedia: The Black Widow

★ The Grand Comics Database