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BLACK WIDOW

Real Name: Claire Voyant

Identity/Class: Mystically enhanced human (WWII era to the modern era)

Occupation: Vigilante, servant of "Satan" (see comments);

Group Membership: The Twelve (Blue Blade/Roy Chambers, Captain Wonder/Jeff Jordan, Dynamic Man, Electro, Fiery Mask/Jack Castle, Laughing Mask/Dennis Burton, Master Mind Excello/Earl Everett, Mister E/Victor Jay, Phantom Reporter/Richard "Dick" Jones, Rockman, Witness)

Affiliations: Angel (Thomas Halloway), Bucky (James Barnes), Black Marvel, the Blazing Skull (Mark Todd), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Challenger (William Waring), Colonel Frank Dexter, the Falcon (Carl Burgess), Laura, Pepito, Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie), "Satan", the Thunderer, the Vision (Aarkus);

Enemies: Simon Dexter, Karl Koodamore, Garvey Lang, Lewis, Lester Maddox, Nazis, Ogor, Sykes, James Wagler (see comments), many other victims

Known Relatives: Deborah "Debbie" Voyant (sister, deceased)

Aliases: Madam Satan (see comments), the Spawn of Satan, Satan's Courier

Base of Operations: E.X.C. Enterprises headquarters, New York City;
                                 
formerly the Twelve's mansion, New York;
                                  formerly a bunker in Berlin, Germany;
                                  formerly mobile throughout wartorn Europe;
                                  formerly "Hades" (see comments);
                                 
formerly Los Angeles, California;
                                  formerly an unnamed town in the United States

First Appearance: Mystic Comics I#4/6 (August, 1940)

Powers/Abilities: Prior to being mystically transformed into the Black Widow, Claire Voyant possessed no known superhuman powers. As Satan's servant on Earth, she is immortal, doesn't require sleep and possesses a wide variety of powers to aid her in her task. She has superhuman strength (class 10, possibly higher) is highly resistant to injuries from conventional weapons. She can fly, teleport, become invisible and plant mental suggestions in the minds of others. Her main power is her "widow's touch", a single touch of the Widow can touch any living being instantly. Upon death, their souls are directly sent to Hell, leaving a black widow style mark burned in the corpses. The Widow can travel between Earth and Hades instantly. On occasion, she has used her powers to heal injuries with a gesture, she also appears able of limited shapeshifting, once elongating her hands into sharp claws she used to disembowel her target. When she uses her powers, a crimson red vision of her master "Satan"'s threatening eyes appear behind her. The Widow might have other, undocumented abilities. She is bisexual.

Height: 5'9"
Weight: 127 lbs.
Eyes: Black (red while using powers)
Hair: Blonde

History:

(The Twelve I#8 (fb)) - Born around the turn of the century, Claire Voyant traveled to Los Angeles in 1928 to check up on her younger sister Debbie who had gone there to look for fame and fortune. Claire met Debbie's new boyfriend, the rich and lecherous mobster Lester Maddox who wasted no time putting the moves on her as well, even suggesting a threesome. Thoroughly disgusted, she tried to convince Debbie to leave Lester, but the 18-year-old girl was too enamored with all the perks that being with Maddox offered her. Her flirtatious relationship eventually proved fatal when Maddox tired of her and had one of his men kill her in cold blood. The police and authorities were too corrupt or powerless to take on Maddox, infuriating Claire who vowed vengeance while standing at her sister's grave. At that very moment, she was contacted by "Satan", who offered to give her enough power to avenge her sister if she agreed to become his immortal servant. She was granted a wide variety of powers to carry out her task. She chased down Maddox, taking her time to stalk him before shifting her hand into an elongated claw that ripped Maddox apart.

(Mystic Comics I#4/6) - For unrevealed reasons, possibly to protect her loved ones, the Black Widow fabricated a complex, alternate origin story. She claimed to have been a Satan-possessed medium who was eventually killed by one of her disgruntled clients, only to be resurrected by "Satan" as his servant. This version of her beginnings was eventually printed up in Mystic Comics#4 (see below), further cementing its authenticity.

(Mystic Comics#4/6) - During a séance to summon the spirit of the recently deceased Mr. Wagler, Satan took possession of the medium, Madam Claire Voyant. Angry and unhappy with the results, the Wagler family decided to leave. Under the influence of Satan, Claire Voyant placed the curse of Satan on the departing family. Later and unknown to her, Satan caused the Wagler family’s car to veer out of control and crash into an embankment, killing Mrs. Wagler, and her daughter, Patricia. The only survivor of the crash was James Wagler who became influenced by Satan to seek revenge on Claire Voyant who had cursed them. With a gun in hand, James Wagler made his way to Claire Voyant's home and confronted her. After accusing her of being responsible for the death of his mother and sister, he shot her in cold blood. As Claire Voyant lay dying, she vowed to come back and James Wagler then quickly departed.

   Her body and soul now in Hell, she was brought back to life by Satan who performed a mystic ritual that turned Claire Voyant into his new servant to expedite and courier the souls of evil men on Earth back to his realm. Satan sent her back to Earth to seek revenge on her murderer and she found James Wagler alone on a dock. The Black Widow placed her hand to his forehead and with a flash of fire and brimstone, James Wagler died with a black widow brand burnt into the spot where he was touched.

(Mystic Comics I#5/4) - "Satan" next sent the Black Widow to fetch the soul of Garvey Lang, a mobster who had hijacked a train and stole $250,000. Using her ability to become invisible, she showed up at the mobster’s hideout and mentally influenced one of his men to turn on Garvey Lang. Garvey Lang shot his former henchman dead. She next influenced Garvey Lang into killing another of his men by placing a mental suggestion that he was being cheated out of the money he had just stolen. The next evening, during a masquerade party hosted by Garvey Lang, the Black Widow made her appearance. Captivated by her beauty, Garvey Lang decided to leave with her to a more private location to further his advances. Much to his surprise, Garvey Lang was quickly killed by her death touch, consigning his soul to "Satan".

(Mystic Comics I#7/3) - "Satan", unwilling to wait for the souls of weapons manufacturers Lewis and Sykes, sent Black Widow to obtain them. The matter was expedited when it became clear they were selling munitions to both the Axis powers and Allied forces. The Black Widow appeared in their office disguised and approached them for a secretarial job. Alone with the two men, she revealed herself as the Black Widow and killed Lewis with her touch of death. Sykes quickly tried to make his escape and used a gun to shoot her. The gun proved useless and he then tried to douse her with chemicals that forced her to temporarily halt her advance. Getting up off the floor, she used her cape to detain Sykes. A single touch was sufficient to send the evil one to Hades as well. 

(USA Comics I#5/2) - The Black Widow was once again sent to fetch the soul of an evil hitman named Karl Koodamore who profited from the murder of others. After he succeeded in killing the actor called John Marriman while performing onstage, the Black Widow appeared and killed one of his henchmen who had just committed the murderous deed. Karl Koodamore then ordered his other henchmen to shoot her down but this proved ineffectual and she chased him to a nearby office. He made his escape by car and ordered another of his men to stay behind to deal with her. Unable to stop the Black Widow with bullets, the frightened man turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. Later while out on a country road, the Black Widow appeared in front of Karl Koodamore’s speeding car. He tried to run her over but somehow miscalculated and crashed to his doom over a cliff into a swiftly flowing river below. Her task complete, the Black Widow returned to Hades to await her next mission.

(All Select Comics I#1/5) -  Satan next sent her to acquire the soul of Ogor, an evil faith healer and charlatan who had become rich by taking money from others who believed he could help them using his fake powers. As Ogor was leaving town, the Black Widow once again tried to dispense her form of justice but Ogor instantly died from heart failure. Before returning to Hell, the Black Widow (acting out of pity or kindness) mystically regenerated the amputated leg of a boy called Pepito who was one of Ogor's final victims he had promised to heal.

(Marvel Knights: Spider-Man#9 (fb)) - The Black Widow was shown to have been active during the 1940s alongside other heroes from the Golden Age.

(Marvels#1) - During WWII, the Black Widow took part in an assault on a Nazi fortress, flying in alongside various other costumed heroes.

(The Twelve: Spearhead#1 (fb)) - Black Widow worked with the Allied military forces to fight the Nazis in Europe. In one recorded case, she went ahead of the main force and entered a bunker outside the German town of Tillet. By the time the allies stormed the place, the Widow had already single-handedly slaughtered all the Nazis present. Wiping the blood off her hands with the swastika flag, she calmly explained that the whole country had offered its soul up to her master and that she had come to collect.

(The Twelve I#1) - On Wednesday April 25th, 1945, the Allies began their final assault on Berlin. Black Widow and eleven other vigilantes, led by the precognitive Master Mind Excello, went into the largely abandoned headquarters of the SS to check on possible snipers or other opposition. The search took them to an underground lab facility which actually turned out to be a trap. Once they were all inside, the doors closed and a special knockout gas was pumped in. SS officers hurried in to put the heroes in freezing tubes, planning to study and dissect these "supermen" after the war so they could turn the next generation of Nazis into a true master race.

(The Twelve I#1 - BTS) - The SS officers hadn't counted on the Russian army reaching strategic parts of Berlin before the allied forces. The Russians captured and executed the SS officers responsible for keeping the Widow and the other heroes on ice.

(The Twelve I#12 - BTS) - All the heroes were bombarded by the continuous cybernetic thought waves of the robot Electro who was desperate and alone after the impenetrable bunker cut off his connection to its inventor Philo Zog. Eventually, he'd form a bond with the android Dynamic Man, but the continued exposure to Electro's brainwaves left Excello and all the other heroes present uniquely capable of connecting with Electro.

(The Twelve I#8 - BTS) - Because the Widow was stuck in suspended animation, "Satan" had no means of claiming the souls of the people who had sold them to him in exchange for favors. The result was a sizable backlog of evil men and women escaping their just fate.

(The Twelve I#1 - BTS) - In recent years a German construction crew accidentally unearthed the underground facility where the heroes were being kept. The American authorities were informed and quickly took charge of the situation, bringing everyone back to the United States where they were revived and led to believe it was still the 1940s in an attempt to gently accommodate them to having been asleep for the past 60 years.

(The Twelve I#1) - Phantom Reporter and Captain Wonder eventually saw through the ruse, forcing the military to inform the others of their current predicament as well. Black Widow and her compatriots all agreed with the army's offer to help them get adjusted so they could be what they were before: heroes serving their country in its hour of need.

(The Twelve I#2) - Black Widow and the others moved to a luxurious mansion outside of New York supplied and funded by the army. They were welcomed by their liaison Colonel Dexter who informed them they were welcome to stay there rent- and expense free for 12 months while they got their bearings in this new world. Already feeling "Satan" reaching out to her, the Widow kept to herself in her room. She was briefly visited by the Phantom Reporter who had taken an instant liking to the gorgeous vigilante and noticed she looked troubled. She gently rebuffed his offer for help, thanking him for his kindness but telling him there were some deals that never expire, only when you do. Later that night, with the Moon high in the sky, the Widow was overcome by the calling of "Satan" and finally replied. Assuring him she'd heard and felt him and that nothing had changed about their deal. Voyant told her master she was once again his instrument of vengeance, belonging to him and no one else. "Satan" stroked her face in response.

(The Twelve I#3) - The next morning, Phantom Reporter went to check on Claire and was surprised when she revealed she didn't need sleep. Sensing something was very wrong with her, he nevertheless flirted with the gorgeous Widow, offering to make her some breakfast which she accepted. At the end of the day, when the Reporter was meeting with Daily Bugle editor Samuel Kingston, the Widow looked in on them from her bedroom window. Even later still, it was the Reporter who saw Claire fly off into the night, curious to know what she was doing when the rest of the world slept. Acting on orders from "Satan", the Black Widow sought out Simon Dexter, breaking into his fancy New York City apartment to announce that the payment on his soul was long overdue. She then proceeded to slaughter the man to make sure "Satan" got what he was owed.

(The Twelve I#4) - The following morning, around noon, Black Widow was still in bed sleeping when the Phantom Reporter peeked into her room to see what she was up to. A little while later, she overheard police officers coming by to see Laughing Mask. They then talked to the Reporter about the inexplicable murder of one Simon Dexter who was killed even though there were no signs of breaking or entering. Later that same day, the Widow briefly attended a going-away party thrown for Master Mind Excello who had used his vast personal fortune to buy an estate in Upstate New York. At the party, a slightly inebriated Phantom Reporter tried to chat her up, claiming they had so much in common and that they should date. Coldly, the Widow turned him down, stating that he knew nothing about her and that if he was smart, he'd keep it that way. She then walked off, leaving the embarrassed Reporter behind. A few hours later, Black Widow visited a goth-themed gay-friendly New York City nightclub where she felt instantly at home and caught the eye of quite a few female patrons.

(The Twelve I#5 (fb) - BTS) - The Widow spent days away from the mansion she shared with the other 1940s heroes, which led the Phantom Reporter and the Laughing Mask to conclude that she'd found something more to her liking. This annoyed the Reporter, who was still harboring feelings for the mysterious heroine. At the same time, the Widow kept carrying out missions for "Satan", leaving behind a bloody trail of inexplicable murders that the NYPD started to investigate.

(The Twelve I#6 (fb) - BTS) - Making the underground gay bar her new hangout, Claire eventually became close to a goth girl called Laura who was infatuated and fascinated with her, feeling the much older Voyant acted and felt like she belonged to the scene even before there was a scene.

(The Twelve I#6) - Laura desperately tried to convince Claire to stay and not leave around midnight like she usually did, sometimes even disappearing for days afterwards. Laura was ready to follow her wherever she went, figuring that whatever it was she was into couldn't be too bad. With a grim look of reluctant resolution on her face, Voyant assured her lover that it really was that bad. Before Laura could introduce Claire to her friend Steffie, the Black Widow had already teleported away to claim "Satan"'s next victim. Not too long afterwards, having killed again, the blood-covered Black Widow sat around the maimed corpses of her victims with tears in her eyes, lamenting her damnable eternal chore.

(The Twelve I#7 - BTS) - Investigating the brutal and bloody massacre of all the patrons of the Manhattan gay bar The Rail And Balls, Phantom Reporter couldn't help but suspect the Black Widow might be responsible for the killings.

(The Twelve I#7) - Later that day, when the sun began to set, Claire was once again sleeping in her bed at the mansion. When she woke up, she discovered the Phantom Reporter in the chair next to her bed, a gun primed at her and eager to know more about her little midnight trips.

(The Twelve I#8) - Unimpressed by the Phantom Reporter's gun or threats, the Black Widow nevertheless recounted her origins and current status as servant of "Satan" on Earth, only killing those who were wicked and truly deserved death. She claimed this meant she had nothing to do with the murders he was investigating, only to show off her massive mystical powers to convince him she was telling the truth because neither the Reporter or his bullets were a threat to her. She then dispelled another rumor for him: yes, her touch was lethal, but only when she wished it. To prove it, she caressed his face before telling him to go because she was about to do some things he should not want to see (presumably, she went out to kill some more for "Satan").

(The Twelve I#9) - After returning home from her latest mission, Black Widow couldn't help but notice the Phantom Reporter tapping away at his typewriter all through the night and for most of the morning. When he even skipped breakfast, she decided to surprise him by bringing some coffee and toast to his room which amazed him to no end. Before they could discuss her sudden change of heart, they were drawn downstairs by the arrival of Master Mind Excello whose precognitive powers had told him he was vitally needed there for a crucial event, though he wasn't sure what it would be. Some time later, Black Widow remained at the mansion with the others while the Phantom Reporter left to investigate the brutal murder of their fellow 1940s vigilante associate the Blue Blade (the Reporter decided not to tell anyone where he was going and upon investigating, quickly learned the Blade had been killed by Dynamic Man who had been remote controlling the lethal killer robot Electro to prevent the swashbuckler from revealing he'd used Electro to cause the bloodbath in the gay bar).

(The Twelve I#10) - After Blue Blade's death had become public knowledge, Black Widow, along with the surviving 1940s heroes, gathered at the mansion to hear the Phantom Reporter and Master Mind Excello's stunning proof that the robot Electro wasn't responsible for his death. Slowly establishing the evidence, they revealed the overly zealous, moral Dynamic Man was the true culprit and a sexless android to boot. Infuriated his true, inhuman origin was uncovered, the superbly powerful creature vowed to kill every last one of them.

(The Twelve I#11) - Dynamic Man attacked his former companions, grabbing the Black Widow who found her touch of death had no effect on the synthetic creature. She was saved by the strong Rockman who punched the naked android through the nearest wall. Enraged, Dynamic Man used his vast strength to smash the support beams of the house causing the structure to collapse on his former allies. Thanks to Rockman's strength, everyone escaped unscathed even though Rockman himself seemingly perished underneath the vast amount of rubble. Black Widow remained behind by the ruins along with Mister E, the Witness and Laughing Mask while the others went to deal with the Dynamic Man. The next day, after Dynamic Man had been destroyed by the Phantom Reporter (who had inherited Fiery Mask's fire powers when the android killed him), she joined him and Master Mind Excello for a trip into the ruins of their mansion to look for Rockman. All they discovered was a hole that went at least a mile deep until it caved in on itself. A few days later, she attended the funeral of the Fiery Mask, also known as Jack Castle.

(The Twelve I#12 (fb)) - Their mansion destroyed and a fair number of them either dead or retired (Mister E had quit shortly after Castle's funeral), Black Widow and the surviving 1940s heroes were briefly transferred to a local army base. Getting closer to the Phantom Reporter, but still conflicted about her duties to "Satan", Claire decided to leave one night by claiming she was "just" going for a walk. Excello's precognitive visions foresaw this and he made sure the Phantom Reporter met up with her before they could go. Finally admitting their feelings for one another, the Widow even asked her lover to accompany her. The Reporter refused, claiming the others needed him. Reluctantly letting him go, the Widow kissed him goodbye and took off, while both their hearts were breaking.

(The Twelve I#12 - BTS) - Invigorated by this new era and convinced there was still work to be done with people who had the skills and the conviction, Earl Everett decided to use part of his vast fortune to buy the world's largest private investigation services and renaming them E.X.C. Enterprises. He contracted Black Widow and then figured he should get the Phantom Reporter involved too. Everett bought a luxurious apartment for the hero and had the military drive him there.

(The Twelve I#12) - Moments after the Reporter found Excello's card explaining the place now belonged to him as a gift, the Black Widow arrived to passionately celebrate their reunion. The next day, they went to E.X.C. headquarters in New York to meet with Excello. On the way there, Claire briefly flirted with Excello's assistant who in turn also flirted with the Reporter, leading to all kinds of fascinating future scenarios. During their meeting with Excello, Widow watched while Earl Everett offered them all the resources and information at his disposal so they could aid a world desperately in need of help. Both the Widow and the Phantom Reporter happily agreed to work with Earl Everett's organization.

(The Twelve I#12) - Some time later, Excello called the Widow and the Reporter (now wearing a new costume to symbolize his newfound fire powers) to give them vital information concerning a case they were working on. Together, they set out into the night to fight the good fight.

Comments: Created by George Kapitan (writer) and Harry Sahle (pencils & inks).

The Twelve were found in Germany on Wednesday August 2nd, 2008. This was during the rise of the Initiative in comics. The date is topical.

Originally, Michel Gariepy (AvatarWarlord72) shared the following comments on Black Widow: "The Black Widow is quite an intriguing character that was ahead of her time. During the Golden Age of comics, most women were depicted as very demure and lacked the sensual sex appeal you would find now in the pages of most magazines. She was depicted as a beautiful blond woman wearing a tight form fitting outfit that revealed her voluptuous body. Most female characters were not drawn to appear this way. Another aspect that made the character ahead of its time is the concept of an anti-hero who committed acts of evil for the greater good. Although she served Satan, she only went after the evil people of the world and seemed very sympathetic to those who had suffered great injustice as attested to her magical regeneration of the young boy’s amputated leg in her final Golden Age appearance. Maybe over time and if the Black Widow had been continued as an ongoing feature in various Timely/Marvel comics in the 1940s, she could possibly have rebelled against Satan, realizing that he was the one true enemy for being the only one responsible in her death and resurrection".

There was also some discussion on the identity of the "Satan" she serves. His identity has not been revealed, with Grendel Prime suggesting it might be

Marduk Kurios, Mephisto or some other being altogether. John Holstein seconded the idea it might be Mephisto, reminding us that this particular Hell-lord has a track record of empowering people like the Bounty Hunter who has a similar job as the Golden Age Black Widow. Her Official Handbook entries state that "Satan" resides in a hell dimension called Hades. Not sure if this means Pluto is involved, but for my money the Black Widow is empowered by one of the minor though still influential demon lords who rule over a hell-like dimension and try to expand their influence by claiming souls. Taking the name "Satan" makes sense, it never hurts to profit from an established "franchise" after all.

"Claire Voyant" was often considered to be an alias, a play on her alleged precognitive (clairvoyant, get it?) abilities. However, J. Michael Straczynski indirectly established the Widow's last name is "Voyant", since it appeared on the headstone of her sister Debbie's grave in The Twelve I#8. 

Curiously enough, the Black Widow hammers home the point that she doesn't need to sleep in The Twelve I#2, only for her to be caught snoozing in at least three subsequent issues. Maybe her body strictly speaking doesn't require sleep, but she prefers to rest and dream for a few hours to escape the cruel and unavoidable reality of her indentured servitude to the evil one.

Due to her retconned origin in The Twelve I#8 the story in Mystic Comics#4 and all characters involved, including the Wagler family, are not considered part of her true history anymore.
--Markus Raymond

Marvel Tarot I#1 has Ian McNee overhearing the rumor that Patsy Walker was investigating occult crimes alongside "a little old widow named Claire". Because of the events of The Twelve, it seems unlikely this is the Golden Age Black Widow.

The Black Widow received profiles in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z I#1, All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe HC#2, Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Handbook#1, and Marvel Mystery Handbook 70th Anniversary Special#1

Thanks to James Cope for pointing out that the mobster was named Maddox and not Maddicks.

    In Marvel Year-in-Review#5 the article on the 1993 Annual characters, the third paragraph in the opening of the article mentions World War II as "the halcyon days of Madame Satan, the Fin and the Thunderer." "Madame" is spelled with an "e" on the end vs. Black Widow's OHotMU entry has her alias spelled as "Madam Satan," which matches the spelling of the Golden Age Destroyer foe.
--Proto-Man

    That reads to me like they thought they were referencing Black Widow but forgot what she was called. Regardless, in itself it doesn't state that Madame Satan (with or without the e) is Black Widow, only (at very best) hints it.

    For my money - yes, the Timely Madam Satan serves Satan, just like Black Widow, but she dresses differently, acts differently, seems to have a much less master and servant relationship with Satan than Black Widow does, and obviously a different codename. Satan presumably has more than one person who have been inducted into his service, so I'd personally lean towards them being different people unless evidence arises to suggest otherwise.
--Loki

    The article mentioned above was written by Tom Brevoort and Mike Kanterovich.
   According to Tom B. himself when questioned about this, this was not even meant as a reference to this Madam Satan though: This was definitely Mike and I making an error and remembering Madame Satan as a Timely character rather than an MLJ character. So it wasn't intended as a reference to the Black Widow of the 1940s at all.

    The MLJ Comics (later Archie Comics) character named Madam Satan first appeared in Pep Comics#16 (June, 1941). Her feature in Pep Comnics was canceled to make room for a new character named Archie Andrews, who I think became pretty important for the publisher. Madam Satan wasn't completely forgotten though and a later iteration of the character is still used today in the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in comics and even the small screen on Netflix.

    The real world explanation is as Tom B explained above. In the Marvel Universe, it is possible that Madam Satan and Black Widow (Claire Voyant) were confused with each other by some people due to the similarities Loki noted above.
    --Snood

Profile by AvatarWarlord72, updated and expanded by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS :
The Black Widow has no known connections to:


Deborah "Debbie" Voyant

Claire Voyant's younger sister Debbie was born in 1910. Desperate to escape the middle-of-the-road existence of her hometown, she moved to Los Angeles in 1928 where she was determined to be with someone who mattered. She soon became involved with Lester Maddox, a local gangster who was well-connected and respected by both the underworld and the police. Debbie enjoyed the perks and benefits being with Lester provided her, such as expensive furs and dinners in the most exclusive LA clubs and restaurants. Debbie's letters home got her older sister Claire worried about her safety. When Claire came to LA for a visit, she met with Debbie and Lester, taking an instant disliking to the man when he shamelessly tried to charm her into having a threesome while ordering shot after shot of gin for the barely 18-year-old Debbie. But despite Claire's objections, Debbie insisted on seeing Lester. A little while later, she was gunned down and killed by one of his hoods. Because of Maddox'  power and influence over the local law enforcement, her murder was quietly ignored. This infuriated Claire to such a degree that she swore to avenge Debbie, a statement that led her to becoming the Black Widow.

-- The Twelve I#8 (fb)








Lester Maddox

At one point, Los Angeles based gangster Lester Maddox made a deal with "Satan", who in return for power and influence owned his soul. Maddox quickly rose to power, becoming a well-respected, connected and feared member of the LA underground that even the police and justice system left alone. In 1928, he befriended the 18-year-old Deborah "Debbie" Voyant, charming the pretty girl with his affluence and influence, even showering her with expensive gifts. However, the lecherous Maddox had no trouble hitting on other women, even blatantly trying to talk Debbie's older sister Claire Voyant into a threesome when she came for a visit. A little while later, presumably because he got bored with her, Maddox had one of his associates kill Debbie, figuring there would be no repercussions because he basically owned the police. However, Debbie's grieving sister Claire made a deal with "Satan" to become the Black Widow. Her first victim was Maddox who she chased through the streets of LA until he was so exhausted and panicked he couldn't move anymore. She then shifted her hands into claws, ripping apart her sister's killer.

--The Twelve I#8 (fb)











images: (without ads)
Marvel Mystery Handbook#1, p6, pan1 (main image)
The Twelve I#8, p6, pan3 (makes a deal with 'Satan')
Mystic Comics I#4, p36, pan1 (facing 'Satan')
Mystic Comics I#5, p49, pans1&3 (sending souls to 'Satan')
The Twelve: Spearhead#1, p9, pans3&4 (ready to kill all of Nazi Germany)
The Twelve I#1, p16, pans2&3 (captured and fondled)
The Twelve I#3, p25, pan3 (pops in to collect Simon Dexter's soul)
The Twelve I#4, p20, pan1 (telling Phantom Reporter to back off)
The Twelve I#6, p5, pan4 (tells goth girl Laura she has to go)
The Twelve I#12, p19, pan1 (in EXC Enterprises costume)
The Twelve I#8, p5, pan2 (Debbie Voyant)
The Twelve I#8, p8, pan1 (Lester Maddocks)
additional artwork by Chris Weston


Appearances:
Mystic Comics I#4/6 (August, 1940) - George Kapitan (writer), Harry Sahle (art), unknown editor
Mystic Comics I#5/4 (August, 1941) - George Kapitan (writer), Harry Sahle (art), unknown editor
Mystic Comics I#7/3 (December, 1941) - George Kapitan (writer), Stan Drake (art), unknown editor
USA Comics I#5/2 (Summer, 1942) - George Kapitan (writer), Mike Sekowski (pencils), George Klein (inks), unknown editor
All Select Comics I#1/5 (Fall, 1943) - George Kapitan (writer), Stan Drake (art), unknown editor
Marvels#1 (January, 1994) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Alex Ross (art), Marcus McLaurin (editor)
Marvel Knights: Spider-Man#9 (February, 2005) - Mark Millar (writer), Terry & Rachel Dodson (art), Axel Alonso (editor)
Marvel Tarot#1 (August, 2007) - by David Sexton (writer/designer), Doug Sexton (technical consultant), Jeff Youngquist (editor)

The Twelve I#1 (March, 2008) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils), Garry Leach (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve I#2 (April, 2008) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils), Garry Leach (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve I#3 (May, 2008) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils), Garry Leach (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve I#4 (June, 2008) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils), Garry Leach (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve I#5 (July, 2008) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils), Garry Leach (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve I#7 (October, 2008) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils & inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve I#8 (December, 2008) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils & inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve: Spearhead#1 (May, 2010) - Chris Weston (writer, pencils, inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve I#9 (April, 2012) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils & inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve I#10 (April, 2012) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils & inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve I#11 (May, 2012) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils & inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
The Twelve I#12 (July, 2012) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils & inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)


First Posted: 09/21/2007
Last updated: 09/04/2016

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at:
http://www.marvel.com

Special thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

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