Mother Night (comics)

Mother Night
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Captain America #123 (Mar 1970)
Created by	Stan Lee and Gene Colan
In-story information
Alter ego	Susan Scarbo
Team affiliations	Skeleton Crew Sisters of Sin
Notable aliases	Suprema
Abilities	Illusions, hypnosis, martial arts, can project dark light to vanish into shadows, and possesses a necklace that emits a mind-subverting gas

Mother Night is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.

Fictional character biography

Susan Scarbo was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. Susan and her brother Melvin Scarbo formed a sibling hypnosis stage act for profit. They soon after became professional criminals, hypnotizing innocent people into doing their bidding. Under the name Suprema, Susan soon attracted the attention of the Red Skull who hired Susan as a nanny to his daughter Synthia Schmidt. Under Susan's tutelage Synthia later became Sin.

After a successful infiltration of the original S.H.I.E.L.D. organization and an attempt at stealing a Wolverine Jet from them, Suprema became an enemy of Captain America.^[1] Some time later, Susan was revealed as an aide to the Red Skull, and his daughter Sin's tutor, nanny, and instructor.^[2] Changing her name to Mother Night, she became the headmistress of the Sisters of Sin team for a short while, and was revealed to be running the Red Skull's youth indoctrination hate camp.^[3] When Magneto captured the Red Skull, Mother Night became a member of the Skeleton Crew in an attempt to rescue the Red Skull. She battled the Black Queen and her Hellfire Club mercenaries.^[4] She aided the Crew in the rescue of the Red Skull, and it was insinuated that she has or had a personal relationship with the Red Skull.^[5]

Mother Night, with the Machinesmith and Minster Blood (her brother Melvin) then brainwashed the Avengers' support crew. She attacked the Avengers by forcing them to relive their greatest nightmares, however she was captured by the Vision.^[6] After this Red Skull replaced Mother Night with Viper as his lover.^{[volume & issue needed]} Because of this she betrayed him to Captain America and received a severe beating from Red Skull for it.^{[volume & issue needed]} Wishing to die at her ex-lover's hand she asked Red Skull to kill her, to which he said no.^{[volume & issue needed]} Pitying her, fellow teammate Cutthroat began an affair with Mother Night.^{[volume & issue needed]} This relationship ended when he was seemingly killed by Crossbones.^{[volume & issue needed]}

She and her team were eventually killed by The Winter Soldier.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Powers and abilities

Mother Night has developed a mastery of hypnotism. Mother Night has to get a person to look at her for her hypnotic abilities to work. Certain individuals are not susceptible to hypnotism.

Mother Night has a limited knowledge of street-fighting techniques and karate.

Mother Night's necklace contains a special suggestibility gas as well as a "dark light" casting mechanism. She also uses various brainwashing drugs and paraphernalia.

References

1. ^ Captain America #123
2. ^ Captain America #350
3. ^ Captain America #356
4. ^ Captain America #369
5. ^ Captain America #370
6. ^ Avengers #324-325

External links

• Mother Night at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Mother Night at Marvel.com