Marlene Blackgar

Marlene Blackgar was a minor villain featured in the Werewolf by Night family of titles. She was created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Mike Ploog and was introduced in Marvel Spotlight, Volume 1 #4. Her final appearance was in Werewolf by Night, Volume 1 #1. Marlene Blackgar was a foe of Jack Russell and possessed the ability to turn people into stone with one look from her eyes.

Biography
Marlene Blackgar was the daughter of Miles Blackgar and an unnamed mother who died during childbirth. She lived in the purchased remains of Russoff Castle, which had been transported to Blackgar island off the California Coast brick by brick. Due to her father's machinations in science and the occult, Marlene was born with a strange mutant disability. One look into her eyes would turn any living creature into solid stone; very similar to the Gorgons of classic Greek literature.

Miles and Marlene's true purpose behind buying the castle from it's legal owner, Philip Russell, was the hopes of finding it's previous owner, Gregory Russoff's, arcane grimoire, the Darkhold.

Gregory's son, Jack Russell, having inherited the curse of lycanthropy from his father, came to Blackgar Island with his newfound colleague Buck Cowan in the hopes of finding the Darkhold so that he could find a cure for his condition. Marlene hated her father and when she saw Jack transform into a werewolf, she goaded him into attacking Miles. The werewolf did so, mostly due to his own savage nature and less because of Marlene's prompting and Miles was thrown from the window of his castle. Miles Blackgar survived, but was crippled from the incident and rendered mute. (MSPOT: 4)

Seeing this affected a change in Marlene's demeanor and she now wanted to use the Darkhold herself to help her father. She turned her gaze upon the werewolf and transformed him into a stone statue on the outskirts of their property. When the full moon sank away, the metamorphosis that turned the werewolf back into Jack Russell also reversed the effects of Marlene's stare. Jack and Buck Cowan returned to the castle where they found the Darkhold and left the island, returning to Buck's place at 2394 Venice Boulevard.

When Marlene learned that Jack had stolen the Darkhold she, along with her invalid father and henchman Strug went to Los Angeles to speak with Jack's stepfather, Philip. Philip promised to help Marlene recover her property and had his stepdaughter, Lissa bring them to Buck's address. Marlene and Strug captured Jack and tied Buck and Lissa up in chair, forcing Jack to surrender the Darkhold. Jack refused and Strug knocked him out. When he awakened, the full moon rose and Jack turned into the werewolf. He fought with Strug again and Marlene attempted to end the mele by firing her revolver at them. Rather than hitting Jack however, she instead hit Strug, killing him.

Marlene then removed her dark eyeglasses and trained her Gorgon gaze upon the werewolf. The werewolf instinctively turned out of the way, but behind him was a long, standing mirror. The reflection in the mirror turned Marlene's power back upon her, and both her father and she were turned to stone. Buck Cowan took possession of the statues and donated them to the Santa Monica Art Museum. (WBN: 1)

What became of Marlene and her father following this event is unknown, but in all likelihood, they are both deceased.

Powers

 * Matter transmutation: Marlene was born with the mutant ability to turn any living creature into solid stone with one look from her eyes. To counter this affect, her father developed special dark glasses for her, which contained her power. Marlene's victims, though immobile, were still alive and their consciousness continued to exist within their stone bodies.


 * One unexpected counter-effect to this ability is how it applies to werewolves. Marlene's power can transform a werewolf into stone, but the metamorphosis back into their normal form reverses the effect, turning them back into flesh and blood. Such was the case when Marlene turned werewolf Jack Russell into stone.

Skills
Marlene Blackgar did not demonstrate any aptitudes in any specific skill.

Weaknesses
Marlene had terrible aim with her revolver. Poor Strug.

Equipment
Marlene wore a pair of specially designed glasses with dark lenses that could contain the effects of her Gorgon-like abilities while still enabling her to see with total clarity.

Weaponry
Marlene possessed a revolver which she used to inadvertently kill her father's henchman, Strug.

Notes & Trivia



 * Marlene's powers are similar to that of the classic Gorgons of Greek literature. Oddly, there are two other characters in the Marvel Universe who have names relating to such creature, yet bear no other similarities. One of them is actually named Gorgon and he is a member of the offshoot alien race called the Inhumans. He has super-strength and a hyper-stomp. Another character, Medusa, also of the Inhumans, has living hair that she can control, but has no other connections to the classical Medusa.

Appearances

 * Marvel Spotlight, Volume 1 #4 (First appearance)
 * Werewolf by Night, Volume 1 #1 (Final appearance)
 * Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #9 (Flashback)
 * Essential Werewolf by Night, Volume 1 (Reprint)