Ebony Maw

Ebony Maw is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a prominent member of the Black Order, a team of aliens who work for Thanos.

The character appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), through voice and motion capture by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor.

Publication history
Ebony Maw first appears in a one panel cameo New Avengers #8 (September 2013) and was created by Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opeña. His second one panel appearance came later that month in Infinity #1 (October 2013).

Fictional character biography
Ebony Maw was a member of Thanos' Black Order. He is not a fighter, but a dangerous thinker of the Black Order. When Thanos targeted Earth as the next planet he would raze during the Infinity storyline, Ebony Maw was dispatched to deal with Doctor Strange.

Ebony Maw used his abilities to gain control over Doctor Strange and force him to summon Shuma-Gorath. Then Ebony Maw used his abilities to have Doctor Strange serve as a double-agent for him when he reunited with the Illuminati. When the Illuminati headed to numerous locations around the world to find Thanos' son Thane, Doctor Strange found the boy in a hidden Inhuman city of Orollan (which is located in Greenland). Ebony remained in the location and forced Doctor Strange to forget about the discovery and to leave where he is now freed from Maw's control.

When Black Bolt detonated a Terrigen Bomb which unleashed the Terrigen Mists upon the entire face of Earth, Thanos' son Thane underwent Terrigenesis. The manifestation of his powers annihilated the entire town. Posing as an ally following the incident, Ebony Maw offered Thane a suit to control his powers, but also captured him in a containment field followed by Ebony Maw alerting Thanos to the location of his son. When the Avengers arrived in Orollan in order to defeat Thanos, Ebony Maw tested Thane by freeing him. Thane could escape or could fight Thanos and become what he had avoided his entire life. Thane agreed and embraced his true nature as the son of Thanos by fighting his father. Using the power of his right hand, Thane trapped Thanos and his ally Proxima Midnight in an amber construct which left them in a state of "living death." Upon the defeat of Thanos, Ebony Maw started disciplining Thane into becoming something greater than Thanos and greater than any one would.

During the "No Surrender" arc, Ebony Maw appears as a member of Challenger's Black Order where he pits them in a contest against Grandmaster's Lethal Legion.

Powers and abilities
Ebony Maw has genius-level intellect. He mostly demonstrates his intelligence with his highly skilled abilities of manipulation being described as a "black tongue that spreads mischief and evil wherever he goes." Ebony Maw’s skills at manipulation are a result of his superhumanly persuasive voice which allows him to control even the strongest minds such as Doctor Strange. Maw’s other abilities includes the ability to use telekinesis and pyrokinesis.

He also uses technology that specializes in teleportation and force field generation.

Television

 * Ebony Maw appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced by René Auberjonois. He serves the Black Order under Thanos.
 * Ebony Maw appears in Guardians of the Galaxy, voiced by James Urbaniak. While initially a member of the Black Order, he later joins the Universal Believers.

Film

 * Ebony Maw appears in Avengers: Infinity War, voiced and motion-captured by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. This version of the character has telekinetic abilities and acts as Thanos' herald, perversely evangelizing to those worlds under siege by Thanos are actually being saved and the citizens, half of whom are dead or dying, should "rejoice" in their deaths bringing balance to the Universe. Furthermore, Ebony Maw makes a habit of keeping silent, or reducing the sound of any actions to the victims so that he can enjoy their success or rewards. Upon arriving on New York with Cull Obsidian, Maw battles with the Avengers and manages to overpower and capture Doctor Strange to retrieve the Time Stone from him. While Cull is defeated, Maw leaves with Strange taking him aboard the Q-ship and tortures him in an attempt to have him give up the stone. However Tony Stark and Peter Parker, who snuck aboard the ship, come to rescue Strange. After a brief confrontation, the two distract Maw and blast a hole on the side of the ship, causing an explosive decompression that blows Maw outside, leaving him to die in the vacuum of space.
 * Ebony Maw appears in Avengers: Endgame, with Vaughan-Lawlor reprising the role. A 2014 version of the character travels through time with Thanos' forces to take part in the climactic battle on Earth. He is disintegrated, along with the rest of Thanos' forces, when Tony Stark activates the Infinity Stones.

Video games

 * Ebony Maw appeared as a non-combative villain in Marvel Avengers Alliance.
 * Ebony Maw appears as a boss and unlockable playable character in Marvel Future Fight.
 * Ebony Maw appears as an unlockable playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. He is available through the DLC "Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War Movie Level Pack".
 * Ebony Maw appears as a support character in Marvel Puzzle Quest.
 * Ebony Maw appears as an unlockable playable character in Marvel Contest of Champions. He also was featured as a mini-boss during the story event "Avengers Forever" and a boss during the event "Last Stand: Save the Battlerealm".
 * Ebony Maw appears as a boss in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, voiced by Todd Haberkorn.