Dynamite Entertainment has found critical and commercial success with its Space Ghost revamp. The new comic book series presents a more sophisticated, modern take on the classic Hanna-Barbera hero, with more complex stories and an origin. The latest issue gives the same treatment to one of the Phantom of the Spaceway’s greatest enemies.
Written by David Pepose, with art by Jonathan Lau, Space Ghost #3 pits the hero and his junior partners against the Lizard Slavers. The battle is called off, however, once the slavers’ leader, a colorful figure called The Widow, reveals herself. It seems she has a bargain that may be of benefit to our heroes, but it is unclear if the Widow can be trusted.
Six pages from Space Ghost #3 can be viewed below.
Space Ghost Widow Explained
First appearing in the 1966 cartoon “The Web,” the villain now known as the Widow was a persistent foe. She made six appearances in the classic cartoon, as a solo act, and as a Council of Doom member. She is most notable, however, for the confusion regarding her name.
Originally, the villain was called Black Widow when she was first introduced. It was feared, however, that this might cause confusion with Marvel Comics‘ Natasha Romanoff character. Ironically, this was addressed by renaming her Spider-Woman in her later appearances. At the time, Marvel did not have any characters called Spider-Woman, much less a trademark on the name.
The Widow of the Space Ghost comic sports the same costume design as the animated character, with only the name changed. However, she seems to be a more seductive villain than the original. This may be a nod to Space Ghost Coast to Coast, where Black Widow had a crush on the hero. It could also be a means of remaking the character into a Catwoman figure to match the Batman-like Space Ghost.
Space Ghost #3 arrives in comic book stores everywhere on July 3, 2024.
