She was created by Billy Graham, George Tuska, and Steve Englehart, and first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire Vol.

[1] Black Mariah first appeared in Luke Cage: Hero for Hire #5 (January 1973) and was created by George Tuska and Steve Englehart.

[8] Black Mariah is among the crime lords that compete with Mister Negative in obtaining the Tablet of Life and Destiny so that she can win the favor of Mayor Wilson Fisk.

[10] During the "Gang War" storyline, Black Mariah attends a crime lord meeting where she states that Harlem is up for grabs and that nobody has told Janice Lincoln about it.

In the nick of time, Janice Lincoln in her Beetle attire arrives with Syndicate members Lady Octopus, Scorpia, and Trapstr.

Mariah Dillard (née Stokes) appears in Luke Cage, portrayed by Alfre Woodard as an adult and Megan Miller as a teenager.

[17] In the second season, Mariah prepares to go legitimate and retire from her family's criminal activities with help from her childhood friend Raymond "Piranha" Jones while attempting to reconnect with Tilda.

[22] A disgusted Shades turns himself in to the police and works with them to apprehend her while Tilda learns the truth of her mother's criminal activities and joins Bushmaster.