Ebony Maw

Ebony Maw was a member of the Black Order and an adoptive son of Thanos. Gifted with powers of telekinesis, Maw was deeply loyal to Thanos and gave warnings of his power across the galaxy while assisting in the search for the Infinity Stones. Having assisted with wiping out half the Asgardians, both Maw and Cull Obsidian were instructed to locate the Time Stone, leading to Maw capturing Doctor Strange and torturing him in order to obtain the Stone. However, Maw was killed when Iron Man ejected Maw from his ship into outer space before rescuing Strange.
==Biography==
===Black Order===
====Adopted by Thanos====
Ebony Maw, like the rest of the Black Order, was a native of a planet destroyed by Thanos in his quest to wipe out half the universe. Thanos took the orphaned Maw and raised him as his own child, training him to be a deadly member of the Black Order. Unlike Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Cull Obsidian, Nebula and Gamora, his adopted siblings, Maw stood out by never failing Thanos during his time in the order. As with his fellow siblings, Maw was disliked by Gamora and Nebula.
====Invasion of Zen-Whoberi====
In the mid-1990s, Maw was present during the invasion of Zen-Whoberi, when Thanos took Gamora into his care. Maw heralded to the people of Zen-Whoberi as they were rounded up and herded into two groups. Maw eventually commanded the Chitauri to execute half of the population.
====Infinity War====
=====Obtaining the Tesseract=====
In 2018, Maw and the Black Order accompanied Thanos on his quest to obtain the Infinity Stones. They first attacked Xandar in search of the Power Stone. Thanos eventually stole the Orb from the Nova Corps Headquarters after defeating the Nova Corps. A week later, the Sanctuary II crossed paths in space with the Statesman, carrying Asgardians.
After the Sanctuary II attacked the ship, Maw and the rest of the Black Order boarded it and slaughtered half of the Asgardians in search of the Tesseract, which contained the Space Stone. While Thanos demanded that Loki hand over the Tesseract to him in exchange for Thor's life, Hulk appeared behind Thanos and started to attack him. During the fight between them, Maw kept Cull Obsidian from intervening, instructing him to let Thanos have his fun.
After Thanos defeated Hulk, Thor attempted to land a strike against the back of his head, but was kicked away. Noticing this interference from Thor, Maw swiftly used his telekinesis to restrain the Asgardian in his place with armory. Right after Heimdall used the Bifrost Bridge to send the weakened Hulk away, Thanos stabbed and killed him, causing Thor to yell out before being gagged by Maw, who mockingly shushed him to be quiet.
With all the Asgardians defeated and the Tesseract in hand, Maw then humbly bowed down before Thanos as he presented the Tesseract to his master. Maw mused on how only Thanos has the power and nobility needed to wield the Infinity Stones as Thanos discarded his armor and then took the Tesseract from his hand, proceeding to quickly crush it to unveil the Space Stone before adding it to the Infinity Gauntlet.
Having retrieved two Infinity Stones, Thanos ordered his children to retrieve the Mind and Time Stones on Earth and meet him on Titan after their success. Loki then tried to distract them by telling Thanos that he will be an allegiance to him; however, he was then killed after trying to double cross him and left his corpse on the ship. Using the power of the newly acquired Space Stone, Thanos made a portal which Maw and the Black Order departed through before using the Power Stone to detonate the ship.
=====Attack on Greenwich Village=====
Maw and Cull Obsidian took a Q-Ship and flew to Earth, in search of the Eye of Agamotto, which contained the Time Stone. Upon arriving in New York City, Maw and Obsidian were confronted by Doctor Strange, Wong, Tony Stark, and Bruce Banner. As Maw was heralding to the four, he was interrupted by Stark, which irritated him. Maw went on to ask Strange if Stark was speaking on his behalf.
After confirming for Maw that Stark was correct, and that he was trespassing on Earth, Maw dismissively sent Obsidian forward to retrieve the Stone for him. After Stark shot Obsidian back at Maw, Maw used his telekinetic powers to effortlessly flick Obsidian aside into some parked cars. Maw fought with little effort, first using his powers to rip up a chunk of ground under Stark as he was explaining his Mark L armor to Banner, before ripping up a couple of trees along the pavement, throwing them at his opponents.
Stark then attacked Maw again, but he calmly sliced a car in half being thrown at him. As Stark headed toward him, Maw tried to stop him by raising concrete and moved his head to the left for Obsidian's Chain Hammer to fling into him and take him out of the fight.
Maw continued to confidently use his powers against Strange and Wong, lifting up bricks and turning them into razor sharp needles, before flinging them at Strange and Wong, who used their portals to send the spikes back at Maw. Maw easily blocked most of the spikes with a car, but one slashed him at the side of his head, making him annoyed and aggressive and making his focus more on taking down the two sorcerers.
Maw angrily made a water pump burst, which flung Wong back into some parked cars. Strange then attacked Maw with an Eldritch Whip, which Maw responded to by lunging at Strange, pinning him to a wall upside down. With Strange trapped, Maw began to muse that Strange's sorcery must be popular with the children of his world. Maw attempted to grab the Eye of Agamotto from Strange, but instead burned his hand. As Strange told him the spell was simple but quite unbreakable, Maw angrily suggested that he would rather take it off from Strange's dead corpse, flinging Strange to the ground.
Strange attempted to use the Eye of Agamotto, but Maw manipulated underground metal to constrict Strange's hands, preventing his spell, before extending and tightening the metal around Strange's torso and neck, making the sorcerer fall unconscious. The battle now in his favor, Maw levitated Strange and began to return to the ship, but unbeknownst to him, the Cloak of Levitation had a mind of its own, as it slipped through the bondage and pulled Strange's body away from Maw, who expressed his annoyance with the situation. As Maw chased Strange, he used lampposts and traffic lights to try and grab the Cloak off of Strange.
Eventually, Spider-Man joined the fray by attempting to stop Maw from getting to the unmoving Doctor Strange. Maw threw a billboard almost carelessly at Spider-Man, temporarily knocking him down. The chase continued for a short time before Maw successfully pulled the Cloak of Levitation off Strange with a lamppost, and had his Q-Ship pull Strange up, with Spider-Man and the Cloak close behind. Maw himself then boarded the ship, and set a course for Titan.
=====Torturing Doctor Strange=====
As the Q-Ship made its way to Titan, Maw kept Doctor Strange restrained at the center of the ship and waited for him to wake from his unconsciousness. Once Strange had woken up from his previous battle, Maw confronted and informed him that in his many years of serving Thanos, he had never failed him.
Maw continued to tell Strange how if he were to arrive on Titan with Strange still in possession of the Stone, he would be punished by Thanos. Drawing closer to Strange while as he floated helplessly, Maw told him to give up the Time Stone, as he began to torture Strange with a microsurgery needle, telekinetically stabbing Strange's left cheek from the inside.
As Strange kept himself quiet, Maw continued to torture him, whispering to Strange that the needles were originally for microsurgery. As Maw tortured Strange, he heard Tony Stark behind him and guessed if was he was trying to save his friend. As Stark told him that Strange was not his friend and he was only saving him out of mere professional courtesy, Maw telekinetically picked up pieces of debris of his ship in preparation for battle.
Maw then stated that he could kill Strange in an instant and that Stark's powers were inconsequential compared to his. However, Stark replied that "the kid has seen more ," at which point, he blasted a hole in the side of the ship, flushing Maw out into the vacuum of the space and quickly freezing him to death.
===Legacy===
====Thanos' Disappointment====
Following his obtainment of the Soul Stone, Thanos arrived on Titan to retrieve the Time Stone, assuming that Maw was successful in claiming the Time Stone. Thanos swiftly deduced that Maw had been killed upon seeing Doctor Strange free and waiting for him. Thanos remarked that the day had extracted a heavy toll, and showed regards for Maw for accomplishing his mission. Strange insisted that Maw had brought Thanos to him, to face the Master of the Mystic Arts.
==Personality==
As one of Thanos' most trusted lieutenants and chief thinker within the Black Order, Ebony Maw was calm and calculated during his service to his father, which was often in direct contrast with the bloodthirsty attitudes of the other members of the Black Order. Maw held great respect for Thanos, to the point of speaking quite reverently of the Mad Titan as he announced their arrival on various worlds and prostrating himself deeply before Thanos when addressing him directly. He also restrained Cull Obsidian during Thanos' fight with the Hulk aboard the Statesman, confident in his master's ability to prevail against his enemy. Maw was displeased by any offenses against Thanos, as seen by Maw silencing Thor when the latter vowed vengeance against him for killing Heimdall. Due to the great amount of rivalry amongst the members of the Black Order for Thanos' favor, most of them despised each other, and Maw was no exception. Due to Nebula's mention that Gamora was so far the only of her adoptive siblings whom she less hated, it is thereby inferred that Maw was well hated by his adoptive sister, and such a feeling was mutual.
Maw was also quite haughty, as was seen by his referring to the lives of those killed during Thanos' quest as "meaningless." When he encountered the Avengers in New York City, Maw spoke contemptuously towards Iron Man and Doctor Strange, openly referring to the former as an "animal." He leisurely deflected their attacks while launching attacks of his own, only becoming serious after Strange and Wong managed to wound him. His frustration when Strange continuously denied him the Time Stone exposed his sadistic side as he slowly tortured the sorcerer, relishing Strange's pain. He held some respect for Strange for being a Stonekeeper, but would have killed him anyway in order to obtain the Stone.
==Powers and Abilities==
===Powers===
*Telekinesis: Maw was able to move and otherwise manipulate inanimate objects to his will to an immense degree, employing this power offensively, able to swiftly send Iron Man flying skyward, to knock aside Spider-Man by sending a billboard flying into him without even looking at him, and to angle away the trajectory of Cull Obsidian after the latter was sent flying at him. His precision with his power was enough to allow him to cleanly slice apart a car hurled at him as well as effortlessly sculpt sharpened spikes out of debris before launching it at the combined might of Doctor Strange and Wong. Maw was also able to use his telekinesis to restrain and muzzle a defeated Thor with panels from the walls of the Statesman. He was also able to manipulate the environment to hinder Doctor Strange and Wong, crushing part of a fire hydrant to send a stream of highly pressurized water at Wong to knock him away, immobilizing Doctor Strange in a brick wall, twisting metal rebars to prevent Doctor Strange from moving his hands to activate the Eye of Agamotto before further constricting Doctor Strange around his torso and neck, knocking him out by asphyxiating him, and using various lampposts and traffic lights to stop the Cloak of Levitation from whisking the unconscious Strange away.
**Levitation: Maw could use his telekinesis to levitate, occasionally using this skill as a means of transportation, even able to make himself hover upside-down. He was also able to telekinetically take people with him while levitating himself, as seen when he lifted Doctor Strange into the air against a wall.
===Abilities===
*Genius-Level Intellect: Maw was among one of the most intelligent minds in the universe. Knowing his intelligence, Thanos had Maw speak to the dying Asgardians on his behalf.
*Expert Tactician: Although he was not typically deployed in direct combat and whilst not as skilled in tactics as his adopted father, Thanos, Maw was able to quickly deduce his enemies' weaknesses and manipulate the environment to incapacitate them. He bound Strange's hands after observing how he used his powers.
*Pilot: Ebony Maw knew how to fly a Q-Ship on his own, attempting to take one to Titan after he captured Doctor Strange.
==Equipment==
===Weapons===
*Microsurgery Needles: Ebony Maw used thin microsurgery needles when he tortured Doctor Strange in order to get the Time Stone. The needles were able to penetrate through Strange's skin thanks to Ebony Maw's telekinetic powers.
===Vehicles===
*Sanctuary II: While Thanos attacked other planets to eliminate half the population, Maw was transported on this ship. He, along with the Black Order, used this massive warship to go to different places in the universe alongside Thanos and the army. In 2018, they used this ship to assault the Statesman.
*Statesman: Maw boarded this massive ship with Thanos and the Black Order to obtain the Space Stone. After some fights, Thanos obtained the Stone and they left the ship while it was destroyed by the Power Stone.
*Q-Ship: Ebony Maw, along with Cull Obsidian, used this spaceship to arrive on New York City to obtain the Time Stone. After the attack, he used it to address Titan taking Doctor Strange with him, where he tortured him in order to obtain the Time Stone; however, he was later killed by Iron Man.
==Relationships==
===Family===
*A'Lars - Adoptive Grandfather
*Thanos † - Adoptive Father and Master
*Eros/Starfox - Adoptive Uncle
*Black Order - Adoptive Siblings and Teammates
**Cull Obsidian † - Adoptive Brother
**Proxima Midnight † - Adoptive Sister
**Corvus Glaive † - Adoptive Brother
*Gamora † - Adoptive Sister and Rival
*Nebula - Adoptive Sister and Rival
===Allies===
*Chitauri - Subordinates
**Leviathans
===Enemies===
*Zehoberei
**Gamora's Mother †
*Asgardians
**Brunnhilde/Valkyrie
**Heimdall †
**Einherjar
*Sakaaran Rebellion
**Korg
**Miek
**Biff
**Tasba
**Roscoe †
*Loki †
*Avengers
**Bruce Banner/Hulk
**Thor
**Tony Stark/Iron Man † - Attempted Victim and Killer
**Peter Parker/Spider-Man
*Masters of the Mystic Arts
**Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange - Attempted Victim
**Wong
==Appearances==
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* (indirectly mentioned)
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In an indefinite temporality:
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In narrative order:
* (flashbacks)
** (flashbacks)
* (indirectly mentioned)
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** (indirectly mentioned)
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* (footage)
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==Trivia==
*Ebony Maw being sucked out into space is a reference to the 's death from (suggested by Spider-Man, when he is discussing how to dispose of Ebony Maw). Maw drifting towards and past the camera leaving the Q-Ship behind is nearly a shot-for-shot recreation of the Queen drifting away from the USS Sulaco after being ejected.
*Ebony Maw bears the telekinesis and levitation powers from Supergiant, who in the comics is also a member of the Black Order.
*Ebony Maw's portrayal in Avengers: Infinity War was inspired by that of Mephisto as Thanos' right-hand in Jim Starlin's comic book storyline, which both Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame adapted.'Avengers: Endgame' Writers Share Ideas Abandoned Along the Way His phrase to Thanos: "My humble personage bows before your grandeur." is a reference to the Infinity Gauntlet Vol 1 #1 where this phrase was said by Mephisto.
*Ebony Maw is the only member of the Black Order whose 2014 and 2018 versions were killed by the same person (Iron Man).
==Behind the Scenes==
*Joe Russo calls Ebony Maw "Thanos' herald, a little bit of his hype man, and you know, Thanos is sort of a cult character, and Ebony Maw, the character who Tom plays, is the one who builds up the cult."Russo bros FINALLY explain Hawkeye 'absence' for Avengers: Infinity War
*Stephen McFeely described Ebony Maw as a "techno mage," and that "he can move and control things at a molecular level."Avengers: Infinity War Director Reveals Why They Made Changes to the Black Order
*In the French dubbing of Avengers: Infinity War, rather than calling him , Tony Stark refers to Maw as .
==References==
==External Links==
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pt-br:Fauce de Ébano
ru:Эбеновый Зоб
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