- "I was always afraid of what I might find inside. And now I know I was right to be afraid. I am the product of rape. Incest. Murder. Stokes twice over."
- ―Tilda Johnson[src]
Tilda Johnson, born Matilda Maybelline Dillard, is a holistic doctor and the daughter of Mariah Stokes Dillard. Once she returned to New York City, Johnson began reconnecting with her long-lost mother; however, she soon discovered that Stokes had followed the rest of the Stokes Family into a life of crime, as Johnson herself became a target of the Stylers. Disgusted at her mother's recent violent actions, Johnson chose to side with Bushmaster to have her mother killed; when this failed to work and her mother was sent to Ryker's Island for her crimes, Johnson then poisoned and killed her. However, Johnson had also learned that in her final will, Stokes had left Harlem's Paradise to Luke Cage rather than Johnson, which angered Johnson over Stokes' final insult to her.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Raised by the Johnsons[]
- "I never wanted you. I tried to love you. I tried. But I don't. That's the truth. 'Cause every time I look in your face I see Pete."
- ―Mariah Dillard to Tilda Johnson[src]
Tilda Johnson was the daughter of Mariah Stokes, from a rape committed by her paternal uncle, Peter Stokes. Through the decision of Mama Mabel, Tilda was taken away from her mother and largely raised by Mamie Johnson. Eventually, Mariah was married off to a man named Jackson Dillard, partly to appease Dillard's homophobic parents since they refused to accept the fact Dillard was gay, and primarily to obscure Tilda's true parentage. Mariah left Tilda when she was eight and would never see her again for years.[1][4]
Founding Mother's Touch[]
Johnson had decided to pursue in the career of a doctor like her adopted father and earned her credentials in her earlier years but decided that the best way to help people as a doctor was to have a more herbal, remedial approach to it and set up a shop named Mother's Touch.[2]
War for Harlem[]
Reunion with Mariah[]
- "Emotions are not my area of expertise. I have a hard time letting people in. But when I saw you up there today, through all the lies and hurt, I felt something. I didn't want to, but I believed you."
- ―Tilda Johnson to Mariah Dillard[src]
Johnson helped a customer who was having headaches. After the third try, Johnson was able to create a concoction to help. Johnson did not charge her as it took three tries. The woman gladly told her that she will tell her friends about Mother's Touch. Suddenly, Mariah Dillard arrived looking to reconnect with Johnson. Although hesitant to talk, Johnson ultimately gave the idea more thought. Later, a man by the name of Bushmaster came in looking for a substance called Nightshade. Johnson was worried as there was blood stains on his shirt. However, she helped him and he paid her generously. Johnson then decided that reconnecting with Dillard was a good idea and went to Harlem's Paradise to find her.[2]
Johnson later attended a press conference where Dillard used Johnson to gain political popularity. She announced that she had a daughter. Johnson met with Dillard later and told her she did not like to be put on the spot like that. However, she also apologized for how she treated Dillard in the past.[1]
Helping Luke Cage[]
Luke Cage stopped by one day to ask if she had given anything to Bushmaster. She said she gives products to many Jamaicans. She then gave Cage a product to help his concussion, though he said it tasted terrible. As Cage walked out, he thanked her and she said she will contact him if she sees Bushmaster again.[5]
Worried About Dillard[]
Johnson grew worried about the relations that Mariah Dillard had. She asked her about Mark Higgins and how she got her money. Dillard explained that she got her money from selling weapons. Johnson later joined her mother in opening a new building. When Dillard opened the door, she found the severed heads of Higgins, Cockroach Hamilton, and Ray Ray on a post.[3] Johnson then ghosted Dillard over the events that happened.[6]
Burning of the Brownstone[]
Johnson returned to Harlem's Paradise and listened to the musician before meeting with her mother. They talked about the Stokes' family history and their business. Johnson talked about how she became a doctor because of her father. Dillard showed Johnson her net worth explaining that she hopes she could have something to pass to Johnson.
Later, Johnson was told by Dillard that all of their assets were stolen by the Stylers and they needed to get to her Brownstone for safety. When they got there, Bushmaster ambushed them. He realized that Johnson was a Stokes and said that he almost felt bad before tying them both up. He told Johnson the truth of what the Stokes did to his family and how Mama Mabel burned down his home, killing his mother. His mother had Bushmaster escape right before and he ran away. Bushmaster then went to set the building on fire, leaving them to burn alive. However, he untied Johnson and said she was free to go; however, if she stayed, then she would be a better daughter than he was a son. As he lit the house on fire, Dillard screamed and Johnson tried to untie her. Suddenly, Luke Cage arrived and got them both out. Dillard then asked to have Cage as protection.[7]
Protected by Cage[]
Luke Cage brought her and Mariah Dillard to the precinct. Dillard was interrogated before they were let out. Johnson also briefly talked to Cage. Johnson and Dillard returned to the brownstone to see the damage. Afterwards, Johnson went to Mother's Touch and started packing up as she realized it was a mistake to come to Harlem. Dillard arrived and stopped her. She then told Johnson the truth of how when she was born, Dillard almost died and Johnson was even ripped away from her by Mama Mabel. This made Johnson cry. Suddenly, both the Stylers and the New York City Police Department pulled up. Misty Knight and Cage helped defeat the Stylers. They then decided that they needed protection, so they called Danny Rand.[8]
Life Changing Truth[]
The Real Mariah[]
They all arrived at the Rand Enterprises Research Facility and stayed there. Johnson helped James Lucas with his knuckle injury by giving him Nightshade. She then talked to Cage, telling him that she might have given Bushmaster the power that he needed. Cage asked questions, but Johnson did not know the answers. He said if she thought of anything, let him know. She complied on one condition; he tell her everything he knows about Dillard. Cage did so and got Johnson worried about her own mother.
Johnson approached her mother later and they talked. Johnson talked about how she was outcast and figured it was because she did not have any of her father's features, but Dillard told her that Jackson Dillard was not her father. Dillard explained that she was raped by her uncle Peter Stokes and conceived Johnson. This caused Johnson to break down in tears. Dillard continued this life changing news by saying that every time she looked at Johnson, she saw Peter and cannot stand Johnson because of it. Dillard further ruined their relationship by saying she killed Cornell Stokes because he said she wanted it, but she did not.
Johnson walked away crying, claiming that her mother was a monster. Suddenly, the Stylers arrived to take Dillard. However, they were defeated and Bushmaster was taken into custody. Johnson returned to Mother's Touch to find it in ruins. She turned around and saw Sheldon, who pointed to Bushmaster sitting behind her, in fatal condition after breaking free from custody. Sheldon asked where the Nightshade was, but Johnson claimed it was gone. Sheldon told her that if Bushmaster dies, she dies.[4]
Allying with Bushmaster[]
- "Why did you deliver yourself to the lion?"
"Because I need that lion to maul my mother."
"You want me to kill her for you?"
"Not for me. For everyone. The woman is a virus. She infiltrates, destroys, and moves on to the next. You can't treat her. You can't quarantine her. She won't stop." - ―Bushmaster and Tilda Johnson[src]
Johnson took the dying Bushmaster and went to heal him. She put an ice pack on his head and tried to help as Sheldon told her what Mama Mabel did to Gwen McIver. Bushmaster lunged forward, showing his red eyes. Johnson quickly prepared the Nightshade and asked Sheldon if he had any medical problems. Upon finishing the preparation, she gave it to Bushmaster, who expelled the shrapnel lodged in his chest as the skin hardened. He stood up and caught his breath, asking what the cost was. Johnson told him that the cost was nothing as her family owed him more. He said he meant the cost to his body and she told him his organs could fail.
Sheldon stepped out for a moment and returned in tears. He told Bushmaster that there was a massacre. Anansi and everyone in their family were dead. Bushmaster mourned before searching the crime scene at Gwen's. Bushmaster saw the damage and turned away, thanking Johnson for her efforts in saving him. She apologized before leaving.[9]
Johnson visited Cornell Stokes' grave, telling him that he was the only one that understood her. She was still grieving over his loss and left flowers. Later, Johnson gave her condolences to the Stylers and even wanted to get back at her mother, who had reverted to her birth name of Mariah Stokes, by giving them a map of Harlem's Paradise with the location of the bunker she would be hiding. She also offered an even more advanced version of Nightshade, but warned that it could kill Bushmaster. She met Bushmaster outside Harlem's Paradise and gave him the dose. Bushmaster did not kill Stokes, but she was arrested instead.[10]
Final Visit[]
- "Goodbye, Mother. I hope you find peace, even if you don't deserve it."
- ―Tilda Johnson to Mariah Stokes[src]
Johnson was visited by Misty Knight in Mother's Touch, who asked if she knew where Bushmaster was. Johnson told her no and forced her out of the store. She told her that she needed a warrant and Knight pointed out that she sounded like Mariah Stokes. When Knight was gone, Johnson told Sheldon it was all clear. Sheldon, Ingrid Mackintosh, and an injured Bushmaster walked out of the closet. Johnson gave him a pain reducer which he drank. They went to a parking lot where Bushmaster and Mackintosh got in a car on the way to Jamaica. Sheldon and Bushmaster thanked her. Johnson asked if Anansi's body was with them, and Sheldon mentioned how it was in Delaware getting shipped out.
Johnson concocted a deadly poison named Beso de la Araña and spread it across her lips. She then visited Stokesd, who stated that she no longer sees Pistol Pete in her, she now sees herself. Stokes had said that when she got out of prison, she and Johnson could start over again, but Johnson quickly refused that offer as Stokes was dead to her. Before she left, Johnson gave Stokes a gentle kiss on the lips, calling her "mother" instead of the usual "mommy." However, Stokes was unaware that her own daughter poisoned her and that she would die soon.[11]
The Last Stokes[]
- "Do you want the usual bells and whistles? Mahogany and gold?"
"Just cremate her. I don't care about her ashes."
"Uh, as you wish, Ms. Stokes."
"The last Stokes just died. It's Johnson. Tilda Johnson." - ―Joel Spurlock and Tilda Johnson[src]
Johnson presented herself at the morgue, informing Joel Spurlock that he should cremate Mariah Stokes's body as she cared little what he did with the ashes. Before leaving, she corrected Spurlock, requesting that he refer to her as Tilda Johnson and that the last Stokes had passed away.[11]
Mariah Stokes' Will[]
- "Ms. Stokes' handwritten will is as follows. The Basquiat will be donated to the Studio Museum of Harlem. Her leftover millions will transform the Family First Initiative into the Family First Foundation. Tilda, she left you Cornell's keyboard. And I quote, "To Carl Lucas, known on the streets of Harlem as Luke Cage, I give Harlem's Paradise. The club, the deed, the name.""
- ―Ben Donovan to Tilda Johnson and Luke Cage[src]
Johnson went to Harlem's Paradise as it was now hers. She used the piano and sang just as Cottonmouth would do. Later, she met with Benjamin Donovan and Luke Cage at Harlem's Paradise. She listened to Donovan read Mariah Stokes's will and testament. Though she smiled to hear that she was left with Cornell Stokes's piano, Johnson changed demeanor when Donovan informed the two that Cage was given Harlem's Paradise; upset, she grabbed her coat and left the building.[11]
Personality[]
- "Your daughter is a brave, intelligent, forceful, dynamic woman."
- ―James Lucas to Mariah Dillard[src]
Tilda is the polar opposite of her mother, Mariah Stokes Dillard; she is a caring person who does show empathy and is willing to make amends to anyone who is hurt from what the Stokes family has caused them. She felt abandoned by her mother and was initially willing to give her another chance.
However, as she began to be more involved in her mother's criminal activity and knew more about the Stokes, she resented her bloodline as she rejected the use of that last name. And she had even called Mariah a monster, no longer showing sympathy toward her. Tilda was saddened though by how her uncle, Cornell Stokes, turned out to be under Mama Mabel's influence and the former's untimely death. Despite her kind persona, she was more than willing to commit premeditated cold-blooded murder if she felt it was necessary, as she deeply despised her mother and felt she needed to die for the sake of Harlem. She was so insistent to end the Stokes bloodline and criminal operations that she helped Bushmaster into killing her mother, but ultimately did it herself.
While she shows no tolerance for her mother's side of the family, she is proud to be raised by Jackson Dillard and Mamie Johnson.
Abilities[]
- "I have a feeling for healing people. And not just with medicine, but by using the earth the way it was intended."
- ―Tilda Johnson to Mariah Dillard[src]
- Expert Physician: Tilda Johnson spent years learning to be a doctor applying for modern medicine, utilizing holistic methods and natural remedies. Johnson was able to help Luke Cage with his concussion, medicate James Lucas' hand and heal Bushmaster's severe injuries after he suffered from an explosion.
Equipment[]
- Nightshade: Working as a holistic doctor at Mother's Touch, Johnson was in possession of a variety of herbs and other earthly resources, including nightshade. She attempts to understand its properties further in an effort to stop Bushmaster; coerced by Sheldon, she tried to heal Bushmaster using a mix of nightshade and other herbal mixes. Johnson also managed to produce one syringe of liquid nightshade that, in an all-one dosage, could do worsening harm to Bushmaster's mind and body.
- Beso de la Araña: When visiting Mariah Stokes in jail, Johnson laced her lips with the poison and transferred it to her mother with a kiss.
Facilities[]
| This section requires expansion |
- Mother's Touch: To be added
- Stokes Brownstone: To be added
- 29th Precinct Police Station: To be added
- Rand Enterprises Research Facility: To be added
Relationships[]
Family[]
Allies[]
|
Enemies[]
|
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- In the comics, Tilda Johnson is a scientific genius who grew up in the poor area of Harlem. She became a powerful crime lord under the alias of Nightshade (or Dr. Nightshade) and gained enemies in heroes like Captain America, Luke Cage and Black Panther. She later turned her life around and became the heroine Nighthawk.
Behind the Scenes[]
- Nabiyah Be announced on Twitter on June 1, 2017, that she would be portraying Tilda Johnson in Black Panther. However, she deleted this tweet when it was announced that Gabrielle Dennis would portray the character in the second season of Luke Cage. Nabiyah Be's character was renamed Linda.
- Valisa Tate was a stunt double for Gabrielle Dennis in the role of Tilda Johnson.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Luke Cage: 2.03: Wig Out
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Luke Cage: 2.02: Straighten It Out
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Luke Cage: 2.05: All Souled Out
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Luke Cage: 2.09: For Pete's Sake
- ↑ Luke Cage: 2.04: I Get Physical
- ↑ Luke Cage: 2.06: The Basement
- ↑ Luke Cage: 2.07: On and On
- ↑ Luke Cage: 2.08: If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right
- ↑ Luke Cage: 2.11: The Creator
- ↑ Luke Cage: 2.12: Can't Front On Me
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Luke Cage: 2.13: They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
