Mariah

"You always want to touch what's off-limits."

- Mariah,

Mariah (マライア) is a tertiary antagonist featured in the third part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Stardust Crusaders, specifically the "'Bastet' Mariah" story arc.

Mariah is one of the Egypt 9 Glory Gods. She separates the group in, and attempts to take out Joseph Joestar and Muhammad Avdol using her Stand, Bastet, while Alessi confronts the rest of the heroes.

Appearance
Mariah is an extremely attractive, long-legged woman with dark skin and short, light-colored hair. Her main attire consists of a miniskirt and hood, along with gloves, dark pantyhose, bow-knotted leather shoes and sunglasses on her head. Despite her revealing outfit, she conceals an impressive arsenal of bolts, screws, knives and other metal objects to throw at her magnetized victims. Her design in the anime shows off her midriff contrary to the manga.

Mariah is one of the few characters shown to smoke.

Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak
In the spin-off Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak, Mariah's appearance and outfit have changed. Mariah has long hair, with two long bangs on each side of her face. She's kept her sunglasses and habit of smoking. She now wears a dark revealing and form fitting dress with a low cut that goes down to her abdomen and reveals most of her legs. She still wears a pantyhose and gloves. Moreover, she has a light colored coat which she wears loosely, revealing her shoulders. She has a choker and ankle rings made of interlaced lozenges and a belt made of large rings. Her high heels also have a lozenge decoration at the top.

Personality
Mariah comes off as a calm, cool-headed person. Like most Stand Users, Mariah has great confidence in her Bastet, notably in that everyone will eventually succumb to him given time. However, she easily loses her cool whenever things don't go according to plan; in such cases, she's been shown to contort her face and bite her lip comically out of frustration and anger. Mariah is quite devious and has worked out many ways in which she could render her power truly dangerous. Mariah keeps on her many metallic objects, from nuts and bolts to metallic wires, to use them as projectiles in a pinch or exploit the magnetism to tie up her targets into dangerous machinery. She's also adept at baiting her targets to dangerous locations such as train tracks or places under power lines so that she could expose them to deadly hazards.

Mariah has a bit of a sleazy streak. On occasions, she likes to talk suggestively, saying for instance that "You always want to touch what's off-limits". The few relationships she talks about have also centered on the men's appearance, revealing that she's also superficial. She notably complimented Joseph Joestar and confessed that she found him very attractive for a man his age and that, if he was a few decades younger, they would have been a great couple; she nonetheless tried to kill him without second thoughts because it would please DIO, whom she considered much more attractive.

She also has a very distinctive "Oho ho ho ho ho!" laugh, which she does when she has her opponents helplessly trapped in the magnetic power of her Stand.

In the spin-off Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak, Mariah is shown to have survived and tried to move on from DIO. However, she confesses that she still has nightmares of DIO ordering her to go defeat the Joestars while she can only grovel and say she is sorry. Even after ten years, Mariah cannot stop herself from calling DIO "Lord DIO" in her dreams and she is aware that DIO still has a grip on her mind. She also reveals that she wasn't aware or fully aware of DIO's atrocities and that it felt good for her to be at DIO's beck and call. It went to the point that even though Mariah thinks she was being controlled, she feels that she willingly submitted to him.

In the spin-off, Mariah has settled down with Kenny G.. She also has some friendship with Boingo, as she states that she wanted to "give Hol Horse a good beating" because he exploited Boingo back then. Finally, Mariah seems to entertain a difficult relationship with Hol Horse himself, tolerating his presence but not trusting him or liking him in the slightest.

Stand
Bastet takes the form of an electrical outlet which magnetizes whoever touches it, causing metallic objects to be attracted to them.

Stardust Crusaders
Along with the other Egypt 9 Glory Gods, Mariah is deployed by DIO once the heroes reach Egypt to assassinate them. In Luxor, Mariah places her Bastet on a rock while Joseph is isolated in the toilets. Once he gets outs, he notices Bastet and thinking that it is a mere strangely placed electrical outlet, tries to touch it, only to be shocked. Joseph is now magnetized and metallic objects begin to be attracted to him.

The next morning, Mariah stays in the hotel where the Joestar Group is in to keep the effect of the magnetism on. Joseph eventually realizes his condition but is alone. She ambushes Joseph on an escalator and uses metallic wires to entangle Joseph's hands to the machinery of the elevator, threatening to crush his hands. In doing so, she reveals her identity. When Muhammad Avdol comes to deactivate the escalator, Mariah has already placed Bastet near the stop button, also shocking Avdol. Joseph spots Mariah hiding behind a pillar and they begin to pursue her into the women's bathroom and then the streets, giving Avdol's magnetism to grow. Thus, Joseph and Avdol are stuck together.

Mariah disappears and waits for Joseph and Avdol to find her. After trying to separate themselves, Joseph and Avdol accidentally roll down a slope where Mariah awaits them. She baits them into stepping on metal train tracks, just as a train approaches. When the train passes, Mariah assumes that she's won but she then discovers that Avdol has dug a hole underneath the train, frustrating her to no end. Magician's Red melts the train, allowing the pair to confront her. Joseph ties Mariah's neck with Hermit Purple and tries to choke her but she reveals that she's stuffed her bra with nuts and bolts which are attracted towards Joseph and Avdol. They have to protect themselves from the hail of projectiles coming onto them, allowing Mariah to slip away once again. However, Joseph devises a strategy.

After separating themselves again, Joseph and Avdol begin to chase Mariah through the streets of Luxor and split up to surround her thanks to a map created by Hermit Purple. On their way, they gather many metallic objects that are stuck to them. However, Mariah then reveals that she's baited them near power lines. Throwing a knife, she cuts the lines which are then attracted to the pair. Although Avdol's Magician' s Red can melt the cables, his magnetism gets so strong a truck flies at him and threaten to crash him. For his part, Joseph has a hard time keeping the cables away. Confident in her victory, Mariah reveals that she finds Joseph attractive for a man his age, leading Joseph to beg her for mercy. However, Mariah refuses as DIO is more attractive than Joseph for her.

However, Joseph has accounted for the whole battle and unveils his stratagem. He lets go the pavement and lets himself fly toward Avdol. The mass of metal violently closes on Mariah, taking her out and according to Avdol, breaking a few bones. Mariah is retired.

Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak
In the spin-off, Mariah says that DIO didn't implant a flesh bud in her.

It is revealed that Mariah survived her ordeal and that the Speedwagon Foundation contacted her and then explained to her the magnitude of DIO's atrocities then apparently left her be. Ten years after the events of Stardust Crusaders, Mariah has settled down with Kenny G.. They have a hideout in the middle of Cairo, an abandoned bar camouflaged by Tenore Sax.

In March 1999, Hol Horse meets Mariah at her hideout. Mariah informs Hol Horse that the Oingo Boingo brothers want to see him, though Hol Horse is only interested in contacting Boingo. Mariah asks if Hol Horse still has nightmares of DIO, which he denies. However, Mariah points out the three wristwatches on Hol Horse and says that he's developed a superstition. She explains how she still has nightmares of the vampire on a regular basis and that a part of her is left unfulfilled without DIO's control. Hol Horse tries to console Mariah, but she suddenly gets angry when he calls DIO a conman and those who fall for a con "fools", taking it personally. She stomps on Hol Horse and summons Bastet which shocks Hol Horse. The cowboy is almost impaled by a dozen swords flying at him, but a door thankfully blocks them. Mariah calls off her attack, as she only wanted to teach Hol Horse a lesson for taking advantage of Boingo years ago, and lets Hol Horse and Boingo plan the next step of their mission.

Quotes
Stardust Crusaders=

Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak=

Creation and Development
In the manga, Mariah's name in Japanese was originally spelled as "Maraiya" (マライヤ) in the WSJ publication of Part 3. It was changed to "Maraia" (マライア) in the tankōbon release; however, the original spelling could still be seen on her Stand and Retired card. These mistakes were fixed in later publications.

JoJo RPG (SFC)
Mariah is one of the boss enemies in the game. The events from her arc appear in the game with one differing detail—instead of fighting alone and confined to Joseph and Avdol, Mariah attacks the whole group alongside Hol Horse.

Heritage for the Future (PS1/DC/Arcade)
Mariah makes her playable debut on the Capcom game, being included in the second version of the game. She appears as a playable character with a style based on ranged traps.

Her game style is focused on middle-long range, keeping the enemy away with her moveset. Even without an active Stand, her Bast no Jiryoku, when activated, instead of summoning Bast, will place a magnetism-trap on the screen (always near her). If the opponent gets hit by this trap, their "magnetism" level will rise one level (with 8 being the maximum), making all Mariah's attacks stronger. She's one of the only characters in the game to fight at middle-long range, the other being Hol Horse.

Most of her moves are based on the objects she uses in the fight against Joseph and Avdol, such as knives, forks and electrifying energy cables. During her first super move, she uses the magnetism on the opponent to attract the screws, nuts, and bolts hidden in her bra and damages the enemy. During her second super move, she performs a rising uppercut on the opponent, launching them into the air and attracting a lot of metal objects, causing massive damage. It ends with a car smashing the opponent (the same car that defeated her in the story).

Along with Midler, Mariah is one of the only two playable female characters in the game. Mariah is also one of the special characters in the game that do not turn into a child when hit by Alessi's Stand; instead she turns into the old woman that Joseph encounters during his and Avdol's battle against Mariah.

Stardust Shooters (Android/iOS)
Mariah is one of several characters from Part 3 to possess a Metal Striker. Her FINISH MOVE makes several metal items (such as hammers and screws) attack the opponent, followed by a giant car coming in to crush them (not unlike her method of special attack in the Capcom fighting game).

Eyes of Heaven (PS3/PS4)
Mariah was confirmed for the game alongside Avdol.

As a Stand User, Mariah is one of many characters with wildly varied abilities that grant her uniqueness in battle. Instead of the conventional Normal Attacks that take the form of melee combos, Mariah will throw out a metal wire that paralyzes opponents.


 * Style Action - You always want to touch the things you're told not to.: Mariah places Bastet in front of her, either on the floor or on a wall as a trap. Opponents that come in contact with Bastet are inflicted with its magnetism. A Magnetic Gauge displays which of the two opponents have been magnetized, and the current level of the magnetism's strength on them. Beginning at "Lv 1", the Magnetic Gauge eventually progresses to "Lv 2", then "Lv MAX".
 * The magnetic force will just keep on increasing...: If both opponents are magnetized and within range of each other, they will increase the rate at which their Magnetic Gauges fill. If they come in contact with each other, they will both be stunned and left open to further attack.
 * Until it crushes your body...: While the magnetism is in effect, metal objects will frequently come out of nowhere and attack affected opponents as projectiles. Once an object hits an opponent, it will stick, reducing their movement speed. As the Magnetic Gauge fills, the size and strength of the metal objects increase depending on the level, as well as their ability to slow the targets. At Lv 1, nuts and bolts will appear; At Lv 2, bicycles will appear; At Lv MAX, cars will appear.
 * What are you drooling over?: Mariah fires nuts and bolts from her shirt in a wide cone. Opponents hit will be sent flying. While an opponent is magnetized, the projectiles will home in on and follow them closely.
 * Unfortunately, you have to die.: Mariah throws three knives straight forward, or at a downward angle if the skill performed in mid-air. If she is locked on, she will throw them straight at her target. While an opponent is magnetized, the knives will home in on and follow them closely.
 * EX - What are you drooling over?: Mariah is invincible during the skill's execution.
 * EX - Unfortunately, you have to die.: Mariah throws five knives.
 * Dual Heat Attack - You little turds!: Mariah inflicts Bastet's magnetization on the opponent by summoning it at their feet. Standing up, she unleashes the nuts and bolts from her shirt in a projectile attack that knocks them off-balance. Mariah taunts the opponent, before a car seemingly comes out of nowhere, flies at them from above, and crushes them. It then explodes as Mariah guffaws.

JoJolities

 * You always want to touch the things you're told not to.: Mariah must connect her Style Action 3 times. (200 Points)
 * This is what's inside my pocket.: Mariah must perform a combo with at least 30 hits. (200 points)
 * Heh heh heh... You won't be able to move for much longer now.: Mariah must retain a magnetization effect for 20 counts of the battle timer. (300 Points)
 * I'll never let you catch me!: Mariah must survive the first 20 counts of the battle timer without taking damage. (500 Points)
 * You looked pretty handsome out there.: Mariah must Retire an opponent with a Dual Heat Attack. (800 Points)

Tournament
She is paired with Esidisi in the Eyes of Heaven Tournament, defeating Rudol von Stroheim and Okuyasu Nijimura in the first round, and then Narancia Ghirga and Diego Brando in the second. In the semifinals, they are eliminated by Jotaro Kujo and DIO in the first round.

Gallery
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Trivia

 * In the English dub of SC Episode 29, Mariah is incorrectly mentioned as being of citizenship.