Black Diamond #1
Black Diamond #1 is one of the earliest examples in American comics of a publisher building a series around a living celebrity's persona — specifically casting Austrian actress Sybil Danning as the secret-agent protagonist Tiana Mathews, with the book marketed as a tie-in to a forthcoming film that never materialized. Released in May 1983 as part of Bill Black's Americomics launch into the direct-market, it stands as a founding title of what would become AC Comics and delivered first appearances of three distinct characters — Black Diamond, Colt the Weapons Mistress, and the villainess Darkfire — in a single issue. The series also pioneered the practice of embedding real actress photographs alongside illustrated adventure strips, blurring the line between celebrity magazine and superhero comic in a way that anticipated later licensed-character comics. By AC's own account, the debut issue was the publisher's single biggest commercial success until the launch of Femforce in 1985.
"The Darkfire Affair: Gauntlet" kicks off with a striking blend of cinematic flair and mystery in Black Diamond #1 (1983), a standout issue from AC that dives into the world of the Black Diamond film and its star, Sybil Danning. Featuring real publicity stills from 7 Magnificent Gladiators and Chained Heat, the issue blends behind-the-scenes intrigue with a tease of what’s to come in the series and other AC titles, all rendered in bold, dynamic art by Bill Black, who both wrote and illustrated the cover.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The Black Diamond character was conceived by Mike Frankovich, Jr. and developed into a comics series by AC Comics publisher-editor Bill Black, who co-wrote the inaugural issue with Don Secrease and handled much of the interior art himself. Black launched Americomics — soon rebranded AC Comics — in early 1983 as one of the first full-color comic lines to commit exclusively to the then-new direct-sales/comic-shop distribution channel. Black Diamond was positioned as a flagship title from day one, with the book's inside front cover billing it as 'based on the forthcoming motion picture' starring Danning; multiple contemporary accounts confirm the film was announced but never produced or released. Paul Gulacy, then well-known for his work on Marvel's Master of Kung Fu, contributed cover and interior art to the issue, lending early credibility to the fledgling publisher.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Black Diamond (civilian identity: Tiana Mathews), a super-spy and high-fashion model working for the international law-enforcement agency Infocom Three, created by Mike Frankovich, Jr.
- First appearance of Colt the Weapons Mistress (civilian identity: Valencia Kirk), who debuted in the backup story 'Squeeze Play,' scripted and pencilled by Don Secrease with inks by Rick Burchett.
- First appearance of Darkfire (civilian identity: Vanessa Cord), the lead villain of the opening 'Darkfire Affair' arc, who commands a ring of female mercenaries.
- First appearance of General Leon van Pelt, a supporting antagonist who recurs across the series.
- The issue also introduces Jack Burton as a supporting character in the Black Diamond lead strip (appears in introduction/flashback capacity per GCD records).
- The book was edited by Bill Black and published under the Americomics imprint (the pre-AC Comics brand), printed in Florida; cover date is May 1983.
- Art contributions came from Bill Black, Don Secrease, Mark Beachum, Rick Burchett, and Paul Gulacy — an unusually deep artistic roster for an independent debut issue of the era.
- The series ran for five issues from May 1983 through early 1984 and was, by AC Comics' own retrospective account, the publisher's highest-profile title before Femforce launched in 1985.
Cast · 9 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Nightveil / Colt One-Shot #1 (1996)
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