| Candace "Candy" Southern | |
|---|---|
Candy Southern Art by John Byrne |
|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | X-Men vol. 1 #31 (May 1967) |
| Created by | Roy Thomas Werner Roth |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Candace Southern |
| Team affiliations | Hellfire Club Defenders |
| Supporting character of | X-Men |
| Notable aliases | Marvel Girl, The Southern Belle |
Candace "Candy" Southern is a fictional character most often appearing in X-Men and Defenders stories in the Marvel Comics universe. Writer Roy Thomas created her name by combining the last name of author Terry Southern with the first name of the title character of Southern's novel Candy.[1] She was the longtime girlfriend of Warren Worthington III when he went by the superhero alias Angel.
Candy was a childhood friend of Warren Worthington III. As an intern at the United Nations, she reunited with Warren, and first met the X-Men, at Bobby Drake's 18th birthday party.[2] Candy and Warren then began dating. During this time, Candy learned of Warren's superhero identity. This was when Warren's uncle, the original Dazzler, went on a crime spree in an attempt to gain the family fortune. This include kidnapping Candy. [3] After Warren's second superhero team, the Champions of Los Angeles, disbanded, Candy and Warren began living together.
Warren later joined the Defenders, and Candy began working for the team in a supporting role. She was subsequently named the leader of the Defenders in non-combat contexts. After Warren joined X-Factor, his relationship with Candy became strained. Candy broke up with Warren and left her job with Worthington Industries because she mistakenly believes Warren was having an affair with his teammate Jean Grey.
Candy was later kidnapped and killed by Cameron Hodge, a former friend of Warren and Candy who had betrayed X-Factor as part of an anti-mutant plot. Hodge later dies and joins the Phalanx, a technological based race of shape changers and absorbers.
Warren and Jean, returning to a house familiar to Candy, find her inside. It turns out she is a duplicate of the real Candy, though not fully aware of the circumstance. Hodge returns to battle the two mutants and in the process. The new Candy assists in destroying him but at the sacrifice of her faux-life. [4]