Dwight McCarthy

Lore & Background

Before his first chronological appearance in A Dame to Kill For, Dwight struggled with alcoholism and violent tendencies that cost him his photography career. After getting sober, he worked as a private investigator but lived in total abstinence, denying himself even a taste of what he called 'the fire.' In A Dame to Kill For, a drunk Dwight—bitter over Ava Lord leaving him—went home with Shellie. His life changed when Ava reappeared four years after she left him. After Manute brutally beat him and threw him from a window, Dwight was hospitalized and plotted revenge. He recruited Marv for help, and later Dwight himself killed Damien Lord. Betrayed by Ava and shot in the head, he survived because the bullet was deflected by a metal plate, and was taken to Old Town where Gail arranged facial reconstruction. By The Big Fat Kill, his face was improved, though he still wore red Converse sneakers.

In Their Own Story

Dwight's path through violence began when Jackie-Boy harassed Shellie. Dwight 'talked' with him in a bathroom, plunging Jackie-Boy's head into a toilet before following the group to Old Town where Miho slaughtered them. When Irish mercenaries sent by Wallenquist attacked Dwight, he survived only because Jackie-Boy's badge blocked a bullet. Miraculously saved from the tar pits by Miho dragging him with a chain attached to Dallas's car, Dwight tortured a survivor for information after Becky sold out the Old Town girls. In Family Values, investigating a mob hit at a diner, Dwight charmed a drinker named Peggy and learned Vito killed Bruno in retaliation for killing Don Magliozzi's niece. Confronting the Don, Dwight noted that Vito shouldn't have shot a stray dog since the angles aligned with where Old Town girl Carmen was calling for a ride. Daisy arrived to gun down the Don and his associates as Dwight remarked on the coming mob war before taking possession of Vito's car.

Reader's Guide

Fans should note Dwight's distinct evolution in appearance and clothing. In A Dame to Kill For, he started with a shaved head nearing middle age, wearing just a shirt and pants. Post-reconstruction at Gail's behest, he grew his hair back and adopted a black shirt with a trench coat, though he consistently wore red Converse sneakers before and after transformation. His personality shifted from a tortured soul afraid to 'let the monster out' to a nihilistic man who constantly referred to himself as dead after killing Damien Lord. He maintains an informal affiliation with Old Town, frequently relying on Gail, Miho, and Shellie for support or revenge plots. On page 165 of Hell and Back, he is seen driving his car next to Wallace and Delia. His primary weaponry includes firearms, as seen when he shot Manute six times, and knives used in close-quarters combat.

Did You Know?

• Marv is the character that appears the most in all the Sin City yarns.
• He wears red Converse sneakers both before and after his facial reconstruction, visible on the cover of The Big Fat Kill #1.
• In The Big Fat Kill, Dwight survived a bullet to the head only because it was deflected by a metal plate.
• Dwight killed Damien Lord by shooting him in the chest, causing him to fall backward onto a table, then shooting him again as he lay there.
• Miho saved Dwight from the tar pits by attaching a chain to her foot and dragging him just in time.