History Main / LiteralManeater

Sub-trope of ToServeMan, ImAHumanitarian, ConsumingPassion, and OutWithABang. Despite the AnimalMotif involved, not inherently related to the BlackWidow trope, although a Literal Maneater who legally weds her victims before consuming them would be an example of both. Compare SuccubiAndIncubi, who have sometimes been portrayed as seducing people before eating them. The MantisMatingMeal is an insect equivalent.

* ''Anime/AThousandAndOneNights'': Possibly, the serpent-amazons; they seem mostly trying to keep cuddling Aldin when he starts to flee from them, but when the two of them trip whilst trying to grab him — with one showing off a mouthful of fangs in the process — one of the serpents starts swallowing the other whole.

* In ''LightNovel/OrcHeroStory'', females of the Killer Bee race devour their males after mating.

* This is literally the core foundation of the dominant form of "vore" fetishism in online media; voraphillia is a sexual fetish for the consumption of living prey, and the primary form of vore fetish art consists of a beautiful woman who plays on their appearance to attract suitors, who end up being eaten involuntarily as part of the sexual act. Such cannibalistic lovemaking doesn't necessarily have to be fatal, as the common depiction involves the "prey" being SwallowedWhole without dying (known as "soft vore") and it is a purely fantastical form of fetishism, but the majority of more serious works do result in the prey's death, usually from being digested alive.

Sub-trope of ToServeMan, ImAHumanitarian, ConsumingPassion, and DeathBySex. Despite the AnimalMotif involved, not inherently related to the BlackWidow trope, although a Literal Maneater who legally weds her victims before consuming them would be an example of both. Compare SuccubiAndIncubi, who have sometimes been portrayed as seducing people before eating them. The MantisMatingMeal is an insect equivalent.

** In "Teacher's Pet", Xander is smitten by the substitute biology teacher, Ms. French, who turns out to be a giant praying mantis who needs a virgin male to fertilize her eggs before she devours his head.

* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': The stranded alien fugitive in "Stranded" at one point transforms himself into a hot girl to lure a teenage boy closer so he can eat him.
* The salt vampire from the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "The Man Trap" mostly operates this way, though there is one [[GenderInvertedTrope exception]] where it takes on a handsome male form to attract Lt. Uhura.
* Series/{{VIP}}: At the end of the episode [[Recap/VIP2x16HardValsNight Hard Val's Night]] Val gets to play one when she guest stars in the band Lit's latest music video. In it, she's a [[GiantWoman giantess]] who flirts with the band before eventually eating them one by one.

[[folder:Web Video]]
* AudioPlay/AlienAbductionRolePlay: Ackt is rather blunt about her desire to eat the human within minutes of meeting them. Even after her HeelFaceTurn, her irrational desire to eat them does not go away, much to her horror. [[spoiler:She finally gets her chance to feast on some human flesh during her second feral episode when the crew feeds her Tori's corpse in an attempt to calm her down. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone She is NOT happy about this.]]]]

* The ''ComicBook/CinemaPurgatorio'' feature ''Code Pru'' has an issue where Pru has a run-in with a demon woman. She is initially sympathetic to her as she suspects she was a witness or victim at a murder scene, but the end of the issue reveals that ''she'' was the killer all along. Pru opens up the fridge in her hotel room, revealing the corpses of at leasta dozen men that she's seduced and killed for food.

Sub-trope of ToServeMan, ImAHumanitarian, ConsumingPassion, and DeathBySex. Despite the AnimalMotif involved, not inherently related to the BlackWidow trope, though a Literal Maneater who legally weds her victims before consuming them would be an example of both. Compare SuccubiAndIncubi, who have sometimes been portrayed as seducing people before eating them. The MantisMatingMeal is an insect equivalent.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': [[Characters/SCPFoundationSCP953 SCP-953]] is an evil [[AsianFoxSpirit Korean kumiho]] who makes use of her shapeshifting and seduction abilities to lure in (usually male) humans to their doom, preferring to take their hearts and livers.

* In Myth/ClassicalMythology, there were female monsters called Empousae that could shapeshift and would take on the appearance of beautiful women in order to seduce men and then eat them alive. Luckily, it seems that a man could repel them by cursing at them.

Sub-trope of ToServeMan, ImAHumanitarian, ConsumingPassion, and DeathBySex. Despite the AnimalMotif involved, not inherently related to the BlackWidow trope, though a Literal Maneater who legally weds her victims before consuming them would be an example of both. Compare HornyDevils, who have sometimes been portrayed as seducing people before eating them. The MantisMatingMeal is an insect equivalent.

* A predator in Stanley Weinbaum's ''A Martian Odyssey'' is telepathic/hypnotic and makes its prey "see" something highly desirable to lure it within reach.

** The Chinese ''huli jing'' is also sometimes portrayed this way but feeds on spiritual energy rather than flesh.
** Some Japanese stories also depict the ''kitsune'' as a shapeshifting predator but these are comparatively rare, and they are more commonly seen as tricksters, pranksters, and loving spouses instead.

* In Myth/GreekMythology, there were female monsters called Empousae that could shapeshift and would take on the appearance of beautiful women in order to seduce men and then eat them alive. Luckily, it seems that a man could repel them by cursing at them.
* Many different Main/{{Youkai}} with human-like appearances have tales to this effect, but perhaps the most prominent is the Jorogumo; this "whore spider" is a GiantSpider who shapeshifts into the form of a beautiful woman or Geisha to seduce men, only to eat them or feed them to her children.

** Some stories also depict the [[AsianFoxSpirit Kitsune]] as a shapeshifting predator but these are comparatively rare, and they are more commonly seen as tricksters, pranksters, and loving spouses instead.
* Speaking of FantasticFoxes, the Korean [[AsianFoxSpirit Gumiho]] is, unlike the Japanese Kitsune, traditionally depicted as a vicious man-eating fox that uses its guise of a beautiful human maiden to get men alone so it can feast on their livers or hearts. The Chinese [[AsianFoxSpirit Huli Jing]] is also sometimes portrayed this way but feeds on spiritual energy rather than flesh.

->''Watch out boy, she'll chew you up!''

* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': There's a very rare breed of GiantSpider somewhat akin to the black widow who will take on the appearance of humans to get close enough to devour them. It initially appears as a woman to seduce hapless men, but it turns out it can take on both female and male forms to lure mates.
* A ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' villain, Shathra, is an giant spider-hunting wasp from another dimension. In her first appearance, she assumed a human form and appeared on a trashy talk TV program sharing details of an alleged affair between herself and Spider-Man to lure him to her in a fit of rage. Later, she would resurface in ''ComicBook/ScarletSpider'', hunting Peter's clone "brother", Kaine. She did so by assuming the form of his love interest, Annabelle. [[spoiler:She only revealed herself post-coitus as [[GambitPileup the real Annabelle showed up, a police officer tried to arrest Kaine, Kaine's teenage sidekick ranted about the vision quest she had just gone on, and another crazed sexual partner of Kaine's attempted to kill them all with a missile launcher]].]]

* In Myth/GreekMythology, there were female monsters called Empousae that could shape shift and would take on the appearance of beautiful women in order to seduce men and then eat them alive. Luckily, it seems that a man could repel them by cursing at them.

** Some stories also depict the [[AsianFoxSpirit Kitsune]] as a shapeshifting predator, but these are comparatively rare and they are more commonly seen as tricksters, pranksters and loving spouses instead.
* Speaking of FantasticFoxes, the Korean [[AsianFoxSpirit Gumiho]] is, unlike the Japanese Kitsune, traditionally depicted as a vicious man-eating fox that uses its guise of a beautiful human maiden to get men alone so it can feast on their livers or hearts. The Chinese [[AsianFoxSpirit Huli Jing]] is also sometimes portrayed this way, but feeds on spiritual energy rather than flesh.

* In one episode of ''Series/{{Grimm}}'', the MonsterOfTheWeek is a spider Wesen called a Spinnetod, who is involuntarily compelled to periodically suck the guts out of men to maintain her youthful appearance. Interestingly, she maintains a monogamous relationship with a male member of her species, and moonlights as a serial killer mostly to stave off her urge to kill her husband in the literal BlackWidow fashion that comes natural to them. Some female Spinnetods abstain from feeding altogether, but it takes great self-control and making their peace with the RapidAging that will inevitably result.

* Series/{{VIP}}: At the end of the episode [[Recap/VIP2x16HardValsNight Hard Val's Night]] Val gets to play one when she guest stars in the band Lit's latest music video. In it she's a [[GiantWoman giantess]] who flirts with the band before eventually eating them one-by-one.

* In the video for Music/NeonTrees' ''Everybody Talks'' a girl in red sunglasses seduces several male patrons at a drive in movie theater, and once she gets them alone she turns into a fire-breathing demoness and eats them.

* ''Webcomic/RedGreenBlue'': A dungeons and Dragons version of the trope, found [[https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/redgreenblue/dungeon-bully/viewer?title_no=587922&episode_no=271 here]]

* ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'': A most iconic and horrifying MonsterOfTheWeek is the Queen of the Black Puddle, a water-demon/nymph of some sort whose underwater kingdom periodically becomes aligned with various physical areas through ''any'' form of water. She hypnotizes her victims with her ethereal voice and drops of water, leaving them in a sensual trance, only to next abduct them and take them to her domain, where she shows her true demonic appearance and devours them alive, after putting a certain necklace on them, as a sacrificial offering ''to herself''. She snatches Muriel Bagge's husband Eustace and tries to eat him, before Courage (reluctantly) rescues him.

Sub-trope of ToServeMan, ConsumingPassion, ImAHumanitarian, and DeathBySex. Despite the AnimalMotif involved, not inherently related to the BlackWidow trope, though a Literal Maneater who legally weds her victims before consuming them would be an example of both. Compare HornyDevils, who have sometimes been portrayed as seducing people before eating them. The MantisMatingMeal is an insect equivalent.

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

[[folder: Music]]

[[folder: Music Videos]]
* The giantess in the red dress and stilettos in the video for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcnySvBW_X8 ''Panic'']] by Lucie. The lead singer develops an infatuation with her and, though she toys with him throughout the video, it's in a mostly flirtatious way. This all comes to a head at the end of the video when he decides to propose to her. She gladly takes the ring but almost immediately afterwards devours him on the spot.
* In the video for Music/NeonTrees' ''Everybody Talks'' a girl in red sunglasses seduces several male patrons at a drive in movie theater, and once she gets them alone she turns into a fire-breathing demoness and eats them.
* The monster depicted in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5NqIsnyTG8 the video]] for "Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time" by Music/PanicAtTheDisco is an OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous [[ImAHumanitarian Humanitarian]] that seduces and devours both men and women in [[YouAreWhoYouEat order to take their form.]]

[[folder: Mythology]]
* In Myth/GreekMythology, there were female monsters called Empousae that could shape shift and would take on the appearance of beautiful women in order to seduce men and then eat them alive. Luckily, it seems that a man could repel them by cursing at them.
* Many different Main/{{Youkai}} with human-like appearances have tales to this effect, but perhaps the most prominent is the Jorogumo; this "whore spider" is a GiantSpider who shapeshifts into the form of a beautiful woman or Geisha to seduce men, only to eat them or feed them to her children.
** The Bakeneko and Nekomata, who are malevolent ghostly cats, also commonly feature in stories where they use the forms of beautiful women to attract human men for food.
** Although normally innocuous and innocent, the Kawauso (a shapeshifting otter) does have at least one story where a female used the guise of a human maiden to lure men to a pond, where she drowned and ate them after tiring of their dalliance.
** Some stories also depict the [[AsianFoxSpirit Kitsune]] as a shapeshifting predator, but these are comparatively rare and they are more commonly seen as tricksters, pranksters and loving spouses instead.
* Speaking of FantasticFoxes, the Korean [[AsianFoxSpirit Gumiho]] is, unlike the Japanese Kitsune, traditionally depicted as a vicious man-eating fox that uses its guise of a beautiful human maiden to get men alone so it can feast on their livers or hearts. The Chinese [[AsianFoxSpirit Huli Jing]] is also sometimes portrayed this way, but feeds on spiritual energy rather than flesh.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
* Extremely common in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', where almost every AlwaysFemale OneGenderRace of monsters does this -- it's honestly easier to point out aversions or subversions, such as Pathfinder's [[BeePeople Thriae]] and [[OurSirensAreDifferent Sirens]], than to list them all. Often overlaps with ConceiveAndKill.
** Averted in Pathfinder's Second Edition with several of the monsters that used to be this trope. [[SnakePeople Lamias]] and [[HarpingOnAboutHarpies Harpies]] are both specifically noted to include males of their species, so they no longer rely on seducing and killing humanoid males for their reproduction. They're still [[AlwaysChaoticEvil savage monsters]], of course, so they may very well still eat you. Just not as a sex thing.
* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' universe, the Incubus is a large octopus-like creature that has magical powers that can make it appear as a desirable person to its prey. The critter's actual form isn't changed, only how others perceive it. One runner describes an encounter with it at the docks in the middle of the night, where his partner saw a beautiful naked woman and as he approached it, it attacked him and revealed itself as an Incubus.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]

[[folder: Web Video]]
* AudioPlay/AlienAbductionRolePlay: Ackt is rather blunt about her desire to eat the human within minutes of meeting them. Even after her HeelFaceTurn, her irrational desire to eat them does not go away, much to her horror. [[spoiler:She finally gets her chance to feast on some human flesh during her second feral episode when the crew feeds her Tori's corpse in an attempt to calm her down. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone She is NOT happy about this.]]]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

[[folder: RealLife]]

* In the video for Neon Trees' ''Everybody Talks'' a girl in red sunglasses seduces several male patrons at a drive in movie theater, and once she gets them alone she turns into a fire breathing demoness and eats them.

** Some stories also depict the {{Kitsune}} as a shapeshifting predator, but these are comparatively rare and they are more commonly seen as tricksters, pranksters and loving spouses instead.
* Speaking of FantasticFoxes, the Korean Gumiho is, unlike the Japanese Kitsune, traditionally depicted as a vicious man-eating fox that uses its guise of a beautiful human maiden to get men alone so it can feast on their livers or hearts. The Chinese Huli Jing is also sometimes portrayed this way, but feeds on spiritual energy rather than flesh.

Sub-trope of ToServeMan, ConsumingPassion, ImAHumanitarian, and DeathBySex. Despite the AnimalMotif involved, not inherently related to the BlackWidow trope, though a Literal Maneater who legally weds her victims before consuming them would be an example of both. Compare HornyDevils, who have sometimes been portrayed as seducing people before eating them.

** And obviously, any female vampire who lures male prey using seduction, such as Darla and Sandy. Actually, there are surprisingly few if any examples of that shown onscreen other than Darla or Sandy. Male vampires luring girls into alleys is more common.

** And obviously, any female vampire who lures male prey using seduction, such as Darla.