| Madame Masque | |
|---|---|
 Madame Masque. Art byJim Cheung. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | (as Big M) Tales of Suspense #97 (October 1967) (as Whitney Frost) Tales of Suspense #98 (November 1967)[1] (as Madame Masque) Iron Man #17 (September 1969) |
| Created by | Stan Lee (writer) Gene Colan (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Giulietta Nefaria (originally) Whitney Frost (legally changed) |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Maggia Masters of Evil Inner Guard |
| Partnerships | Hood |
| Notable aliases | Big M The Director Kristine "Krissy" Longfellow |
| Abilities |
|
Madame Masque (birth nameGiulietta Nefaria but legally renamedWhitney Frost) is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created byStan Lee andGene Colan, the character first appeared inTales of Suspense #97 (October 1967). An occasional love interest and enemy ofIron Man and the daughter ofCount Nefaria, she originally wore a golden mask to cover up her disfigured face and continues to do so after her face was healed.
Over the years, Madame Masque has appeared in various forms of media, includinganimatedtelevision series andvideo games. A version of Whitney Frost appears in the second season of theAgent Carter television series set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed byWynn Everett.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(May 2020) |
Whitney Frost first appeared inTales of Suspense #97 (October 1967) as a powerful mob boss using the code nameBig M and was created byStan Lee andGene Colan.[2][3] She did not formally use her Madame Masque identity untilIron Man #17 (September 1969).[4]
Madame Masque was born as Giulietta Nefaria, the daughter of the master criminalCount Luchino Nefaria, inRome, Italy. Her mother died when giving birth and Luchino wanted his daughter to lead a respectable life, so he gave the child to Byron Frost, a wealthy financier and an employee of Nefaria, and his wife Loretta Frost.[5]
Frost called the child Whitney and raised her as his own. As a young adult, Whitney was a debutante and socialite, and became engaged to politician Roger Vane. Following the Frosts' deaths, Count Nefaria approached Whitney and revealed her true parentage, as he wishes for her to inherit his position as head of theMaggia, aMafia-like organization based on theEast Coast of the United States. Whitney at first refused, but when she tells Roger about her father, Roger ends their relationship out of fear that her connections to a known criminal would hamper his political prospects. Heartbroken, Whitney accepted her father's offer to join the Maggia and was trained by the Count in strategy, criminal activities, and combat. She turned out to be a brilliant student and when her father is imprisoned, she becomes the new "Big M", the leader of the Nefaria family of the Maggia. Her role as Big M brought her into conflict withIron Man, an old enemy of Count Nefaria.[6]
Whitney was forced to flee after a raid onStark Industries. The plane she escaped in crashed and Whitney's face was badly scarred, but she was saved by the criminalMordecai Midas and started to work for him. Midas is obsessed with gold and gave Whitney a golden mask to conceal her disfigured face. She also starts using the alias of "Madame Masque."[7]
Madame Masque meets Tony Stark (Iron Man'salter ego) and the latter shows concern for her despite her scarred face. She turns on Midas to save Stark, but leaves him because of her criminal past. Unable to forget her feelings, she assumes the identity of Krissy Longfellow, Stark's personal secretary. Both come to know each other's true identity and start a romantic relationship. Their happiness is short-lived as Count Nefaria is dying due to a failed attempt to gain superhuman powers. Whitney hires theAni-Men to bring her father to her and then asks Stark to find a cure for her father. Count Nefaria threatens Stark, and he is forced to fight the Ani-Men as Iron Man. Whitney is unable to choose between her father and her lover, and when Nefaria's life-support system is damaged in the fight, she goes insane with guilt and grief.[8] Whitney returns to the Nefaria family and regains her former position as leader. She resumes her vendetta against Iron Man and his friends.[9]
At one point, Frost becomesparanoid and starts to create physical copies of herself, known as bio-duplicates. One of her bio-duplicates, who is simply referred to as "Masque", turns on her creator and becomes an ally of theAvengers.[10] She also creates robotic servants known as theInner Guard and names them individually after notable historical traitors: Benedict, Brutus, Fawkes, Quisling, Monmouth (based onBenedict Arnold,Marcus Junius Brutus,Guy Fawkes,Vidkun Quisling, and theDuke of Monmouth) and two other, unnamed members.[11][12]
Benedict successfully recaptures Masque for Whitney. Masque tries to convince her the Avengers are benevolent and that she should reach out to Stark again, but Whitney is still too fearful to do so. She continues to be a criminal figure of importance, until her father returns from the dead, now with superhuman abilities, and destroys her base. She reluctantly assists the Avengers and theThunderbolts against the Count, but she secretly plans to betray and destroy both sides, her increased paranoia causing her to believe that she can trust no one but herself, despite moments of doubt such as when Stark unmasks in her presence but lowers his face-plate back when preparing to talk to the rest of the Avengers.[volume & issue needed] Masque again tries unsuccessfully to convince her to side with the heroes, then joins the battle in Whitney's place. Masque obtains a weapon designed to disrupt Nefaria's powers that Whitney had prepared for her father, but is slain by Nefaria before she can use it. Madame Masque is shocked by her duplicate's nobility and sacrifice, with Iron Man's dismayed reaction at what appears to be her death compared to Nefaria's glee forcing her to recognize that Masque was right about the Avengers. Whitney joins the battle and plays a key role in her father's defeat, her weapon causing him to begin leaking ionic energy until he finally collapses. She renounces her criminal past, andMACH-II of the Thunderbolts offers her membership, but she declines, departing to parts unknown to consider her future. Before leaving, she asked MACH-II to thank everyone for her, especially Iron Man.[13]
Madame Masque is hired by theHood to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by theSuperhuman Registration Act.[14] She becomes the Hood's second in command (and his lover) and helps him and his forces fight theNew Avengers. She is taken down byDoctor Strange and taken intoS.H.I.E.L.D. custody.[15] A group ofSkrulls disguised as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents try to learn her true face so they can replace her with one of their own. The Hood frees her and kills all the Skrulls except one. In an unknown location attended by most of the Hood's army, they learn from the Skrull agent thatthe Skrulls plan on taking over Earth, believing it to be rightfully theirs.[16] Masque rejoins the Hood's crime syndicate and takes part in an attack on the invading Skrull forces.[17] She is among the Hood's army as they assist the heroes in their final battle against the Skrulls.[18]
During the "Dark Reign" storyline,Norman Osborn puts a bounty on Tony Stark's head, and personally calls Madame Masque over toStark Tower, offering the locations of Iron Man's multiple armories to help her find Stark. She tracks Stark toRussia, whichPepper Potts had also done.[19] Masque captures and tortures Pepper before demanding that Stark tell her his true feelings to her real face. Stark admits that even after years of fighting, he still loves her, to which Masque reciprocates.[20] However, when faced with a direct choice between Pepper or Masque, Stark chooses to save Pepper first. As Stark escapes toAfghanistan, Masque and Pepper fight hand-to-hand.[21] Masque is defeated and imprisoned in a discardedCrimson Dynamo suit[22] while Pepper disguises herself in her mask and costume to falsely report her own death to Osborn and turn over the Rescue armor, which is added to his personal collection of Iron Man suits.[23]
Madame Masque escapes, and later participates in a surprise attack on the New Avengers, a trap set up by Osborn.[24] Later, when The Hood attacksDoctor Strange in order to become the Sorcerer Supreme, she tries to help him deal with his possession byDormammu, taking off her mask and confessing her feelings for him.[25] When Osborn calls off the hunt for Stark after learning that he is in apersistent vegetative state, Masque decides to take matters into her own hands, and hires theGhost to eliminate her old lover, a task at which Ghost fails.[26]
Masque, along with the rest of the Hood's gang, joins in helping Osborn, in his Iron Patriot armor, with theSiege ofAsgard.[27] However,Loki retakes theNorn stones from the Hood to help the Avengers andAsgardians battle theVoid. Masque helps the Hood slip away. The Hood is pessimistic, knowing that his gang would simply sell him out.[28] Therefore, Masque seeks out Count Nefaria for help. The New Avengers track her and the Hood using their contact John King. After a battle with Nefaria, the New Avengers capture all four villains and bring them toMaria Hill.[29]
During the "Heroic Age" storyline, Hood escapes from prison and makes a play to assemble theInfinity Gauntlet, for which he recruits Masque. Hood is able to use the Reality Gem to heal Masque's disfigurement, but she continues to wear her golden mask.[30]
She appears inMadripoor for the auction of a videotape showingHawkeye assassinating the dictator of an unnamed Asian nation. However, the real Madame Masque is shown to be tied up and gagged in her hotel room; the "Masque" attending the auction is actually Hawkeye's partnerKate Bishop disguised in her costume.[31] After the tape is destroyed, Masque vows vengeance on Hawkeye and Bishop.[32] She attempts to capture Bishop by luring the girl to her home inCalifornia, where she drugs her. The teen manages to escape, and Masque swears to take revenge once again.[33]
In the pages of "Avengers Undercover" Madame Masque appears as a member of theShadow Council'sMasters of Evil inBagalia. She works asHelmut Zemo's right-hand woman.[34]
In "All-New, All-Different Marvel", Madame Masque sets out to retrieve several magical objects to empower herself. During her journey, she is pursued by a mysterious group of ninjas.[35] Iron Man catches onto her motives when she tries to steal a duplicateWand of Watoomb from Castle Doom. Upon discovering the artifact she had stolen is fake, she kills her informant in a hotel in Montreal. Iron Man later confronts Masque in the hotel room and tries to reason with her. Startled by his presence, Masque unleashes a surprising display of enormous magical power.[36] Upon traveling toMary Jane Watson's nightclub, Jackpot, inChicago, Masque confronts her former business partner Belhilio and kills him. She then faces off against Iron Man and Doctor Doom,[37] which results in the nightclub being completely trashed. A furious Watson hits her in the face with a microphone, knocking her mask off, and Doom discovers that Masque has been demonically possessed. Iron Man is able to hold her down while Doom successfully performs an exorcism. By the time Iron Man regains consciousness, Doctor Strange arrives and informs him that he will take Masque away to metaphysically fix her and will later hand her over to the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D.[38]
To combat the West Coast Avengers, Madame Masque formed a West Coast version of the Masters of Evil consisting ofEel,Graviton,Lady Bullseye,MODOK Superior,Satana, and Kate Bishop's parentsDerek Bishop andEleanor Bishop.[39]
As Iron Man hovers over New York figuring out what people want from him, one of the flashbacks to his recent fights shows Iron Man being shot point-blank in the faceplate by Madame Masque.[40]
Madame Masque is among the crime lords competing withMister Negative in obtaining the Tablet of Life and Destiny to win the favor of MayorWilson Fisk. In addition, she is also working closely with the fifthCrime Master.[41]
During the "Gang War" storyline, Madame Masque poses as Hammerhead's girlfriend and participates in the eponymous conflict.[42] Additionally, she becomes the leader of the Maggia.[43]
Madame Masque has no superhuman powers. She is an athletic woman and a skilled hand-to-hand combatant in various martial arts and an expert markswoman. She is also a master strategist and organizer. Madame Masque displayed some form of telepathic resistance.[44] She has access to advanced technology like her bio-duplicates.
As leader of the Maggia family, Madame Masque commands unspecified numbers ofDreadnought robots modified from the original designs stolen fromHydra.
Madame Masque wears body armor of an unknown composition with a gold metal faceplate, underneath which her face was chemically scarred.[45] The faceplate is hard enough to deflect bullets without causing her any permanent injury. She carries a.475 Wildey Magnumrevolver and otherhandguns, in addition to weapons that fire concussive blasts of energy or sleeping-gas cartridges.
In theHouse of M universe, Madame Masque fulfills a similar role as her mainstream counterpart. She serves as the second in command of the Hood's criminal syndicate, as well as being his mistress. She is with him during the uprising, and during the syndicate's invasion of a foreign country. She is one of the few criminals who decides to stay with Hood when the others decide that the heat fromMagneto is too much and abandon him. She is killed in the final battle and it is mentioned that Hood and Masque had a very powerful love, which is what motivated him to keep fighting.[53]
Madame Masque appears inJLA/Avengers #4 as a brainwashed minion ofKrona.[54]
An alternate universe variant of Madame Masque from Earth-90214 appears in theMarvel Noir universe. This version isDr. Gialetta Nefaria, an Italian archeologist and former lover of adventurer Tony Stark who betrays him during the exploration of a remote island; Nefaria is left disfigured and presumed dead until she reemerges to fight Stark wearing a carvedjade mask stolen from the island. She is ultimately killed byPepper Potts.[55][56][57]
| Characters |
| ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||
| Antagonists | |||||||||||||||||
| Comic books |
| ||||||||||||||||
| In other media |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Alternative versions | |||||||||||||||||
| Locations | |||||||||||||||||
| Armor | |||||||||||||||||
| Related articles | |||||||||||||||||
| Hawkeyes | |
|---|---|
| Affiliations | |
| Supporting characters | |
| Enemies | |
| Publications | |
| In other media | |
| Related articles | |
| Characters |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publications | |||||
| Marvel Cinematic Universe |
| ||||
