Madame Masque
Encyclopedia
Madame Masque is a fictional character
that has appeared in various comic book
series published by Marvel Comics
. She is an occasional love interest, and sometimes enemy of Iron Man
within the Marvel Universe
. She wears a golden mask to cover up her disfigured face.
, in Rome, 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 to be raised. He 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. The Frosts died and Count Nefaria approached Whitney and revealed her true parentage. He told Whitney that he wanted her to take his place as leader of the Maggia, a Mafia
-like organization running the East Coast of the United States
. Whitney at first refused, but when she told Roger about her father, he left her, afraid that her connections to a known criminal would hamper his political career.
Whitney accepted her father's offer to become a professional criminal mastermind and was trained by him in strategy, criminal activities, and combat. She turned out to be a brilliant student and when her father was imprisoned, she became the new Big M, the leader of the Nefaria family of the Maggia. Her role as Big M brought her into conflict with Iron Man
. Whitney was forced to flee after a raid on his company, Stark Industries. The plane she escaped in crashed and Whitney's face was scarred, but she was saved by the criminal Mordecai Midas
and started to work for him as his agent. Midas was obsessed with gold and Whitney hid her face behind a golden mask and used the alias "Madame Masque".
Madame Masque met Tony Stark (Iron Man's alter ego
) and he showed concern for her despite her scarred face. She turned on Midas to save Stark, but left Stark because of her criminal past. Unable to forget him, she returned as Krissy Longfellow, Stark's personal secretary. Both came to know each other's secret identity and started a romantic relationship. Their happiness was short-lived as Count Nefaria, her father, was dying as the result of an attempt to gain superhuman powers. Whitney hired the Ani-Men
to bring her father to her and then asked Stark to find a cure for him. Nefaria tried to use violence to force Stark, and a battle started between the Ani-Men and Iron Man. During the battle Whitney was unable to choose between her father and her lover and when Nefaria's life-support was damaged in the fight, she went insane with guilt and grief. Whitney returned to the Nefaria Maggia and as "The Director" became its leader. She often fought Iron Man and his friends.
and started to create copies of herself, known as bio-duplicates. One of her bio-duplicates known as Masque, was an ally of the Avengers
. She also created robotic servants known as the Inner Guard and named individually after notable historical traitors (including Benedict Arnold
, Brutus
, Guy Fawkes
and Vidkun Quisling
).
One member of the Inner Guard, Benedict, eventually recaptured Masque for Whitney. Masque then tried to convince her the Avengers were benevolent and that she should reach out to Stark again, but Whitney was still too fearful to do so. She continued to be a criminal figure of importance, until her father returned from the dead once again and destroyed her base. She reluctantly assisted the Avengers and the Thunderbolts
against Nefaria, but she secretly planned to betray and destroy both sides, her increased paranoia causing her to believe that both sides wanted only to kill her. Masque again tried unsuccessfully to convince her to side with the heroes, then joined the battle in Whitney's place and was promptly slain by Nefaria, who showed only glee at her apparent demise while Iron Man was clearly genuinely horrified at the loss of the woman he'd once loved. Madame Masque was shocked by her duplicate's nobility and sacrifice, with Iron Man's reaction forcing her to recognise that her duplicate had been right about the Avengers. Whitney joined the battle and played a key role in her father's defeat, causing him to begin leaking ionic energy until he finally collapsed. She then decided to renounce her criminal past, and MACH-II of the Thunderbolts offered her membership, but she politely declined, departing to parts unknown to consider her future. Before leaving, she asked MACH-II to thank everyone for her, especially Iron Man. Afterward, Jasper Sitwell, an old ally of Iron Man's and Whitney's who had been in contact with him over the course of the conflict asks if that was the real Whitney. Iron Man says that it was, but that she slipped away in the confusion. He says that she really came through when it mattered. He says that she is gone, but that if you look at it- she is really back.
to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. She is the Hood's second in command (and his lover) and helped them fight the New Avengers but was taken down by Doctor Strange
and taken into S.H.I.E.L.D.
custody.
force.
In a flashback, it is revealed that when Madame Masque was taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, a group of Skrulls disguised as S.H.I.E.L.D.
agents were trying to learn her true face so they could switch her out. 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 that the Skrulls plan on taking over Earth, believing it to be rightfully theirs. The Skrull agent dies from the injuries received under torture. Another infiltrator, in the guise of the criminal Slug
is found moments later and killed.
Madame Masque is seen amongst the rest of the Hood's crime syndicate as they assist the heroes in their final battle against the Skrulls.
. Later, when The Hood attacks Doctor Strange
in order to become the Sorcerer Supreme, she tries to help him deal with his possession by Dormammu
, taking off her mask and confessing her feelings for him.
Osborn had also put a bounty on Tony Stark's head and offered mountains of gold to the first person in the Hood's gang to get him. He personally called Madame Masque over to Stark Tower
, offering the locations of multiple Iron Man armories to help her find Stark. She tracks Stark to Russia, which Pepper Potts
had also done. While Stark is away collecting firewood, Masque captures Pepper, torturing her, before demanding that Stark tell her his true feelings to her real face. Weakly, Tony admits that, though they have been fighting, he always loved her, to which Masque reciprocates. However, when faced with a direct choice between Pepper or Masque, he actually chose Pepper. As he escapes to Afghanistan
, Masque and Pepper go hand-to-hand with each other.
After her fights, Masque later reports to Osborn that she killed Pepper in combat, and returns to the United States with the Rescue armor, which is placed in storage with other Stark armors that Osborn has acquired. Later, it revealed the Madame Masque is Pepper in disguise, with the real Madame Masque imprisoned in Stark's discarded Crimson Dynamo
suit.
When Osborn called off the hunt for Stark, due to his being in a persistent vegetative state
, Masque decided to take matters into her own hands, and hired the Ghost
to eliminate Stark, but Ghost failed in his task.
. However, Loki
retook the Norn stones from the Hood to help the Avengers and Asgardians battle the Void
. Masque helped the Hood slip away. The Hood was pessimistic, knowing that his gang would simply sell him out. However, Masque refused to let him go down. Therefore, she seeks out her father Count Nefaria for help. The New Avengers track her and the Hood using John King. After a battle with Nefaria, the New Avengers capture all four and bring them to Maria Hill
to place them under arrest.
, the one ally he visits is Madame Masque. Using his reality gem, he heals her face. The Hood is eventually bested by the Avengers, joined by the Red Hulk
.
universe, Masque fulfils a similar role as her mainstream counterpart. In this, she is the second in command of The Hood's Criminal Syndicate, as well as being his mistress. She is with him during the uprising, and invades the foreign country with him. She is one of the few criminals who decides to stay with Robbins when the other criminals decide that the heat from Magneto
is too much. She is killed in the final battle, and it is remarked that Robbins and Masque had a very powerful love, that kept Parker fighting.
Universe, a version of Masque exists, first is one in Spider-Man Noir. Unlike the mainstream version, however, this version is Felicia Hardy. She is powerless, and does not become Madame Masque until the end of Spider-Man Noir: Eyes without a Face. Previously, she had been slashed by the Crime Master in the face and various parts of the body. Eventually, she recovers, but in the final panel, her face is shown, wearing a mask similar to mainstream Madame Masque.
In Iron Man Noir, another version of Madame Masque appears in as a explorer working with Tony Stark, not to mention a former flame as well. Dr. Gialetta Nefaria, along with Tony, Virgil Munsey, an editor for a magazine called Marvels, and Rhodey are on a trip in British Honduras
. After acquiring a rare Jade mask in a temple, she is later seen betraying Stark and his friends to Baron Zemo, his commander Baron Strucker. Though Rhodey and Tony escape, they set off a bomb and in the explosion, Gialetta is forever scarred.
Madame Masque wears body armor of an unknown composition with a gold metal faceplate, underneath which her face was chemically scarred. The faceplate is hard enough to deflect bullets without causing her any permanent injury. She carries a .475 Wildey Magnum
revolver or any various types of handguns, including guns firing concussive blasts of energy and guns firing sleeping-gas cartridges.
As leader of the Maggia family, Madame Masque commands unspecified numbers of Dreadnought
robots modified from the original designs stolen from HYDRA
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that has appeared in various comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. She is an occasional love interest, and sometimes enemy of Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
within the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. She wears a golden mask to cover up her disfigured face.
Fictional character biography
Madame Masque was born as Giulietta Nefaria, the daughter of the master criminal Count Luchino NefariaCount Nefaria
Count Nefaria is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #13 and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.- Fictional character biography :...
, in Rome, 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 to be raised. He 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. The Frosts died and Count Nefaria approached Whitney and revealed her true parentage. He told Whitney that he wanted her to take his place as leader of the Maggia, a Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
-like organization running the East Coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
. Whitney at first refused, but when she told Roger about her father, he left her, afraid that her connections to a known criminal would hamper his political career.
Whitney accepted her father's offer to become a professional criminal mastermind and was trained by him in strategy, criminal activities, and combat. She turned out to be a brilliant student and when her father was imprisoned, she became the new Big M, the leader of the Nefaria family of the Maggia. Her role as Big M brought her into conflict with Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
. Whitney was forced to flee after a raid on his company, Stark Industries. The plane she escaped in crashed and Whitney's face was scarred, but she was saved by the criminal Mordecai Midas
Midas (comics)
-Mordecai Midas:Mordecai Midas was born in Athens, Greece, and was once a starving child in Europe. He became a billionaire business magnate, determined to become the richest man by any means possible....
and started to work for him as his agent. Midas was obsessed with gold and Whitney hid her face behind a golden mask and used the alias "Madame Masque".
Madame Masque met Tony Stark (Iron Man's alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
) and he showed concern for her despite her scarred face. She turned on Midas to save Stark, but left Stark because of her criminal past. Unable to forget him, she returned as Krissy Longfellow, Stark's personal secretary. Both came to know each other's secret identity and started a romantic relationship. Their happiness was short-lived as Count Nefaria, her father, was dying as the result of an attempt to gain superhuman powers. Whitney hired the Ani-Men
Ani-Men
The Ani-Men is the name of several fictional teams within the Marvel Universe. Four of them are villain groups, while one of them was introduced as a team of agents serving the High Evolutionary.-Original Ani-Men:...
to bring her father to her and then asked Stark to find a cure for him. Nefaria tried to use violence to force Stark, and a battle started between the Ani-Men and Iron Man. During the battle Whitney was unable to choose between her father and her lover and when Nefaria's life-support was damaged in the fight, she went insane with guilt and grief. Whitney returned to the Nefaria Maggia and as "The Director" became its leader. She often fought Iron Man and his friends.
Masque and the Inner Guard
At one point, Whitney became paranoidParanoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
and started to create copies of herself, known as bio-duplicates. One of her bio-duplicates known as Masque, was an ally of the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
. She also created robotic servants known as the Inner Guard and named individually after notable historical traitors (including Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
, Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...
, Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes , also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.Fawkes was born and educated in York...
and Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling was a Norwegian politician. On 9 April 1940, with the German invasion of Norway in progress, he seized power in a Nazi-backed coup d'etat that garnered him international infamy. From 1942 to 1945 he served as Minister-President, working with the occupying...
).
One member of the Inner Guard, Benedict, eventually recaptured Masque for Whitney. Masque then tried to convince her the Avengers were benevolent and that she should reach out to Stark again, but Whitney was still too fearful to do so. She continued to be a criminal figure of importance, until her father returned from the dead once again and destroyed her base. She reluctantly assisted the Avengers and the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
against Nefaria, but she secretly planned to betray and destroy both sides, her increased paranoia causing her to believe that both sides wanted only to kill her. Masque again tried unsuccessfully to convince her to side with the heroes, then joined the battle in Whitney's place and was promptly slain by Nefaria, who showed only glee at her apparent demise while Iron Man was clearly genuinely horrified at the loss of the woman he'd once loved. Madame Masque was shocked by her duplicate's nobility and sacrifice, with Iron Man's reaction forcing her to recognise that her duplicate had been right about the Avengers. Whitney joined the battle and played a key role in her father's defeat, causing him to begin leaking ionic energy until he finally collapsed. She then decided to renounce her criminal past, and MACH-II of the Thunderbolts offered her membership, but she politely declined, departing to parts unknown to consider her future. Before leaving, she asked MACH-II to thank everyone for her, especially Iron Man. Afterward, Jasper Sitwell, an old ally of Iron Man's and Whitney's who had been in contact with him over the course of the conflict asks if that was the real Whitney. Iron Man says that it was, but that she slipped away in the confusion. He says that she really came through when it mattered. He says that she is gone, but that if you look at it- she is really back.
New Avengers
Madame Masque has been hired by the HoodHood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. She is the Hood's second in command (and his lover) and helped them fight the New Avengers but was taken down by Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
and taken into S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
custody.
Secret Invasion
Madame Masque is one among many supervillains who rejoined the Hood's crime syndicate and attacked an invading SkrullSkrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
force.
In a flashback, it is revealed that when Madame Masque was taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, a group of Skrulls disguised as S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
agents were trying to learn her true face so they could switch her out. 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 that the Skrulls plan on taking over Earth, believing it to be rightfully theirs. The Skrull agent dies from the injuries received under torture. Another infiltrator, in the guise of the criminal Slug
Slug (comics)
Slug is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Ulysses Lugman was born in Miami, Florida. He is a Miami-based drug kingpin and criminal organizer, and also president and owner of several legal businesses...
is found moments later and killed.
Madame Masque is seen amongst the rest of the Hood's crime syndicate as they assist the heroes in their final battle against the Skrulls.
Dark Reign
Madame Masque is part of a surprise attack on the New Avengers, a trap set up by Norman OsbornGreen Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
. Later, when The Hood attacks Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
in order to become the Sorcerer Supreme, she tries to help him deal with his possession by Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
, taking off her mask and confessing her feelings for him.
Osborn had also put a bounty on Tony Stark's head and offered mountains of gold to the first person in the Hood's gang to get him. He personally called Madame Masque over to Stark Tower
Stark Tower
The Stark Tower Complex is a fictional high-rise building complex which appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Located in Manhattan, New York City, the complex is named after its owner Tony Stark who is the alter ego of the superhero Iron Man. The structure is composed of a 93-story Main Tower...
, offering the locations of multiple Iron Man armories to help her find Stark. She tracks Stark to Russia, which Pepper Potts
Pepper Potts
Virginia "Pepper" Potts is a fictional character, a supporting character and a love interest of Iron Man in the Marvel Comics Universe...
had also done. While Stark is away collecting firewood, Masque captures Pepper, torturing her, before demanding that Stark tell her his true feelings to her real face. Weakly, Tony admits that, though they have been fighting, he always loved her, to which Masque reciprocates. However, when faced with a direct choice between Pepper or Masque, he actually chose Pepper. As he escapes to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Masque and Pepper go hand-to-hand with each other.
After her fights, Masque later reports to Osborn that she killed Pepper in combat, and returns to the United States with the Rescue armor, which is placed in storage with other Stark armors that Osborn has acquired. Later, it revealed the Madame Masque is Pepper in disguise, with the real Madame Masque imprisoned in Stark's discarded Crimson Dynamo
Crimson Dynamo
The Crimson Dynamo is the name of several fictional characters in the Marvel Comics Universe, most of whom have been supervillains. The various Crimson Dynamos have been powered armor-wearing Russian or Soviet agents who have clashed with the superhero Iron Man over the course of his heroic career...
suit.
When Osborn called off the hunt for Stark, due to his being in a persistent vegetative state
Persistent vegetative state
A persistent vegetative state is a disorder of consciousness in which patients with severe brain damage are in a state of partial arousal rather than true awareness. It is a diagnosis of some uncertainty in that it deals with a syndrome. After four weeks in a vegetative state , the patient is...
, Masque decided to take matters into her own hands, and hired the Ghost
Ghost (Marvel Comics)
Ghost is a fictional character appearing in comics books set in the . He first appears in Iron Man #219 and was created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton. Originally portrayed as a supervillain, the character is later portrayed as more of an anti-hero or mercenary.-Fictional character...
to eliminate Stark, but Ghost failed in his task.
Siege
Masque, along with the rest of the Hood's gang, join in helping Osborn with the siege of AsgardAsgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
. However, Loki
Loki (comics)
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
retook the Norn stones from the Hood to help the Avengers and Asgardians battle the Void
Sentry (Robert Reynolds)
The Sentry is a fictional character in the . The character first appears in The Sentry #1 and was created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, with uncredited conceptual contributions by Rick Veitch.-Creation:...
. Masque helped the Hood slip away. The Hood was pessimistic, knowing that his gang would simply sell him out. However, Masque refused to let him go down. Therefore, she seeks out her father Count Nefaria for help. The New Avengers track her and the Hood using John King. After a battle with Nefaria, the New Avengers capture all four and bring them to Maria Hill
Maria Hill
Maria Hill is a fictional character of the Marvel Universe. She was the former director of the planetary defense/intelligence service S.H.I.E.L.D..-Introduction:...
to place them under arrest.
Heroic Age
When the Hood escapes from prison and makes a play to assemble the Infinity GauntletInfinity Gems
Infinity Gems, sometimes referred to as the Soul Gems, are six immensely powerful gems featured in the fictional Marvel Universe. Whoever holds all six gems in the Infinity Gauntlet gains omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and God-like power, and has absolute dominion over the universe...
, the one ally he visits is Madame Masque. Using his reality gem, he heals her face. The Hood is eventually bested by the Avengers, joined by the Red Hulk
Thunderbolt Ross
General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross is a fictional character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as an adversary of the Hulk, sometimes as a supervillain. Ross is a United States military officer, the father of Betty Ross, ex-father in-law of Glenn Talbot and the father in-law...
.
House of M: Masters of Evil
In the House of MHouse of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
universe, Masque fulfils a similar role as her mainstream counterpart. In this, she is the second in command of The Hood's Criminal Syndicate, as well as being his mistress. She is with him during the uprising, and invades the foreign country with him. She is one of the few criminals who decides to stay with Robbins when the other criminals decide that the heat from Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
is too much. She is killed in the final battle, and it is remarked that Robbins and Masque had a very powerful love, that kept Parker fighting.
Marvel Noir
In the Marvel NoirMarvel Noir
Marvel Noir is a 2009-2010 Marvel Comics alternative continuity combining elements of film noir and pulp fiction with the Marvel Universe. The central premise of the mini-series replaces super powers with driven, noir-flavored characterization....
Universe, a version of Masque exists, first is one in Spider-Man Noir. Unlike the mainstream version, however, this version is Felicia Hardy. She is powerless, and does not become Madame Masque until the end of Spider-Man Noir: Eyes without a Face. Previously, she had been slashed by the Crime Master in the face and various parts of the body. Eventually, she recovers, but in the final panel, her face is shown, wearing a mask similar to mainstream Madame Masque.
In Iron Man Noir, another version of Madame Masque appears in as a explorer working with Tony Stark, not to mention a former flame as well. Dr. Gialetta Nefaria, along with Tony, Virgil Munsey, an editor for a magazine called Marvels, and Rhodey are on a trip in British Honduras
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize.First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing. Belize became...
. After acquiring a rare Jade mask in a temple, she is later seen betraying Stark and his friends to Baron Zemo, his commander Baron Strucker. Though Rhodey and Tony escape, they set off a bomb and in the explosion, Gialetta is forever scarred.
Powers and abilities
Madame Masque has no superhuman powers, but is an athletic woman and a skilled hand-to-hand combatant in various martial arts and an expert markswoman. She is a master strategist and organizer, although she suffers from mental instability and is believed to be criminally insane. She has access to advanced technology like her bio-duplicates.Madame Masque wears body armor of an unknown composition with a gold metal faceplate, underneath which her face was chemically scarred. The faceplate is hard enough to deflect bullets without causing her any permanent injury. She carries a .475 Wildey Magnum
.475 Wildey Magnum
The .475 Wildey Magnum is a semi-automatic pistol cartridge designed for big game hunting in the Wildey pistol.-History:The .475 Wildey Magnum was designed to be a hunting round. Cases are formed from .284 Winchester brass with the neck opened to take a .475" bullet, length is the same as the .45...
revolver or any various types of handguns, including guns firing concussive blasts of energy and guns firing sleeping-gas cartridges.
As leader of the Maggia family, Madame Masque commands unspecified numbers of Dreadnought
Dreadnought (comics)
Dreadnoughts are a type of fictional robot found in the Marvel Comics universe. They are frequently employed by villainous organizations. Different forms of the robots are depicted by organizations such as HYDRA and the Maggia....
robots modified from the original designs stolen from HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
.
Television
- Madame Masque has appeared in the 1994 Iron ManIron Man (TV series)Iron Man, also known as Iron Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series based on Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man...
episode "Beauty Knows No Pain" voiced by Lisa ZaneLisa ZaneElizabeth Frances "Lisa" Zane is an American actress and singer who has starred on stage, in film and television.-Personal life:...
. Like the comics, Whitney Frost was a former love of Tony’s but now obsessed with her own beauty. She became bitter when she lost her beloved looks and Tony. She then became involved with the Maggia and took on the identity of Madame Masque. Upon her discovery of the Golden Sepulcher of Isis which could return her beauty to her, she and her Maggia henchmen kidnapped many workers and Julia Carpenter. Tony Stark arrived at the scene and fought some of the Maggia henchmen until they overwhelmed him upon Madame Masque's arrival. Madame Masque then threatened to kill Julia unless Iron Man retrieved the gem for her. After surviving the deadliest of traps, Iron Man gave Madame Masque the Golden Sepulcher of Isis, and restored her beauty. After becoming Isis due to the artifact's effects, she learned that all she really wanted was Tony. After Madame Masque/Isis' fight with Iron Man, War MachineWar MachineWar Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
, and Spider-Woman, the Golden Sepulcher of Isis is destroyed by Iron Man, regressing Isis back to a disfigured Madame Masque. Iron Man then told her the love he once felt for her was inside, and it died years ago. - In Iron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored Adventures is a 3D CGI cartoon series based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man. It debuted in the USA on the Nicktoons on April 24, 2009, and has already begun airing on Canadian network Teletoon. The series is story edited by showrunner Christopher Yost, who also worked on...
, Madame Masque is the alter ego of "Whitney Stane" (voiced by Kristie MarsdenKristie MarsdenKristie Marsden is a Canadian actress, singer and dancer.Marsden was the youngest Canadian actress to play the role of Sophie in the Broadway musical, Mamma Mia!. She played the role for 832 performances...
), daughter of Obadiah StaneObadiah StaneObadiah Stane is a fictional supervillain from comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Iron Man #163 , and was created by Dennis O'Neil and Luke McDonnell....
. She appears in six episodes: "Field Trip", "Ready, A.I.M., Fire", "Masquerade", "Chasing Ghosts", "Don't Worry, Be Happy", and "Best Served Cold"; she appears as Madame Masque only in the latter four. Her mask, stolen from Howard StarkHoward StarkHoward Stark is a fictional person in the . He is the father of Tony Stark and the founder of Stark Industries. His name came from Howard Hughes, whom he was named after. -Biography:...
's vault of experimental technology, allows her to mimic the appearance and voice of others; it also disguises her blonde hair as black. She is a trained kick-boxer and employs an arsenal of high-tech weapons. Initially, Whitney uses the mask to impersonate and make trouble for her father; Tony Stark, as Iron Man, discovers her identity and releases her with a warning. Later, she impersonates Stark to protect him from the mercenary assassin, GhostGhost (Marvel Comics)Ghost is a fictional character appearing in comics books set in the . He first appears in Iron Man #219 and was created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton. Originally portrayed as a supervillain, the character is later portrayed as more of an anti-hero or mercenary.-Fictional character...
. Months later, she again uses the mask briefly to help Iron Man by delaying the police, and to save Pepper PottsPepper PottsVirginia "Pepper" Potts is a fictional character, a supporting character and a love interest of Iron Man in the Marvel Comics Universe...
by leading her away from danger. Finally, poisoned by the mask's radiation, Whitney, as Madame Masque, attempts to kill her father, deliriously believing him to be a threat to Stark. Stark cures her, but her identity is revealed and her memories of her time as Madame Masque are obliterated. In the episode "Heavy Mettle," Whitney learns that Stark International's Board of Directors have fired Obadiah Stane after footage of him obtaining the Iron Man specs from Ghost was shown to them. Upon Obadiah Stane moving through the streets in the Iron Monger armor, Whitney witnesses her father in the suit. When Iron Monger has Iron Man pinned down, Whitney Stane arrives and tries to convince her father to spare Iron Man for her. Iron Monger lifts his foot enough for Iron Man to escape as Justin Hammer orders Sasha to take control of the Iron Monger armor and send it on a rampage. When the Iron Monger armor is controlled to attack Whitney, it is knocked off the building enough to put Obadiah Stane in a coma. Moments later at the hospital, Whitney arrives in her father's hospital room and tells Tony Stark, James Rhodes, and Pepper Potts to leave. While by her father's bedside, Whitney vows to make Iron Man and War Machine pay for what happened to her father.
Video games
- In the Iron Man video gameIron Man (video game)The Nintendo DS, Wii, PS2 and PSP versions all received mixed critical scores on Gamerankings and Metacritic. These versions were generally well received by the fans, but suffer from gameplay, graphics and controls frustrations...
, Whitney Nefaria (voiced by Courtenay TaylorCourtenay TaylorCourtenay Taylor is an American actress.- Acting career :...
) speaks to Tony Stark through one of the levels as he reclaims his weapons from the MaggiaMaggia (comics)The Maggia is a fictional international crime syndicate that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The organization exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
. Rhodes asks Tony how he knows her, he replies "old friends". She apparently is killed by fallen debris when Stark destroys the generator powering the complex, but reappears when Stark tries to take down the Maggia's airship. Whitney is then killed when Stark takes down the airship and it crashes, depending on whether the player made the time limit, into the ocean or, if the player misses the time limit, into a nearby city.