SuperVillain Origins: Madame Masque
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VOICE OVER: Dan Paradis
Script written by Craig Butler
Her golden mask hides a villainous smile. Join http://www.WatchMojo as we explore the comic book origin of Madame Masque. As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character's past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1968's Iron Man #1 and #8 and was expanded upon in 1969's Iron Man #17-18.
Special thanks to our users riickyboy97, Jean Joassaint, Tyson Turner, Gary Mar and hugo_atencia for submitting the idea on our Interactive Suggestion Tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
Her golden mask hides a villainous smile. Join http://www.WatchMojo as we explore the comic book origin of Madame Masque. As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character's past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1968's Iron Man #1 and #8 and was expanded upon in 1969's Iron Man #17-18.
Special thanks to our users riickyboy97, Jean Joassaint, Tyson Turner, Gary Mar and hugo_atencia for submitting the idea on our Interactive Suggestion Tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
Her golden mask hides a villainous smile. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of Madame Masque.
As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1968’s Iron Man #1 and #8 and was expanded upon in 1969’s Iron Man #17-18.
The villainess known as Madame Masque started out in 1968 as Whitney Frost, a glamorous millionairess who was rescued from a sinking ship by SHIELD agent Jasper Sitwell. Frost had been aboard the ship hoping to meet Tony Stark, the rich playboy who was secretly Iron Man. However, Frost bestowed her favors upon Sitwell after he rescued her – not out of genuine love, but to use him for her own purposes. It turned out that Frost was a member of the crime cartel known as the Maggia.
In Iron Man #8, much more was revealed about Frost. She was secretly the Big M, the leader of the Maggia. She had played Sitwell for a fool and was now attempting to break into the vaults at Stark Enterprises. In a flashback, she told her story.
As the daughter of the wealthy businessman Byron Frost, Whitney had lived a charmed life. She was beautiful rich and a member of the jet set. She was also engaged to one of the most desirable catches in the land. Yet her life began to unravel when Byron Frost died – and Whitney learned he was not her real father. That distinction belonged the head of the Maggia better known as Count Nefaria.
The Count was determined that Whitney would join him in leading the Maggia, but his daughter rebelled. Running to her fiancé, she was shocked to discover that he would have nothing more to do with her. Being involved with the daughter of a crime lord would ruin his future and he abandoned her. Whitney was left with no choice but to rejoin her father and to take on a life of crime.
Whitney quickly dedicated herself to her new life. Unfortunately, she also had developed genuine feelings for Sitwell along the way. She had second thoughts about how her robbery of Stark’s secrets would affect his career as a SHIELD agent. So imagine her surprise when she discovered that Sitwell had been on to her – and that she had walked into a trap. Even so she still had feelings for Sitwell and saved his life. And in return, Sitwell let her escape.
The next year, in a storyline involving Tony Stark’s cousin Morgan and the villain known as Midas, a lithe figure appeared on the scene. Wearing a solid gold mask, she was a formidable foe who went by the name Madame Masque. When Morgan Stark expressed curiosity about what she was like beneath the mask, she showed him. The shock of it caused Morgan to faint.
As was learned later, the woman beneath the mask was Whitney Frost. She had been in a plane crash from which Midas’ men had rescued her. A surgeon had saved her life, but chemicals from the explosion had horribly disfigured her face. This had hardened her heart, as she believed that no man could ever again love her. However, working with the real Tony Stark, she came to think that perhaps she was wrong – and thus began a love-hate relationship between Madame Masqueand Iron Man that lasted for years – and continues to this day.
Madame Masque does not possess superpowers, but she doesn’t need them. As the leader of the Maggia, she has demonstrated her skills as a strategist and commander. On her own, she is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and an expert in the martial arts. And that masque has a practical purpose, protecting her face from blows and weapons. This is not a person to be trifled with – or underestimated.
Are you a fan of the mysterious Madame Masque? For more comic book origins, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1968’s Iron Man #1 and #8 and was expanded upon in 1969’s Iron Man #17-18.
The villainess known as Madame Masque started out in 1968 as Whitney Frost, a glamorous millionairess who was rescued from a sinking ship by SHIELD agent Jasper Sitwell. Frost had been aboard the ship hoping to meet Tony Stark, the rich playboy who was secretly Iron Man. However, Frost bestowed her favors upon Sitwell after he rescued her – not out of genuine love, but to use him for her own purposes. It turned out that Frost was a member of the crime cartel known as the Maggia.
In Iron Man #8, much more was revealed about Frost. She was secretly the Big M, the leader of the Maggia. She had played Sitwell for a fool and was now attempting to break into the vaults at Stark Enterprises. In a flashback, she told her story.
As the daughter of the wealthy businessman Byron Frost, Whitney had lived a charmed life. She was beautiful rich and a member of the jet set. She was also engaged to one of the most desirable catches in the land. Yet her life began to unravel when Byron Frost died – and Whitney learned he was not her real father. That distinction belonged the head of the Maggia better known as Count Nefaria.
The Count was determined that Whitney would join him in leading the Maggia, but his daughter rebelled. Running to her fiancé, she was shocked to discover that he would have nothing more to do with her. Being involved with the daughter of a crime lord would ruin his future and he abandoned her. Whitney was left with no choice but to rejoin her father and to take on a life of crime.
Whitney quickly dedicated herself to her new life. Unfortunately, she also had developed genuine feelings for Sitwell along the way. She had second thoughts about how her robbery of Stark’s secrets would affect his career as a SHIELD agent. So imagine her surprise when she discovered that Sitwell had been on to her – and that she had walked into a trap. Even so she still had feelings for Sitwell and saved his life. And in return, Sitwell let her escape.
The next year, in a storyline involving Tony Stark’s cousin Morgan and the villain known as Midas, a lithe figure appeared on the scene. Wearing a solid gold mask, she was a formidable foe who went by the name Madame Masque. When Morgan Stark expressed curiosity about what she was like beneath the mask, she showed him. The shock of it caused Morgan to faint.
As was learned later, the woman beneath the mask was Whitney Frost. She had been in a plane crash from which Midas’ men had rescued her. A surgeon had saved her life, but chemicals from the explosion had horribly disfigured her face. This had hardened her heart, as she believed that no man could ever again love her. However, working with the real Tony Stark, she came to think that perhaps she was wrong – and thus began a love-hate relationship between Madame Masqueand Iron Man that lasted for years – and continues to this day.
Madame Masque does not possess superpowers, but she doesn’t need them. As the leader of the Maggia, she has demonstrated her skills as a strategist and commander. On her own, she is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and an expert in the martial arts. And that masque has a practical purpose, protecting her face from blows and weapons. This is not a person to be trifled with – or underestimated.
Are you a fan of the mysterious Madame Masque? For more comic book origins, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
