Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human technology user;
Chinese citizen
Occupation: Criminal, would-be world conqueror
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Gogo, Kalya;
former mentor Mandarin
Enemies: Giant Man (Henry Pym), Wasp (Janet Van Dyne)
Known Relatives: Unidentified father
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: A "strange laboratory" somewhere in Manhattan, New York City;
formerly a lamasery (presumably in Tibet)
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish I#66/1 (April, 1965)
Powers/Abilities: From her studies in a lamasery, Madam Macabre had knowledge of ancient arts and skills that were unknown to the western world, but she apparently had no paranormal abilities of her own. She used a series of circuits which allowed her to mentally change the size of objects fashioned from a special form of plastic -- her size-altering technology was limited to only affecting this plastic material. She concealed the circuitry under a wig so as to make herself appear able to perform these acts of her own power; she directed the size-changing energies through a finger-guard, which she wore on her right index finger.
Among the plastic objects she utilized were a prefabricated room, an automobile, and a tractor -- motorized objects were completely functional at reduced or enlarged sizes.
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 125 lbs.
Eyes: Dark brown
Hair: Black
History:
(Tales to Astonish I#66/1 (fb)) - According to Madam Macabre, she was chosen by the
Mandarin to receive an education. When she was only a child in China,
she and her peasant father were pulling a fully loaded rickshaw -- when
the conveyance toppled over, she was nearly crushed by falling packages;
but she was saved by the Mandarin, who pulled her to safety. The
Mandarin was impressed when he saw the young girl carrying an abacus
instead of a doll, so he had her taken from her family and sent to a
lamasery, where she spent years studying the ancient arts and skills of
the Far East.
(Tales to Astonish I#66/1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, she designed (or perhaps was given [by the Mandarin, or perhaps Gogo]) the technology that allowed her to alter the size of objects made of a special type of plastic fashioned by her servant Gogo.
(Tales to Astonish I#66/1) - By the time she reached adulthood, Madam Macabre was operating in Manhattan, where she had Gogo build miniature equipment, which she could change to whatever size she pleased. But she was dissatisfied and craved world conquest -- she could only alter the size of the plastic "toys," and Madam Macabre wanted to have that power over living things as well, the same power that the world-famous Giant-Man possessed.
Plotting to steal the hero's size-changing techniques, Madame Macabre went to Giant-Man's lab and demonstrated her power to him by enlarging a plastic "toy" car she carried in her purse. Then Madam Macabre proposed that she and Giant-Man should form a partnership, and she raved that the two of them could then control everything -- upon learning her true motivations, the hero rejected her offer, so Madam Macabre departed and returned to her luxurious quarters.
But Madam Macabre was still determined to learn Giant-Man's size-altering secrets, so Gogo advised her to strike at the hero by capturing his partner, the Wasp. After luring the tiny heroine to the Central Park Art Gallery with a fake invitation, Madam Macabre, Gogo, and Kalya ambushed the Wasp and knocked her out with chloroform. Giant-Man tracked down and rescued his unconscious partner, but then the hero walked into a trap and was imprisoned within a prefabricated room made from Gogo's plastic, which Madam Macabre shrank around him.
Shortly afterward, the Wasp revived, and after a struggle, she knocked off Madam Macabre's wig, revealing it as the true source of her power. After the Wasp used the wig to free Giant-Man from the shrunken room, the two sent Madam Macabre to prison. But Madam Macabre warned Giant-Man that although he had won their first encounter, the next victory--the final one--would be be hers!
Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Bob Powell.
Although Madam Macabre claimed to have learned to mentally change the size of objects in the lamasery, she was later shown to be using technology to do this, so her origins remain questionable.
She is apparently waiting a long time to gain her revenge on Giant-Man, just when he least expects it!
Madame Macabre has an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook.
Profile by Snood. Expansion by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Madame Macabre has no known connection to:
Gogo should not be confused with:
Kalya should not be confused with:
|
The source of Madame Macabre's power, it was actually a metallic helmet with miniaturized electronic circuitry inside. The wig was connected by a wire to a finger-guard that Madam Macabre wore on her right index finger. By pointing the finger-guard at objects made of Gogo's special plastic, Madam Macabre could direct the wig's size-changing energy and cause those objects to enlarge or shrink. The Wasp eventually removed the wig from Madam Macabre's head, leaving her powerless. --Tales to Astonish I#66/1 |
|
|
Made from Gogo's reinforced plasticized steel, it was placed in the Central Park Art Gallery by Kalya, where it was used to trap Giant-Man. When the hero walked inside, Madam Macabre shrank it around him, and Giant-Man was forced to reduce himself to ant-size to avoid being crushed. Madam Macabre took the shrunken room back to her hideout and continued to shrink it further, in an effort to force Giant-Man to reveal his secrets of altering the size of living things. But Giant-Man was eventually rescued by the Wasp, who used Madam Macabre's size-altering technology to free her partner. --Tales to Astonish I#66/1 |
|
|
He was the fiercely loyal servant of Madam Macabre, and would also give her advice in her criminal plots. He apparently suffered from dwarfism, and was often ridiculed by Kalya. Gogo created a special plastic that was compatible with Madam Macabre's size-changing technology (He may have also discovered or designed her technology as well). He was quite a skilled craftsman, for he created fully-functional miniature "toys" from the plastic (including an automobile and a tractor), which Madam Macabre could enlarge or shrink with her power. Following Madam Macabre's apprehension by Giant-Man and the Wasp, Gogo's fate was unrevealed. --Tales to Astonish I#66/1 |
|
|
He was Madam Macabre's field agent, and he would drop off some of her "toys" in strategic locations, where she might use them later. He often antagonized the dwarfish Gogo. Kalya delivered the prefabricated room to the Central Park Art Gallery, which was later used to imprison Giant-Man. He also assisted in rendering the Wasp unconscious with chloroform. Following Madam Macabre's apprehension by Giant-Man and the Wasp, Kalya's fate was unrevealed. --Tales to Astonish I#66/1 |
|
images: (without ads)
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p2, pan7 (Main Image - Madam Macabre)
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p12, pan2 (Headshot - Madam Macabre)
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p3, pan2 (Madam Macabre enlarging tiny tractor; Gogo (background))
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p3, pan4 (Madam Macabre reducing tractor back to tiny size; Gogo (right))
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p12, pan3 (Wasp knocks wig from Madam Macabre's head)
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p12, pan4 (Wasp learns secret of Madam Macabre's wig; Madam Macabre (background))
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p8, pan6 (Giant-Man getting trapped as prefabricated room begins to shrink)
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p10, pan1 (Madam Macabre continues to shrink prefabricated room with Giant-Man inside)
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p3, pan3 (Gogo by tractor tread)
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p3, pan5 (Gogo)
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p3, pan7 (Kalya)
Tales to Astonish I#66/1, p3, pan8 (Kalya)
Appearances:
Tales to Astonish I#66/1 (April, 1965) - Stan Lee
(writer/editor), Bob Powell (pencils), Frank Giacoia (inks), Morrie
Kuramoto (letters)
First posted: 09/03/2001
Last updated: 10/24/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099
Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you
should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!