JACQUELINE TRUFAUT

Real Name: Jacqueline Trufaut

Identity/Class: Human Magic User;
    French citizen

Occupation: Marine biologist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Dragonrider, Max Lindstrom, Mad Twins, Proteus

Enemies: Carl Bernhart, Jackson, S.H.I.E.L.D., Sub-Mariner

Known Relatives: Claude Trufaut (father), unidentified mother

Aliases: None known

Base of Operations: Formerly the undersea town of Pontus

First Appearance: Sub-Mariner II#1 (September, 1984)

Powers/Abilities: Using the second trident of Neptune (a vessel for Neptune's might), Trufaut transformed herself into a mer-creature that could swim quickly and breathe underwater. Trufaut also had enhanced strength and wielded the trident as a weapon. The trident also could fire power blasts, control the very sea (water and sea life), and could transform ordinary sea life into sea-beasts. Trufaut used other mystic artifacts which, powered by the trident, gave others superpowers.
    Without the trident, Trufaut had no special abilities, but had a vast knowledge of undersea life and Atlantean culture.

History: (Sub-Mariner II#4 (fb) /Saga of the Sub-Mariner I#6 (fb)) - Jacqueline was born to ordinary parents in France. A year after her mother died, her father took her to the United States to help them both forget their loss. While seeing the United Nations, Namor the Sub-Mariner was leading an Atlantean force near the United Nations. When a policeman fired on Namor, the bullet ricocheted and killed Jacqueline's father.

(Sub-Mariner II#4 (fb)) - Jacqueline developed a deep hatred for Namor, and made it her life's mission to destroy him. She delved into studies of aquatic life and put herself through college. There were times when Namor was unheard of on the surface world, causing Jacqueline to briefly lose hope in her revenge. She continued to excel in her field, and got many donators to field undersea exploration missions for her.
    She eventually came across Pontus, former stronghold of Neptune, where she found Neptune's trident, a mystic artifact that granted her the power to breathe underwater and to change from a human to a mermaid, and gave her various other powers. She made contact with rebel Atlantean forces and gave three rebel leaders artifacts that she found in Pontus, giving them superpowers, powering them after Neptune's children. A mystic conch-shell gave Dragonrider the ability to control undersea life, and Jacqueline mutated at least one eel into a dragon for her. A necklace gave Proteus the power to change shapes and sizes, and a chain powered the Mad Twins, giving them superstrength and size. When Jacqueline heard that Namor was going to try to join Atlantis with the United Nations, she decided it was time to strike. She offered her services as an undersea expert to the U.N. negotiators, and had her Atlantean allies sow discontent in Atlantis.

(Sub-Mariner II#3 (fb)) - At some point, Jacqueline established the Caribbean-based Trufaut Center for Undersea Studies.

(Sub-Mariner II#1) - After Namor arrived on the surface to address the U.N., Jacqueline activated a switch that notified Dragonrider to attack Atlantis with one of her dragons. Jacqueline was then introduced to Namor, along with Carl Bernhart, by Max Lindstrom. The four of them sat to work out a petition for Atlantis' U.N. membership proposal, and Jacqueline impressed Namor with her knowledge of Atlantean law. Namor kissed Jacqueline's hand when he left. He later defeated Dragonrider.

(Sub-Mariner II#2) - While Proteus was leading Namor into a trap, Jacqueline sent a transmission through to Namor stating that Carl Bernhart was behind the attack on Atlantis and that she may be in danger from him. Namor was unable to investigate due to his duties to his realm. Jacqueline then contacted the rebel force to let them know Namor was on his way. Namor later defeated Proteus.

(Sub-Mariner II#3 (fb)) - Jacqueline staged her own kidnapping at the hands of the Mad Twins.

(Sub-Mariner II#3) - When Namor rushed off to rescue Jacqueline, the Mad Twins battled him for a time, then feigned defeat and fled. Namor helped Jacqueline down. When the U.S. State Department and Carl Bernhart arrived, Jacqueline feigned helplessness so that Namor wouldn't confront Bernhart and expose her plans. Later, seeking to manipulate Namor into lowering his guard, Jacqueline took Namor to her Caribbean base. She showed Namor around and walked on the beach with him as he discussed his origins. Namor embraced Jacqueline and kissed her, causing her to be disgusted. Later, when Namor was addressing the United Nations, Jacqueline again arranged for the Mad Twins to kidnap her.

(Sub-Mariner II#4) - Jacqueline was taken to Pontus and changed herself into her mermaid form. When Namor tried to rescue her, she rose with her trident and Dragonrider, Proteus (in Namor's form), and the Mad Twins all gathered around. Namor assumed they'd kidnapped Trufaut, and battled them until he was knocked aside. Trufaut explained her origins to Namor and showed him how she was behind all his recent troubles. Trufaut, in a rage, turned the very sea against Namor. S.H.I.E.L.D., coming to rescue Namor, was held off by sea beasts Trufaut had created. Trufaut continued battling with Namor and was on the verge of defeating him when Namor pulled her into the air where she had no power. He pulled her onto an island where she tried to attack one last time, but found her power diminished and reverted to human form, defeated.

Comments: Created by J.M. DeMatteis, Bob Budiansky, and Danny Bulanadi.

    In Sub-Mariner II#1, a news reporter mentions Claude Trufaut being killed in 1952, but Saga of the Sub-Mariner, in the letters' page, makes this 1955. This would at first appear to be topical , but the date is key in Namor's history. Thus, Jacqueline must be considered to be older than she appears, but the cause is unknown. Read below to learn the reason.

    The 1955 reference for Trufaut is not topical; it is the year that Sub-Mariner Comics stopped publication for the second time, and the UN fiasco has been designated as the "reason" that Namor stopped having surface-world adventures at that time. 1958 is the year that Namor was stripped of his memories by Destiny (and the year in which a number of other relevant things happened re Namora, Mt. Wundagore, etc.), and this was clearly stated to have happened after the UN fiasco. Both of these dates have been "enshrined" in the Handbooks.
  Yes, this DOES mean that Jacqueline Trufaut is somewhere in her sixties or so and is therefore aging very slowly, but since there are so many other people who are ALSO aging very slowly, I don't see this as a problem. Just as with Phil Sheldon, Gabrielle Haller, Peggy Carter, and so many others, there's bound to be an explanation somewhere. We just have to wait for a writer to care enough to provide it. It's not a problem, it's an opportunity.
--Ronald Byrd

    As for the age thing, I'm thinking some mass production of the Infinity formula somewhere along the way.
--Chad Anderson
    I vote that her undersea studies brought her into contact with the technology of the Ancients, or maybe even the Serpent Crown.
--Snood

Profile by Chadman

Clarifications:

Jacqueline Trufaut has no known connections to:

• Brown, Linda, a mermaid @ Strange Tales I#97/3
• Alathea, a mermaid @ Tales to Astonish I#4
• any characters not mentioned in this profile