Madame Rouge
Madame Rouge is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, first appearing in Doom Patrol #86 (March 1964).[1] The character was created by Arnold Drake.[2]
Madame Rouge | |
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![]() Madame Rouge. Art by John Byrne. | |
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | Doom Patrol #86 (March 1964) |
Created by | Arnold Drake |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Laura De Mille |
Species | Metahuman |
Team affiliations | Brotherhood of Evil Black Lantern Corps |
Abilities |
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Michelle Gomez portrays the live-action version of the character starting in the third season of the Max series Doom Patrol.
Fictional character biography
Laura De Mille was originally a French stage actress. After an automobile accident, she developed a dual good/evil split personality. At this point, she attracted the notice of The Brain and his associate Monsieur Mallah. With Mallah's help, the Brain performed surgery on De Mille that was, from his perspective, successful, sublimating her good personality and allowing her evil personality to remain dominant. As Madame Rouge, De Mille became the only female member of the Brotherhood of Evil, and assisted the Brotherhood in its continuing conflicts against the Doom Patrol. At first, Madame Rouge was simply a master of disguise; subsequent surgery by the Brain eventually gave her the ability to alter her appearance and stretch her limbs.
Later, Rouge's split personality manifested again, with her good personality occasionally appearing. Rouge was romantically linked to the Doom Patrol's leader, Niles Caulder ("The Chief"), who was able to help Rouge overcome her evil side and ally with the Doom Patrol.
Ultimately, Rouge's mind reverted to its evil state, causing her to seek vengeance against both the Brotherhood of Evil and the Doom Patrol for their previous interference. She was apparently successful in murdering both groups.[3] Years later, Robotman and the Teen Titans tracked down Rouge and her ally, General Zahl. Beast Boy (then Changeling) killed Rouge, although at the moment of her death, her good side apparently manifested; she forgave Changeling and called to Niles, her apparent true love.
Madame Rouge's daughter, Gemini, also a shapeshifter, appeared years later to seek revenge against Beast Boy.[4]
Madame Rouge was an undead summoned by Brother Blood to keep the Titans from freeing Kid Eternity in Teen Titans (vol. 3) #31 (2006).
In Blackest Night, Madame Rouge has been identified as one of the deceased entombed below the Hall of Justice.[5] Madame Rouge's corpse is temporarily revived as a Black Lantern during the event.[6]
Powers and abilities
Originally, Madame Rouge was a master of disguise.[7] Later, the Brain altered Rouge's molecular structure that gave her an amorphous physiology. Now, she can stretch her whole body to incredible lengths and mimic the appearance of any person at will.[8]
In other media
Television
- Madame Rouge appears in Teen Titans, voiced by Hynden Walch. This version is a member of the Brotherhood of Evil who sports a Russian accent and a red suit. Additionally, she possesses limited superhuman strength and the ability to reform her body to repair damage. She takes part in the Brotherhood's efforts to eliminate young heroes around the world, only to be defeated and flash-frozen by the Teen Titans.
- Madame Rouge appears in the "Doom Patrol" segment of DC Nation Shorts, voiced by Debra Wilson.
- Madame Rouge appears in the Teen Titans Go! (2013) episode "Beast Girl", voiced again by Hynden Walch.
- Madame Rouge appears in Doom Patrol, portrayed by Michelle Gomez as an adult and by Ava Grace Roberts as a child.[9] This version is a former member of the Sisterhood of Dada who attempts to join the Brotherhood of Evil, only to be betrayed, inspired to reform, and become the leader of the Doom Patrol.
Miscellaneous
- Madame Rouge appears in Justice League Adventures #6.
- Madame Rouge appears in Justice League Unlimited #31.
- Madame Rouge appears in Teen Titans Go! (2004). Additionally, a heroic, alternate universe incarnation of Rouge appears in issue #48 as a member of the Brotherhood of Justice.
References
- Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. pp. 197–198. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
- Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 189. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- Beatty, Scott (2008). "Doom Patrol". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.). The DC Comics Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1. OCLC 213309017.
- Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 278. ISBN 978-1-4654-8578-6.
- Blackest Night #1. DC Comics.
- Blackest Night #3. DC Comics.
- Doom Patrol #86. DC Comics.
- Doom Patrol #90. DC Comics.
- Del Rosario, Alexandra (September 1, 2021). "'Doom Patrol': Michelle Gomez's Madame Rouge Makes Her Time Travel Grand Entrance In Season 3 Trailer". Deadline. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
External links
- Madame Rouge at Comic Vine