Madame Zodiac is a

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

, a

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

witch Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...

published by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

. She debuted in ''

Batman Family ''Batman Family'' is an American comic book anthology series published by DC Comics which ran from 1975 to 1978, primarily featuring stories starring supporting characters to the superhero Batman. An eight-issue miniseries called ''Batman: Famil ...

'' #17 (April 1978), and was created by

Bob Rozakis Robert "Bob" Rozakis (; born April 4, 1951) is an American comic book writer and editor known mainly for his work in the 1970s and 1980s at DC Comics, as the writer of '' 'Mazing Man'' and in his capacity as DC's "Answer Man". Career Bob Rozakis ...

and

Don Heck Donald L. HeckDonald L. Heck
at the Social Security Death Index. Retrieved on Septem ...

Publication history

Madame Zodiac first appears in ''Batman Family'' #17 (April 1978) and later returned in issue #18. She returned four years later in ''

World's Finest Comics ''World's Finest Comics'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled ''World's Best Comics'' for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...

'' #285 (November 1982) in a four issue story ending in issue #288. The character is resurrected twenty-seven years later by

Kurt Busiek Kurt Busiek ( ; born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the '' Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled '' Astro City'', a four-year run on '' The Avengers, Thunderbolts,'' and ''Superman.'' Early lif ...

Fabian Nicieza Fabian Nicieza (; December 31, 1961) is an Argentine-American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as ''X-Men'', '' X-Force'', ''New Warriors'', ''Nomad'', ''Cable'', '' Gambit'', '' Deadpool'' and ' ...

, and

Mike Norton Mike Norton is an American comic book artist and writer, known for his work on '' Battlepug''. Early life Mike Norton first discovered comics as a child when his father gave him a copy of ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #163, before he was old enoug ...

in issue #12 of the fifty-two issue ''

Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...

'' maxi-series (August 20, 2008), and has cameos in issues #15 (September 10, 2008), and #49 (May 9, 2009) with an offpanel mention on the third page of issue #52 (May 27, 2009). Madame Zodiac returns in ''Batgirls'' #13 (February 2023).

Fictional character biography

Batman Family

Madame Zodiac is first introduced as a "crime broker" for two

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...

criminals in ''Batman Family'' #17; in the story she sells her services to

Poison Ivy Poison ivy is a type of allergenic plant in the genus '' Toxicodendron'' native to Asia and North America. Formerly considered a single species, '' Toxicodendron radicans'', poison ivies are now generally treated as a complex of three separate s ...

and

Catwoman Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...

, in a role similar to that of the

Calculator An electronic calculator is typically a portable electronic device used to perform calculations, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex mathematics. The first solid-state electronic calculator was created in the early 1960s. Pocket-si ...

(Noah Kuttler). Madame Zodiac promises both the criminals that they will come into conflict with the

Earth-Two Earth-Two (also Earth 2) is a setting for stories (a "fictional universe") appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''The Flash'' #123 (1961), Earth-Two was created to explain differences between the original ...

Huntress (Helena Wayne),

Batwoman Batwoman is a name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies of Batman similarly to Batgirl. The original version of the character, Kathy Kane (eventually given t ...

(Kathy Kane), and

Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. The character Bette Kane, Betty Kane was introduced into publica ...

(

Barbara Gordon Barbara Joan Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Ga ...

), while in the commission of their crimes, but they would succeed. At the end of the story Poison Ivy and Catwoman are defeated but Madame Zodiac evades capture after stealing a powerful mystical artifact; this apparently had been her plan all along. She later returned in ''Batman Family'' #18. She masterminds an assault on

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...

, in order to take advantage of the mystical energy generated by a foreseen planetary conjunction. She is able to tap into the energies by focusing them within the largest man-made pentagram on earth, the Pentagon. She uses her new powers to subdue the

United States Pentagon Police The Pentagon Police Division (PPD) is the uniformed division of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA). PPD's role is to provide law enforcement and protective security services for The Pentagon and other Office of the Secretary of Defense ...

detail tasked with defending the facility. She is outwitted by Batgirl, who tricks her into destroying the walls of the pentagon courtyard thereby cutting off the source of her power, and enabling Batgirl to capture her.

World's Finest Comics

In issue #285,

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

begins to experience strange blackouts, and

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

experiences a

prophetic In religion, mythology, and fiction, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divin ...

dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensation (psychology), sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around ...

in which he witnesses Batman lying on an

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

beneath the Zodiac Idol of Doctor Zodiac. Superman briefs Batman on his vision, but when he uses his X-ray vision to check on Doctor Zodiac he notices that the criminal is still in prison. The issue reintroduces Madame Zodiac and reveals her first name to be Marissa, while also reintroducing Doctor Zodiac (Theodore Carrigan). Madame Zodiac reveals to Doctor Zodiac that she has begun testing Batman, and that she believes that

Bruce Wayne Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. In t ...

is Batman. Superman and Batman consult with

Zatanna Zatanna Zatara (), known mononymously as Zatanna, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in ''Hawkman (comic book), Hawkman'' #4 (N ...

and give her a couple of Doctor Zodiac's mystical Zodiac Coins hoping that she can use them to track down the Zodiac Idol. Zatanna loses control the moment she touches the

coin A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...

s, and mentions a "dark cloud" before eventually lapsing into a coma. In issue #286,

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

takes Zatanna away to

Paradise Island Paradise Island is an island in the Bahamas formerly known as Hog Island. The island, with an area of (2.8 km2/1.1 sq mi), is just off the shore of the city of Nassau, which is itself on the northern edge of the island of New Providence ...

for medical treatment, and Madame Zodiac reveals that she freed Doctor Zodiac from prison and left a mystical illusion in his place. She freed him because she had his Zodiac Idol, but wanted access to the Zodiac Coins that provide its power. She uses Doctor Zodiac's mystical connection to the twelve Atlantean coins to steal them from the coin collectors who currently own them. Now possessing all twelve coins she is able to activate the Zodiac Idol. It is also revealed that Theo (Doctor Zodiac) and Marissa (Madame Zodiac) are now romantically involved. Theo discovers that she has used the Zodiac Idol to contact an ancient other-dimensional evil she refers to as her "master". Meanwhile, a dark cloud begins appearing all over the United States in various cities including

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...

and

. Everywhere the cloud appears it inspires hate crimes, including the defilement of a Jewish

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, and the near lynching of Lucius Fox. Meanwhile, Theo (Doctor Zodiac) is becoming concerned as Madame Zodiac's shadowy master grows in power. Elsewhere,

Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...

(Oliver Queen) confronts a

werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshifting, shapeshift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a Shapeshifting, therianthropic Hybrid beasts in folklore, hybrid wol ...

, and

Hawkman (Katar Hol) Hawkman (Katar Hol) is a DC Comics superhero. He is the Silver Age, Bronze Age and New 52 Hawkman. Created by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert, he first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #34 (February–March 1961). There are two versions of Katar ...

defeats what appears to be a

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

. An unstoppable phalanx of

zombie A zombie (Haitian French: ; ; Kikongo: ''zumbi'') is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. In modern popular culture, zombies appear in horror genre works. The term comes from Haitian folkl ...

s attack a

GCPD Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...

barricade in Gotham City, but are stopped by Superman. At the end of the issue, Madame Zodiac states that her master is now powerful enough to possess his chosen host's body. In issue #287, the shadowy force of Madame Zodiac's master attempts to dominate and possess Batman's mind and body. Doctor Zodiac begins looking for a way out of his predicament; he decides against releasing a mysterious prisoner being held at their location, a prisoner whom Madame Zodiac fears. He relents out of fears for his own safety. Superman checks in with Wonder Woman and she reports that Zatanna is responding well to Purple Healing Ray treatments and is recovering from her coma. In Gotham City, shadow minions sent by Madame Zodiac are able to capture Batman while her master attacks his mind; he is brought through a portal to her hidden location. Finally in issue #288, on Paradise Island in the Bermuda Triangle, Zatanna reveals that touching the Zodiac Coins transported her astrally to the dark cloud's location where the other-dimensional demon nearly killed her. Meanwhile, the being whom Madame Zodiac refers to as the "Adored One", a shadowy cloud in a

crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

sphere A sphere (from Ancient Greek, Greek , ) is a surface (mathematics), surface analogous to the circle, a curve. In solid geometry, a sphere is the Locus (mathematics), set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three ...

floating above Batman's body, releases tendrils that enter Batman's nose and mouth. Doctor Zodiac runs away after witnessing this tableau, finally determined to release the mysterious prisoner, but is unable to do so due to his total lack of magical ability. Meanwhile, Batman is possessed and magical duplicates of him are created for when the Adored One burns out his host body. Superman is teleported to their location after chasing one of the Adored One's werewolf minions through a portal. The possessed Batman briefly spars with Superman who uses his

X-ray An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

vision to discover that Batman's body is dying. Superman uses Super-Hypnosis to free Batman's mind, causing him to expel the "shadow demon" from his

nose A nose is a sensory organ and respiratory structure in vertebrates. It consists of a nasal cavity inside the head, and an external nose on the face. The external nose houses the nostrils, or nares, a pair of tubes providing airflow through the ...

and

mouth A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...

. Madame Zodiac is subdued by Superman, and Doctor Zodiac tells him about the mysterious prisoner. Superman shatters the walls of the magically sealed cell, revealing the real Madame Zodiac chained to a wall. The Madame Zodiac that Doctor Zodiac had fallen in love with was a magical clone. Madame Zodiac reveals that she was attacked and possessed by the shadow demon while astrally exploring other dimensions; the creature used the

Gemini Gemini most often refers to: * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Gemini (astrology), an astrological sign Gemini may also refer to: Science and technology Space * Gemini in Chinese astronomy, the Gemini constellat ...

aspect of the Zodiac Idol to create her evil

duplicate Duplication, duplicate, and duplicator may refer to: Biology and genetics * Gene duplication, a process which can result in free mutation * Chromosomal duplication, which can cause Bloom and Rett syndrome * Polyploidy, a phenomenon also known ...

. Madame Zodiac, Doctor Zodiac, and Superman confront the duplicate and its master. Madame Zodiac's body is apparently utterly destroyed by her evil duplicate, and both the duplicate and Doctor Zodiac are slain by the duplicate's nameless master. The master then has its superpowered Batman clones attack Superman and Batman. Superman discovers that the clones will self-destruct after extreme physical exertion, and Batman uses the Zodiac Idol to destroy the master's

containment Containment was a Geopolitics, geopolitical strategic foreign policy pursued by the United States during the Cold War to prevent the spread of communism after the end of World War II. The name was loosely related to the term ''Cordon sanitaire ...

sphere, apparently dispersing it. The story ends with the duo leaving for a cup of

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

Trinity

A woman claiming to be the original Madame Zodiac reappears in ''Trinity'' #12 (August 2008). The story has the

Riddler The Riddler (Edward Nigma, later Edward Nygma or Edward Nashton) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, and debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #140 in O ...

(Edward Nigma) consulting with Madame Zodiac in order to uncover the secret behind a pattern of mysterious thefts; while there an

antique An antique () is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that i ...

gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed Grotesque (architecture), grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from ...

from Castle Branek (home of Morgaine le Fey) comes to life and attempts to kill him. Madame Zodiac destroys the statue and adds its cost to her fee. She has two more minor appearances in issues 15 and 49, and a final off-panel mention in issue #52 where it is revealed that she "works both sides of the street too often to socialize with either one".''Trinity'' #52 (May 2009)

Newspaper strip

In the ''Batman'' newspaper strip in 1967, an earlier Madame Zodiac was introduced in the story "Cheap gunman" where Pretty Boy Floy employs his sister Flo to impersonate Madame Zodiac, the personal astrologer to a billionaire industrialist Tyrone Koom, in order to convince the businessman to turn his company over to Pretty Boy.

References

External links

Batman Family IndexRobot9: The Annotated Trinity
(January 18, 2009)
io9: Our Interview With Trinity Creator Kurt Busiek
(May 31, 2009) {{Catwoman Characters created by Don Heck Comics characters introduced in 1978 DC Comics characters who use magic DC Comics female superheroes DC Comics female supervillains