Madame Rouge
Madame Rouge (Laura De Mille) is a DC Comics supervillainess. She first appeared in Doom Patrol v.1 #86.
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 back 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 sucessful in murdering both groups. Years later, Robotman and the Teen Titans tracked down Rouge and her ally, General Zahl. Changeling killed Rouge, although at the moment of her death, her good side apparently manefested, 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 Changeling.
In 2004, DC writer John Byrne restarted the Doom Patrol series and declared that the previous history had never happened. It remains to be seen what history, if any, Madame Rouge now has.
Powers and Abilities
Originally, Madame Rouge was a master of disguise. Later, she gained the ability to alter her appearance to disguise herself as any person, and to stretch her limbs.
In the Teen Titans animated series, Rouge retains her abilities of disguise and stretching, but her powers appear to be closer to complete body control. She can reform her body, repairing any damage yet seen, can "flow" through fences similarly to the Terminator T-1000, and has sufficient strength to throw people around like dolls with her stretched limbs. She can mimic voices and use her body to surround and smother her opponents. She can be hurt by flame, and has trouble maintaining a disguise in high temperatures, but appears to be able to repair damage simply by shape-shifting into an undamaged form.
Teen Titans animated series
The animated series appears to be following fairly closely to the comics, with the exception that Niles Caulder has not been shown to exist, and Madame Rouge apparently never attempted to destroy the Brotherhood of Evil, as she is a member in this setting.
As the most conventionally superpowered of the core Brotherhood, the Brain appears to view Rouge as one of his most valuable agents as he sent her to take out Wildebeest, Hotspot and Kid Flash. She also sees potentital in Jinx as becoming a full Brotherhood member. Although she does not think much of her at first, as she bullies and demeans Jinx, the other HIVE members, and their base; however, this changes once Jinx attacks her and this impresses her, as Rouge wisJinx's idol.
She is seductively voiced by Hynden Walch, who also provides the voices of Starfire and Blackfire.
Rouge appears in
- "Homecoming Part 2"
- "Trust"
- "Kole" (cameo)
- "Lightspeed"