Mad Mod
Encyclopedia
Mad Mod is a fictional character
in the DC Universe
. He was until recently an enemy of the superhero team, the Teen Titans.
fashion design
er with no actual superpowers
of his own. His assumed name is derived from the Mod style popular in England at the time. He used his label as a front
to smuggle goods inside his clothing. After being foiled, he later hatched a plot to steal the Queen of England
's scepter
, but was stopped as well.
In later years, he went straight and reappeared in Teen Titans vol. 2 as an ally of Mr. Jupiter, where he designed the costumes of the new incarnation of the Titans. Mad Mod label "retro" clothing has occasionally been seen in the DCU since.
for the unrelated DC character Shade the Changing Man. Another unrelated DC character is The Mad Mod Witch
from The Unexpected
, later revealed to be a resident of the Dreaming known as "the Fashion Thing".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the DC Universe
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. He was until recently an enemy of the superhero team, the Teen Titans.
Fictional character biography
One of the first villains ever to menace the Teen Titans, Mad Mod (real name Neil Richards) was a Carnaby StreetCarnaby Street
Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in London, United Kingdom, located in the Soho district, near Oxford Street and Regent Street. It is home to numerous fashion and lifestyle retailers, including a large number of independent fashion boutiques...
fashion design
Fashion design
Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
er with no actual superpowers
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
of his own. His assumed name is derived from the Mod style popular in England at the time. He used his label as a front
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
to smuggle goods inside his clothing. After being foiled, he later hatched a plot to steal the Queen of England
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
's scepter
Crown jewels
Crown jewels are jewels or artifacts of the reigning royal family of their respective country. They belong to monarchs and are passed to the next sovereign to symbolize the right to rule. They may include crowns, sceptres, orbs, swords, rings, and other objects...
, but was stopped as well.
In later years, he went straight and reappeared in Teen Titans vol. 2 as an ally of Mr. Jupiter, where he designed the costumes of the new incarnation of the Titans. Mad Mod label "retro" clothing has occasionally been seen in the DCU since.
Powers and abilities
During the Mad Mod's heyday as a villain, he would match his outrageous clothing with a way out approach in his intricate but deadly traps. He would employ a gang of toughs to do most of the handiwork that needed muscle.Mad Mod term
The term "Mad Mod, Poet God" was used by Peter MilliganPeter Milligan
Peter Milligan born in London, a British writer, best known for his comic book, film and television work.-Early career:Milligan started his comic career with short stories for 2000 AD in the early 1980s. By 1986, Milligan had his first ongoing strip in 2000AD called Bad Company, with artists Brett...
for the unrelated DC character Shade the Changing Man. Another unrelated DC character is The Mad Mod Witch
The Mad Mod Witch
The Mad Mod Witch is a DC Comics character created by Dave Wood and Jack Sparling. She starred as host in the feature "Tales of the Mad Mod Witch" in The Unexpected, beginning in issue #108. She was not allowed to take over the book the way many of DC's other horror hosts had been, though she was...
from The Unexpected
The Unexpected
The Unexpected was a DC Comics horror comic book, a continuation of Tales of the Unexpected. It ran 117 issues, #105-222, from 1968 to 1982.-Publication history:...
, later revealed to be a resident of the Dreaming known as "the Fashion Thing".
Television
- Mad Mod appeared in the Teen TitansTeen Titans (TV series)Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics characters of the same name. The show was created by Glen Murakami, developed by David Slack, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and the final episode "Things Change"...
TV series voiced by Malcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
. Mad Mod has no superpowers of his own, but he is a master of technological trickery such as robots and holographic projectors, which he controls with a ruby-handled cane. His ability to produce illusions resulted in surreal, 60's styled landscapes, and allowed "Moddie" to appear in several different forms; even appearing stylized in the manner of GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
as he appeared in Monty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
, or becoming a rounded, Blue MeanieBlue Meanie-In fiction:* Blue Meanies , fictional music-hating creatures in the films Yellow Submarine and Across the Universe* Blue Meanies, fictional cat-like creatures in Katherine Applegate's book series Remnants...
-esque creature. In one circumstance, he was able to use such a cane to drain the youth from someone, making them old and him young again. He has an English accent and is utterly anglophilic. Moddie, as he often calls himself, tends to view the Titans as rebellious "snots", and claims that they show no respect for their elders. He has an odd habit of calling the Titans "[his] duckies". He first appears in "Mad Mod" where he kidnaps the Titans and places them in a psychedelicPsychedelicThe term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
"school." He attempts to "teach them to behave" through hypnosisHypnosisHypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
, using methods similar to the Ludovico techniqueLudovico techniqueThe Ludovico technique is a fictional aversion therapy from the novel A Clockwork Orange administered by Dr. Brodsky with the approval of the UK Minister of the Interior. It involved forcing a patient to watch, through the use of specula to hold the eyes open, violent images for long periods of...
(used in A Clockwork OrangeA Clockwork OrangeA Clockwork Orange is a 1962 dystopian novella by Anthony Burgess. The novel contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian....
, which McDowell starred in). When his initial attempts fail, he leads them on a Scooby-DooScooby-DooScooby-Doo is an American media franchise based around several animated television series and related works produced from 1969 to the present day. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969...
-like chase through a Yellow Submarine-esqe maze. The Titans escape when RobinRobin (comics)Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
realizes that Mad Mod they are chasing is as fake as the rest of their surroundings; he thus abandons his attempts to capture him in favor of searching for flaws in the illusion. He quickly notices one - Mod's weapons have made an intriguing hole in the backdrop, which leads into the illusion's internal works. This enables him to confront the real Mad Mod in the illusion's control room - a sickly-looking old man using an advanced computer to control the entire school and the holograms of his younger self. Robin has no trouble defeating him. In "Revolution", Mad Mod crashes the Independence Day celebration claiming that the American Revolution was a hoax. He then remakes the entire city in the image of old EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by using hypno-screens to control the population and giant illusions to change the look of the entire city to that of merry old LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
claiming that "the United States belongs to England again." Mad Mod also kidnaps Robin and uses his staff to drain his youth, reducing Robin to a weak and helpless old man while Mad Mod becomes his young self again. The other Titans are initially prevented from reaching Mad Mod and freeing Robin by various large robots modeled after the Coldstream GuardsColdstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
and Mad Mod anticipating their plans. Eventually, the Titans succeed in knocking the cane out of Mad Mod's hand which Robin then uses to reverse its aging effects. He then breaks the cane ending Mad Mod's rule over the city by deactivating his equipment. The Titans then chase after Mad Mod. Mad Mod's aged form made a cameo appearance in "The Lost Episode" as one of the audience in the orchestra and last seen fleeing when Punk Rocket strikes. Mad Mod later has several small appearances as a member of the Brotherhood of EvilBrotherhood of EvilThe Brotherhood of Evil is a group of DC Comics supervillains, archenemies of the original Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans.-Origins:The Brotherhood of Evil was founded by the engimatic villain the Brain. In the beginning, the group's motivation was world domination...
where he is somehow young again. In "Revved Up," Mad Mod was seen taking part in Ding Dong Daddy's race. He was last seen fighting in "Titans Together" where he was blown off his feet by Beast BoyBeast BoyGarfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
's TyrannosaurusTyrannosaurusTyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
form. He was briefly possessed by Jericho, and then was crushed by Overload. Jericho then left his body. He was then flash-frozen with the rest of the Brotherhood.
Videogames
- Mad Mod is an unlockable character in the "tournament of heroes" mode in the Console videogame based on the Teen Titans animated series voiced by Greg EllisGreg EllisGreg Ellis may refer to:*Greg Ellis *Greg Ellis , American football*Greg Ellis , musician, member of VAS and Roseland...
. He appears although he isn't included in the adventure mode like Control Freak, BlackfireBlackfireBlackfire is a supervillain that appears in the fictional DC Universe. She is the older sister of the Titans member Starfire and Omega Men member Ryand'r. The character first appears in New Teen Titans #22, and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:Komand'r...
, and others that appear in the tournament mode.
Others
- In Teen Titans Go!Teen Titans Go!Teen Titans Go! is a comic book series that was published by DC Comics. It is based on the 2003 animated TV series Teen Titans which is itself loosely based on the team that starred in the popular 1980s comic The New Teen Titans. The series was written by J...
(the comic based on the cartoonTeen Titans (TV series)Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics characters of the same name. The show was created by Glen Murakami, developed by David Slack, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and the final episode "Things Change"...
), Mad Mod tries to rule the world by selling people clothes that control their minds, and soon the civilians plus Beast BoyBeast BoyGarfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
and StarfireStarfire (comics)Starfire is the name of several fictional comic book characters published by DC Comics. The most prominent Starfire is Koriand'r, the fourth character to use that name...
are under Mad Mod's control and attack the remaining Titans. CyborgCyborg (comics)Cyborg is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, and first appears in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26...
uses a sonic device to destroy Mad Mod's clothes, which leaves everyone that wore the clothes naked. The Teen Titans then stop Mad Mod.
- Mad Mod appeared in issue 7 of the comic book tie-inBatman: The Brave and the Bold (comics)Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American comic book series published by DC Comics. It is based on the TV series of the same name.-UK Title:The UK version is published by Titan Magazines and the first issue was released on 11 March 2010...
to Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
. He captures almost all of Doom PatrolDoom PatrolThe Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
and plans to duplicate their costume to sell to other villains only to be defeated by the team and BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. He appears again in the 15th issue,only to be stopped by Batman, Super-HipSuper-HipSuper-Hip is a fictional character that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in The Adventures of Bob Hope #95 , in a story written by Arnold Drake and drawn by Bob Oksner.-Publication history:...
, and Brother Power the GeekBrother Power the GeekBrother Power the Geek is a comic book character created in the late 1960s for DC Comics by Joe Simon. He first appeared in Brother Power the Geek #1 ....
.