William Dalrymple (historian)
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Strange Tales #159 (August 1967) |
Created by | Jim Steranko |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine |
Team affiliations | Leviathan Hydra S.H.I.E.L.D. J.A.N.U.S. Thunderbolts |
Notable aliases | Madame Hydra Citizen V |
Abilities |
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La Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Steranko, she first appeared in the "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." feature in Strange Tales #159 (August 1967).[1]
Lisa Rinna portrayed the character in the 1998 film Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Julia Louis-Dreyfus portrays Fontaine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Publication history
Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine appeared prominently throughout creator Jim Steranko's run of the Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. feature that ran through Strange Tales #168 (May 1968) and in the same-name comic-book series that began the following month.
An agent who threw S.H.I.E.L.D. chief Nick Fury for a loop upon their initial meeting, de Fontaine quickly became his love interest, and was featured in a silent, one-page seduction sequence in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 that had two panels changed, at the behest of the Comics Code Authority. In the third-to-last panel, Marvel Comics art director John Romita Sr. redrew a telephone that had been taken off the hook for privacy, placing the receiver back in the cradle; in the last panel, an image was removed and replaced with a closeup of an item from earlier in the page — a phallic long-barreled gun in a holster:
So one panel had the stereo in Fury's apartment to show there was music playing, cigarettes in the ash tray in one, there was a sequence of intercut shots where she moved closer to him, much more intimately, there was a kiss, there was a rose, and then there was one panel with the telephone off the hook, which the comic book code [sic; "Comics Code"] made him put back on ... [T]he last panel on that page had Nick and his old lady kneeling, with their arms around each other, and that was entirely too much for the Code, so the panel was replaced with a picture of a gun in its holster.[2]
The story was reprinted as published in Nick Fury Special Edition #1 (Dec. 1983). When reprinted again, in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Who Is Scorpio? (Marvel Enterprises, 2001; ISBN 978-0-7851-0766-8), however, Steranko's original final panel was reinserted. In a black-and-white long shot with screentone shading, the couple is beginning to embrace, with Fury standing and de Fontaine on one knee, getting up.
Fictional character biography
Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine was a member of the European jet set and a citizen of Italy. After both her parents were killed for aiding an unspecified resistance movement, de Fontaine found her life meaningless. Desiring to carry on in their places so their deaths would not be in vain, she eventually was contacted by the international espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and entered a training program to be an agent.[3]
She first encountered S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury aboard the Helicarrier toward the end of her training, impressing Fury by tossing the latter head-over-heels with a judo throw after an uttering an untoward remark about female agents.[volume & issue needed] The two eventually became lovers,[volume & issue needed] and their relationship continued for many years.
Thanks to her remarkable talents and skills in many areas, de Fontaine quickly became a leading member of S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside others, such as Dum Dum Dugan and Clay Quartermain. She was also at one point appointed as the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Femme Force.[volume & issue needed]
De Fontaine was eventually reassigned to the position of S.H.I.E.L.D. Liaison to the United Kingdom. In that capacity, she was tasked with providing support to Union Jack, Sabra, and Arabian Knight in thwarting a Radically Advanced Ideas in Destruction (RAID) terrorist attack on London.[4] Shortly thereafter, she worked with Lance Hunter and Alistaire Stuart on creating the British version of the Superhuman Registration Act. She then met with Joseph Hauer, Pete Wisdom, Captain Britain, and Union Jack to brief the three on the ramifications on the British superhuman population.[5]
At some point, de Fontaine approached Amanda Armstrong to inform the latter that her late father was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Armstrong accepted de Fontaine's offer while using her band as a cover for a double life.[6]
Shortly after "Secret War", it is revealed that a Skrull posed as de Fontaine. Fury grew suspicious and killed the Skrull who reverted to her true shape, thus revealing the Skrulls' conspiracy to Fury.[7] De Fontaine is freed by Iron Man along with the other humans who were kidnapped and replaced by Skrulls.[8]
In Secret Warriors, it is revealed that Hydra has been controlling S.H.I.E.L.D.[9] De Fontaine is the new Madame Hydra,[10] and is revealed to have been a Russian mole working for Leviathan.
In the "Ravencroft" miniseries, de Fontaine appears as a member of J.A.N.U.S., a group seeking to utilize the super-human potential inside the Ravencroft medical facility for their own ends.[11]
In Thunderbolts (vol. 5), de Fontaine is presumed dead after being imprisoned in a Russian gulag, with a Life Model Decoy subsequently impersonating her.[12]
During the One World Under Doom, de Fontaine is revealed to have survived and assumed the identity of Citizen V while opposing Doctor Doom.[13][14] She later ambushes Bucky's team which led to him and Destroyer fleeing while leaving U.S. Agent behind.[15] She then confronts Bucky's team with Atlas, Fixer, MACH-Doom (a cyborg clone of Abner Jenkins), and Moonstone who plot to take back the Thunderbolts name. As most of Citizen V's team is defeated, she has Fixer order MACH-Doom activate the Annihilation Package that involves unleashing bombs in the Vibranium Mine they are in. Not wanting them to go off, Bucky has no choice but to have his group surrender to them.[16]
Powers and abilities
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is a skilled markswoman. She is also an expert at hand-to-hand combat.
Other versions
Earth X
An alternate universe variant of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine from Earth-9997 appears in Earth X. This version became a host for Norman Osborn's Hydra parasite, which controlled her body and removed her soul.[17] De Fontaine's spirit later assists Mar-Vell in battling Death, Thanos, and Mephisto.[18]
MC2
An alternate universe variant of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine from Earth-982 appears in Amazing Spider-Girl.[19]
Mutant X
An alternate universe variant of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine from Earth-1298 appears in Mutant X #1.[20]
Ultimate Marvel
An alternate universe variant of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine from Earth-1610 appears in the Ultimate Marvel imprint. This version is the chairman of the OXE Group holding company and a member of the Kratos Club, a secret group of multimillionaires.[21]
In other media
- Valentina Allegra de Fontaine appears in Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., portrayed by Lisa Rinna.[22]
- Valentina Allegra de Fontaine appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In an article published in Vanity Fair, it was revealed that de Fontaine was supposed to make her first appearance in Black Widow (2021) before it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23] First appearing in the miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), she makes subsequent appearances in the post-credits scene of Black Widow, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022),[24] and Thunderbolts* (2025).[25]
See also
References
- ^ Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965–1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 188. ISBN 978-1605490557.
- ^ Green, Robin (September 16, 1971). "Face Front! Clap Your Hands, You're on the Winning Team!". Rolling Stone. No. 91. via fan site Green Skin's Grab-Bag. Archived from the original on October 7, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
- ^ Strange Tales #162 (November 1967)
- ^ Union Jack #1-4 (November 2006 - February 2007)
- ^ Civil War: Battle Damage Report one-shot (May 2007)
- ^ International Iron Man #6 (October 2016)
- ^ The Mighty Avengers #12 (June 2008)
- ^ Secret Invasion #8 (January 2009)
- ^ Secret Warriors #1 (April 2009)
- ^ Secret Warriors #6 (September 2009)
- ^ Ravencroft #5. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Thunderbolts (vol. 5) #1 (December 2023)
- ^ Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #1 (April 2025)
- ^ Jennings, Collier (April 30, 2025). "Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #3 is a long-awaited matchup with devastating fallout". AIPT. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #2 (April 2025)
- ^ Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #3 (May 2025)
- ^ Earth X #1 (April 1999)
- ^ Earth X: X one-shot (November 2001)
- ^ Amazing Spider-Girl #9 (June 2007)
- ^ Mutant X #1 (October 1998)
- ^ Ultimate Fallout #3 (September 2011)
- ^ Buxton, Marc (September 18, 2013). "The Original Agents of SHIELD: The Story Behind The Nick Fury TV Movie". Den of Geek. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ Robinson, Joanna (April 16, 2021). "Marvel Has Big Plans for That Surprise Falcon and the Winter Soldier Cameo". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (November 8, 2022). "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review: Ryan Coogler Builds a Furious Slow-Burn Sequel Around Chadwick Boseman's Loss". Variety. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ Panaligan, EJ (September 10, 2022). "Marvel's Thunderbolts Recruits Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and More". Variety. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
External links
- Valentina Allegra de Fontaine at Marvel Wiki