Magpie

MAGPIE

Real Name: Margaret Pye

Class: Human technology-user

Occupation: Museum curator, supervillain

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Gotham City

First Appearance: Man of Steel #3 (November, 1986)

Powers: Magpie carried a number of weapons in her hip-pouch, including: an exploding dart dun, sticks of dynamite, poisonous gas pellets, and a wide variety of explosives disguised as gems and other precious trinkets. Her gloves contained spring-loaded claws coated with a paralysis venom. When she used the Gotham City Museum as headquarters, she loaded it with deathtraps.

History: (Man of Steel #3) - Growing up, Margaret loved shiny things and wanted them all for herself. She was ridiculed for her obsession, and nicknamed Magpie. This obsession just got stronger as she grew up, and she took a job as curator of the Gotham City Museum of Antiquities to be surrounded by the valuables she loved. This love turned to jealously when she realized she would never possess the antiques around her. Her mind snapped, and she started a crime-wave as Magpie. She made booby-trapped duplicates of famous museum pieces, and put them in place of the genuine article, feeling she was taking what was rightfully hers, not stealing. She also recruited a small gang of thugs to ensue that she was never caught. She was a harsh employee, killing any goon that failed her expectations. Magpie was unfortunate enough to be the first criminal captured by the team of Batman and Superman. She had an emotional breakdown after she realized that they were going to take away her shiny things.

(Arkham Asylum: Living Hell #3-6) - Corrupt Arkham guard Wrigley snuck Doodlebug into the women's wing. Poison Ivy offered him company, but he didn't trust her not to poison him. He was interested in her cellmate Magpie, and he presented her with a shard of glass he'd found, knowing how much she liked shiny things. Jane Doe, in the identity of Arkham guard Wrigley, helped free her fellow inmates, causing a massive riot. Poison Ivy and Magpie started tunneling to freedom, although Magpie was sad to leave behind the shiny things she'd gotten from male callers. Their escape plan was ruined when they came upon the underground chamber housing the Skarva, demons trapped under Arkham, and recently freed by Doodlebug. Doodlebug opened up a portal to Hell, and when Aaron Cash tried to stop him the Skarva transformed Magpie and Poison Ivy, among others, into monstrous versions of themselves to stop him. Demon and Great White Shark managed to take care of the demons, and Magpie was returned to normal.

(JSA #28) - Nevada; Magpie went to Roulette's House to attend one of her gladiatorial contests. She was among the crowd of villains that watched members of the JSA forced to fight each other.

(Superman / Batman #1 (fb, BTS)) - Magpie was reported dead under unrevealed circumstances.

Comments: Created by John Byrne

Magpie received a profile in Who’s Who Update ’87 #4.

Magpie had a cameo in Hawk & Dove III #22