COMMANDA

Real Name: Catherine, Lady D'Antan

Identity/Class: Human (French), technology user

Occupation: Jewel thief

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Blindside

Enemies: Jackpot (Alana Jobson), Spider-Man (Peter Parker)

Known Relatives:

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile in New York and France

First Appearance: Untold Tales of Spider-Man#9 (May, 1996)

Powers/Abilities: Commanda wears a suit of flexible armor which she can reshape according to her needs, even disguising it as normal clothing. The armor also emits a force field, and can release electric shocks from its gloves. She employs a number of drones to keep her face from being photographed and to ward off enemies. The drones can link together into larger objects, fire laser blasts, and respond to her mental commands transmitted through her tiara.

History: (Untold Tales of Spider-Man '97 Annual - Commanda pin-up) - Lady Catherine D'Antan was a smart, wealthy and beautiful woman who became bored with her idle life and sought out challenges, ultimately becoming Europe's most accomplished jewel thief with her armor and battle drones.

(Untold Tales of Spider-Man#9) - After robbing the Place Pigalle in Paris, France, Commanda decided that having pit herself against everything Paris had to offer, she needed a new challenge, and decided she would visit New York.

(Untold Tales of Spider-Man#10) - Commanda was in the midst of robbing a wealthy home when she was found by Spider-Man. She used her feminine wiles against Spider-Man, attempting to play seductress, and succeeded in throwing him off-balance. She fought him with her drones, but he managed to guess that her tiara controlled her drones and removed it. When he was about to capture her, he hesitated again, and she managed to shock him with her gauntlet and escape.

The next day, Commanda stole into a hotel where the Crimson Heart jewel was being kept, but Spider-Man anticipated the crime and was there to oppose her. She tried to seduce him again, offering him an opportunity to be her partner, and he pretended to fall for her so that he could get close enough to remove the tiara. Spider-Man was about to turn her over to security, but she had shifted her armor into normal clothing and called for help, making Spider-Man look like the criminal.

(Civil War: War Crimes) - Commanda joined Hammerhead's "villain army" in order to take advantage of the raging superhero Civil War. Before they could begin doing so, however, their headquarters was raided by Iron Man and a small army of SHIELD agents. Commanda 's fate in the ensuing melee is unknown. 

(Amazing Spider-Man Annual II#35 (fb) - BTS) - Commanda started dating bank robber Blindside (Nick Chernin).

(Amazing Spider-Man Annual II#35) - Commanda aided Blindside at his Port Washington home against Spider-Man and Jackpot, but they were quickly defeated by the heroes and webbed up by Spider-Man.

Comments: Created by Kurt Busiek, Ron Frenz and Brett Breeding.

Although Spider-Man boasts the most colorful collection of foes in the Marvel Universe, some fans have complained about the relative scarcity of decent female opponents. Commanda might have had a shot as one of the better ones, but she wound up being forgotten.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Commanda should not be confused with:


Images taken from:
Untold Tales of Spider-Man#10, cover
Untold Tales of Spider-Man#10, page 4, panel 1


Appearances:
Untold Tales of Spider-Man#9 (May, 1996) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Brett Breeding (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Untold Tales of Spider-Man#10 (June, 1996) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Pat Olliffe (pencils), Al Vey & Pam Eklund (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War: War Crimes (February, 2007) - Frank Tieri (writer), Staz Johnson (pencils), Tom Palmer & Robin Riggs (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual II#35 (December, 2008) - Marc Guggenheim (writer), Mike McKone (pencils), Andy Lanning (inks), Stephen Wacker (editor)

First Posted: 11/27/2005
Last updated: 01/01/2012

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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