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MATADOR

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Normal human (post World War II-era)

Occupation: Thief

Group Membership: Leader of his small gang of thugs

Affiliations: His two of thugs (names unrevealed)

Enemies: Captain America (Jeff Mace), Bucky (Fred Davis), Lolita D'Espana, James Ortell, Rob Simpson

Known Relatives: Ancestor (ca. early 1500s) (name unrevealed, but was a real matador)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York, USA

First Appearance: Captain America Comics#65/2 (January, 1948)

Powers/Abilities: The Matador was an athletically fit normal human who was proficient in wielding the rapier. He wore a matador's traditional traje de luces outfit. He was obsessed with reclaiming personal past heritage of wealth with no regard for other human life. He also used chemicals, including the "creeping fire" and a narcotic knock-out gas. The Matador had a distinctive long scar from his left eye down his cheek.

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

History:

(Captain America Comics#65/2 (fb)) - Circa the early 1500s, Spanish explorer and plunderer Hernando Cortez passed the Mexican crown trophy to the Spanish king, who in turn passed it to the greatest matador of his era. But the matador passed it to his love, who betrayed him to another lover. He died in a sword fight against the other suitor and cursed her that the Cortez crown would only bring bloodshed when it changed hands.

(Captain America Comics#65/2) - Centuries later in the late 1940s, the original matador's descendant, choosing a life of crime and calling himself the Matador, sought to reclaim the Cortez crown, which had since passed to student Lolita D'Espana. She had already sold two of the jewels to support her studies and the criminal targeted them first with his two thugs. Pawnbroker Rob Simpson was killed by a trigger-happy thug, but the Matador only wanted the ruby from the crown and nothing else from the store. The Matador claimed the ruby had "sentimental meaning" and revealed the crown's history. But Captain America (Jeff Mace) and Bucky (Fred Davis) were passing nearby and almost stopped the criminals, but the Matador exploded a narcotic gas vial to knock the heroes out. Captain America later traced the stolen item to D'Espana and recommended she leave it temporarily with collector James Ortell, who had bought the other jewel. The Matador struck, scaling the walls easily, but was foiled by Captain America and Bucky. The Matador escaped again, but the next day captured D'Espana and Bucky (in his civilian guise), and took the crown. Careful to avoid the curse, the Matador tied the victims up and threw a miniature bomb that released "creeping fire" ("as in the days of the Spanish Inquisition"). Captain America followed clues to the burning house and he fought the Matador, whose rapier broke against Cap's shield. The fight continued indoors, where Captain America freed D'Espana and Bucky, but the Matador was readying "one more trick" when the creeping flames apparently took him.

While he was of Spanish descent, it's not revealed if he was a Spanish citizen.

Comments: Created by uncredited writer, Al Avison, Syd Shores.

A curious character. There was probably more intended for this character; he wanted only the ruby for its "sentimental meaning" (was he the original matador?), leaving other jewels behind from the pawnbroker, and he had "one more trick hidden" on himself as the creeping fire apparently reached him (or did he escape, was he an early type of the villain Diablo with various chemicals, including longevity?).

In Spanish, "D'Espana" (or "de Espana") would approximately translate to "from Spain" in English, while Lolita apparently means "sorrows" or "pains" in Spanish. "Sorrows from Spain"...there's a certain destiny there.

Conquistador Hernando Cortez in the story is today also known as Hernán Cortés. The Spanish king of that era was very likely King Charles V as per the "real" world.

 Death by "creeping fire" as in "the days of the Spanish Inquisition" -- nobody expects that!

Grand Comics Database suggests Bill Woolfolk as the likely author.

Main image refurbed by Ron Fredricks.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Matador has no known connections to:


Lolita D'Espana

Lolita D'Espana's family traced their roots back to Spain in the early 1500s. She came into the possession (presumably via her family) of a special crown that Hernando Cortez took from Mexico to Spain. D'Espana offered to show lecturer Steve Rogers (Jeff Mace, secretly Captain America) at her home, where she revealed that she had already pawned two of the jewels to help with her studies. Knowing the criminal Matador was after the crown, Captain America advised her to keep the crown safe with collector James Ortell. Unable to steal the crown, the Matador captured D'Espana and Rogers' assistant Bucky (Fred Davis), setting fire to the room to satisfy the crown's curse demanding death for new possession, but Captain America arrived and freed them. Matador stumbled back into the flames and died, and the crown remained with D'Espana.

 

 

 

 

 

--Captain America Comics#65/2


images: (without ads)
Captain America Comics#65/2, p5, pan2 (main image)
   p10, pan4 (headshot)
   p6, pan1 (D'Espana)


Appearances:
Captain America Comics#65/2 (January, 1948) - uncredited writer, Al Avison (pencils), Syd Shores (inks), Stan Lee (editor)


First posted: 02/17/2023
Last updated: 02/17/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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