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Quote1 I smell it, even over the stench of the sewer... I'd know that smell anywhere. Smells like danger, smells like life... Smells like Madripoor. Quote2
Patch[src]
Flag of Madripoor from Marvel Atlas Vol 1 1 001

Flag of Madripoor

Madripoor, officially the Principality of Madripoor, is an island in Southeast Asia, located in the south of Indonesia's Strait of Malacca southwest of Singapore. It is dominated by the city of Madripoor, made up of the wealthy Hightown and impoverished, crime-ridden Lowtown which represent the extreme social inequality in the country, described as "A place for the very rich and the very poor."[citation needed]

Built upon the back of an immense dragon,[1] Madripoor was once a haven for pirates,[citation needed] a tradition which somewhat continues to present day: its proximity to the most important Asian ports makes it a largely lawless haven for smugglers, secret societies and warlords, constantly vying for control.[2]

History

Madripoor from Marvel Atlas Vol 1 1

Madripoor's location in the Malay Archipelago

20th century[]

1940's - World War II[]

In 1941 Captain America came to Madripoor to the aid of Ivan Petrovich, a Russian man under attack by Hand Ninjas. They were rescued by Logan, who despised the Hand's operations in Madripoor, and afterward took them to a bar called Seraph's, where he confronted two Nazis, including Baron Strucker. Ivan revealed that the Nazis and the Hand were planning an alliance, and that they have kidnapped Natasha Romanoff, a child in his care. The three men attacked the limousine holding the girl, with one Nazi threatening to kill her rather than letting her go. Logan sacrificed himself to save the girl, throwing himself between her and the gun. Against Logan's plan, Ivan and Cap took Natasha to the US consulate, but were betrayed by the consul to the Hand, who planned to turn Natasha into a master assassin. They were rescued, however, by a very much alive Logan, who took them to safety on a getaway plane.[3]

In 1942, Madripoor was invaded and occupied by Imperial Japan, seeking to control the island's important trade routes.[4]

1950's[]

On January 1st 1956, the Winter Soldier assassinated Dalton Graines the British Ambassador and his guests at a New Years Eve Party in Madripoor.[5] In 1959, Nick Fury and Dum Dum Dugan traveled to Madripoor to recruit Victor Creed to join their new team the known as the "Avengers".[6] Fury's Avengers then came back to Madripoor where they discovered a mansion headquarters belonging to the Ubermadchen. They raided the mansion, capturing the strategist known as Innsbruck the Planner. From him the team learned of General Dieter Skul's attack on the African nation of Wakanda.[7]

Modern Age[]

Madripoor became known for its connection to the mutant known as Wolverine[8] and the cruel rule of the Hydra-affiliated villain Viper.[9]

The New Mutants traveled to Madripoor following Karma to find out why she left. The team attacked Karma but were overwhelmed by her power; only Magik and Mirage escaped to Limbo. Upon their return, they found that Karma had framed them for the murder of her guards.[10]

Madripoor was the focus of an alien invasion led by Khan, but was saved by a team of X-Men.[11] Afterward, the newest Scorpion traveled to the island to learn more about her secret past and her mysterious mother.[12]

When the Hand awakened the "Madragon" beneath Madripoor, Shang-Chi had to be enlarged with Pym Particles to defeat it.[13]

Tarik Fayad used the Coptic Staff and the alias "Horus" to act as Madripoor's defender, but was killed by Grant Ward using counterfeit Iron Man Armor and intel from the stolen Quantum Drive, which contained details on how to defeat several major super heroes. Horus' death demonstrated the legitimacy of the Drive's content in order to attract the attention of potential bidders.[14]

After the fall of the attempted mutant nation Utopia, Mystique attempted to establish a mutant empire on Madripoor funded by the dealing of Mutant Growth Hormone.[15] Though she ultimately failed, Magneto later established a new School for Gifted Youngsters there for the time-displaced X-Men.[16] After their return to their own time and Magneto and Mystique's departure to establish a new mutant island on Krakoa, the Raksha, a local team of mutants inspired by Wolverine, took up residence in the Madripoor X-Mansion.[17]

A robotic double of Wolverine named Albert came to Madripoor in search of Elsie-Dee. Gamgster Tyger Tiger directed him to Reavers Universal Robotics, where he confronted Donald Pierce and the Reavers. Pierce revealed that he had sold Elsie-Dee's various parts to other criminal organizations on the island, including the Yakuza's Kimura, the Jade Dragon Triad, and the Vladivostok Mafia. Albert retrieved the parts and reassembled Elsie-Dee, but the gangs all vowed to kill Albert before he could leave the island; Kimura ultimately decided to help the two escape Madripoor, though, and smuggled them out of the island in a box, claiming it contained slot machine parts bound for Macau.[18]

The Homines Verendi attempted to establish Madripoor as an anti-mutant power to rival Krakoa; Emma Frost and the reformed Hellfire Trading Company combated this by providing financial contributions to the island's Lowtown and establishing the Moira MacTaggert Memorial Public Hospital. Thanks to these contributions, the residents of Madripoor's lower-class neigborhood became staunch allies of mutantkind, and even began to call Lowtown "Mutietown" instead.[19]

Facts[]

Languages[]

The major languages in Madripoor range from English, French, and Filipino.[20]

Economy[]

The monetary unit used in Madripoor is the Madripoor Dollar.[20]

The capital city, which shares the island’s name, lays claim to the most luxurious and expensive hotels in the world. At the same time, it possesses one of the most severe pockets of poverty on the planet. This economic polarization has effectively divided the capital city into two parts: Hightown, the high-tech haven of the very rich and powerful, and Lowtown, the medieval domain of the hopelessly poor.[21]

Madripoor from Sword Master Vol 1 4 001

Temple of Davi Naka, Madripoor

Religion[]

Hinduism is the primary religion practiced in Madripoor, with its followers believing that, after death, the physical body must be returned to the Pancamahabhuta (the five sacred elements) before their soul can be released to meet the Supreme Being. As such, elaborate funeral pyres are favored, especially for royalty.[21] The religious customs also demand that bare legs be covered with sarongs within temple grounds.[21] Davi Naka, Mother Goddess, is one of several gods worshipped by the Madripoorean populace.[22]

Islam is also widely practiced in Madripoor.[23]

Politics and international relations[]

The seat of government was originally ruled from Madripoor the capital city. It is governed by an elected Chancellor.[21] It also has a ruling prince as well.[21]

It was conquered by freebooters centuries ago, and its heritage of piracy evolved into the present system of government whose laissez-faire policy allows for virtually any business transaction provided that the status quo is not threatened. Madripoor does not allow criminal extradition from within its borders, making it an exotic diplomatic haven for many international criminals and organizations who help maintain the stability of the government through a sophisticated system of corruption that includes payoffs to the Chancellor, who runs the day-to-day government operations.[21]

Alternative Realities[]

The Humorverse (Earth-9047)[]

Madripoor from What The--?! Vol 1 17 001

Nastynpoor

In the Humorverse, Madripoor's equivalent is called Nastynpoor (a joke on Nasty 'n' poor), "where nobody seems to notice that a guy has four foot claws coming' out've his hands." Wolverweenie visited it at least once, and an expiring guy gave him the lead to track evil Don Druglordo to Costa Lottamoola.[24]

Marvel Anime (Earth-101001)[]

In the Marvel Anime universe, Madripoor is a central location in season 2.

The island is a hotbed for criminal activity. Multiple gangs inhabit the island, and are constantly at war with each other.[25] At the start of the season, the island is owned by Hideki Kurohagi, who rules it from the Dragon Palace. Hideki's father, Juo Kurohagi, originally co-ruled the island along with Koh, but was able to seize control of the island after allying himself with Shingen Harada.[26]

Shingen planned to make Madripoor a base of operation for his criminal organization, the Kuzuryu. For this purpose, he wanted to force his daughter Mariko, to marry Hideki.[25]. After Shingen and Hideki left Tokyo and went to Madripoor with Mariko, Logan and his new ally Yukio followed them there.[27]. After meeting Koh and his gang, Wolverine and Yukio helped them reach the Dragon Palace through Hell Road; a road infamous for it's many death traps.[28]

Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999)[]

Madripoor from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Season 1 3
Baron Zemo took Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes to Madripoor to meet with Selby in order to track down the newly resurfaced Super-Soldier Serum.[29]

Points of Interest

Notes

  • Madripoor is inspired by Hong Kong and Singapore, real-life island-sized city-states and hubs of trade in Asia; though Madripoor was originally said to be located on the Filipino island of Luzon,[citation needed] it was held by the United Kingdom on a 99-year lease which would revert back to the ownership of the Philippines in 2000,[citation needed] much like Hong Kong's relationship with China, and is now located off the coast of Indonesia near Malaysia much like Singapore is.[30]

Trivia

  • Captain America and Wolverine's Madripoor team-up in Uncanny X-Men #268 is their first canonical meeting.

See Also

Links and References

References

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