Mad Mod

Mad Mod
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Teen Titans #7 (January–February 1967)
Created by	Bob Haney Nick Cardy
In-story information
Full name	Neil Richards
Species	Human
Place of origin	Earth
Abilities	Skilled engineer

Mad Mod (Neil Richards) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is known as one of the first recurring villains of the Teen Titans.

Publication history

Mad Mod first appeared in Teen Titans #7 and was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy. ^[1]

Fictional character biography

One of the first villains to menace the Teen Titans, Mad Mod (real name Neil Richards) was a Carnaby Street fashion designer with no actual superpowers of his own. His assumed name is derived from the popular Mod style in England at the time. He used his label as a front to smuggle goods inside his clothing. After being foiled, he later hatched a plot to steal the Queen of Britain's scepter, but was stopped as well by the Titans. ^[2]

The character disappeared following the cancellation of the original Teen Titans and was absent from the 1980–1994 series written by Marv Wolfman. The character resurfaced in the Dan Jurgens-written Teen Titans series of the mid-1990s, as an ally of the Mr. Jupiter-backed version of the Titans. The character was shown having renounced crime and designed the Jurgens Titans team's costumes. The character's clothing lines would later be referenced on occasion in various Teen Titans books, with the implication that Mod is a popular clothing designer on par with other real-world fashion designers in the DC Universe.

In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC Comics universe. Mad Mod was a member of a group known as "Diablo", that seeks to prevent the original Teen Titans from regaining their memories of their original incarnation of the group. Mad Mod is portrayed as a hipster figure as opposed to a "mod" complete with a handlebar mustache, much younger than his pre-New 52 incarnation. Mad Mod interrogates the super-heroine Bumblebee after her husband is kidnapped by Mister Twister who Diablo seeks to stop. When Mad Mod realizes that the Titans have regained their memories of their past activities, Mad Mod orders the team killed in order to stop Mister Twister from using them in an occult ritual. ^[3]

Powers and abilities

During the Mad Mod's heyday as a villain, he would match his outrageous clothing with a way out approach in his intricate but deadly traps. He would employ a gang of thugs to do most of the handiwork that needed muscle.

Mad Mod term

The term "Mad Mod, Poet God" was used by Peter Milligan for the unrelated DC character Shade, the Changing Man. Another unrelated DC character is the Mad Mod Witch from The Unexpected , later revealed to be a resident of the Dreaming known as "the Fashion Thing".

Other versions

In the alternate future seen in "Titans Tomorrow", the Titans Tomorrow battled Mad Mod's synthetics. They later mentioned that they killed Mad Mod.

In other media

Television

An illusion of Mad Mod's younger self as depicted in Teen Titans .

• Mad Mod appears in Teen Titans (2003), voiced by Malcolm McDowell. ^[4] This version is an old man, Anglophile, and technological genius who views the Teen Titans as rebellious "snots", and utilizes robots, hypnotic holographic projectors, death traps, and surreal, psychedelic illusions all controlled by his cane, which also allowed him to drain youth on one occasion. He refers to the Titans as "His Duckies". ^[5] Throughout the series, he frequently attempts to "educate" the Titans in what he sees as proper behavior, only to be foiled by them each time. In the fifth season, Mad Mod joins the Brotherhood of Evil in their plot to rid the world of young heroes, only to be eventually flash-frozen along with them by the Titans.
• Mad Mod appears in the "New Teen Titans" segment of DC Nation Shorts , voiced again by Malcolm McDowell. ^[6] This version possesses a machine resembling the TARDIS capable of manipulating time and his age.
• Mad Mod appears in the Teen Titans Go! (2013) episode "Salty Codgers". ^[7] This version possesses the ability to drain youth through his cane.

Film

Mad Mod makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies .^{[ citation needed ]}

Video games

• Mad Mod appears as an unlockable character in Teen Titans (2006)'s "Master of Games" mode, voiced by Greg Ellis. ^[4]
• Mad Mod appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure . ^[8]

Miscellaneous

• Mad Mod appears in Teen Titans Go! (2004) #8. ^[9]
• Mad Mod appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold . ^{[10] [11]}

References

1. Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 189. ISBN   978-1605490557.
2. Teen Titans #7. DC Comics.
3. Titans Hunt #6. DC Comics.
4. "Mad Mod Voices (Teen Titans)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 13 April 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
5. Cadigan, Glen (2008). "Sam Register: Bringing the Teen Titans to TV". Titans Companion 2. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 191. ISBN   9781893905870.
6. "DC Nation Shorts #173 - New Teen Titans #17: Mayhem at First Sight (Episode)". Comic Vine. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
7. "Teen Titans Go! #208 - Salty Codgers". Comic Vine. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
8. Eisen, Andrew (4 October 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
9. "Teen Titans Go! #8 - Naked City (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
10. "Batman: The Brave and the Bold #7 - The Secret of the Doomsday Design! (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
11. "Batman: The Brave and the Bold #15 - Minute Mystery (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved 13 April 2024.