Who's The Madame Behind The Masque?

She's back! After only catching a brief glimpse of Peggy in Ant-Man this summer, Agent Carter returns to ABC on Jan. 19. And she's coming back with a bang: The Season 2 premiere will be a two-hour event beginning at 8 p.m. Only it's not going to be quite the same as last year. This season finds Peggy packed up and headed across the country to unravel a mystery in Los Angeles. While I loved seeing her get tough in '40s-era New York, the idea of watching her take down post-war Hollywood is certainly intriguing. Of course, with a new locale comes new friends — and enemies. So, who is Agent Carter villain Whitney Frost?

Like most things Agent Carter, Whitney Frost has roots in the Marvel Comics world — she's not just invented for the series. So, just by knowing that she's being featured in the show, comics fans might have an extra hint as to where this season is headed. Then again, the Marvel TV series aren't always faithful to comic origins. Still, it's good to get a jump on these things, so here's what you need to know about Whitney Frost, aka Madame Masque.

She's A Wealthy Socialite

In the comics, Whitney Frost is a wealthy socialite who finds out her father is the head of a crime syndicate. Man, are all female comic villains socialites? At least, the ones that make it onto TV are. Gotham this year did a story with Silver St. Cloud, and now, Agent Carter is picking up Whitney Frost.

That Mask Is Pretty Fancy

Also in the comics, Whitney Frost wears a golden mask to hide a facial disfigurement, turning her into Madam Masque. You have to admit, that's pretty baller. At the very least, it beats the mask that the rich guy from Vanilla Sky wore.

The Show Takes Her Back In Time

Madame Masque is a contemporary villain, but Agent Carter is set in the '40s. To make it work, some changes had to be made, as executive producer Tara Butters explained to Cinema Blend. "I think we’ve changed the look of her a bit obviously," she said. "We’ve made her an actress, which is very Hedy Lamarr. She was a ‘40s siren actress who was also a scientific genius, so that’s part of what we’re mining with this character."

They're Not Kidding About That Hedy Lamarr Inspiration

According to Entertainment Weekly, Whitney Frost is not just an actress, she's also a "brilliant inventor." That sounds bad for Peggy Carter, but kind of kickass at the same time.

Her Romantic Life Changed Too

In the comics, Madame Masque was sometimes a love interest for Iron Man, while on Agent Carter Whitney is married to another new character, Calvin Chadwick. He may not have that superpowed suit, but I have a feeling that Whitney and Calvin will be worthy adversaries for Peggy this season.

Images: Eric McCandless (2), Bob D’Amico/ABC; 90sold/Tumblr; Giphy (2)