such as when Stark unmasks in her presence but lowers his face-plate back when preparing to talk to the rest of the Avengers. Masque again tries unsuccessfully to convince her to side with the heroes, then joins the battle in Whitney's place. Masque obtains a weapon designed to disrupt Nefaria's powers that Whitney had prepared for her father, but is slain by Nefaria before she can use it. Madame Masque is shocked by her duplicate's nobility and sacrifice, with Iron Man's dismayed reaction at what appears to be her death compared to Nefaria's glee forcing her to recognize that Masque was right about the Avengers. Whitney joins the battle and plays a key role in her father's defeat, her weapon causing him to begin leaking ionic energy until he finally collapses. She renounces her criminal past, and MACH-II of the Thunderbolts offers her membership, but she declines, departing to parts unknown to consider her future. Before leaving, she asked MACH-II to thank everyone for her, especially Iron Man. Madame Masque is hired by the Hood to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. She becomes the Hood's second in command (and his lover) and helps him and his forces fight the New Avengers. She is taken down by Doctor Strange and taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. A group of Skrulls disguised as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents try to learn her true face so they can replace her with one of their own. The Hood frees her and kills all the Skrulls except one. In an unknown location attended by most of the Hood's army, they learn from the Skrull agent that the Skrulls plan on taking over Earth, believing it to be rightfully theirs. Madame Masque rejoins the Hood's crime syndicate and takes part in an attack on the invading Skrull forces. She is among the Hood's army as they assist the heroes in their final battle against the Skrulls. During the "Dark Reign" storyline, Norman Osborn puts a bounty on Tony Stark's head, and personally calls Madame Masque over to Stark Tower, offering the locations of Iron Man's multiple armories to help her find Stark. She tracks Stark to Russia, which Pepper Potts had also done. Masque captures and tortures Pepper before demanding that Stark tell her his true feelings to her real face. Stark admits that even after years of fighting, he still