Magpie, whose real name is Margaret Pye, is a supervillain in DC Comics known for her obsessive compulsion toward shiny and valuable objects. Created by writer and artist John Byrne, she made her debut in The Man of Steel #3 (November 1986), marking the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot of the DC Universe. In her origin story, Pye was a museum curator or assistant who developed a psychotic fixation on jewels and precious items she could not possess, leading her to become a jewel thief. She would steal genuine articles and replace them with explosive replicas or booby traps, earning her moniker from the bird's notorious attraction to glittering objects. Her introductory arc notably featured the first team-up between Superman and Batman in the new continuity, resulting in her defeat and imprisonment.
Magpie operates without superhuman abilities, relying instead on her intelligence, agility, and expertise in chemistry to create deadly poisons, often applied to her sharpened fingernails for close-combat lethality. Her costume incorporates metallic and feathered elements evoking a magpie's plumage, complemented by gadgets such as explosive duplicates of stolen items. As a recurring antagonist primarily in Gotham City narratives, she has clashed with Batman, Superman, and occasionally Catwoman, displaying a flamboyant and unpredictable personality driven by kleptomania and homicidal impulses.
Over the years, Magpie's appearances have been sporadic, with early post-Crisis stories in titles like Batman #401 reinforcing her role as a thematic counterpart to more prominent rogues. In the New 52 continuity, she was reintroduced during the "Forever Evil" storyline as a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, later joining the Suicide Squad, where she met her demise at the hands of a fellow member. Despite limited prominence in mainline comics, the character has gained visibility through adaptations, including animated series like Beware the Batman—with an altered backstory as Margaret Sorrow featuring a split personality—and live-action portrayals in Gotham and The Penguin television series.