Madge is Kate Wetherall's trained falcon. Madge is short for "Her Majesty the Queen."
History[]
Madge became Kate Wetherall's falcon sometime between The Mysterious Benedict Societyand The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey after Milligan approved of her joining the Wetheralls at their farm.
Her falconer, Kate, acquired her license to handle birds of prey when she was in the circus after she was trained by an unnamed falconer.
Madge made her first appearance in The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, flying around Kate Wetherall's farm by Reynie. Throughout the book, she is feared by most people due to her sharp talons and dangerous look. Reynie only managed to stroke her feathers after Kate insisted that he try. Madge followed Kate, and later was snuck into the M/V Shortcut in order to be with her. In the end of the second book, she plays a very important part when she delivers a message from Cannonball to the Society in which Reynie asks the captain to ground the ship to save them.
In "The Art of Conveyance and Round-Trippery," the fifth episode of the first season of TV series, Nicholas Benedict and his companions acquire a falcon in the hope of using it to send messages as a replacement for Morse code. Though the falcon seems to be untrainable, it ultimately does deliver a letter from Miss Perumal to Reynie. This falcon would seem to be a stand-in for Madge, who in the book series doesn't appear until the second book, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey. In the ending of the series finale, "Big Day Today," Kate is shown bonding with the falcon, which seems to have taken a liking to her.
In Book 3, The Prisoner’s Dillema, Madge makes several minor appearances. One scene shows Kate practicing tricks with the bird, and another has Madge following the children through the city during the Stonetown blackout. She plays a critical role in the rooftop fight scene at the end of the book. Kate calls on her to attack McCracken in the middle of the skirmish. Madge dives after the Ten Man, distracting him enough for Kate to steal his briefcase.
Trivia[]
- Madge is often seen flying and following the Society, specifically Kate Wetherall.
- Kate often feeds Madge strips of meat that she carries in her bucket.
- Kate uses a whistle to call Madge.
- Madge loves to feast on other birds.
- Madge appeared earlier in the disney+ series than she did in the books.