Edna "E" Mode is a character from Disney/Pixar's film The Incredibles.
Appearances
The Incredibles
Edna is a half-Japanese, half-German, short fashion designer and auteur. She is known for calling everyone "Dahling" ("darling").
Edna has created custom-made original outfits for superheroes since the "glory days", saying that she designs for gods. It is apparent that she feels infinitely superior to all other designers in the world and shows much disregard towards runway boutiques and modern fashion models, claiming that she had gone to Milan to design clothing for the supermodels, and called them "spoiled, stupid little stick-figures with poofy lips who think only about themselves".
Edna is called out of a 15-year period of imposed retirement to repair damage to Bob's supersuit, and ends up producing a series of completely new, matching outfits for the entire Parr family. For safety reasons, she is very insistent on not including capes in the new design, mainly because any superhero who had a cape got killed or trapped. This proves to be a foreshadowing as to the final fate of the villain.
She is very talented and as demanding of others as she is of herself. She is also shown to have a constant desire to create and design new things. She runs away with ideas, such as when Bob Parr asks her for a simple repair in his old suit, which she immediately deems a "hobo suit" and replaces, as well as creates new suits for the rest of his family. Edna seems not to be concerned with the past, saying "it distracts from the now", and is not very emotional. This is evident when Helen is crying over the thought that her husband might be cheating on her, and instead of comforting her, Edna smacks her with a newspaper and tells her to pull herself together.
Comic series
Edna's sole appearance in the comic series was during the "Terror from Beneath" story arc, when Dash asks her for help in defeating an approaching race of aliens (though this all turns out to be a hypnosis-induced dream).
The comic also introduces her brother Doc Sunbright, who is the only medical doctor that is licensed to work with superheroes. He first appears in the first story arc "Family Matters" when Bob goes to him out of concern for his weakening powers and makes several more appearances in later stories. Sunbright was also present for the birth of Jack-Jack Parr, having delivered the child while at the same time trying to keep the Confederacy of Crime from looting his office.
Background
Edna Mode's appearance and mannerisms are based on famous Hollywood cosume designer Edith Head. Brad Bird provides her voice. Bird had originally had Lily Tomlin in mind for the part. However Tomlin declined after she heard the idea Bird had, and recommended that he himself was ideal to voice the character.
Cameos
- An animated Edna (voiced live by Brad Bird) presented Best Costume Design -- with Pierce Brosnan -- at the 77th Annual Academy Awards.
Trivia
- She is one of the few female characters voiced by a male, as Brad Bird is male. However, she is voiced by female voice actresses in some language versions of The Incredibles.
Gallery
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