- "She may seem a little harsh at first, but she has a heart of gold! "
- —General Alcazar
Peggy Alcazar is the matriarchical, cigar-smoking wife of General Alcazar. She is prone to loudly reprimanding her husband, The Picaros, Tintin and anyone else who crosses her path. Peggy met and married Alcazar sometime after his days as "Ramon Zarate," the knife thrower. Alcazar's reasons for marrying Peggy are unknown, but in spite of her abrasive personality, Alcazar treats her very tenderly and has the utmost respect for her.
Background[]
Peggy Alcazar as seen in the book series.
Hergé first got the concept for Peggy in the late 1960s while watching the news on television. At one point, the program showed footage of America's civil rights struggle: "She exists! I saw her on television... An American woman who was something in the Ku-Klux-Klan, a fact which adds to the horror of the character! That's obviously not spelled out in the story, but one clearly senses how the dictator is dictated!"[1] Hergé was so compelled by the angry woman he saw on television that he immediately begun sketching her in pencil. Peggy was not a white supremacist in the Tintin and The Picaros, but she still comes from a shady background.
According to Hergé's notes for an early draft, Peggy is the daughter of arms dealer Basil Bazarov. She and Alcazar originally met in New York City at a music hall. Peggy is still on the board of supervisors for Vicking Arms, her father's arms group, and is said to be extremely rich. By marrying Peggy, Alcazar is able to access her family's wealth and access to weaponry. This exposition was cut from the final draft, but according to Hergé, it remains canon.[1]
Personality[]
Peggy and Alcazar at the end of Tintin and the Picaros.
Peggy is a very impatient, fussy person. She can often be seen around the Picaros camp, bossing others around, including her own husband. She is evidently argumentative enough to make the usually-intimidating general help her with the chores around their hut. The only person who seems to be able to circumvent Peggy's wrath is Professor Calculus, who mishears most of her ranting, and assumes Peggy to be a delicate, sensitive woman whom is out-of-place in the jungle. This confuses Peggy enough for her to stop berating Alcazar.
General Alcazar and Peggy do not have a balanced relationship. Her rants are shown to be harsh enough to make even Alcazar shy away from her. However, it is implied that the two do get along sometimes. While Alcazar may have only married Peggy for her resources, he seems to genuinely love her deep down. Peggy's more tender, soft-hearted side is never depicted, but is hinted at by Alcazar, stating that she has a "heart of gold".[2] She mostly calls her husband by his last name in public, but sometimes she calls him by a nickname; "Zarzar," just as Alcazar calls her "My Dove."
After Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Professor Calculus assist Alcazar and The Picaros in a coup d'etat against General Tapioca, Alcazar finally gives Peggy a home in San Theodoros' Presidential Palace, like he had always promised her.