Bianca Castafiore

Bianca Castafiore is a fictional character from Belgian comic strip legend Hergé's Tintin books. The only major recurring female character in the Adventures of Tintin, the opera diva first appeared in the album King Ottokar's Sceptre; at first merely appearing in an occasional comic cameo, La Castafiore went on to be of vital importance to Tintin and Captain Haddock's mission in The Calculus Affair, and was central to the plots of The Castafiore Emerald and Tintin and the Picaros.

Although apparently one of the leading opera singers of her generation, the only thing that Castafiore is ever heard to sing is the opening line of the Jewel Song from Faust, always at ear-splitting volume: "Ah my beauty past compare, these jewels bright I wear!" Unsurprisingly, opera was one of Hergé's pet hates. She is said to have been modeled on real-life opera singer Maria Callas.

She has a crush on Haddock, for whom she has a strong mothering instinct. She always pronounces his name incorrectly ("Capitaine Karbock"), and whenever she showers him with tokens of affection the results are disastrous. She later gets involved in rumours surrounding an affair with Haddock - much to the Captain's chagrin.

Tintin albums featuring Castafiore

• King Ottokar's Sceptre
• The Seven Crystal Balls
• The Calculus Affair
• The Red Sea Sharks
• The Castafiore Emerald
• Tintin and the Picaros