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{{Marvel Database:Team Template
  
{{Marvel Database:Team Template
−
| Image = Circus_of_Crime.jpg
 +
| Image = Circus of Crime (Earth-616).jpg
 
| OfficialName = Circus of Crime
  
| OfficialName = Circus of Crime
−
| Aliases = Circus of Delights, Tiboldt Circus
 +
| Aliases = Masters of Menace, Circus of Delights, Tiboldt Circus
   
 
| Alignment = Bad
  
| Alignment = Bad
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| TeamLeaders = [[Maynard Tiboldt (Earth-616)|Ringmaster]]
  
| TeamLeaders = [[Maynard Tiboldt (Earth-616)|Ringmaster]]
−
| CurrentMembers = [[Bruce Olafsen (Earth-616)|Bruto the Strongman]], [[Eliot Franklin (Clown) (Earth-616)|Clown]], [[Tomás Ramírez (Earth-616)|Fire-Eater]], [[Ernesto & Luigi Gambonno (Earth-616)|Great Gambonnos]], [[Jack Pulver (Earth-616)|Human Cannonball]], [[Kabir Mahadevu (Earth-616)|Rajah]], [[Mary Stenson (Earth-616)|Teena the Fat Lady]]
 +
| CurrentMembers = [[Bruce Olafsen (Earth-616)|Bruto the Strongman]], [[Eliot Franklin (Clown) (Earth-616)|Clown]], [[Tomás Ramírez (Earth-616)|Fire-Eater]], [[Ernesto & Luigi Gambonno (Earth-616)|Great Gambonnos]], [[Jack Pulver (Earth-616)|Human Cannonball]], [[Kabir Mahadevu (Earth-616)|Rajah]], [[Mary Stenson (Earth-616)|Teena the Fat Lady]], [[Swordsman]]
−
| FormerMembers = [[Antoro (Earth-616)|Antoro]], [[Bert]], [[William Foster (Earth-616)|Black Goliath]], [[Joseph Manfredi (Earth-616)|Blackwing (Joseph Manfredi)]], [[Blossom]], [[Bub]], [[Circus Crew]], [[Devil Dinosaur (Earth-78411)|Devil Dinosaur]], [[Dragon Man (Earth-616)|Dragon Man]], [[Clinton Barton (Earth-616)|Hawkeye (Clint Barton)]], [[Howard the Duck (Earth-616)|Howard the Duck]], [[Iron Jack Baker]], [[Rance Preston (Earth-616)|Live Wire]], [[Major Minor]], [[Mike (Kansas) (Earth-616)|Mike]], [[Missing Link]], [[Moon Boy (Earth-78411)|Moon Boy]], [[Omir the Snake Charmer]], [[Zelda DuBois (Earth-616)|Princess Python]], [[Professor]], [[Rajar the Elephant]] and his unidentified trainer, [[Rex the Dog-Faces Boy]], [[Spike]], [[Stilts]], [[Tarrax the Tamer]], [[Thor Odinson (Earth-616)|Thor]], [[Tommy Thumb]], [[Trapeze Trio]], [[Zandow the Strong Man]]
 +
| FormerMembers = [[Antoro (Earth-616)|Antoro]], [[Bert]], [[William Foster (Earth-616)|Black Goliath]], [[Joseph Manfredi (Earth-616)|Blackwing (Joseph Manfredi)]], [[Blossom]], [[Bub]], [[Circus Crew]], [[Devil Dinosaur (Earth-78411)|Devil Dinosaur]], [[Dragon Man (Earth-616)|Dragon Man]], [[Clinton Barton (Earth-616)|Hawkeye (Clint Barton)]], [[Howard the Duck (Earth-616)|Howard the Duck]], [[Iron Jack Baker]], [[Rance Preston (Earth-616)|Live Wire]], [[Major Minor]], [[Mike (Kansas) (Earth-616)|Mike]], [[Missing Link]], [[Moon Boy (Earth-78411)|Moon Boy]], [[Omir (Circus of Crime) (Earth-616)|Omir the Snake Charmer]], [[Zelda DuBois (Earth-616)|Princess Python]], [[Truett Hudson (Earth-616)|Professor]], [[Rajar the Elephant]] and his unidentified trainer, [[Rex the Dog-Faces Boy]], [[Spike]], [[Stilts]], [[Tarrax the Tamer (Earth-616)|Tarrax the Tamer]], [[Thor Odinson (Earth-616)|Thor]], [[Tommy Thumb (Earth-616)|Tommy Thumb]], [[Trapeze Trio (Earth-616)|Trapeze Trio]], [[Zandow (Earth-616)|Zandow the Strong Man]]
 
| Allies =
 
| Allies =
−
| Enemies = [[Robert Bruce Banner (Earth-616)|Hulk]], the [[Avengers (Earth-616)|Avengers]]
 +
| Enemies = [[Robert Bruce Banner (Earth-616)|Hulk]], [[Avengers (Earth-616)|Avengers]]
   
−
| Origin = [[Maynard Tiboldt (Earth-616)|Maynard Tiboldt]]'s father, [[Fritz Tiboldt (Earth-616)|Fritz]], ran a travelling circus and was also a Nazi agent. Sent to [[America]] to murder US Government officials, under cover of his circus activities, Tiboldt and his gang fell foul of [[Captain America]] and were deported back to [[Germany]], where Fritz Tiboldt and his wife were subsequently murdered by their former employers.
 +
| Origin = [[Maynard Tiboldt (Earth-616)|Maynard Tiboldt]]'s father, [[Fritz Tiboldt (Earth-616)|Fritz]], ran a travelling circus and was also a [[National Socialist German Workers Party (Earth-616)|Nazi]] agent. Sent to [[America]] to murder US Government officials, under cover of his circus activities, Tiboldt and his gang fell foul of [[Captain America]] and were deported back to [[Germany]], where Fritz Tiboldt and his wife were subsequently murdered by their former employers.
 
| PlaceOfFormation =
 
| PlaceOfFormation =
 
| PlaceOfDefunction =
 
| PlaceOfDefunction =
−
| Creators = Stan Lee; Steve Ditko
 +
| Creators = Joe Simon; Jack Kirby
 
| First = Captain America Comics #5
  
| First = Captain America Comics #5
 
| Last =
 
| Last =
   
  +
| HistoryText =
⚫
| HistoryText = The Circus of Crime was originally Tiboldt's Circus, a small Austrian travel circus managed for generations by members of the Tiboldt family. In the 1930s [[Fritz Tiboldt (Earth-616)|Fritz Tiboldt]], then manager and ringmaster of the circus, became active in [[Nazi]] party activities. After World War II began, he was asked by [[German]] intelligence to take his circus to [[America]], supposedly just to give performances in major cities, but actually in order to use the talents of the Nazi sympathizers among his performers to murder government high officials. However, Tiboldt, who came to be known as the "Ringmaster Of Death," was captured by [[Steven Rogers (Earth-616)|Captain America]], and both Tiboldt and the members of his circus who had aided him in his subversive activities ported.
  
   
  +
===World War II===
⚫
Fritz Tiboldt and his wife Lola continued to manage Tiboldt's Circus after the war. Eventually Fritz and Lola Tiboldt were murdered by Nazis who had escaped capture in vengeance for their cooperation with the Allies. Fritz's son, [[Maynard Tiboldt (Earth-616)|Maynard Tiboldt]], thereupon succeeded him as leader and ringmaster of the circus, and decided to move it to America, far from the scene of Hitler's rise to power and his par death.
  
  +
  ⚫
[[File:Circus_of_Crime_(Earth-616)_(1940s).jpg|thumb|left|Fritz Tiboldt's Circus of Crime circa 1941]]The Circus of Crime was originally Tiboldt's Circus, a small Austrian travel circus managed for generations by members of the Tiboldt family. In the 1930s [[Fritz Tiboldt (Earth-616)|Fritz Tiboldt]], then manager and ringmaster of the circus, became active in [[National Socialist German Workers Party (Earth-616)|Nazi party]] activities. After World War II began, he was asked by [[German]] intelligence to take his circus to [[America]], supposedly just to give performances in major cities, but actually in order to use the talents of the Nazi sympathizers among his performers to murder government high officials. However, Tiboldt, who came to be known as the "Ringmaster Of Death," was captured by [[Steven Rogers (Earth-616)|Captain America]], and both Tiboldt and the members of his circus who had aided him in his subversive activities ported{{r|Captain America Comics #5}}.
  +
  ⚫
Fritz Tiboldt and his wife Lola continued to manage Tiboldt's Circus after the war. Eventually Fritz and Lola Tiboldt were murdered by [[National Socialist German Workers Party (Earth-616)|Nazis]] who had escaped capture in vengeance for their cooperation with the Allies. Fritz's son, [[Maynard Tiboldt (Earth-616)|Maynard Tiboldt]], thereupon succeeded him as leader and ringmaster of the circus, and decided to move it to America, far from the scene of Hitler's rise to power and his par death{{r|X-Force #-1}}.
   
 
Once in America, however, Tiboldt's Circus proved incapable of competing successfully with larger with larger American circuses. Blaming Americans not only for ignoring his circus, but also for his father's humiliating capture in America years before, Tiboldt decided to turn to crime. If Americans would not enrich him and his performers willingly, they would be forced to do so. Tiboldt outlined his plans to the members of his troupe, a number of whom had accompanied him from [[Europe]], and others of whom had joined the troupe after it came to America. A good percentage of the troupe quit, refusing to turn to a life of crime. However, a surprising number of the circus members eagerly agreed to join Tiboldt in his criminal endeavors, and they became the first members of what is known as the Circus of Crime.
  
Once in America, however, Tiboldt's Circus proved incapable of competing successfully with larger with larger American circuses. Blaming Americans not only for ignoring his circus, but also for his father's humiliating capture in America years before, Tiboldt decided to turn to crime. If Americans would not enrich him and his performers willingly, they would be forced to do so. Tiboldt outlined his plans to the members of his troupe, a number of whom had accompanied him from [[Europe]], and others of whom had joined the troupe after it came to America. A good percentage of the troupe quit, refusing to turn to a life of crime. However, a surprising number of the circus members eagerly agreed to join Tiboldt in his criminal endeavors, and they became the first members of what is known as the Circus of Crime.
   
  +
===Modern Era===
⚫
The Circus of Crime's usual modus operandi is the following. They will give a performance before a large audience. At some point the Ringmaster will use the powerful mind-control device concealed in his hat to put the audience into a trance. The Circus members then rob the audience, who remember nothing about the thefts when the Ringmaster releases them from the trance and the performance continues. The Circus of Crime performs under different names so that audience will not suspect that they are the Circus of Crime.
  
⚫
Over the years the membership of the Circus of Crime has varied, although there is a core group that has participated in most of its criminal ventures. The [[Ringmaster]] and his accomplices have been imprisoned by the law numerous times, but rarely for long, given the difficulties of proving the charges against them, since their victims usually have no memory of being robbed by them. Occasionally the Circus of Crime has operated without the Ringmaster, either because he is in prison, or because some have become dissatisfied with his leadership. However, he has always returned a leader.
  
   
  ⚫
The Circus of Crime's usual modus operandi was the following: They would give a performance before a large audience. At some point the Ringmaster would use the powerful mind-control device concealed in his hat to put the audience into a trance. The Circus members then robbed the audience, who would remember nothing about the thefts when the Ringmaster released them from the trance and the performance continued{{r|Incredible Hulk Vol 1 #3}}. The Circus of Crime performed under different names so that audiences would not suspect that they were the Circus of Crime.
⚫
| Equipment = Ringmaster's hypnotic eye
  
  +
  +
They clashed with superheroes on a regular basis, mostly with the [[Hulk (Robert Bruce Banner)|Hulk]] who was also one of the first they encountered. After a string of robberies, they tried to rob [[Richard Jones (Earth-616)|Rick Jones's]] town he summoned the Hulk (who at the time had a link with Rick) and stopped the circus.{{r|Incredible Hulk Vol 1 #3}}
  +
  +
They also fought with [[Spider-Man (Peter Parker)|Spider-Man]]{{r|Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 #16}}{{r|Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 #22}}, the [[Avengers (Earth-616)|Avengers]]{{r|Avengers Vol 1 #22}} and others. They brought [[William Foster (Earth-616)|Black Goliath]] under their control, but were defeated by [[Luke Cage (Earth-616)|Power Man]]{{r|Power Man #24|25}}.
  +
  ⚫
Over the years the membership of the Circus of Crime varied, although there was a core group that participated in most of its criminal ventures. The Ringmaster and his accomplices were imprisoned by the law numerous times, but rarely for long, given the difficulties of proving the charges against them, since their victims usually had no memory of being robbed by them. Occasionally the Circus of Crime operated without the Ringmaster, either because he was in prison, or because some members had become dissatisfied with his leadership{{r|Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 #22}}. However, he always returned as leader.
  +
  +
The Circus of Crime returned to New York as the "Cirque de Nuit" to inagurate the Hotel Metropol in a show where Ringmaster used his mind-control abilities to hypnotize the rich spectators of his show and stole from them. The two [[Hawkeye|Hawkeyes]], [[Clinton Barton (Earth-616)|Clint Barton]] and [[Katherine Bishop (Earth-616)|Katie Bishop]], used special glasses in order to be immune to Ringmaster's control and stopped the Circus, leaving most of their members heaviliy wounded. They escaped in the boat where the Cirus took the loot, making them appear as they were the thieves.{{r|Hawkeye Vol 4 2}}
  +
  ⚫
| Equipment = [[Ringmaster's Hat]]
 
| Transportation = No known transportation
  
| Transportation = No known transportation
 
| Weapons = No known weapons
  
| Weapons = No known weapons
   
 
| Notes =
 
| Notes =
−
| Trivia = *The Circus of Crime first appeared in the 1940's Captain America comic. Also, there were two different Circuses of Crime in the 19th century that were fought by [[Kid Colt]] and the [[West Coast Avengers]]
 +
| Trivia = * The Circus of Crime first appeared in the 1940's Captain America comic. Also, there were two different Circuses of Crime in the 19th century that were fought by [[Kid Colt]] and the [[West Coast Avengers]]
  +
  +
* [[Matthew Murdock (Earth-616)|Matt Murdock]] once offered to defend them in court after having helped Spider-Man defeat them. {{r|Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 #16}}
 
| Links =
 
| Links =
 
*http://www.marvel.com/universe/Circus_of_Crime
  
*http://www.marvel.com/universe/Circus_of_Crime
 
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_of_Crime
  
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_of_Crime
 
}}
  
}}
−
[[Category:Circus of Crime]]
 +
[[Category:Luke Cage Villains|Circus of Crime (Earth-616)]]
  +
[[Category:Hulk Villains]]
  +
[[Category:Spider-Man Villains]]
  +
[[Category:Avengers Villains]]
  +
[[Category:Daredevil Villains]]
  +
[[Category:Hawkeye Villains]]
  +
[[Category:Howard the Duck Villains]]
  +
[[Category:Criminal Organizations]]

Revision as of 10:52, 21 April 2015

History

World War II

File:Circus of Crime (Earth-616) (1940s).jpg

Fritz Tiboldt's Circus of Crime circa 1941

The Circus of Crime was originally Tiboldt's Circus, a small Austrian travel circus managed for generations by members of the Tiboldt family. In the 1930s Fritz Tiboldt, then manager and ringmaster of the circus, became active in Nazi party activities. After World War II began, he was asked by German intelligence to take his circus to America, supposedly just to give performances in major cities, but actually in order to use the talents of the Nazi sympathizers among his performers to murder government high officials. However, Tiboldt, who came to be known as the "Ringmaster Of Death," was captured by Captain America, and both Tiboldt and the members of his circus who had aided him in his subversive activities ported[1].

Fritz Tiboldt and his wife Lola continued to manage Tiboldt's Circus after the war. Eventually Fritz and Lola Tiboldt were murdered by Nazis who had escaped capture in vengeance for their cooperation with the Allies. Fritz's son, Maynard Tiboldt, thereupon succeeded him as leader and ringmaster of the circus, and decided to move it to America, far from the scene of Hitler's rise to power and his par death[2].

Once in America, however, Tiboldt's Circus proved incapable of competing successfully with larger with larger American circuses. Blaming Americans not only for ignoring his circus, but also for his father's humiliating capture in America years before, Tiboldt decided to turn to crime. If Americans would not enrich him and his performers willingly, they would be forced to do so. Tiboldt outlined his plans to the members of his troupe, a number of whom had accompanied him from Europe, and others of whom had joined the troupe after it came to America. A good percentage of the troupe quit, refusing to turn to a life of crime. However, a surprising number of the circus members eagerly agreed to join Tiboldt in his criminal endeavors, and they became the first members of what is known as the Circus of Crime.

Modern Era

The Circus of Crime's usual modus operandi was the following: They would give a performance before a large audience. At some point the Ringmaster would use the powerful mind-control device concealed in his hat to put the audience into a trance. The Circus members then robbed the audience, who would remember nothing about the thefts when the Ringmaster released them from the trance and the performance continued[3]. The Circus of Crime performed under different names so that audiences would not suspect that they were the Circus of Crime.

They clashed with superheroes on a regular basis, mostly with the Hulk who was also one of the first they encountered. After a string of robberies, they tried to rob Rick Jones's town he summoned the Hulk (who at the time had a link with Rick) and stopped the circus.[3]

They also fought with Spider-Man[4][5], the Avengers[6] and others. They brought Black Goliath under their control, but were defeated by Power Man[7].

Over the years the membership of the Circus of Crime varied, although there was a core group that participated in most of its criminal ventures. The Ringmaster and his accomplices were imprisoned by the law numerous times, but rarely for long, given the difficulties of proving the charges against them, since their victims usually had no memory of being robbed by them. Occasionally the Circus of Crime operated without the Ringmaster, either because he was in prison, or because some members had become dissatisfied with his leadership[5]. However, he always returned as leader.

The Circus of Crime returned to New York as the "Cirque de Nuit" to inagurate the Hotel Metropol in a show where Ringmaster used his mind-control abilities to hypnotize the rich spectators of his show and stole from them. The two Hawkeyes, Clint Barton and Katie Bishop, used special glasses in order to be immune to Ringmaster's control and stopped the Circus, leaving most of their members heaviliy wounded. They escaped in the boat where the Cirus took the loot, making them appear as they were the thieves.[8]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Ringmaster's Hat

Weapons

No known weapons

Transportation

No known transportation

Trivia

  • The Circus of Crime first appeared in the 1940's Captain America comic. Also, there were two different Circuses of Crime in the 19th century that were fought by Kid Colt and the West Coast Avengers
  • Matt Murdock once offered to defend them in court after having helped Spider-Man defeat them. [4]

See Also

Links and References

References

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