Hypnotic mind control via device on his hat Formerly: Reality manipulation via cosmic powered ring
The Ringmaster is the name of two characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of Ringmaster, Fritz Tiboldt, first appeared in Captain America Comics #5 (August 1941). The second incarnation, Maynard Tiboldt, debuted in Incredible Hulk #3 (July 1962).[2]
Publication history
Fritz Tiboldt debuted as the Ringmaster of Death in Captain America Comics #5 (August 1941).[3] He appeared in Captain America #112 in a flashback (April 1969).
Maynard Tiboldt debuted as the Ringmaster in Incredible Hulk #3 (July 1962). He has turned up as a somewhat pathetic and luckless opponent for virtually every hero in the Marvel universe since his first appearance, ranging from Spider-Man to Howard the Duck. He is a tall thin man who sports a Fu Manchu moustache and dresses in a green variation on the traditional circus ringmaster costume. Having acquired a hypnosis-wave generator originally created by the Red Skull and mounted said device in his costume's top hat, the Ringmaster's usual scheme is to lead the self-titled "Circus of Crime" into a community and rob the local citizenry as they attend his circus. Nearly every appearance of the Ringmaster ends with him being thrown back into jail, having been defeated by his current foe.
Fictional character biography
Fritz Tiboldt
The original Ringmaster is a Nazi agent named Fritz Tiboldt whose circus was a cover for murdering US government officials. He traveled with Missing Link who had primate-like features, midget Tommy Thumb; snake charmer Omar; strongman Zandow, and the Trapeze Trio. After murdering a U.S. sergeant with a tiger, Captain America and Bucky become suspicious of their activities. The Ringmaster kidnaps Betsy Ross, and the heroes trace him and his circus and defeat the foes.[4]
Later, Fritz and his wife were killed by the Nazis for their defeat at the hands of Captain America.[5] Following the introduction of Maynard Tiboldt, this character was revealed to be his father.[6]
Maynard Tiboldt
Maynard Tiboldt was born in Vienna, Austria to the original Ringmaster, Fritz Tiboldt, and his wife Lola. He inherited the Circus when his parents were murdered.
The Ringmaster is a powerless man with a unique hat which is designed to hypnotize people, thus allowing him to take complete control over their actions. He originally traveled across America as the manager, director, and ringmaster of his small traveling circus, which was actually a front for his "Circus of Crime"; The Human Cannonball, The Clown, Bruto the Strongman, The Great Gambonnos (two acrobat brothers), and Princess Python the snake charmer. During their show, he would hypnotize the crowd and send his lackeys out to steal any valuables on the victim's person. Once, while engaging in this activity, he managed to enslave the Hulk when he was under the control of Rick Jones who was attending a performance. However the Hulk captured him when he tried to escape in a chariot.[6]
Bringing this act to New York, he fought Spider-Man and Daredevil, whose blindness prevents Ringmaster from hypnotizing him, though he was briefly able to place Spider-Man under his control.[7]
After this failure, he briefly abandoned the Circus of Crime, who became the Masters of Menace (a name Python thought up) led by the Clown. He came back to steal their loot after their capture by Spider-Man, but was captured by the police instead along with the rest.[8]
The Ringmaster next attempted to enlist recent Avengers inductees Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch as circus performers, but instead wound up defeated by them, though he claimed they tried to rob him making them wanted by the Police, though it is later claimed the DA got the truth out of Python.[9] He later schemed to blow up Avengers Mansion during the wedding of Yellowjacket and the Wasp and defeated Jarvis, but fought and was defeated by the Avengers.[10] He later enlisted a mind-controlled Ulik as an accomplice, but was defeated by Thor.[11] With Blackwing, he battled Daredevil once again.[12] He also battled Power Man and Black Goliath.[13] Ringmaster later helped Namor and the Shroud secretly enter Latveria.[14] He later captured the sea-nymph Meriam and fought the Hulk again.[15]
The Ringmaster later enlisted Howard the Duck as an unwilling accomplice, but was defeated by Howard and Iris Raritan.[16] Ringmaster battled the Thing, Iceman, and Bill Foster as Giant-Man.[17] Ringmaster next pitted a mind-controlled Hulk against the Dragon Man.[18] The Ringmaster was later hired by the Headmen to test She-Hulk's strength and invulnerability.[19] He later attempted to reform, but helped the Circus of Crime escape from the police after battling Power Pack.[20] He was released from prison in Doc Samson's custody, and assists in the therapy that creates the Merged Hulk personality for Bruce Banner when his MPD was causing him serious psychological damage.[21]
The Ringmaster later gets a surgical-upgrade of his eyes, allowing him to use them to hypnotize people, from surgeons working for Devlin DeAngelo, which he used to hypnotize Bruce Banner.[22] As "Martin Thraller", the Ringmaster used his hypnotic eyes while running for president of the United States (and manages to hypnotize Nick Fury into forgetting his own identity) until stopped by Deathlok.[23]
The Ringmaster traveled to Tibet and stole a ring that had once been created for the Mandarin shortly before his apparent demise. Made from a piece of a shattered Cosmic Cube, the ring allows him to manipulate reality within a fifteen-foot radius. Attacking New York for 'practice', he clashes with various superheroes, including Spider-Man and Moon Knight. Moon Knight and Spider-Man are both given heart attacks, but then Daredevil joins the scene. Moments before the Ringmaster is about to fire them out of cannons, at the ground about one foot below, the Punisher shoots off his ring finger.[24][25]
The Cosmic Ring is confiscated by Captain America, who encourages the grouping of heroes to get the shot-off finger to the ambulance personnel for reattachment. He later loses the ring when he is attacked by a M.O.D.O.C. squad.[26] The ring is then found by Curtis Doyle, who uses it to become the superhero Freedom Ring until his death at the hands of Iron Maniac.[27]
During the Civil War storyline, the Circus of Crime appear as one of several villains captured by Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.[28]
Later, Ringmaster enacts a plot to hypnotize the elderly into stealing for him, though this is foiled by Howard the Duck and Talos the Untamed.[29][30]
During the "Gang War" storyline, Ringmaster is revealed to run Randalls and Wards Islands. He is briefly seen hypnotizing civilians to fight for him.[32] After running into two people trying to get to Central Park, Ringmaster informs them of what is happening and hypnotizes them into his ranks of hypnotized people as he needed a "circus" to lead. Ringmaster's hypnotized civilians fight against Crime Master and the A.I.M. Agents with him. Spider-Man's group arrives to fight them as Spider-Man advises the superheroes with him to be careful with the hypnotized civilians. As Spider-Man and Spider-Woman fight Crime Master, Ringmaster tries to hypnotize Elektra, only for her to resist the mind control and defeat him.[33]
Ringmaster was revealed to have a daughter who became Ringmistress, wielding a copy of her father's hat and leading a separate incarnation of Circus of Crime.[34]
Powers and abilities
The Ringmaster possesses no inherent superhuman powers. His principal weapons are mind-controlling devices implanted in his hat and eyes. However, his hypnotism does not work on those who cannot see and can be neutralized with special glasses.[volume & issue needed]
With the Cosmic Ring, Tiboldt gained the ability to alter reality in a 15-foot (4.6 m) radius around him.[35]
The Ringmaster appears in the Avengers Assemble episode "Crime and Circuses", voiced by Fred Tatasciore.[36] This version wields flamethrower gloves in addition to his top hat and can vanish in a cloud of smoke.
Maynard Tiboldt appears in the Jessica Jones episode "AKA Sole Survivor", portrayed by Ben Van Bergen.[37][38] This version is a hypnotherapist.[39]
^Chip Zdarsky (w), Joe Quinones (p), Joe Rivera and Joe Quinones (i), Rico Renzi (col), Travis Lanham (let), Wil Moss (ed). "Nothing's Gonna Touch You In These Golden Years" Howard the Duck, vol. 5, no. 3 (July 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
^Chip Zdarsky (w), Joe Quinones (p), Joe Rivera and Joe Quinones (i), Rico Renzi and Rachelle Rosenberg (col), Travis Lanham (let), Wil Moss (ed). "Dr. Stranger in a Dr. Strange Land" Howard the Duck, vol. 5, no. 4 (August 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
^Captain America: Steve Rogers #16. Marvel Comics.
^Amazing Spider-Man - Gang War First Strike #1. Marvel Comics.
^Marvel Team-Up #7-10 (Sept. 2005). Marvel Comics.
^"Ringmaster Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 15, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
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