Clown (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Clown is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Universe
.
#3 (September 1962), and was created by Stan Lee
and Steve Ditko
. The character subsequently appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #16 (September 1964), #22 (March 1965), The Avengers #22 (November 1965), The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (1965), Thor #145-147 (October–December 1967), The Avengers #60 (January 1969), Super-Villain Team-Up #8 (October 1976), Ghost Rider #70 (July 1982), #72-73 (September–October 1982), #75 (December 1982), #80 (May 1983), The Sensational She-Hulk #1 (May 1989), The Incredible Hulk #471 (December 1998), Deathlok #4 (November 1999), X-Men and Power Pack #3 (February 2006), Civil War: War Crimes #1 (February 2007), The Amazing Spider-Man: Free Comic Book Day - 'Swing Shift' (June 2007), and The Amazing Spider-Man #552 (April 2008). The character briefly appears as the Griffin in World War Hulk: Gamma Corps #1-4 (September 2007-January 2008). The Clown appeared as part of the "Circus of Crime" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
#2.
, the son of a man named Corky. When he began his criminal career, he joined the Ringmaster
's Circus of Crime
, working as a circus clown
, comedian
, juggler, and unicyclist. He uses a number of gimmick
s such as a trick cane, unicycle, and juggler's balls.
He is apparently a member of the Circus of Crime from the outset but he is indistinguishable from the other clowns until he meets in a Hotel room with Human Cannonball
, the Great Gambonnos
and Princess Python
when they decide to kick the Ringmaster
out and go out on their own. They call themselves the Masters of Menace and elect Eliot as their leader. The Clown comes up with a plan to rob a Madison Avenue Art Gallery and they get away with a load of valuable paintings, but the whole plot is eventually foiled by Spider-Man
. After they get out of jail, the Masters agree to rejoin the Ringmaster as the Circus of Crime. They try to recruit Hawkeye
, Quicksilver
and the Scarlet Witch
to the cause but fail, and the Clown is defeated by Sarlet Witch.
After a run-in with the Hulk, Thing
, Iceman
, and Giant-Man
, Eliot leaves the group, wipes off the make-up, he hangs out with the Quentin Carnival because his father Corky is a clown there. He wants to go straight but the Circus of Crime finds him and won't leave him alone. When Corky's tent burns to the ground, the Ghost Rider
steps in to save Eliot's dad. But Corky is badly hurt and the hospital bills will be high so Eliot goes back to the Circus and re-assumes his role as the Crafty Clown. The group even appoints him leader. He takes the group back to rob the Quentin Carnival but his real intention is to way-lay Fire-Eater
as revenge for what was done to his father. This ambush is interrupted by the Ghost Rider who forces Eliot to look at his own tainted soul. The Clown sees his life as a hell and is reduced to near-catatonia. Unblinking and robotic, Eliot is given the job of pushing a broom around the Quentin Carnival. Corky recovers, returns to the show, and works hard to help Eliot improve. By the time Johnny Blaze leaves the carnival, Eliot is soft-spoken and stuttering but is able to communicate.
Sometime later, he rejoins the Circus of Crime and they battle Namor, the Shroud
, the Hulk again, the She-Hulk
, Power Pack
, Ben Reilly
, Spider-Man, Howard the Duck
, Generation X
, Devil Dinosaur
and Moon-Boy.
Eventually, he, Princess Python, Cannonball, and the Gambonnos move to Hollywood and resort to armed robbery. That group gig is thwarted by the Hulk. Eliot then goes on to get spiky hair, smoke cigars and become a professional assassin, of all things. He steals the televisions from every one of his victims and stockpiles them in his room at the Hollywood Towne Hotel where he tries to watch every channel possible to see if there is any word on the Ringmaster who has gone straight and against whom Eliot has sworn revenge. He blasts it out with an army of robot repo men who have snatched one of his TVs and then saunters down the Hollywood streets in triumph. While trying to kill what he believes to be a crime boss, but is in actuality Nick Fury under the hypnotic affects of The Ringmaster
, he battles the Jack Truman incarnation of Deathlok
. The Clown eventually recognized The Ringmaster when he appears on television running for elected office under the guise of "Martin Thraller". The Clown shows up at the national convention as The Ringmaster is about to appear on television in an attempt to hypnotize the viewers to elect him President. The Clown battles again with Deathlok. In the end, Deathlok allows The Clown to flee rather than taking him into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, since they both shared the common goal of taking down The Ringmaster.
Clown (alongside Ringmaster and Great Gambonnos
) was among the villains in Hammerhead
's unnamed villain army when Iron Man
and S.H.I.E.L.D.
raided their hideout.
He later joined the Gamma Corps
, under the name Griffin with a mutation similar to Betty Ross
' Harpy form. The team were assembled by General Ryker
with the objective of destroying the Hulk
as one of the villains in the bar. He was later sighted as a member of Hood
's crime syndicate. Later, the Clown is contacted by Zodiac and Death Reaper, who offer him a spot on their rogue band of criminals. Together, they attack the Human Torch
, hijack the Red Ronin
to attack Times Square, and cause Norman Osborn
a large amount of consternation. Clown, along with Paste-Pot Pete
, rob a bank during Red Ronin's rampage, with Clown executing the bound security guards. Clown is seen with Manslaughter Marsdale killing a large amount of H.A.M.M.E.R troops at an old S.H.I.E.L.D. barbershop base as Zodiac reveals the stolen Zodiac Key to an Agent Murphy.
Clown is revealed to not be Eliot Franklin, but his half-brother. The reason for this deception is unknown.
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
Publication history
The first Clown first appeared in Incredible HulkHulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
#3 (September 1962), and was created by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Steve Ditko
Steve Ditko
Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....
. The character subsequently appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #16 (September 1964), #22 (March 1965), The Avengers #22 (November 1965), The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (1965), Thor #145-147 (October–December 1967), The Avengers #60 (January 1969), Super-Villain Team-Up #8 (October 1976), Ghost Rider #70 (July 1982), #72-73 (September–October 1982), #75 (December 1982), #80 (May 1983), The Sensational She-Hulk #1 (May 1989), The Incredible Hulk #471 (December 1998), Deathlok #4 (November 1999), X-Men and Power Pack #3 (February 2006), Civil War: War Crimes #1 (February 2007), The Amazing Spider-Man: Free Comic Book Day - 'Swing Shift' (June 2007), and The Amazing Spider-Man #552 (April 2008). The character briefly appears as the Griffin in World War Hulk: Gamma Corps #1-4 (September 2007-January 2008). The Clown appeared as part of the "Circus of Crime" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#2.
Eliot Franklin
Eliot Franklin was born in Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, the son of a man named Corky. When he began his criminal career, he joined the Ringmaster
Ringmaster (comics)
Ringmaster is the name of two characters in Marvel Comics. The best known Ringmaster in the Marvel Universe is Maynard Tiboldt who debuted in Hulk #3.-Publication History:The second Ringmaster is Maynard Tiboldt...
's Circus of Crime
Circus of Crime
The Circus of Crime is a fictional villainous organization in the Marvel Comics universe.-Old West:Oddly, there were two organizations in the Old West who dubbed themselves the Circus of Crime...
, working as a circus clown
Circus clown
Clowns have always been an integral part of the circus, offering a source of amusement for patrons and providing relief from the array of animal acts and performances by acrobats and novelty artistes....
, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, juggler, and unicyclist. He uses a number of gimmick
Gimmick
In marketing language, a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use. Thus, a gimmick is a special feature for the sake of having a special feature...
s such as a trick cane, unicycle, and juggler's balls.
He is apparently a member of the Circus of Crime from the outset but he is indistinguishable from the other clowns until he meets in a Hotel room with Human Cannonball
Human Cannonball (Marvel Comics)
The Human Cannonball is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The Human Cannonball first appeared in Incredible Hulk #3 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko....
, the Great Gambonnos
Great Gambonnos
The Great Gambonnos are fictional characters in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The Great Gambonnos first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #16 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko....
and Princess Python
Princess Python
Princess Python is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, most notably as a member of the Circus of Crime. She has no superhuman abilities, but rather relies on her snake charming skills and her pet rock python snake. She has fought several superheroes, ranging from...
when they decide to kick the Ringmaster
Ringmaster (comics)
Ringmaster is the name of two characters in Marvel Comics. The best known Ringmaster in the Marvel Universe is Maynard Tiboldt who debuted in Hulk #3.-Publication History:The second Ringmaster is Maynard Tiboldt...
out and go out on their own. They call themselves the Masters of Menace and elect Eliot as their leader. The Clown comes up with a plan to rob a Madison Avenue Art Gallery and they get away with a load of valuable paintings, but the whole plot is eventually foiled by Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. After they get out of jail, the Masters agree to rejoin the Ringmaster as the Circus of Crime. They try to recruit Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
, Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
and the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
to the cause but fail, and the Clown is defeated by Sarlet Witch.
After a run-in with the Hulk, Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
, Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
, and Giant-Man
Giant-Man
Giant-Man is the alias used by a number of Marvel Comics' fictional characters :* Henry Pym, the original character who has also used other aliases, like Ant-Man and Yellowjacket....
, Eliot leaves the group, wipes off the make-up, he hangs out with the Quentin Carnival because his father Corky is a clown there. He wants to go straight but the Circus of Crime finds him and won't leave him alone. When Corky's tent burns to the ground, the Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)
Ghost Rider is a fictional character, an antihero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is the second Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and preceding Daniel Ketch.Johnny Blaze was portrayed both in the 2007 film Ghost Rider and...
steps in to save Eliot's dad. But Corky is badly hurt and the hospital bills will be high so Eliot goes back to the Circus and re-assumes his role as the Crafty Clown. The group even appoints him leader. He takes the group back to rob the Quentin Carnival but his real intention is to way-lay Fire-Eater
Fire-Eater (comics)
Fire-Eater is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Fire-Eater first appeared in Marvel Two-In-One #76 , and was created by David Michelinie, Tom DeFalco, and Jerry Bingham....
as revenge for what was done to his father. This ambush is interrupted by the Ghost Rider who forces Eliot to look at his own tainted soul. The Clown sees his life as a hell and is reduced to near-catatonia. Unblinking and robotic, Eliot is given the job of pushing a broom around the Quentin Carnival. Corky recovers, returns to the show, and works hard to help Eliot improve. By the time Johnny Blaze leaves the carnival, Eliot is soft-spoken and stuttering but is able to communicate.
Sometime later, he rejoins the Circus of Crime and they battle Namor, the Shroud
Shroud (comics)
Shroud is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Super-Villain Team-Up #5, , and was created by Steve Englehart and Herb Trimpe.-Conception:...
, the Hulk again, the She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
, Power Pack
Power Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...
, Ben Reilly
Ben Reilly
Benjamin "Ben" Reilly is a fictional character in the . He is a clone of Peter Parker , and is prominent in the "Clone Saga" story arc...
, Spider-Man, Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck is a comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. The character first appeared in Adventure into Fear #19 and several subsequent series have chronicled the misadventures of the ill-tempered, anthropomorphic, "funny...
, Generation X
Generation X (comics)
Generation X is a fictional comic book superhero team, a spin-off of the X-Men franchise published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo, the team formed during the 1994 "Phalanx Covenant" storyline, and appeared in their own monthly series in September 1994...
, Devil Dinosaur
Devil Dinosaur
Devil Dinosaur is a Marvel Comics character who resembles a red Tyrannosaurus rex. He first appeared in Devil Dinosaur #1...
and Moon-Boy.
Eventually, he, Princess Python, Cannonball, and the Gambonnos move to Hollywood and resort to armed robbery. That group gig is thwarted by the Hulk. Eliot then goes on to get spiky hair, smoke cigars and become a professional assassin, of all things. He steals the televisions from every one of his victims and stockpiles them in his room at the Hollywood Towne Hotel where he tries to watch every channel possible to see if there is any word on the Ringmaster who has gone straight and against whom Eliot has sworn revenge. He blasts it out with an army of robot repo men who have snatched one of his TVs and then saunters down the Hollywood streets in triumph. While trying to kill what he believes to be a crime boss, but is in actuality Nick Fury under the hypnotic affects of The Ringmaster
Ringmaster (comics)
Ringmaster is the name of two characters in Marvel Comics. The best known Ringmaster in the Marvel Universe is Maynard Tiboldt who debuted in Hulk #3.-Publication History:The second Ringmaster is Maynard Tiboldt...
, he battles the Jack Truman incarnation of Deathlok
Deathlok
Deathlok is a fictional cyborg published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Astonishing Tales #25 , and was created by Rich Buckler and Doug Moench...
. The Clown eventually recognized The Ringmaster when he appears on television running for elected office under the guise of "Martin Thraller". The Clown shows up at the national convention as The Ringmaster is about to appear on television in an attempt to hypnotize the viewers to elect him President. The Clown battles again with Deathlok. In the end, Deathlok allows The Clown to flee rather than taking him into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, since they both shared the common goal of taking down The Ringmaster.
Clown (alongside Ringmaster and Great Gambonnos
Great Gambonnos
The Great Gambonnos are fictional characters in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The Great Gambonnos first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #16 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko....
) was among the villains in Hammerhead
Hammerhead (comics)
Hammerhead is a fictional character, a supervillain that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. He is primarily an enemy of Spider-Man and a member of organized crime who exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
's unnamed villain army when Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
and S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
raided their hideout.
He later joined the Gamma Corps
Gamma Corps
The Gamma Corps are a fictional comic book military unit and an anti-hero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appears in World War Hulk: Gamma Corps #1, and was created by Frank Tieri and Carlos Ferreira.-Fictional history:...
, under the name Griffin with a mutation similar to Betty Ross
Betty Ross Banner
Betty Ross is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, and love interest of Bruce Banner...
' Harpy form. The team were assembled by General Ryker
John Ryker
General John Ryker is a fictional character, a villain and an enemy of the Hulk in the Marvel Universe. He is obsessed with the Hulk, and tried to make attempts to capture the creature.- Fictional character biography :...
with the objective of destroying the Hulk
Half-brother
A new Clown appeared in Brand New DaySpider-Man: Brand New Day
"Brand New Day" is the title of a run of comic book storylines in The Amazing Spider-Man, published by Marvel Comics in 2008. It chronicles the start of Spider-Man's adventures in the aftermath of the big status quo change in the "One More Day" storyline, and continues afterwards into "Spider-Man:...
as one of the villains in the bar. He was later sighted as a member of Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
's crime syndicate. Later, the Clown is contacted by Zodiac and Death Reaper, who offer him a spot on their rogue band of criminals. Together, they attack the Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
, hijack the Red Ronin
Red Ronin
Red Ronin is a gigantic humanoid robotic construct in the Marvel Comics universe. Originally created by writer Doug Moench and artist Herb Trimpe as a foil for Godzilla, the robot went on to be a menace to other Marvel characters such as the Avengers and Wolverine.-Publication history:Red Ronin's...
to attack Times Square, and cause Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
a large amount of consternation. Clown, along with Paste-Pot Pete
Trapster
The Trapster , originally known as Paste Pot Pete, is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:...
, rob a bank during Red Ronin's rampage, with Clown executing the bound security guards. Clown is seen with Manslaughter Marsdale killing a large amount of H.A.M.M.E.R troops at an old S.H.I.E.L.D. barbershop base as Zodiac reveals the stolen Zodiac Key to an Agent Murphy.
Clown is revealed to not be Eliot Franklin, but his half-brother. The reason for this deception is unknown.
Powers and abilities
The first Clown has no super human powers but often uses his clown paraphernalia in attacking his victims, such as using his juggling balls and trick canes. As a Harpy-like man (based on the Betty Ross mutation), he has sharp claws and talons, and can spit a slimey corrosive venom. He is shown to be somewhat mentally unstable.External links
- Clown at SpiderFan.org