CIRCUS OF LOST SOULSCIRCUS OF LOST SOULS
Membership: Blossom, Meriam, Major Minor, Rex "the Dog-Faced Boy", Stilt "the Rubber Man"
Purpose: Survival, saving Meriam
Occupation: Former Circus Show
Affiliations: the Hulk (Bruce Banner);
Formerly the Circus of Crime
Enemies: Circus of Crime (Clown/Eliot Franklin, Great Gambonnos, Human Cannonball, Princess Python, Ringmaster/Maynard Tiboldt)
Base of Operations: Mobile
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#217 (November, 1977)
Powers/Abilities: With the exception of Meriam, the other components of the Circus of Lost Souls do not have super-human abilities. They are particular, for their size, or shape, but nothing more. Meriam has the abilities and the weaknesses of a Sea Nymph.
History:
(Incredible Hulk II#217 (fb) - BTS) - Blossom, Major Minor, Rex and Stilt worked in the
Ringmaster's Circus (of Crime).
(Incredible Hulk II#217 (fb) - BTS) -
One day, Blossom and others of the Circus found Meriam on a beach, and brought
her to the Circus. But Ringmaster, understanding what she was, imprisoned
Meriam, until she would have revealed to him the secrets of the treasures of
the seas.
Rex, Blossom, Stilt and Major Minor decided to free the beautiful nymph so they took a
caravan and fled with her. The Ringmaster's Circus pursed them.
(Incredible Hulk II#217) - Stilt, Blossom, Rex, and Major Minor saw a figure approaching the caravan where Meriam was, and they assaulted him. They were easily thrown away by the Hulk. When they understood that the visitor wasn't part of the Ringmaster's Circus, they welcomed him and introduced him to Meriam.
They all convinced Hulk to escort them. They told him Meriam's story, and the Hulk considered them his friends. That night they were attacked by Ringmaster and his circus-men. They were captured and brought back to the Circus of Crime.
They were imprisoned, but Major Minor succeeded in escaping from the cage; he awakened the Hulk from his hypnotic state (from the Ringmaster's hat) and another fight rose in the Circus. This time the element of surprise was on their side; with the help of the Hulk, the "Lost Souls" overwhelmed Ringmaster and his henchmen. Meriam asked the Hulk to bring her to the sea, and Hulk unhappily obeyed his friend's desire. Meriam went back home.
Comments: Created by Len Wein, Sal Buscema and Ernie Chan.
They never named themselves as "The Circus of Lost Souls", it was only the title of the story.
Clarifications:
The Circus of Lost Souls is connected to but is different from
and has no known connections to
Blossom has no known connections to
Major Minor has no known connections to
Rex has no known connections to
Stilt the Rubber Man has no known connections to
Stilts
The Man with the Rubber Body
Stilt was a contortionist.
He fled from the Ringmaster's Circus with his friends, because he didn't want to let Meriam be imprisoned.
Rex and he assaulted the Hulk when they believed he was a threat for Meriam, but soon they become friends to the Jade Giant.
Some nights later he couldn't do much when they were attacked by the Circus of Crime; he was struck from behind by Cannonball.
Days later, in a cage of the Circus, he tried to use his slim shape to pass through the bars of the cage. He didn't succeed in doing it but he slightly bent one of the bars, and let Major Minor pass in the space. When Hulk freed them all, they ran to free Meriam and Stilt had to confront the Princess Python's pet. Thanks to his contortionist movements he managed to avoid it, making a knot out the snake as it tried to catch him; the Princess was mortified.
Later, after the Circus of Crime defeat, he unhappily assisted while Hulk brought back Meriam home.
--Incredible Hulk II#217 (217 (fb) - BTS, 217
Blossom worked in the Ringmaster's Circus. She found Meriam on the beach but when Ringmaster imprisoned Meriam she fled from the Circus with her friends and Meriam.
When Rex and Stilt assaulted the Hulk she was scared by the Jade Giant, but soon after they all became friends to the Hulk.
Some nights later she was sneakily stunned by the Clown (Eliot Franklin) while defending Meriam from the Circus of Crime's attack.
Days after, when Hulk freed them all from the prison, they run to free Meriam and she confronted Cannonball, who charged her on foot. Without the force of the cannon behind him, the Human Cannonball found that Blossom was too much of a woman for him. He bounced back and hit the ground, and she sat on him.
Later, after the Circus of Crime defeat, she unhappily assisted while Hulk brought back Meriam home.
--Incredible Hulk II#217 (217 (fb) - BTS, 217
Rex was called "the Dog-Faced Boy" in the Circus, but he didn't care.
He fled from the Ringmaster's Circus with his friends, because he didn't want to let Meriam be imprisoned.
Stilt and he assaulted the Hulk when they believed he was a threat for Meriam, but soon they become friends of the Jade Giant.
Some nights later he couldn't do much when they were attacked by the Circus of Crime; he was struck from behind by Cannonball.
Days after, when Hulk freed them all from the prison, they ran to free Meriam, and he helped Stilt, stopping Princess Python while she was running away.
Later, after the Circus of Crime's defeat, he unhappily assisted while Hulk brought back Meriam home.
--Incredible Hulk II#217 (217 (fb) - BTS, 217
Major Minor smoked a cigar and was the tough guy of the group, despite his short size.
When his friends freed Meriam and fled from the Ringmaster's Circus he followed them with the purpose of protecting them.
He was present when Stilt and Rex assaulted the Hulk when they believed he was a threat for Meriam, but soon they become friends of the Jade Giant.
Some nights later when they were attacked by the Circus of Crime, he couldn't do so much because he was sneakily struck from behind by Cannonball.
Days after, with the help of Stilt, he succeeded in escapging from his cage, and he awakened Hulk from his hypnotic state. Hulk freed them all from the prison, and they ran to free Meriam. He fought the Clown, avoiding his blasts thanks to his small size and knocking him down.
Later, after the Circus of Crime defeat, he wanted to go with the Hulk and Meriam, but Rex stopped him, so he unhappily assisted while Hulk brought back Meriam home.
--Incredible Hulk II#217 (217 (fb) - BTS, 217
Images:
Incredible Hulk II#217, page 3,
panel 5 (Circus of Lost Souls)
Incredible Hulk II#217, page
11, panel 3 (Meriam)
Incredible Hulk II#217, page
7, panel 4 (Rubber Man)
Incredible Hulk II#217, page 7, panel 3 (Blossom)
Incredible Hulk II#217, page 7, panel 2 (Rex the
Dog-Faced Boy)
Incredible Hulk II#217, page 7, panel 5
(Major Minor)
First Posted: 04/18/2005
Last updated: 04/18/2005
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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