RUDY VANDENBERGER

Real Name: Rudy Vandenberger

Identity/Class: Human; conventional weapons user

Occupation: Knife-thrower

Group Membership: Circus Vandenberger

Affiliations: Bobo the Clown

Enemies: Daughters of the Dragon (Colleen Wing & Misty Knight), Mr. Vandenberger

Known Relatives: Mr. Vandenberger (brother)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Circus Vandenberger

First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents I#42/4 (1990)

Powers/Abilities: None. He was a trained knife-thrower.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#42/4 (fb) - BTS) - For some time Rudy planned to take over the families' circus. His plan seemed perfect and he even had a few people behind him in the circus. He started to damage the circus' property by freeing animals, destroying props and setting a fire during a performance. Then he wounded his own arm and told everyone that it happened when he nearly caught the criminal who was terrorizing them.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#42/4) - Two months later Rudy was training his knife-throwing tricks with his new partner Misty Knight, who was working undercover in the circus, when Colleen Wing and Rudy's brother entered the big top. Colleen told Rudy's brother that he was behind the recent acts of terrorism and Rudy tried to get away. First he threw a knife at his brother, but Colleen saved him with her sword and then Rudy threw one at Misty Knight, but she blocked it with her bionic arm. Then Misty took the board behind her and threw it at Rudy to stop him from running away.

Comments: Created by Jo Duffy, Chris Tsuda & Dan Adkins

Profile by Markus Raymond

CLARIFICATIONS:
Rudy Vandenberger and his brother have no known connection to:

• Vandergrill, George, former associate of Norman Osborn @ Amazing Spider-Man I#249
• Vanderlip, Cleo @ Dakota North#1
• or to anyone else with a similar name

Bobo the Clown has no known connection to:

• Bobo, Atlantean @ Namor II#1
• Class Clown, Speedball foe @ Marvel Comics Presents I#96/4
• Clown, Eliot Franklin from the Circus of Crime @ Incredible Hulk I#3
• Clown, of Earth-Amalgam @ Speed Demon#1
• Clowns, demons @ Dances with Demons#1
• Clowns, gang of bank robbers @ Elektra I#11
• Killer Clown, Spider-Woman (Drew) foe @ Spider-Woman I#22
• or to anyone else with a similar name

Bobo the Clown

Bobo was Rudy's partner in crime and when Bobo heard that Colleen Wing and Rudy's brother were on to their plan, Bobo tried to run away. Colleen threw a ball after Bobo and Bobo fell to the ground and was caught.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#42/4

Mr. Vandenberger

He was Rudy's brother and co-proprietor of the families' circus that had been in their families' possession for many generations. He hired Nightwing Restorations after Rudy got injured by the supposed criminal that was terrorizing them. He was the only one who knew that Misty Knight was working undercover in the circus. Two months later Colleen told him that they had solved the case. She went with him to the big top and revealed Rudy's plan. Mr. Vandenberger was shocked and Colleen had to save him from a knife his younger brother threw at him. Rudy and Bobo were stopped, but Mr. Vandenberger was still shocked and couldn't understand why Rudy had done it.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#42/4

images:
Marvel Comics Presents I#42, p28, pan4 (main)