FIRE-EATER

Real Name: Tomas Ramirez

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Circus performer, fire-eater

Group Membership: Circus of Crime (Antoro, Bruto the Strong Man/Bruce Olafsen, Clown/Eliot "Crafty" Franklin, Great Gambonnos/Ernesto & Luigi Gambonno, Human Cannonball/Jack Pulver, Live Wire/Rance Preston, Precious, Princess Python/Zelda DuBois, Rajah/Kahir Mahadevu, Ringmaster/Maynard Tiboldt, Sultan the elephant, Teena the Fat Lady/Mary Stenson);
   formerly Army of Evil (Absorbing Man/Carl Creel, Anaconda/Blanche Sitzniski, Armadillo/Antonio Rodriguez, Baron Blood, Blackout/Marcus Daniels, Boomslang/Marc Riemer, Bulldozer/Henry Camp, Bushmaster/Quincy McIver, Clown, Coachwhip, Cottonmouth, Cyclone/Pierre Fresson, Death Adder/Theodore Scott, Dragonfly/Veronica Dultry, Fer-de-Lance, Ferocia, Fire-Eater, Graviton/Franklin Hall, Great Gambonnos, Grey Gargoyle/Paul Duval, Ironclad/Mike Steel, Klaw/Ulysses Klaw, Kraven the Hunter, Living Laser/Arthur Parks, Madame Menace, Mr. Hyde/Calvin Zabo, Nitro/Robert Hunter, Piledriver/Brian Calusky, Princess Python, Puff Adder/Gordon Fraley, Ringmaster, Rock Python, Sidewinder/Gregory Bryan, Skein/Sybil Dvorak, Slither/Aaron Salomon, Squid, Teena the Fat Lady, Thunderball/Eliot Franklin, Tiger Shark/Todd Arliss, Vapor/Ann Darnell, Vector, Viper/Jordan Dixon, Whirlwind/David Cannon, Wizard/Bentley Wittman, Wrecker/Dirk Garthwaite, X-Ray, Yellowjacket/Darren Cross)

Affiliations: Baron Helmut Zemo,Mister Negative (Martin Li), Taskmaster;
   formerly Devil Dinosaur, Dragon Man, Moon Boy

Enemies: Avengers (Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Valkyrie/Brunnhilde, Venom/"Flash" Thompson), Black Ant/Eric O'Grady LMD, Corky Franklin, Ghost Rider (John Blaze), Goliath (Bill Foster), Hulk (Bruce Banner), Iceman (Bobby Drake), Mercs for Money (Domino/Neena Thurman, Deadpool/"Wade Wilson," Gorilla Man/Ken Hale, Hit-Monkey, Machine Man/X-51, Masacre, Negasonic Teenage Warhead/Ellie Phimister), S.H.I.E.L.D., Spider-Man (Peter Parker), John Steele, Thing, Kate Waynesboro, Wraith (Yuri Watanabe)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Fire-Breather

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: (as Fire-Breather): Marvel Two-in-One I#76 (June, 1981);
(as Fire-Eater): Ghost Rider II#72 (September, 1982)

Powers/Abilities: A trained fire-eater, Ramirez could consume flame in his mouth and expel it with his breath in bursts of fire without suffering injury. He had also used explosive "Inferno Discs" designed by the Clown and himself.

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Bald

History: (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition I#2 (fb) – BTS) – Born in Madrid, Spain, Tomas Ramirez became a fire-eater and eventually allied himself with the Circus of Crime. In time, he became a naturalized American citizen.

(Ghost Rider II#73 (fb) – BTS) – Clown worked with the Circus of Crime's new member, Fire-Breather, to develop flammable and explosive Inferno Discs.

(Marvel Two-in-One I#76) – The Circus of Crime hypnotized a new crowd and the Circus members began to rob it. Thing, Goliath and Iceman, who happened to be visiting the circus, ended up attacking and Fire-Breather (Ramirez's initial code-name) used his flame to melt Iceman's bridge during the battle and the police later arrived on the scene.

(Ghost Rider II#72 (fb) – BTS) – The Circus of Crime, along with Fire-Eater (his new codename) broke out of jail, leaving Ringmaster behind and putting Clown in charge. In time, Clown ran away from the Circus and the others tracked him down, living with his father, the clown Corky, at the Quentin Carnival.

(Ghost Rider II#72) – The Circus staged a series of sabotage attacks on the Quentin Carnival to convince Clown to return. Fire-Eater set Corky's tent on fire, badly hurting Clown's father. Later that week, Clown rejoined the team and when John Blaze followed him, Bruto knocked him out and the Circus stood over him.

(Ghost Rider II#73) – As Clown took back leadership of the Circus, Fire-Eater found himself wishing that he was in charge and that Clown had died in the fire he'd set. Fire-Eater hinted they should kill John Blaze but Clown loudly stated there would be no killing. Clown sided with the Carnival, taking it over and turning against the Circus. Fire-Eater ran for it, tossing Inferno Discs into the crowd as Clown pursued him on his unicycle. Fire-Eater breathed fire at him but then Blaze rushed in as Ghost Rider on his motorcycle. Frightened of the demon, Fire-Eater threw himself through a wall of flame, facing terrible burns.

(Incredible Hulk II#292 (fb) – BTS) – The Circus (Ringmaster, Clown, Fire-Eater, the Great Gambonnos, Human Cannonball, Live Wire, Rajah (aboard his elephant Sultan), Teena the Fat Lady, Bruto the Strong Man and Princess Python (with Precious)) headed to Mexico, fleeing warrants, where Ringmaster forced Dragon Man to perform with them.

(Incredible Hulk II#292) – When the Circus saw the Bruce Banner arrive with his girlfriend Kate Waynesboro, Ringmaster forced Banner to change to Hulk and battle Dragon Man. Before the fight concluded, the Big Top was destroyed.  

(Amazing Spider-Man/Devil Dinosaur '98 Annual) – The Circus rehearsed for their new performances with Moon Boy and Devil, the latter two under the influence of the Ringmaster, and their shows sold out. While the crowds gathered, however, circus members robbed local stores. When Fire-Eater and Luigi Gambonno robbed a jewelry store, Spider-Man attacked, webbing Fire-Eater's mouth shut and defeating the criminals. 

(Secret Avengers I#29 (fb) – BTS) – Taskmaster hired Fire-Eater and the Circus for an assignment in Bagalia.

(Secret Avengers I#29) – In Bagalia, members of the Circus (Princess Python, Clown, Bruto, Live Wire, Fire Eater) put on a daring performance, torturing John Steele with plasma knives. When Steele escaped, he brutally defeated the Circus, tossing Live Wire into the giant snake's mouth and seemingly killing him. The Avengers (Valkyrie, Hawkeye, Agent Venom, Ant-Man) arrived to rescue Steele.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(Deadpool & the Mercs for Money II#6) – The Circus of Crime, in Ringmaster's new armored Mecha-Lord Big Top, attacked the city and Deadpool led his Mercs for Money (Deadpool, Gorilla Man, Hit-Monkey, Machine Man, Masacre, Domino, Negasonic Teenage Warhead) to fight back.  They fought back against clowns with rocket boots then the Circus (Clown, Bruto, Live Wire, Fire-Eater, Great Gambonnos, Princess Python, and Ringmaster on a giant robot elephant) itself. During the fight, Fire-Eater blew flames at Domino. They were delivered to S.H.I.E.L.D.

(Captain America: Steve Rogers I#13) – Baron Helmut Zemo approached the Circus (Ringmaster, Great Gambonnos, Fire-Eater, Bruto, Clown, Teena the Fat Lady) for an alliance and they later gathered with a larger army, forming the Army of Evil.

(Amazing Spider-Man III#19.1) – Mr. Negative proposed an alliance with the Circus of Crime (Ringmaster, Great Gambonnos, Teena the Fat Lady, the new Clown, Princess Python, Bruto, Fire-Eater) but the Circus refused. Later, as they battled police, Spider-Man and Wraith intervened, easily defeating the villains.

(Ghost Rider X#4 (fb) - BTS) - Under unrevealed circumstances, the Circus of Crime (Ringmaster, Clown, Fire-Eater, Princess Python, the Great Gambonnos) became possessed by demons. They began appearing in random small towns, where the calliope would enchant the entire populace into entering the Big Top and then dying in violent ways.

(Ghost Rider X#4) - After killing people in Thorn, South Dakota, the Circus was attacked by Ghost Rider, who defeated a giant monster composed of corpses, but the Circus escaped using Ringmaster's telepathy for cover.

Comments: Created by Tom DeFalco, David Michelinie, Jerry Bingham and Chic Stone.

Profile by Chadman.














CLARIFICATIONS:
Fire-Eater has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition I#2, p63, pan1 (main)
Marvel Two-in-One I#76, p12, pan2-3 (as Fire-Breather, breathing fire at Iceman)
Amazing Spider-Man III#19.1, p13, pan1 (breathing fire at Spider-Man)
Ghost Rider X#4, p14, pan1 (blowing fire, wearing animal skull)

Appearances:
Marvel Two-in-One I#76 (June, 1981) – Tom DeFalco, David Michelinie (writers), Jerry Bingham (penciler), Chic Stone (inker), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Ghost Rider II#72-73 (September-October, 1982) – Roger Stern (writer), Bob Budiansky (penciler), Dave Simons (inker), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#292 (February, 1984) – Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), Joe Sinnott (inker), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition I#2 (January, 1986) – Mark Gruenwald (writer/editor), various artists
Amazing Spider-Man/Devil Dinosaur '98 Annual (July, 1998) – Tom DeFalco (writer), Tom Lyle (penciler), Robert Jones (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Secret Avengers I#29 (September, 2012) – Rick Remender (writer), Matteo Scalera (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Deadpool and the Mercs for Money II#6 (February, 2017) – Cullen Bunn (writer), Brian Level (artist), Jordan White (editor)
Captain America: Steve Rogers I#13 (May, 2017) – Nick Spencer (writer), Ro Stein (penciler), Ted Brandt (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Ghost Rider X#4 (September, 2022) - Ben Percy (writer), Cory Smith (penciler), Oren Junior (inker), Darren Shan (editor)

First Posted: 10/17/2018
Last updated: 06/08/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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