RINGMASTER OF DEATHRINGMASTER OF DEATH
Real Name: Fritz Tiboldt
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Circus performer, Nazi agent
Group Membership: Circus of Death (The Missing Link, Omir the Snake Charmer, Rajar the elephant, Spike, Tommy Thumb, the Trapeze Trio, Zandow)
Affiliations: Circus of Death (The
Missing Link, Omir the Snakecharmer, Rajar the
elephant, Spike, Tommy Thumb, the Trapeze Trio, Zandow), Adolf Hitler,
the Nazi Party, Red
Skull (Johann Shmidt)
Enemies: General Blaine, Bucky (James Buchanan Barnes), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Defense Commissioner Newsome, Betty Ross
Known Relatives: Lola Tiboldt
(wife), Maynard Tiboldt (Ringmaster, son), unidentified father
Aliases: Ringmaster, Ringmaster of Crime
Base of Operations: Mobile;
formerly Germany
First Appearance: Captain America Comics I#5 (August, 1941)
Powers/Abilities: Though he had no super-powers, Ringmaster wielded enormous influence in his role as the leader of the Circus of Death. He employed several performers with special skills and used them to complete specific tasks, in elaborate assassination schemes.
Height: 6'1" (by approximation)
Weight: 190 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
History: (Official
Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#9 (fb) – BTS) – Fritz
Tiboldt grew up in Austria in a family that had been running Tiboldt's
Circus
for generations. As the oldest male, he inherited the duties of
Ringmaster
after his father retired but in the 1930s, he joined the Nazi Party,
active
with them in Germany and Austria. After World War II started, he was
asked to
come to America, using the Circus as a cover as he recruited American
agents
and completed secret missions.
(Captain America Comics I#5 (fb) – BTS) – A Nazi agent, the Ringmaster of Death planned to kill American military leaders. With grand plans of ruling America after Hitler took over Europe, Ringmaster fantasized about turning criminals into his Gestapo. He made a Wheel of Death with the faces of military foes he could target to kill.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#9 (fb)
- BTS) - At some point, the Ringmaster of Death somehow acquired the
plans to the Nazi Red Skull's Nullatron device.
(Captain America Comics I#5) – Using his Wheel of
Death,
Ringmaster orchestrated the deaths of General Blaine (mauled by a
tiger) and
Defense Commissioner Newsome (killed by snake bite), using threats and
his whip
to cajole Tommy Thumb, Omir the Snake Charmer, Zandow and the Trapeze
Trio
into following his orders. After kidnapping Betty Ross and putting her
in a
trap, the Ringmaster faced off against Captain America and Bucky, who
had defeated the Circus' Rajar the elephant, the Missing Link and Spike
during their attempt to rescue Betty. Captain America and Bucky managed
to save
Betty then knocked Ringmaster out by smashing the Wheel over his head.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#9 (fb)
– BTS) –
Fritz and his circus members were deported and he and his wife Lola
testified against Nazi war criminals. In time, Fritz and Lola had a
son,
Maynard, born in Vienna, and they raised him in the circus.
(Cutting Edge #I#1 (fb) – BTS) – Fritz told
Maynard stories
about the Nazis and about great black boars in the forests back in
Germany.
They immigrated back to America but, in time, they were sent back to
Germany,
rejected by the American government.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#9 (fb) – BTS/Marvel Two-in-One I#76 (fb)) – In time, Fritz and Lola were murdered by surviving Nazis, who were angry about their testimonies. Maynard went on to become a new criminal Ringmaster, who inherited the plans to the Red Skull's Nullatron from Fritz.
Comments: Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Ringmaster of Death should not be confused with:
After his defeat, Fritz Tiboldt (the Ringmaster of Death) and his wife Lola testified against Nazi war criminals. Fritz and Lola had a son, Maynard, born in Vienna, and they raised him in the circus. In time, Fritz and Lola were murdered by surviving Nazis, who were angry about their testimonies.
--Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#9
(fb) - BTS (Marvel
Two-in-One I#76 (fb),
images: (without ads)
Captain America Comics I#5, p6, pan2 (Ringmaster of Death, main image)
Captain
America Comics I#5, p1, pan1 (Ringmaster of Death, surrounded by Circus)
Marvel Two-in-One I#76, p4, pan4 (Lola Tiboldt)
Appearances:
Captain America Comics I#5 (August, 1941) – Joe Simon
(writer/inker/editor), Jack Kirby (writer/penciler)
Marvel Two-in-One I#76 (June, 1981) – Tom DeFalco, David
Michilinie (writers), Jerry Bingham (penciler), Chic Stone (inker), Jim
Salicrup (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#9 (September,
1983) – Mark Gruenwald (writer/editor)
Cutting Edge I#1 (December, 1995) – William Messner-Loebs
(writer), Angel Medina, Paul Pelletier (pencilers), Steve Moncuse
(inker),
Bobbie Chase (editor)
First Posted: 11/03/2018
Last updated: 11/03/2018
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and
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