Ringmaster

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**Maynard Tidboldt** is the son of Fritz Tidboldt, the former **Ringmaster** of the Tiboldt Circus during World War II. After the war, his father and mother decided to cooperate with the allies by testifying against various war criminals. Fritz and Lola Tidboldt continued to manage the Circus, and brought up Maynard to become its ringmaster someday. Maynard, a born showman, developed a deep and sincere love for the circus, and proved to be a master at staging performances. Eventually Fritz Tidboldt and his wife were murdered by HYDRA agents who had escaped capture at the war's end in reprisal for Fritz's testimony against HYDRA's military leaders. Maynard, who did not share his parents' sympathy for the HYDRA ideals, thus became leader of the circus, and decided to move it to America, far from the scene of the Red Skull's rise to power and his parents' deaths. There Maynard planned to begin a new, honest life.

But once in America, Tidboldt learned that a relatively small circus such as his could not hope to compete with enormous troupes like the circus owned by Amos Jardine. Tidboldt had dreamed of making his circus a major success, but instead he could barely cover his expenses. Blaming Americans not only for ignoring his circus, but for his father's humiliating capture in America years before, Tidboldt decided to turn to crime: if Americans would not enrich him and his performers willingly, then they would be forced to do so. The key lay in the plans to the "mind-soother", a machine designed by HYDRA scientists whom the Red Skull had murdered when they failed to make ends meet for his deadlines. The Skull had then used the mind-soother to take hypnotic control of the Sub-Mariner and the original Human Torch, both of whom were eventually freed from its control when Captain America got involved. Fritz Tidboldt had managed to obtain the plans for the mind-soother during the war, and they had been inherited by Maynard. Maynard Tiboldt now decided to put the principles behind the mind-soother to his own uses. Using his own talent for electronics, Tiboldt adapted the mind-soother plans so as to construct a small but powerful device, which he would conceal within his large ringmaster's hat, able to mesmerize an enormous crowd all at once. An entire audience, thus rendered helpless, could then be robbed at will by the circus troupe, and would have no memory of being robbed upon awakening. Tiboldt outlined his plans to the members of his troupe, some of whom had accompanied him to Europe, and others of whom had joined the troupe after it came to America. A good percentage of the troupe quit, refusing to turn to crime (Tiboldt hypnotized them so that they would not betray his plans to the police.) However, a surprising number of the circus members eagerly agreed to join Tiboldt in a life of crime, and they became the nucleus of what was later known as the Circus of Crime, eventually joining forces with the Maggia criminal organization in order to receive stronger upgrades to their weaponry in battle in exchange for a small cut of their stolen profits being donated to the Maggia leaders to keep them off their backs.

## Abilities

Skilled with electronics, mostly self-taught. Trained in various acrobatic and athletic skills, but not a master of any discipline. He has rudimentary knowledge of hand-to-hand combat. Tiboldt is also noted for his "hypnotic expertise".

### Equipment

* **Mind-Controlling Hat:** (see Headmen - Notes for discussion about the current fate of this device)