Copperpot's Amazing Menagerie

**Copperpot's Amazing Menagerie** was the name of a traveling circus, predominantly operating out of the capital city of Farhold. It was run by a man named "O. C. Copperpot", who hasn't appeared in the show, but did have a fondness for penguins. While hanging out in Rimeford, Screech Echo and his friends were visited by the circus, run not by Copperpot, but instead a man named Luthor. Accompanying him were a series of strange circus performers, all modeled after various comic book villains. Initially, they appeared to be interested in capturing Screech, perhaps killing him. However, as the story progressed, the true intentions of Luthor and co. were revealed.

## **Recent Events**

Prior to the events of the series, Screech had a number of wards working for him back in the capitol city of Farhold. He tasked these wards with the printing of his "Screech Bucks", a company script that wasn't legal tender. Also, a masked vigilante known as The Squirrel Man was operating out of Farhold. He would fight crime, specifically related to magic, and Screech's wards became sidekicks to the superhero. Strangely, Screech would always disappear shortly before the Squirrel would arrive... (In truth, Screech and the Squirrel were one and the same. Though, somehow, none of the wards were ever aware of this.)

When Screech left Farhold to investigate the Theonite mines in Rimeford, he instructed his wards to stay behind, and make sure the economy of Farhold remained stable, so that Screech would continue to be rich. However, about a week after Screech left Farhold, a man named "Copperpot" somehow took control of Screech's printing press. He halted production of the Screech Bucks, and began manufacturing of a special currency called "Tux Bux" (presumably because he wore a tuxedo). After a successful trial at the Fireberg Lounge, Copperpot began making deals with local pubs and taverns to purchase booze with Tux Bux. The Tux Bux soon flooded the market, and caused instability in the local economy.

The wards, now calling themselves, the Ex-Wards, found themselves unable to stop Copperpot. At the same time, a local periodical called *The Farhold Trumpeter* began issuing reports that both Screech, and the Squirrel Man, had been sighted in Rimeford. And so, Adopting a series of disguises, the Ex-Wards absconded to Rimeford, in search of their former bosses. They took Copperpot's circus with them, and used the name, and the circus itself, as a means of hiding their true identities/intentions. They also put out a help wanted ad for a clown, as they were missing one from the circus's roster. This ad was answered by a strange clown calling himself the Jokester.

Upon arriving in Rimeford, the Ex-Wards began setting up the circus, as a part of their cover. Screech didn't recognize his former wards, as their disguises were too clever. Luthor enlisted the help of T'Chuck, a local from town, to help sneak some of the Ex-Wards into Ridgewood Keep, where Screech was staying. Unaware of their true intentions, T'Chuck set a trap for the Ex-Wards, ambushing them along with Screech, R'Oarc, and Selene von Esper. After defeating the Ex-Wards, the party found out that the Jokester had kidnapped R'Oarc, and had to go and rescue her.

At this point, Luthor revealed to everyone their true identities: that they were former wards of Screech, and needed his help to make things right in Farhold. Unfortunately, Screech (and the Squirrel Man) rejected their mission, claiming that there was still work to do here in Rimeford. He instructed the Ex-Wards to return to Farhold and monitor the situation closely. There was also some business about the Jokester going missing, but he was quickly found in a nearby cave. The party forced the Ex-Wards to take the Jokester with them, which they reluctantly did. The Ex-Wards then left Rimeford.

## **Members**

The circus had a number of interesting characters working for it, either as performers, or working behind the scenes. They were all pretty explicitly Batman villain stand-ins, with the exception of Luthor, who's more of a Superman guy. Here are all the circus members we know about:

* Luthor. The acting leader of the circus. Tall, and wore a fancy suit. He used to have a full head of red hair, but shaved it bald as a part of his disguise.
* Waylon, aka Terminator Alligator, aka "Termingator". Initially described as "30-feet long", then later spoken about like he's just a big dude, with a scaly muzzle, and a deep gravely voice. Actually, Waylon was a "Were-gator", which was done intentionally, as his disguise.
* Edwardo, aka "Boon". A giant, muscular strongman, who wore a mask as his disguise. He talked like Tom Hardy in that one Christopher Nolan movie. No, not *Inception*, the other one. No, not *Dunkirk*, the other one.
* Pamela, aka "Poison Oak". A sexy Druidic lady who worked with plants. She had red hair, that she used to part on the side, though now, as her disguise, parts it in the middle.
* Harvey, aka "Double-face". He flipped a coin, and had "half a horrible face, and half a not horrible face". Later, it was revealed that he burned half his face off intentionally, as his disguise.
* The Jokester, aka The Jokester. Initially a clown, the Jokester later decided to become a Jester. He was in charge of revenue and ticket sales, and he liked to laugh. Unlike the rest of the ensemble, the Jokester was revealed to not be a former ward. He found out about the circus via a want ad, and applied for the position.
* There was also a dude with blue-ish skin who sold ice cream and other frozen treats. His name was never revealed, and it's unknown if he was a former ward of Screech, or, like the Jokester, was hired to fill a position.

## **Trivia**

* Let's just say, if Gertie had parents, they would probably be killed here.
* Initially named "Cobblepot's Amazing Menagerie", the name of the ringleader was later changed from "Cobblepot" to "Copperpot" to avoid any... unintentional parallels to a famous Danny DeVito character I can't remember the name of, for some reason. He did like penguins, though.

## **Episodes**

* Slumber Party (2x41)
* Various Villains (2x42)
* Fort Alone (2x43)
* Termingator (2x44)
* The Wards (2x45)
* Clown Cave (2x46)
* Who Jokes The Jokester? (2x47)