| “ | The next time you see us, the Circus of Crime will launch the careers of the biggest criminals on Earth! The Avengers! Enjoy the show as it breaks you, Clint. | „ |
| ~ Ringmaster to Hawkeye. |
Maynard Tiboldt, better known as the Ringmaster, is the main antagonist of the 2013 Avengers Assemble episode "Crime and Circuses". He is the leader of the Circus of Crime and the former employer turned archenemy of Clinton Barton/Hawkeye who he spitefully seeks revenge on for abandoning the circus to become an Avenger.
He was voiced by Fred Tatasciore, who also voiced Munya, Komodo Monday and Eterno in The Secret Saturdays, Graviton, Yon-Rogg and Mandrill in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Rocksteady in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012), Solomon Grundy in Injustice: Gods Among Us and his counterpart in Batman: The Long Halloween, Deathstroke in Young Justice, Torr and Tremor in Mortal Kombat X, and Lord Dominator's armored voice in Wander over Yonder.
Biography[]
The Ringmaster and his group capture and place the Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, and Black Widow) under his mind control. The mind-controlled heroes are forced to commit robberies, stealing experimental technology from a Stark Industries lab. Hawkeye and Falcon, who were not captured, team up with a former member of the Circus of Crime, Princess Python, who helps them infiltrate the circus. to free their teammates. They discover that Ringmaster's mind control was being exerted through specific rings the Avengers were forced to wear. Hawkeye, utilizing his expert marksmanship, used a precisely thrown ball to destroy these devices. Once the mind-control rings were broken, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, and Black Widow were freed from the trance and their powers were restored. The fully assembled Avengers then engaged the Circus of Crime in a full battle, using their superior powers to quickly defeat the Ringmaster and his entire crew.
Personality[]
Tibolt is a charismatic, egomaniacal criminal who views the world with disdain, believing people rejected his circus and thus deserve to be swindled. He is willing to use kidnapping and mass brainwashing to enrich himself and his fellow performers and takes immense pride in his ability to control others. His primary goal was to get revenge on Hawkeye for having left the Circus of Crime years prior. This involved using the hypnotized Avengers to commit robberies for him. He often becomes overconfident in his abilities, especially after capturing powerful heroes like the Avengers. Ultimately, Ringmaster's overconfidence in his mind-control technology and underestimation of Hawkeye's skill led to his downfall and subsequent arrest.
