Characteristic

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4

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2

2

10

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32

1

3

3

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5

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2

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17

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15

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15

1

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10

15

20

Howard Blech had worked as a children's psychiatrist for eight years before he was called to assist with a hostage negotiation on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. When he arrived, he realised that the apartment belonged to an associate of his, and his family were being held hostage by five armed men. Blech was given a kevlar vest and sent up the elevator to the fifth floor of the building where he met with FBI specialists. In the ensuing six hours Blech witnessed major flaws in the FBI's procedures and grew increasingly frustrated with the efforts to help his associate and his family. He eventually argued with the FBI team leader and was about to be sent back down to the street when the armed men inside the apartment detonated explosives, killing themselves, the family and several FBI agents. Blech was spared, but found himself at a loss to explain the situation. After some thought he packed up his belongings, sold his Manhattan apartment, and moved to Canada to start a new life and a new medical practice.

At night he relived the hostage situation and soon began to associate himself with the armed men, identifying their mistakes and formulating plans to foil the FBI. He began to research past kidnapping cases and even delivered lectures on the subject in Canada and the USA, ironically even being involved in an FBI symposium on the subject.

When he was called in to assist with the after-effects of a high school shooting in Montreal, Blech was introduced to Francois Degelis, a high school teacher who had been traumatised by the events. After months of therapy, where Blech began to influence the way Degelis viewed the tragedy, he began to dream about the formation of a group of expert kidnappers: ones who would re-write the books and succeed where most failed.

Degelis was unemployed, partly blamed for the shooting tragedy at his school; so when Blech suggested they plan the ultimate kidnapping scam, the French-Canadien agreed. They spent several months planning the crime and pulled it off without fault, netting $5 million and some front-page headlines across Eastern Canada. The duo continued to plan and execute kidnappings, gaining a sinister reputation for always appearing in clown costumes. Blech was transfixed with the idea of appearing as clowns so their pursuers would underestimate the seriousness and ability of the kidnappers. He knew from experience that negotiators often felt superior to the kidnappers, and appearing as clowns would further enforce this opinion and lead them to make mistakes.

Blech recruited more traumatised former hostages as part of his Court Jesters. Clown King has never been caught, although the Zodiac Agency came close one time on behalf of a very influential Hollywood producer.

*Originally created as Mister Giggles for the Global Guardians Universe.

Clown King relies on gadgets and his keen intelllect to defeat his adversaries. He wields a specially-designed umbrella which is capable of releasing 'happy gas' which induces fits of laughter in targets. The umbrella can also click into 'machine gun-mode', has a retractable blade, can levitate up or down, and if opened can provide a level of defence against conventional weaponry.

He wears a Jester communicator which enables his team to stay in contact with each other.

Blech is a man in his forties, slightly overweight but with an almost unreal sense of balance and agility. His hair is thinning and he is beginning to feel his age, but that all changes when he takes on the Mister Giggles persona. He wears a bright orange wig under a black bowler hat and wears meticulous make-up and a red clown nose, which also functions as a nose filter to assist with breathing in adverse conditions (such as the occasional storm of tear gas). He wears a black and white clown tuxedo and large shoes. He always carries his umbrella which appears innocuous but is a deadly weapon.

Out of costume, Blech is a conservative dresser preferring plaid and hues of brown.