Le Clown

Le Clown is a villain associated with the circus world, running in the company of Maynard Tiboldt (the Ringmaster) and the Circus of Crime. A sinister performer whose name and milieu evoke the menacing glamour of the big top.

Born in the Bronze Age pages of Strange #20 (1971) and credited to the legendary partnership of Stan Lee and Gene Colan, Le Clown is a fascinating figure whose very name conjures the sinister glamour of the big top. Published across an impressive stretch of nearly four decades — from 1971 all the way to 2010 — this character turns up in some distinctly eclectic company, sharing adventures with the likes of Maynard Tiboldt, Les Grands Gambonnos, and Boulet de Canon, a rogues' gallery that hints at a world where the circus is anything but innocent fun. Most at home in Panini France's Avengers les plus grands héros de la Terre and Hulk, Le Clown is a wonderful reminder that Marvel's Bronze Age mythology found rich new life in French-language publishing, and for collectors with a taste for the rare and the offbeat, that debut issue alone makes this character well worth seeking out.