FREAKMASTER

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Self-proclaimed savior of freaks; formerly traveling freakshow owner/operator

Group Membership: The Freaks (Bat, Brad, the Human Pincushion/Renaldo, Miguel, the Monkey-Tailed Boy, Monster Man/Jeremy, Raymond, Tusker, others)

Affiliations: The Freaks (Brad, the Human Pincushion, Monster Man, Raymond, others), Steel Wind (Ruriko Tsumura)

Enemies: Quentin Carnival (Red Fowler, Corky Franklin, Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze, the Great Vincenzo, Ralph Quentin, others)

Known Relatives: Unidentified parents (father deceased)

Aliases: "Master," "Sir" (names called by his servants), "You Slimey Sonuva--," "Animal," "the Bum" (insults called by Johnny Blaze), "Bad Man" (name called by the Great Vincenzo), "Little Man" (insult from Ralph Quentin)

Base of Operations: A seaside mansion on a remote unidentified tropical island

First Appearance: (in shadow): Ghost Rider II#70 (July, 1982); (fully seen): Ghost Rider II#79 (April, 1983)

Powers/Abilities: Freakmaster did not have any superhuman powers but was extremely wealthy, owning an entire island as well as scientific equipment that surgeons in his employ used to transform others into grotesque-looking members of his Freaks. He was also quite skilled at manipulating others.

Height: 5'0" (by approximation)
Weight: 140 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Light brown
Hair: Blonde

History: (Ghost Rider II#79 (fb)) - The child of two gentle but grotesque-looking parents, the boy who would become Freakmaster watched as his parents were exhibited and mistreated as part of the Quentin Carnival owned by Ralph Quentin. Determined to provide a safer haven for those with freakish appearances, the Freakmaster financed that determination by launching a series of traveling freakshows, from which he formed his own group of Freaks that he treated with respect and love. Eventually amassing a large enough fortune, the Freakmaster purchased a small island, where the Freakmaster started a utopia of sorts for freaks of all kinds. Keeping an eye on world events, the Freakmaster would recruit others into his group of Freaks whenever he learned of a new one.

(Ghost Rider II#75 (fb) - BTS) - When the injured Ruriko Tsumura washed up on the unidentified tropical island housing the Freakmaster's island mansion, the Freakmaster had her retrieved and her arms cybernetically rebuilt. Dubbing herself Steel Wind, Ruriko pledged her servitude to the Freakmaster for saving her life.

(Ghost Rider II#70) - Upon seeing a flyer for the Quentin Carnival, the Freakmaster summoned his servant Renaldo and ordered Renaldo to "acquire" the Quentin Carnival's Monster Man for his crew, leaving the details of how the Monster Man was enlisted up to Renaldo.

(Ghost Rider II#79 (fb) - BTS) - Learning from the newly-recruited Jeremy the Monster Man of the Quentin Carnival's financial troubles, the Freakmaster decided to provide funds to help the Carnival back on its feet while secreting planning to mutate the Quentin Carnival workers into more of his Freaks. After learning of the demon inside of Johnny Blaze from Renaldo, the Freakmaster also decided to have Johnny Blaze replaced in the Quentin Carnival.

(Ghost Rider II#75 (fb) - BTS) - In exchange for the funds provided, the Freakmaster expected total obedience from Ralph Quentin. When Ralph Quentin showed "weakness" rather than obedience, the Freakmaster sent Steel Wind to the Quentin Carnival as an enforcer, forcing money and profits from the Quentin Carnival by any means necessary.

(Ghost Rider II#75) - One week following Ghost Rider's defeat of Steel Wind at the Quentin Carnival, the Freakmaster summoned Renaldo to announce his displeasure at Steel Wind's failure despite the time and energy he had put into Steel Wind. Renaldo reminded Freakmaster that Steel Wind's failure was not entirely her fault and that he had seen the demon inside Johnny Blaze. The Freakmaster then monologued that perhaps it was time to circumvent Blaze's demon by dealing with Blaze personally.

(Ghost Rider II#77 - BTS) - Freakmaster decided to take over the Quentin Carnival and had Renaldo lure Johnny Blaze into a trap, where they planned to transform Blaze into the star attraction of the Quentin Carnival as a half-man, half-motorcycle.

(Ghost Rider II#78 - BTS) - Renaldo prepared to have Johnny Blaze surgically altered on behalf of the Freakmaster, only for Blaze to unleash Ghost Rider once more and terrorize the surgeons, the Freaks and Renaldo before Blaze regained control of his form.

(Ghost Rider II#79) - After learning from Renaldo of the Freakmaster's plan to take over the Quentin Carnival, Johnny Blaze and the Great Vincenzo rushed back to the Quentin Carnival to warn Ralph Quentin. Unfortunately, Blaze found that the Freakmaster was already there and he immediately leapt at the Freakmaster, who calmly warned Blaze to restrain himself lest his servants, Brad and Raymond, do Blaze harm. The angry Blaze then revealed Vincenzo's freakishly transformed head that had resulted from Freakmaster's surgeons giving Vincenzo telepathy and Freakmaster promised to do everything in his power to restore Vincenzo to normal. Surprised at Freakmaster's seeming concern, Blaze agreed to hear Freakmaster's origins, as the Freakmaster hoped that perhaps Blaze would understand him after hearing his story. Explaining his origins as the son of two carnival freaks and his desire to create a haven for freaks, the Freakmaster claimed that he was unaware of Steel Wind's demented and megalomaniacal nature and that Renaldo had betrayed him. After further explaining that once Renaldo returned, his employment would be terminated, the Freakmaster revealed that he and Ralph Quentin were partners and, if Blaze could control the Ghost Rider, the Freakmaster would like him to stay on with the Quentin Carnival. As Renaldo was attacked as he returned to the Carnival, Johnny Blaze thanked Freakmaster for allowing him to stay and upon Blaze's exit, Freakmaster asked Ralph Quentin why he was brooding, given that he had gotten what he wanted. Quentin replied to Freakmaster to shut up and Freakmaster angrily warned Quentin to never speak to him in that tone again. The following afternoon, when the Great Vincenzo collapsed, pointing at the new tent put up by the Freakmaster, Johnny Blaze went to investigate but was halted by the Freaks Brad and Raymond. Freakmaster told the two Freaks to stand down and invited Blaze into the new freakshow tent, where Blaze and Freakmaster discussed why Freakmaster was starting a new freakshow. Freakmaster explained that the new freakshow would help the Quentin Carnival become a better financial success but Vincenzo suddenly contacted Blaze telepathically to inform him of Renaldo. Surprised, Blaze whispered Renaldo's name causing the Human Pincushion of the Freaks to thrash about mindlessly. Angry that Blaze had upset the Pincushion, Freakmaster asked Blaze to leave but when Blaze ventured towards a door, Freakmaster yelled for Blaze to exit from the door he came in. Suspicious of the door that Freakmaster did not want him to enter, Johnny visited the freakshow tent later that night and discovered that the door was an entrance to a room that Freakmaster used to transform normal humans into members of his grotesque Freaks. Just as Johnny deduced that Freakmaster's plans to surgically transform the Quentin Carnival into his new Freaks, the Freakmaster arrived and admitted that Renaldo had once helped him conceptualize new Freaks until the Freakmaster had him transformed into the Human Pincushion. The Freakmaster then unleashed several half-motorcycle, half-men against Johnny Blaze, hoping to kill Blaze before he had a chance to transform into Ghost Rider. Blaze was eventually able to unleash Ghost Rider, who made short work of the motorcycle men before turning his attention towards Freakmaster himself. Just as Ghost Rider prepared to punish Freakmaster, Ralph Quentin entered the tent and revealed that it had been him who had mistreated Freakmaster's parents. Quentin then explained that he also deserved whatever punishment Ghost Rider was planning for Freakmaster. Johnny Blaze fought back control of his form and ordered Freakmaster to leave, warning that he would not stop Ghost Rider if Freakmaster returned. Believing Johnny's threats, Freakmaster agreed to pack up his Freaks and leave the Quentin Carnival but announced that he still claimed victory, as Ralph Quentin was now a broken man and would never know peace for mistreating Freakmaster's parents.

Comments: Created by Roger Stern, Bob Budiansky and Dave Simons.

While Ralph Quentin mentioned Freakmaster's father dying alone and having to be buried, Freakmaster's mother's fate remains unrevealed. Presumably, she died as well, otherwise perhaps Freakmaster would not have been so determined to protect Freaks and gain revenge on the Quentin Carnival.

Freakmaster looks a lot like actor Paul Williams, specifically as he appeared in the cult classic Phantom of the Paradise.
--Andrew Kidd

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Freakmaster has no KNOWN connections to:

images: (without ads)

Ghost Rider II#79, p3, pan1 (Freakmaster, main image)
Ghost Rider II#79, p3, pan7 (Freakmaster headshot)

Appearances:
Ghost Rider II#70 (July, 1982) - Roger Stern (writer), Bob Budiansky (pencils), Dave Simons (inks), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Ghost Rider II#75 (December, 1982) - J. M. DeMatteis (script, co-plotter), Bob Budiansky (co-plotter, pencils), Dave Simons (inks), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Ghost Rider II#77 (February, 1983) - J. M. DeMatteis (script, co-plotter), Bob Budiansky (co-plotter, pencils), Kevin Dzuban (inks), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Ghost Rider II#78 (March, 1983) - J. M. DeMatteis (script, co-plotter), Bob Budiansky (co-plotter, pencils), Kevin Dzuban (inks), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Ghost Rider II#79 (April, 1983) - J. M. DeMatteis (script, co-plotter), Bob Budiansky (co-plotter, pencils), Kevin Dzuban (inks), Tom DeFalco (editor)

First Posted: 12/02/2014
Last updated: 05/16/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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