20 Of The Weirdest X-Men Stories Ever

(Image via Marvel)

15. The Horror That is Obnoxio the Clown

Now, to be fair, Obnoxio the Clown was part of an overt attempt to inject some humor into the X-Men franchise. He was featured in Crazy Magazine, a humor publication put out by Marvel from 1973 to 1983. Obnoxio had the rare honor of being named Crazy’s mascot.

He was also part of a one-shot comic, Obnoxio the Clown, published in 1983. In it, Obnoxio teams up with the X-Men. They’re fighting Eye-Scream, a villain who – and here we must pause for a heavy, dramatic sigh – can transform into different types of ice cream.

It’s worth noting that Obnoxio has no mutant powers. He is just a filthy, middle-aged guy in clown makeup who manages to best the X-Men. His costume is in desperate need of mending, with no sign of it being fixed anytime soon. Obnoxio is generally a cynical jerk who enjoys insulting everyone he meets. At one point, he also attempts to convince Wolverine that he is a giant fish. Wolverine, surprisingly enough, doesn’t fall for it.

So, he should be one of my favorite characters, right? Except for the whole clown thing. Now, I fully understand that being afraid of clowns is common. You might even say that it’s a little overblown, in certain cases.

But a mysterious clown without a human name? One that inexplicably beats some of the best superheroes around? Who apparently had a mental breakdown on national television? A disheveled being that apparently shuffled directly from your nightmares? For some strange reason, it doesn’t quite sit right with me.