Villians
Comedy
Real name: Ralph Murtaugh
Powers: No known powers. Electronics genius and completely insane.
History: As one half of a clown themed team of brothers who rain mayhem and death wherever they do, Ralph Murtaugh is a case study for mental illness. He is clearly a psychopath but exhibits a zany and whimsical nature that can sometimes conflict with his maniacal side. Often balanced by his only slightly more coherent brother Yancy, also known as Tragedy, Comedy can best be described as a force of nature, and treated as such. He is something of a savant with electronics, being highly gifted from birth with an affinity for innovative thinking and creative problem solving. Ironically, he makes the worst jokes ever.
Tragedy
Real name: Yancy Murtaugh
Powers: No known powers, but a tactical genius.
History: The proverbial bad seed, Yancy Murtaugh started getting into trouble almost from the day he was born and has brought crime to an art form as one half of a clown themed duo alongside his younger brother Ralph. While his brother is completely insane, Yancy has no such problem. He is completely aware of what he’s doing and enjoys every minute of it. In many respects this makes him far more dangerous than his sibling will ever be. The choice of the Tragedy is quite fitting, as both a counterpoint to that of his brother and also a commentary on his entire world view. Yancy, while sane, was never a happy young man, often prone to fits of deep depression and rage. Only the strange twisted humor of his brother Ralph seems to soothe him.
Zig Zag
Real name: Ron Hayes
Powers: Able to run at immeasurable speeds, increased reflexes and mental capacity.
History: Ron Hayes always seems to be one step too slow. When he was a kid he was too slow to play sports. As an adult he never seemed able to get anywhere on time, and so went through a series of dead end jobs that paid very poorly. When he was at his lowest level a man offered to help him in exchange for his services. Ron agreed and underwent gene therapy to greatly enhance his metabolism and cellular growth. The therapy also caused basic changes to his entire physiology, adding muscle and bone mass and transforming a completely average man into one of the fastest creatures ever seen. But even that was bittersweet. Hayes spent only a few days as the fastest man in the world, as the costumed hero Dervish made his exciting debut to wide fanfare. Finally having taken all he could take, Hayes donned the costumed identity of Zig Zag and set off on a high speed crime wave, determined to finally get what should have been his all along.
After several encounters with Dervish and the rest of the Guardians, and several years spent behind bars, Zig Zag finally saw the error of his ways and reformed. The fact that his wife is expecting their first child may have also factored into his decision.
