The Cruel Clowns are aliens from the Clown Planet, they tried to capture Earthlings for their own amusement.
History[]
The Metal Men are trapped in a miniature circus, within a glass globe, forced to perform for the amusement of an alien clown. When they refuse, the clown begins to shake the globe, tossing and turning the Metal Men every which way. Their current predicament had begun several days ago. The Metal Men were gathered around their inventor, Doctor William Magnus, still comatose after a laboratory accident. Due to several upgrades to their responsometers, the Metal Men had lost control of their abilities, resulting in several misfortunes in their interactions with humanity. As they walked through the city streets, they found themselves shunned by the people who once cheered for them. Attempting to stir up some good will, Iron and Platinum aided a young boy who had lost control of his kite. Due to their faulty responsometers, though, their "help" ended up destroying the kite.
In an attempt to aid the police in collaring some fleeing criminals, Lead's interference actually stops the police officers, allowing the criminals to escape. In a final attempt to win over human society, the Metal Men staged a free performance, to entertain the masses. The Metal Men's show bombed, however, and only the timely arrival of a group of clowns was able to save it. The Metal Men were grateful to the clowns for rescuing their show. Tin discovered that the clown's weren't wearing make-up. At this revelation, one of the clowns pulled out a weapon, that miniaturized the Metal Men. The clown seized the Metal Men, and locked them in the crystal globe circus. Stuffing the circus in his pocket, the clown joined his comrades as they left Earth, carrying the Metal Men to his home world. There the Metal Men learned that they were expected to perform for the clown's amusement for the rest of eternity.
While the Metal Men are looking for a way to escape, a harlequin comes along and takes possession of Tin. Discovering a cannon, Lead molds himself into a cannonball, which the Metal Men then fire. Lead blasts through the crystal globe, then returns to be fired again. This time, the Metal Men aim the cannon at the clown, felling him. Dragging the cannon along with them, the Metal Men go after the harlequin using Tin as a yo-yo. Another blast, with Lead still serving as the cannonball, fells the harlequin. A group of clowns closes on the Metal Men. Lead is fired, once more, this time splitting into dozens of cannonballs to fell the clown posse. Making it back onboard the clown's spaceship, the Metal Men set course for Earth. The ship flies headlong into a meteor shower. Lead leaves the craft's interior, to form a shield on the ship's hull. Inexplicably, something about the meteor shower restores Lead his normal size. Quickly, the Metal Men all race outside to take advantage of the meteors' strange restorative power. The Metal Men reattain their normal height, and arrive safely on Earth.