Peter Merkel was a man born with a rare condition: triple-jointedness. As it sounds, its a bit like double-jointedness, only with even more flexibility. He gets work as a contortionist, but when that doesnt work out he decides to become a criminal. In fairness there probably isnt a wide-range of career opportunities if your skill set is limited to the ability to bend your limbs in ridiculous ways. He steals a carnival rag doll costume, and thus the villain is created. As well as contortion, hes also able to hypnotise people and withstand a serious amount of punishment. He probably wouldnt translate well enough to be a major recurring threat, but they could certainly have fun with him for an episode or two.