Grovel (Spat partner; X-Men and Gambit character)

grovel-spatpartner-uxm347-full-stickmouth GROVEL

Real Name: Unrevealed; possibly Grovel

Identity/Class: Member of the Klyruvians

Occupation: Bounty Hunter

Group Membership: Long-standing partnership with Spat

Affiliations: Landscape, Spat;
formerly Beast (Hank McCoy), Erik the Red (Magneto/Max Eisenhart; neither he nor Spat were aware of his true identity), Gambit (Remy LeBeau), Joseph (Magneto clone), Trish Tilby

Enemies: Gambit, Nanny, Rogue;
to a lesser degree, Archangel (Warren Worthington), Psylocke (Betsy Braddock), Maggott (Japeth)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Grov" (from Spat);
"Old man" (casual reference from Gambit)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed

First Appearance: (Zebra-esque reflection seen; unidentified; see comments) Uncanny X-Men I#346 (August, 1997)
(true(?) form seen and identified) Uncanny X-Men I#347 (September, 1997)

Powers/Abilities: Grovel is a large reptilian quadruped. grovel-spatpartner-uxm347-tailstrike

He presumably has markedly superhuman strength by his size (not that he can press weight like a biped) and durability (by his size alone, if not enhanced durability/armor scaling).

Grovel has sufficient manual dexterity to pilot a "Snowcat"-like vehicle or to hold (and almost certailnly fire) a pistol. Hecan support his frame on three legs when holding something with one forelimb.

He has sharp teeth four clawed digits on all four feet.

He also has a long, semi-prehensile tail that he can use as a weapon.

He has various ridges or projections on his dorsum (back; these varied between issue, presumably due to artistic license vs. metamorphic ability).

He may or may not have gills, allowing him to breathe underwater.

Grovel spoke in awkward English, using adverbs instead of adjectives, and sometimes adding an extra syllable.

Grovel sometimes carries and/or uses an energy pistol of some form.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 9' at the shoulder, perhaps 12' at the top of his head, and 20-35' long depending on tail length)
Weight: Unrevealed (difficult to estimate, but he is pretty huge, and he looks like he may weigh 2000-3000 lbs.)
Eyes: Apparently lack sclera, red iris, black pupil (other images show a seemingly red sclera, with yellow iris, and black pupil)
Hair: None
Skin: Green (presumably scaled)

History:
(Uncanny X-Men I#347 (fb) - BTS) - Grovel and Spat previously worked with Remy LeBeau, and they and other associates considered him a "bum with honor"; any of them would have laid down their hides for him.

(Uncanny X-Men I#348 (fb) - BTS) - Grovel considered that LeBeau had "hearty fun" as a thief.

(Gambit: The Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone (fb) - BTS / Uncanny X-Men I#347 (fb) - BTS) - Hired by unspecified parties, Gambit, Grovel, and Spat sought Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth in Madagascar.

In the process, Spat took a blast of a Chronometric Liquid Compound (in/from a Shi'ar ship) meant for Gambit. As a result, Spat began to grow progressively younger.

(Uncanny X-Men I#350 (fb) - BTS) - As "Erik the Red," Magneto hired Spat and her bounty hunter associates Grovel and Landscape to capture Gambit and bring him in for a trial (or, possibly, Magneto hired Spat and Grovel, and they in turn employed Landscape).

(Uncanny X-Men I#348 (fb) - BTS) - Grovel advised Spat against getting involved in this matter.

(Uncanny X-Men I#348 (fb) - BTS) - Spat (and presumably Grovel) knew that the purpose of this trial was to expose Gambit's role in organizing the Marauders and then leading them into the Morlock Tunnels (which he did to repay a debt to Mr. Sinister).

(Uncanny X-Men I#347 (fb) - BTS) - A group of X-Men (Beast, Gambit, Joseph, Rogue) and their ally Trish Tilby arrived (due to a damaged stargate following a space adventure involving the Phalanx) on Earth near Magneto's Antarctic citadel, and they were separated: Rogue ended up with Joseph, Beast with Trish Tilby, and Gambit was left alone.

Under direction from Grovel and Spat, Landscape used his powers to make the cavern containing the X-Men appear to be an an alien world. grovel-spatpartner-uxm347-snapstick

(Uncanny X-Men I#346 - BTS) - As Gambit wondered at being in this seemingly alien world, Grovel approached him from behind (see comments).

(Uncanny X-Men I#347 - BTS) - Seeing Grovel made Gambit realize he was actually back on Earth. Gambit stuck a stick into Grovel's mouth...

(Uncanny X-Men I#347) - ...causing Grovel to swat Gambit aside with his tail and then criticize Gambit as annoying, noting he would be swollen for a week.

When Gambit expressed his desire to find his friends, Grovel denied this, noting that Gambit was a consignment (as he snapped the stick), at which point Spat joined the confrontation. She confirmed with him that she still held a grudge against him for what had happened in Madagascar. After Spat assured Gambit that his arriving there was no coincidence (and that there was no coincidences in their line of work), Grovel suggested that Spat let him "snaple him in two or three, and they get half-paid."

(Uncanny X-Men I#347 - BTS) - After Rogue crashed into a wall, Joseph used his electromagnetic powers to disrupt the illusion, which also incapacitated Landscape, causing his illusory environment to fade.

(Uncanny X-Men I#347) - After noting, "Uh oh," Grovel stood silently as Gambit recognized the environmental change to have been the work of Landscape, and as Spat denounced Gambit for having cost her her life.

    After Spat ran off, Grovel called Gambit, "Dummy," and he confirmed Gambit's suspicions that Spat was getting worse: "Of course, she's getting worser. You were there when she took the bolt meant for you. Every day she gets younger and younger. When it first started, she was OK with it. But then she heard about what went down" (referring to Gambit's involvement with Mr. Sinister and the Marauders).

    Although Gambit told Grovel that no one felt worse about what happened than he did, Grovel felt this was just lip service, and he prodded Gambit forward, telling him he wanted to get the job over so he go home and "hose himself down...and wash the stenchy smell off of me."

    After meeting up with Rogue, Joseph, and Landscape, Gambit kicked Spat's feet out from under her and held a dagger (which he had covertly claimed from Spat earlier) he energized to Grovel's throat, clarifying that he was going with them of his own free will and that he could have overpowered them at any point.

    They were confronted by the robotic Nanny, who promised to take them in "forever..."

(Uncanny X-Men I#348) - Grovel told Gambit that while he thought he had a lot of fun as a thief, as an X-Man, the fun never seemed to stop.
grovel-spatpartner-uxm348-chained

After Nanny neutralized their powers (see comments) and her robots had Spat and the mutants at their mercy, Grovel apparently surrendered or was overpowered.

(Uncanny X-Men I#348 (fb) - BTS) - Grovel, Spat, Gambit and Rogue were chained up in a cell within Nanny's base within the Filchner Ice Shelf, the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Joseph was imprisoned in a separate chamber.

(Uncanny X-Men I#348) - Grovel reminded Spat that he had "told you so," and Spat acknowledged this but replied that she could not resist the thought of "nailing <Gambit's> Cajun butt to the wall." Grovel then asked if she was done, and she confirmed that she was, having just needed to vent.

(Uncanny X-Men I#348 - BTS) - Grovel observed silently as Rogue -- though powerless -- expressed features and memories from Sabretooth from the Mutant Massacre, although she did not recall this after returning to normal. grovel-spatpartner-uxm349-chained

(Uncanny X-Men I#348) - Grovel slept as Rogue and Spate futilely tried to break their chains or the post to which they were chained.

(Uncanny X-Men I#349) - Grovel awoke from sleeping as Rogue expressed her love to Gambit and he insisted that she did not know who he was (or, more specifically what he had done).

    Alone with Gambit, Grovel told him, "I've never been the one what loved you most, LeBeau -- an account of you being a nonscupulous loser and all -- but we worked together long enough for you to know about my people. Us Klyruvians don't much like to see nobody with a sad-on. So why don't you just tell her? You love her, she loves you -- something like that don't happen daily. It's not likely-like you're going to be able to outrun your past forever."

    Gambit replied, "Real simple, old man. I tell her, I lose her."
    And Grovel countered, "Even simpler, kid. You don't tell her, you never really had her to lose."

    Grovel listened silently as Rogue discussed with Spat her recent memory influx, and as Gambit interjected before Joseph -- having broken free from his cell -- arrived. With a plan of escape, Gambit unlocked everyone's chains.

    As the group moved through the tunnels, Grovel commented, "Not too quietly here, huh?" and Gambit seemed to agree that it was unlikely that they would be just allowed to simply depart.

    Shortly thereafter, they were confronted by Nanny and her robotic servants. Grovel confirmed that he still had no access to his powers, but then Nanny was decapitated by Trish Tilby, a normal human who was therefore not perceived as a threat by Nanny.

    With Nanny's destruction, all involved's powers were restored, after which Gambit turned himself over to Grovel and Spat.

(Uncanny X-Men I#350 (fb) - BTS) - Grovel and Spat transported Gambit away in some sort of snowcat-like vehicle (treaded and intended to travel over heavily-snowed regions grovel-spatpartner-uxm349-etr&spat

) surrounded by a protective field (shielding them from the frigid environment) and guided to their destination by their employer.

(Uncanny X-Men I#350) - Grovel noted, "L'Beau not made nothin' of a peep-noise since we lefted his X-Men backways, huh Spat?" Spat agreed, and Gambit replied that he had nothing to say and that they should just keep driving and get the matter done with.

    Spat told Grovel that she didn't like the sound of their "meal ticket" and that she suspected he was planning something. When she asked Grovel to steer while she checked on Gambit, Grovel told her he did not know where to pilot to, and she advised him that it was pre-programmed by their boss and that he just needed to keep it going straight.

    However, suddenly the ground opened up below them. As their vehicle spasmed, Grovel noted that it was "not responding, no more," and their vehicle dropped into the hole.

(Uncanny X-Men I#350 - BTS) - Erik the Red (still secretly Magneto) arranged for Beast, Rogue, Joseph and Trish Tilby, as well as Archangel, Psylocke and Maggott to be present at the trial.

(Uncanny X-Men I#350) - After Rogue located the imprisoned Gambit, Grovel and Spat stood by Erik the Red's side as he revealed that he had been the one to organize Gambit's capture.

    Grovel asked "Erik" of he wanted Gambit "crackled on the head," (and Spat added "or lower?"), and Erik told them to do what they would with Gambit and Rogue but to then bring them to the arena and await his return.

    Grovel stood behind Gambit with his tail poised like a weapon while Spat zapped Rogue, but Gambit went willingly..

    Grovel and Spat mostly observed the trial silently. As "Erik" forced Rogue forward to touch Gambit, absorb his memories and share them with the court, Spat argued that she did not need to touch him, as she (Spat) had already made her remember, but Grovel countered that Rogue was not accepting the information.

(Uncanny X-Men I#350 - BTS) - Ultimately, after Gambit's crimes had been revealed, Rogue used Gambit's powers to free the other captives and escape, but the X-Men then left Gambit behind in Antarctica to fend for himself.
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(Gambit: The Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone (fb) - BTS) - Gambit sought the Tomorrow Stone to restore Spat's normal age and aging.

(Gambit: The Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone (fb) - BTS) - Sekmeht Conoway sought the Tomorrow Stone to restore/revive/resurrect her mother.

(Gambit: The Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone) - Gambit traveled to a Guatemalan temple in search of the Tomorrow Stone, but was mortally wounded by traps (apparently involving spears) in the temple.

    Sekmeht Conoway, having obtained the Tomorrow Stone, used it to save Gambit's life.

(Gambit: The Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone) <speculation based on memories, partial notes, and page numbers from a limited number of Daerick Gross Sr.'s images> - Having been used, the Tomorrow Stone vanished, turning up in Manuelo Griscolda's casing unit.

(Gambit: The Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone) <speculation based on memories, partial notes, and page numbers from a limited number of Daerick Gross Sr.'s images> - Gambit and Sekmeht went to Griscolda's party and reclaimed the Tomorrow Stone. Spat and Grovel then showed up and crashed the party.

     Blowing a hole in the wall, Spat demanded the Tomorrow Stone, which Sekmeht held in her arms. Sekmeht and Spat disappeared with the Stone, and then Gambit and Grovel went after them.

    ...and then at some point, Sekmeht was convinced to use the stone to cure Spat's de-aging (or Gambit it used it himself, with or without Sekmeht's approval), after which it vanished again...
    Once the whole story is available, I'll revise the history...

Comments: Created by Scott Lobdell, Joe Madureira, Tim Townsend, Eric Cannon, & Al Milgrom. grovel-spatpartner-uxm346

    While Grovel did have some zebra-esque patterns on his skin, he had a very zebra-like in Uncanny X-Men I#346 (in contrast to his otherwise consistent reptilian appearance in all others appearances)----------------------->
    Uncanny X-Men I##347 has both a footnote and text/dialog confirming that it was Grovel who had sneaked up on Gambit in the previous issue.
    I wonder if there was some art or editorial confusion..maybe it was Landscape's powers...or maybe Grovel and/or other Klyruvians can alter their appearances, or at least their reflections?

    When confronted by Nanny -- who had previously neutralized their powers -- in UXM349, Rogue asked for a power check, and Spat replied, "Not a one." and Grovel replied, "Not hardly."
    I'm not sure what Grovel's powers were beyond his bulk.
    Spat was able to fire energy beams from her spear...

Grovel was clearly not making any effort to get out of his chain/restraints, as the part of his neck on which it was holding him was thicker than the neck continuing towards his head, which was even smaller...or maybe they just somehow defied the laws of physics?

The whole story was a crazy-convoluted way to reveal that Gambit had -- reluctantly (due to an existing debt) and without knowledge of what was going to happen -- gathered the Marauders and led them into the Morlock Tunnels.

    It doesn't make much sense for me to have Magneto taking the identity of Erik the Red and secretly masterminding this...and, why?
    Why would he care that the other X-Men know that Gambit was manipulated into contributing to this terrible event?
    Because Magneto still had feelings for Rogue?

And, why would Rogue leave Gambit to die in the Antarctic for being duped by Sinister?

I'm not sure how much of the culmination of this plot was what was originally revealed, as Scott Lobdell wrote Uncanny X-Men#346-349, while Steve Seagle wrote #350.

I would very much like to see Grovel and Spat show up again and get fleshed out a bit more.
Maybe there could be a sequel to the Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone...and maybe the Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone could eventually make it into print...and everything I've got on that is covered here.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Grovel should be distinguished from:

GROOVER, JAMIE - customer of Lewis Security Systems--[Fantastic Four: Foes#1]
GROVE - NuHuman, recruited by Lash--Inhuman I#3
GROVE of ELDERS - Thorns, oldest, slaughtered by the Union Defense Corps--Starjammers#5
DICK GROVER ( ) - criminal, worked with Arnold and Mimi; encountered Namor--Daring Comics#11
LEW GROVER - circa 1955, accompanied Al Clark in sailing to Alaska and attempting to steal totem pole--Strange Stories of Suspense#6/2
Gen. McALLISTER GROVES - chairman of joint chiefs, kidnapped by army of Hatemonger (Hitler), who attempted to use him as a scapegoat in a nuclear attack against a foreign nation, to ignite race war--[Captain America III#25],26
GROVES - chauffeur of Hedy Wolfe--Avengers Annual 2000
other "Grove" characters, groups, events, items, races or places...

KLYRUVIANs

Grovel is one of the Klyrivians...who don't like to see people sad.

--(mentioned) Uncanny X-Men I#349

Note: Of course, Grovel first appeared in UX346 (even though it didn't look at all like him; see comments); and then his actual form and his name was shown in UXM347; the Klyruvians weren't identified until UXM349. Given how little we know about, I'm listing them thusly.

     Speaking of which, just what are the Klyruvians?

     Are they a terrestrial (Hidden) race of giant lizards?
     Are they an extraterrestrial (and/or extradimensional) race of lizards, with Grovel and/or others ending up on Earth somehow?
     Are they not a race of lizards, but a society of some sort, and Grovel either was a lone lizard amongst them or was transformed into a lizard under unexplained circumstances?
     Or, perhaps something weird and unusual, something we've never even heard of before?
     The world may never know?

images: (without ads)
Uncanny X-Men I#346, pg. 8, panel 4 (zebra-esque);
    #347, pg. 2, panel 1-2 (main form, with stick in mouth);
        pg. 3, panel 2 (snapping stick);
        pg. 5, panel 4 (Spat on head);
        pg. 16, panel 1 (face, profile, mouth open);
            panel 2 (front half in shadow, prodding Gambit);
    #348, pg. 8, panel 2 (chained, tail-length);
    #349, pg. 2, panel 1 (Gambit sitting by face);
    #350, pg. 21, panel 1 (with Erik the Red & Spat)
Gambit: The Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone chapter 2, pg. 8 (black & white, with Spat, holding pistol). grovel-spatpartner-hftts-ship

Ch.3, pg. 6 "This is the first shot of the ship. It is seen when Gambit and Grovel pursue Griscolda(?...the woman seen with Gambit) as she disappears with Spat and the Stone"--Daerick Gross Sr.-->

Appearances:
Uncanny X-Men I#346 (August, 1997) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Humberto Ramos (penciler), Tim Townsend (inker), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#347 (September, 1997) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Joe Madureira (penciler), Tim Townsend, Eric Cannon, & Al Milgrom (inkers), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#348 (October, 1997) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Joe Madureira & Andy Smith (pencilers), Tim Townsend, John Holdredge, & Al Vey (inkers), Mark Powers (assistant editor), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#349 (November, 1997) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Chris Bachalo (artist), Mark Powers (assistant editor), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#350 (December, 1997) - Steve Seagle(writer), Joe Madureira & Andy Smith (pencilers), Tim Townsend with Vince Russell & Dan Panosian (inkers), Mark Powers (assistant editor), Bob Harras (editor)
Gambit: The Hunt for the Tomorrow Stone (December 27, 1999) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Daerick Gross Sr. (artist),

First started 09/02/2021
First posted 10/04/2024
Last updated: 10/06/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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