DEATHGRINDEATHGRIN
Real Name: Daniel Davis
Identity/Class: Human magic-user (undead)
Occupation: Burglar
Group Membership: A gang of burglars
Affiliations: Reynolds
Enemies: Nightwatch
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: New York, New York, USA
First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man#104/2 (September, 1993)
Powers/Abilities: Daniel Davis was a normal human. As Deathgrin he was like the living dead. His skin became calcified and as hard as stone, giving him a certain degree of invulnerability. In his blood flows arcane acids, giving him a burning touch. His strength became unnaturally high (enhanced human level) and probably he had no need to breathe.
History:
(Web of Spider-Man#104/2 (fb) - BTS) - Daniel Davis, a burglar, had some
contacts with exotics persons interested to acquire rare antiquities. Davis
contacted Reynolds, a security guardian of the Museum of Natural History. One
night, Reynolds sabotaged the surveillance system of the Museum, and Davis
and his men broke into the Museum, killed some guardsmen, captured some
hostages, and started to rob the most ancient and precious pieces. Davis found
the most prized piece of the exhibition, an ancient Macedonian Mask of
Death.
(Web of Spider-Man#104/2) - While the burglars were stealing the antiquities, Nightwatch spotted them and entered in the Museum attacking them. Davis, seeing his men falling, fled, pushing the Mask onto his own face. The Mask stuck on Davis' face, warming his blood and inoculating an archaic balsamic substance in his veins. Daniel Davis died in the pain, leaving only Deathgrin remaining.
(Web of Spider-Man#105/2) - Suffering and enraged, Deathgrin attacked Nightwatch, crushing statues and succeeding in touching his foot. His acid touch burned Nightwatch. He threw a big statue at the vigilante then fled outside after having crushed the wall. Nightwatch enveloped Deathgrin with his cloak, but the criminal ripped free from it. Then the policemen arrived and shot whole magazines (of bullets at Deathgrin, who remained unharmed. In his search for vengeance he demolished the columns of the front of the Museum that crumbled on him. However he managed to melt the ground and run away in the sewers, leaving an acid path in the waters.
(Web of Spider-Man#106/2) - The pain drove Deathgrin to seek vengeance. He set a trap up for Deathwatch. When the vigilante approached, Deathgrin emerged from the waters behind Nightwatch. Nightwatch's cloak automatically reacted and slashed Deathgrin, launching him on to a wall, but the criminal was unharmed. Deathgrin tore open a pipe and a cloud of gas filled the sewer, but it seemed not to harm the criminal. The fight continued underwater and finally, with a powerful, cruel uppercut Nightwatch knocked Deathgrin out.
Nightwatch transported Deathgrin upside to the street, where the Police blocked him with special bracelets.
(Web of Spider-Man#106/2 - BTS) - Presumably Code Blue took Deathgrin in custody.
Comments: Created by Terry Kavanagh, Bill Wylie and Timothy Tuohy.
Nightwatch says that his costume sensed the transformations in Davis' body and claimed that Deathgrin was only a living cadaver exhaling acid. Deathgrin apparently retained some memories and speaking abilities, and his only purpose seemed to be vengeance against the man that caused him the extreme pain he was feeling.
Clarifications:
Deathgrin has no known connections to
The Mask of Death to
Reynolds has no known connections to
The Mask robbed by Davis was an ancient Macedonian Mask of Death. It contained a balsamic substance probably studied by a man of another era, with a completely different physiology. The Mask itself seemed to have no special powers. However, once applied to Davis' face, it warmed his blood to a cooking level, burning his eyes and skin burn, and causing him incredible pain. The Mask so injected the substance in the Davis' blood flux, probably killing his body, transforming his skin into stone, and giving him constant pain, a touch like burning acid, and enhanced strength.
--Web of Spider-Man#104/2 (Web of Spider-Man#104/2, Web of Spider-Man#105/2, Web of Spider-Man#106/2
Reynolds was a normal human.
Reynolds was a guardsman of the Museum of Natural History. He was contacted by Daniel Davis and helped him to enter in the Museum in exchange for a part of the return of the stolen goods. Reynolds did not care very much to cover his sabotage actions, and Davis had him killed by one of his gang.
--Web of Spider-Man#104/2
The burglars were normal humans. The gang was composed by ten or more units. They were equipped with handy laser, silenced handguns, electrocuting stingers, gas sprayers, shotguns with infrared pointers, and walkie-talkies; and they all wore the same suit, like a uniform.
They were also killers. They had killed some guards of the Museum before starting stealing. They were not a threat for Nightwatch who put them out of the game in few minutes. One of them also killed Reynolds at a signal from Davis. Only one (or a few) of them succeeded in running away from Nightwatch's assault.
--Web of Spider-Man#104/2
Images:
Web of Spider-Man#105/2, p2, pan1
Web of Spider-Man#106/2, p1, pan1
Web of Spider-Man#105/2, p4, pan3
Web of Spider-Man#105/2, p4, pan4
Web of Spider-Man#105/2, p2, pan1
Other appearances:
Web of Spider-Man#105-106 (October-November, 1993) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), Bill Wylie (pencils), Timothy Tuohy (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Last updated: 08/02/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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